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NIEUHOFF S BRAZIL. 



of negroes, mulats, and Portuguefe, with Kamaron at the head of them, began their 

 march in the month of March, expelling now to be joined by other troops, which 

 hitherto were flopped by the overflowing of the rivers. Their aim is to encourage the 

 inhabitants to take up arms, which done, they exped confiderable fuccours from the 

 Bahia, both by fea and land, wherewith they pretend to block, you up in the Receif, 

 intending to fix their camp either at Olinda, or in the Vergea, and quarter the foldiers 

 in the Fregefies thereabouts. They boafl that their forces are already confiderably in- 

 creafed by thofe who are indebted to the company, and other vagabonds, and threaten 

 to maffacre all fuch of your fubjeds as refufe to join with them. A certain perfon of 

 note and reputation belonging to the fame camp, has given us this information, in order 

 to communicate it to Your Lordfhips, to be upon your guard, which we do accordingly 

 by thefe prefents. The fame perfon told us, that John Fernandes Vieira was the chief 

 ring-leader of this infurreclion, who maintains the rebellious crew in the Matta, as they 

 meet together, till a certain time appointed for their rendezvous, when they are with 

 their joint forces to attack all the Dutch forts and out-guards at once. We were alfo 

 told, that the faid Vieira does not fleep in his houfe, and is always upon his guard ; 

 to try which, you have no more to do than to fend fome to take him, with his fervants 

 and tailors ; which if you could'do they would be all amazed, and make an open con- 

 feffion, which may be done without the leafl hazard ; for if you mifcarry in the attempt, 

 it will neverthelefs not redound to your difadvantage. We conjure Your Lordfliips to 

 take care of this poor nation, for fear they fhould be forced to join with the rebels 

 againft you. We judge it therefore abfolutely neceffary to undertake the bufmefs with- 

 out delay, with all imaginable fecrecy ; for if they find rhemfelves difcovered, they will be- 

 gin the game immediately ; fo that ftrong guards ought to be put in the outworks, and 

 in the harbours of Kandelaria and the Receif. We advife Your Lordfhips to oblige the 

 inhabitants forthwith to furrender their arms, to order all the maflers of the fugar-mills, 

 with their planters, to appear in the Receif, efpecially thofe of the Fregefies of Vergea, 

 Garaffu, St. Lorenzo, St. Amaro, Moribeca, De Cabo, Pojukxi, and Serinham, with 

 afTurance that they fhall not be molefted for any debts there ; and when they are come, 

 to detain them till they fee what is further to be done, under pretence of fecuring them 

 againfl the attempts of the rebels in the country, by which means you will both fecure 

 the government, and oblige many private perfons. The fame method ought to be ufed 

 with thofe of Parayba, where they may be detained in the fort, as well as thofe of Porto 

 Calvo in that place. Thus if you can get the chiefefl into your hands, the defign will 

 dwindle away to nothing. We befeech you not to fend away any more foldiers before 

 you have made a full difcovery of the rebellion, and provide your forts with good garri- 

 fons ; whither we would alfo have all the Dutch inhabitants to retire for fear of being 

 maffacred. We three being faithful fubjefts of Your Lordfhips, have now fatisfied our 

 confciences in propofmg your remedy, which confifls in the taking of Vieira, which 

 mufl be undertaken with great fecrecy and forefight, he being, as it is faid, continually 

 upon his guard. Your Lordfliips will be fenfible without our advice how much it con- 

 cerns them, not to divulge to any, from whom they have received this information ; 

 and we affure you, that we will not fail to give further intelligence of what we are able 

 to learn by way of letters ; and one time or other, we fhall make no difficulty to let 

 you know, who thefe three faithful fubjefts are. If we had been prefent, we could have 

 declared no more than we have done in this letter. Your Lordfhips mufl take elfeftual 

 care againfl their attempts without delay, the approaching feafl being the time appoint- 

 ing for the putting it in execution. We have fent you immediate notice after it came 

 to our knowledge : we advife you likewife to feize upon Francifco Beringcl, Vieira's 



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