794 



NIEUHOFF*S BRAZIL. 



oiifly laid the Pomiguefe admiral on board, after a fhort but fharp difpute took the (hip 

 and the admiral's flag : to be Ihort, the reft of our fhips behaved themfelves fo well, 

 that foon after they forced the Portuguefe to quit their fhips ; God be praifed for this 

 victory. Jeronymo Sarrao de Paiva the Portuguefe admiral is our prifoner, and at pre- 

 fent in my fliip, being forely wounded, whom I intend to deHver up to Your Lordfhips 

 fo foon as I (hail come to the Receif ; in the mean-while, I intend to fend back the 

 Levden and the Unicom to-morrow morning, according to Your Lordfliips diredions. 

 And forafmuch as there is likely to be no more adion hereabouts, the enemy having 

 ftreigthened themfelves near the fea-fhore, I will the firft opportimity return to the Re- 

 ceif, where I hope to give in perfon a more ample account of the whole adion j I re- 

 commeid Your Lord&ips to God*s protedion. In hade, 



*' Your Lordfhips' fervant, 

 *« From the fhip the Utrecht, within the Cornelius LichtharT." 



** bay of Tamandare, September 9, 



^« 1645 " 



The Portuguefe admiral Sarrao de Payva, in his letter dated the 1 8 th of September, 

 gave the following account of hb engagement to the two colonels Martin Soares Mo- 

 rale and Andrew Vidal Negreiros : 



The Portitguife Admiral's Letter to Ajidrew VidaL 



" It being the general difcourfe here in the Receif, which is like wife come to my 

 ears, that it is reported by you there how the Dutch admiral, John Cornelius Lichthart, 

 did before the beginning of the laft engagement enter the bay with a white flag, thus 

 furprifing our people, killed many of them in cold blood. I thought myfelf obliged to 

 acquaint you, that indeed two days before the faid engagement a yacht and a bark with 

 w lute flags appeared at the entrance of the bay, at which one of our fmall vefTels and a 

 bark fhot three cannon-fhot. But that day, when the admiral entered the faid bay, he 

 had put up both the Dutch and red flags. Neither is it true what had been faid of their 

 killing our m«i in cool blood, there being not one man flain aboard my fhip, but dur- 

 ing the heat of the engagement, five or fix that had hid themfelves below deck having 

 received quarter, and a foldier forely wounded, ordered immediately to be looked a ter 

 with all care imaginable. Neither was there a ftroke given after the yielding of the 

 fhip, but every body treated and provided for according to his quality and^prefent necef- 

 fity. The reafon why fo few had quarter given them was, becaufe moft leapt over- 

 board, the feamen firfl, and then the foldiers ; I being not able with fword in hand to 

 keep them from chufing rather to perifh in the fea than to fland it out aboard the fhip. 

 Two or three perfons of note feeing me forely wounded, freely gave me quarter, withou*" 

 knowing either my perfon, or being afked it by me ; a convincing argument that th 

 would not have refufed the fame to all the reft that would have begged quarter. I • 

 confefs myfelf fo much obliged to the humanity and generofity of the admiral, th 

 not to be exprefled in writing. Befides that, it is unqueftionable that we fir^ 

 them, both from our fhips and batteries near the fea-fliore. I have given 

 account of the whole matter, of which, as I have been an eye-wimefs m- 

 not quefHon you will give an entire credit to what I have written to you r 

 God proted you for many years. 



" Receif, Sep, 18, 1645. Jeronymo S' 



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