NIEUHOFF's brazil. '^'J^ 



the States-General of the United Provinces, I will facrifice the fame to the intereft of 

 our common neighbourhood, rather than to enter upon a particular account of thofe 

 mifcarriages in the expedition of Angola, at a time when the States-General did affift 

 the crown of Portugal with their naval force, when our ambafladors refiding in the 

 Receif were told, that thefe troops were not intended to be employed againfr any of 

 His Majefty's harbours, but in the Weft Indies, though at the fame time they were 

 embarked for the conqueft of Angola. The fame may be faid of the taking of 

 the iile of St. Thomas, and the city of Luy de Mapanha, and the feizing of a Por- 

 tuguefe fliip upon our coaft, loaden with fugar from Spiritu Sando. The com- 

 miffary Greening was difpatched hither, under a pretext of buying of farinha, but 

 in effed to found my inclinations, as he himfelf confefles, when he fays in a certain 

 letter of his, " I was fent thither with this commiffion, but rather to feel his pulfe and 

 try his friendfhip, than that we were in want." The unfaithful dealings of the di- 

 redors of xA.ngola in the capitulation with the governor Pedro Cacfar de Mines ; the 

 rafmg of our fort Araval in Bengo ; the bafe treatment put upon the faid governor, 

 being a perfon of quality, and a general of His Majefty's, are matters altogether 

 inconfiftent with the rules of war, nay, with humanity itfelf, and contrary to the 

 pradice not only of the more civilized' nations of Europe, but alfo the barbarians 

 themfelves. Of the fame ftamp was the anfwer given by your council to our ambaf- 

 fador, who urging a ceiTation of arms in the kingdom of Angola, was anfwered, that 

 the fa:ne had no dependency on our jurifdidion, quite contrary to the fmcere inten- 

 tions always obferved by me in all our tranfaftions with you ; for no fooner did Your 

 Lordfhips make complaints to me ag'ainft one Captain Auguftino Condago and one 

 Domingo de Rocha, who having carried away a barge with fugar, had brought her 

 into the harbour of our city, I fent back the laid veffel immediately, and put the cap- 

 tain in prifon till he was fent over to His Majefty. And that time being informed, 

 that two foldiers living under my jurifdi6lion, whofe names were John de Campos and 

 Domingo Velho Sigifmundo, had committed feme infolencies in your captainfliip of 

 Pernambuko, I caufed them to be hanged immediately, looking upon it as a duty 

 not to be difpenfed v/ith by me, for the maintaining of our mutual good corref- 

 pondency ; all thefe before-mentioned infraftions having never been able to make me 

 forgetful of the reiterated orders of His Majefty, viz. to improve the eifeds of the 

 peace and alliances made betwixt him and the States-General, to our both fides fatisfac- 

 tion : I muft at the fame time confefs, that looking upon myfelf as a foldier, (abftraded 

 from the confideration of the intereft of the ftate, and the duty of a fubjed) I thought 

 I ought not to take tamely fo many affronts, and to let flip fo many fair opportunities 

 of doing myfelf juftice ; much beyond what can be fuppofed to arife from the conjunc- 

 tion of a few unarmed Portuguefe, a few difcontented negroes, and fome rebels, whofe 

 protedion cannot, as I faid before, come in any competition with the feveral oppor- 

 tunities and provocations pafTed by on our fide before, for the common intereft ; and 

 that confequently our government cannot as much as be conceived to be the hidden 

 caufe of this rebellion, as Your \ Lordfhips themfelves are pleafed to confefs; neither 

 would I have entered upon a recital of thofe particularities, if I had not thought myfelf 

 obliged both in duty and affedion, to give this fatisfa^lion to you. To give you the 

 true account of the abfence of Henry Dias, you muft know, that one night he left 

 his guard in Rio Real, and paffed over to your fide ; Don Antonio Philippo Kamaron, 

 captain of the Brazilians, being fent after him, and not returning, I judged that 

 they were gone towards Mocambo, to attack the Palmairas of Rio St.Francifco, which 

 made me (to avoid all fufpicion of being concerned in any thing that might tend to the 



1 1 breach 



