832 . NIEUIIOFF's BRAZIL. 



break in through the Matta, had furprifed many of the Inhabitants in their Fazendas, 

 and killed them without diftindion of age or fex : he had fmce pofled himfelf with his 

 forces, confifting of four hundred foldiers, as many Brazilians, and eighty Tapoyers, 

 under the command of Antonio Jacomo Beferro, at a houfe of Henry Hamme in Mom- 

 pabou, to cut off the provifions from us. Our forces confifting of about one thoufand 

 foldiers, Brazilians and Tapoyers, marched the 23d of January to a houfe. of John 

 Leftan Navarre, to attack the enemy, and to force them to quit the captainflaip of Rio 

 Grande. Befides thefe, Jacob Rabbi, and the fons of KingDuwy, were the 19th, pail 

 by the fort Keulen, at the head of fixty Tapoyers, and were daily followed by others, 

 that came to our affiftance. Mr. Bas folicited alfo fome fupplies of provifions, of which 

 they ftood in great want, there being above one thoufand five hundred Brazilians, men, 

 w^omen, and children, lodged under the caftle. He defired alfo fome money, ammu- 

 nition, linen, and filks, to prefent to the Brazilians and Tapoyers ; all which, together 

 with fome pieces of red cloth, was fent him by the council. 



According to this advice, it being much to be feared the enemy would fcarce ftand 

 the brunt in Rio Grande, but retire into Parayba, it was taken into ferious confidera- 

 tion the 29th of January, whether it would be advifeable, in cafe the enemy Ihould be 

 forced by our troops, or voluntarily retreat into Parayba, to purfue them thither, and 

 thereby endeavour the recovery likewife of that captainihip : but confidering that, by 

 reafon of the weaknefs of our garrifons, we were not in a condition to fend any further 

 fuccours from the Receif, Itamarika or Parayba, without running a manifeil hazard to 

 our troops there ; whereas, on the contrary, the enemy did not want opportunity to 

 reheve theirs from the adjacent places of Parayba, and that we lived in daily hopes of 

 fuccours from Holland, it was judged the beft way, that the welfare of the whole Dutch 

 Brazil ought not to be put to the hazard by fuch an enterprize as this. 



Accordingly orders were fent to Mr. Bas and the reft of the commanders of our 

 troops there, to a£t with all imaginable caution, and rather than expofe our men, in 

 following the enemy into Parayba, to be contented with the recovery of the captainihip 

 of Rio Grande. 



The 30th of March, Colonel Garfman was, by fpecial order from the council, fent a 

 fecond time with fome troops to the captainftiip of Rio Grande, to inform himfelf, 

 whether any troops of the enemy were pofted in that captainftiip, and in what number ; 

 his inftruftions were, that fo foon as he had received intelligence of the enemy, he 

 fhould, with what forces he was able to bring together, endeavour to ftop their pro- 

 grefs. But if he found himfelf not ftrong enough to oppofe him, he fhould fend 

 fpeedy advice thereof to the council, that they might fend him fpeedy fuccours, and 

 that he was to take all imaginable care not to engage the enemy, before the arrival of 

 the faid fuccours. But if he found the enemy already fo ftrongly entrenched as to be 

 mafter of the country, without any hopes of forcing them from thence, the defence 

 of the fort Keulen ftiould be his chiefeft care, as likewife of the Brazilians, with their 

 wives and children ; and fince, in cafe the faid fort of Keulen fhould be-- in danger of 

 being attacked by the enemy, it would be of ill confequence, to have thefe women 

 and children enclofed within thefe fortifications, for fear of v/ant of provifions, he was 

 ftriftly ordered to tranfport them in time, to fome place of fecurity, fuch as Siara, or 

 the like, where they might be able to fubfift, and be fecure againft any attempt from 

 the enemy. He was ordered alfo in his return to the Receif, to take en pajfant (if it 

 could be done without inconveniency) a view of the fortifications of Itamarika and Pa- 

 rayba, in order to give an account of their condition to the council. 



But 



