770 



NIEUHOFF S BRAZIL. 



not be interpreted otherwife than a breach of the truce concluded betwixt the lung of 

 Portugal and Their High and MightineiTes the States-General. 



The perfons pitched upon for this purpofe were Balthafar Vander Voerde, counfellor 

 of the court of juftice, and Dirk Van Hoogflraten, then commander-in-chief to the 

 Cape of St. Auftin, who being looked upon at that time as a very loyal perfon, was 

 fent for the 4th of July, leaving Barent Van Tichlenborgh, to command in his abfence. 

 Francis Kyrnen Springapple was appointed their fecretary, and Gerrard Dirk Laet, 

 Alexander Sylve, and Jacob Swearts to attend them as gentlemen. 



Their inftrudions were, to lay open to the governor the true reafon and occafion of 

 this infurredtion, and the ring-leaders thereof, who would never have dared to attempt 

 it without the hopes of fuccours, which were fent them by land through Rio St. Fran- 

 cifco : they were to fearch into his intentions as near as poffibly they could, and to de- 

 fire him to recal Kamaron and Henry Dias with their troops out of the Dutch Brazil, 

 and to punifh them according to their deferts. If they found the governor not inclined 

 to give them due fatisfa^tion, by recalling thofe troops either by public proclamation, 

 or fending fome perfon of authority to bring them back, or by giving them fome other 

 real demonflrations of his fmcere intention before their departure, they were to proteft 

 to, and to declare themfelves innocent of all the damages, murders, and rapines as well 

 againft the Hollanders, as Portuguefe and Brazilians, already committed or to be com- 

 mitted by thofe forces. They were to declare to the governor, that they would look 

 upon it as an open breach of peace and adt of hoftility, of which they muft give an ac- 

 count to their mailers, who, without queflion, would know how to make themfelves 

 amends for the damages fuflained ; and to protefl once more, that the Dutch declared 

 themfelves innocent of all the miferies which mufl enfue from their taking up arms for 

 their own defence, after their fo reafonable requefl had been rejeded. 



Accordingly they fet fail the 9th of July 1645, from the Receif, in the fhip called the 

 Roebuck, and coming to an anchor the 1 7th in the Bahia, were, in the name of the 

 governor Antonio Telles da Sylva, complimented aboard their fhips by feveral Portu- 

 guefe gentlemen, from whom they aiked leave to come afhore, having feveral matters 

 of moment to propofe to him in the name of the great council of Brazil. 



The next day being the i8th of July, about noon. Lieutenant- colonel Andrew Vidal, 

 and Captain Pedro Kavalkanti, with fome other officers, came in a brigantine to fetch 

 them to the palace ; where, after the firft compliments, they delivered their credentials, 

 telling the governor, that out of thofe he would underftand that they were fent to treat 

 with him of certain points, which they were ready to propofe, either now or whenever 

 he fhould be difpofed to receive them. The governor, after the uftial return of com- 

 pliments and perufal of the credentials, told them, that he was ready to hear them 

 whenever they pleafed ; whereupon they propofed. 



That fome Portuguefe fubjeds of Their High and MightineiTes the States-General of 

 the United Provinces, have entered into a cabal, in order to take up arms and attack 

 Pernambuko ; to effed which, they have by certain letters folicited their fellow-fubjeds 

 to enter into a rebellion, and provided themfelves with arms, in hopes of fuccours from 

 abroad. That in the beginnmg of May, Kamaron and Henry Dias with their Brazili- 

 ans and negroes, and fome Portuguefe, being on their march in an hoftile manner to 

 Pernambuko ; John Fernandes Vieira, Antonio Kavalkanti, and Amador d'Araouje, 

 with other Portuguefe their accomplices, had no fooner notice of their coming, \)ut they 

 abfconded from their houfes, gathered what forces they could, fome by force, fome 

 otherwife, publifhed their declarations, ftyling themfelves governors of this war for the 

 public liberty ; all which they undertook upon hopes of being backed by foreign troops. 



That 



