NIEUHOFP'S BRAZIL. 76^ 



known to him, he fent both the letter and inftrument of aflbciation back by the fame 

 lad that brought it, with his anfwer by way of mouth, that he could not fubfcribe it. 

 Having more maturely weighed the matter, he fent the fame eveniiig to his friend, 

 Fernando Vale, to defire him to give him a meeting the next morning upon the hills of 

 Garapes ; which being done accordingly, it was agreed among them to give notice of 

 this confpiracy to the great council, in a letter without a name. This letter, with 

 the fubfcription of Plus ultra^ was writ by Vale, and about ten days after given him to 

 read in a baker's houfe in the Pont-ftreet, and afterwards given to Abraham Merkado, 

 the phyfician, who delivered it to the great council. 



The fame day, the 20th of June, the great council received a letter from Mr. Ley 

 and Hoek, dated at St. Antonio, importing, that the whole Fregefie had taken up arms, 

 and made fixteen or eighteen Dutch inhabitants prifoners ; that they had fortified the 

 church againft thofe of Pojuka, whom they did not queflion to force from thence, 

 provided they received any fuccours from the Receif. The council having taken the 

 whole matter into ferious deliberation, and confidering with themfelves, that, as the 

 cafe then flood, they had no great reafon to fear any rebellion in the north, in Parayba, 

 and Rio Grande, as long as our fleet remained near the Red Land, and judging it highly 

 neceflary to bring the rebels in Pojuka to reafon, and by their punifhment to deter the 

 reft from attempting the like, they ordered Lieutenant-colonel Haus, with a detach- 

 ment of a hundred men, to march the next morning to Moribeca, there to join with 

 Captain Wiltfchut and the Brazilians, and fo continue their march to St. Antonio ; 

 from whence they were, with their joint forces, to go dire£lly againft the rebels of 

 Pojuka, to reduce them to obedience ; it being otherwife to be feared that they would 

 cut off all communication betwixt the Receif and the garrifons to the fouth. This 

 expedition proved fo fuccefsful, that the rebels were put to flight, and Lieutenant- 

 colonel Haus made himfelf mafter both of the town and convent, forcing them to 

 quit all the pafles thereabouts; and forty prifoners were releafed, whom they had 

 loaded with irons in the faid monaftery. But having received intelligence of the ap- 

 proach of Kamaron with his whole body againft him, he defired further fuccours from 

 the great council to keep the field j but the garrifon of the Receif being too much 

 weakened already, they could fend him no other reinforcement till the expeded fuc- 

 cours fhould arrive from Holland. 



The 2 1 ft, it was refolved by the great council, to proclaim a general faft all over 

 Dutch Brazil, to be kept the 28th of June, to return thanks to God Almighty for the 

 great mercy fliewn to them on feveral occafions, but efpecially of late, in the timely 

 difcovery of the treacherous defigns of their enemies, who intended to have furprifed 

 them when they were leaft aware of them. 



The defign of this confpiracy was laid thus by the Portuguefe : they intended, in the 

 Whitfuntide holidays, to make folemn rejoicings, with feafting, tournaments, and 

 fuch Hke, on occafion of feveral weddings appointed for that purpofe, unto which 

 were to be invited all the chief men of Dutch Brazil, both civil and military ; whom, 

 after they were fluftied with wine, they intended to murder, in imitation of the Sicilian 

 vefpers, or the noted Parifian wedding ; not queftioning but that, when the heads of 

 the Dutch Brazil were cut off, the reft, when attacked at once in divers places, would 

 fall an eafy prey into their hands. But being prevented in this bloody defign for that 

 time, Midfummer-day was pitched upon, as moft proper for the execution of it, when 

 the fliips were departed out of the harbour of the Receif. For the Portuguefe were 

 not ignorant, that we, having received no frefh fupplies, efpecially of gunpowder, for 

 a confiderable time, out of Holland, our magazines were but very indifferently fup- 



5 E 2 , plied. 



