nieuhoff's brazil. ySg 



The third Letter, 



'•^ Whilft I was endeavouring to fatisfy the requefl made to me by your ambaffadors, 

 and bufied in embarking the forces defigned for your fervice, under the command of 

 the two colonels Martin Soares Moreno and Andrew Vidal de Nigreiros, together with 

 Colonel Jeronymo de Payva, captain-major of the faid forces, Salvador Korrea de Saa 

 Benavides, admiral of this flate, and a member of the council of tranfmarine affairs, 

 eflablifhed by authority of the King my mafter, happened to arrive, by God*s peculiar 

 diredion, with his fleet from Rio de Janeiro, in the Bahia, in order to condud them 

 to Portugal. But being defirous to redouble my efforts, as well in the condud of his 

 perfon as in the flrength of his fleet, to render the whole more ferviceable to Your 

 Lordfhips, I thought convenient to fend the faid admiral, with the fleet under his com- 

 mand, in conjunftion with the reft, to the revolted captainfhip ; not queflioning, but 

 that, by his prudent conduft and authority, he will be very inflrumental in reftoring 

 the peace in your dominions, according to our utmoft wifhes ; and I live in hopes, that 

 this may ferve as real demonllrations of the good underflanding and friendfliip I am 

 willing to cultivate betwixt thefe two ftates, both as a jufl friend and good neighbour. 

 I recommend you to God*s protedion. 



" Your affeftionate fervant, 



*' Bahia, July 25, 1645. Antonio Telles de Sylva.** 



The chief contents of thefe letters tended to perfuade the great council of the Dutch 

 Brazil, that the governor of the Bahia had, purfuant to the requefl made by the de- 

 puties of the faid council to him, fent certain land-forces under the command of the 

 two colonels Martin Soares Moreno and Andrew Vidal de Nigreiros, aboard the fleet 

 commanded by Jeronymo Sarrao de Payva, in conjundion with the whole fleet of Rio 

 de Janeiro, under the conduft of Admiral Korrea, to aflifl them both by fea and land, 

 as is evident from the words of the preceding letters : he alfo requefled by his deputies, 

 viz. Captain Martinho de Rebeira, and Auditor-general Balthafar de Caflilho, that the 

 great council would be pleafed to acquaint the King his mafler with it, in a particular 

 letter from them to His Majefty. 



What deferves our particular obfervation in his letter to John Fernandes Vieira, and 



the refl of the rebels, is, that he calls them the King's fubjedls, unto whom he has fent 



this fuccour for their defence ; yet with this reflriftion, in order to reduce them by all 



gentle means to their former obedience to the Dutch government. It being evident, 



that the propofitions made by our deputies to the Governor Telles, tended to no other 



purpofe than to engage him to recal Kamaron and Dias, and fuch others as were come 



to join with the rebellious Portuguefe, out of the Dutch Brazil, and, in cafe of refufal, 



"o declare them rebels and enemies of the King t)f Portugal ; but he, direftly contrary 



the intention and requefl of the faid council, had, inflead of recalling them, fent 



^ forces to their fuccours ; and, inftead of leaving them to the difpofal of the coun- 



d caufed them to be landed in a remote place, where the faid Kamaron and Dias 



h their forces at that time. Neither was the council ignorant of their inten- 



■<ding a fleet into the road of the Receif at this jundure ; tending to no other 



Sack the revolted rebels in their defign, and to encourage the refl to take 



'^. them. 



as fully fatisfied as to this point, when they received advice from the 

 , that the garrifon of Sermham had been forced to furrender to 



Sis landing thereabouts. 



Their 



