nieuhoff's brazil. 833 



But to return to Mr. Bas : according to his letters dated the 30th of January from 

 the fort Keulen, Captain Rhinebergh had with his body made fix feveral attacks upon 

 the enemy, who was retired from Mompabou and Kunhao into a bog, without being- 

 able to force their entrenchments ; we loft about one hundred killed and wounded 

 in this aQ^ion, and retreated to the houfe of John Leytan with order to get fome cattle, 

 which was very Icarce thereabouts, our forces feeding moft upon fifhes, which they 

 caught by the help of two large nets ; twenty-eight of our wounded men were brought 

 to the Receif, with advice that notwithftanding this unfuccefsful attack on our fide, 

 the enemy were retreated into Parayba. Mr. Bas alfo folicited fome frefh fupplies of 

 men and ammunition, in order to purfue them into Parayba, but the refolution upon 

 this head was deferred until they fhould hear further from Mr. Bas. The 7th of 

 February, it was refolved by the council, with the approbation of Admiral Lichthart, 

 to equip the Hollandia and the Swan, together with the yachts, the Flight, the Hamel, 

 Bulleftraet, and Lichthart, for cruizing. By letters from Mr. Linge, dated the nth 

 of February, at the fort Margaret in Parayba, the council was advifed ; how that, 

 according to the depofition of a negro deferter, Kamaron was come with all his troops 

 into the city of Parayba, with an intention to attack our forts on that fide ; an anfwer, 

 with what was thought neceffary for this prefent purpofe, was immediately fent back 

 in a bark by the council. By another bark fent by Mr. Bas from Rio Grande, they 

 were advertifed, that he lay ftill encamped with his troops near the houfe of John 

 Leftan, where with much ado he could get provifions for them, the enemy being ftill 

 pofted at Momguappe, and guarding all the avenues into the country ; that he had 

 fent feveral fpies abroad, to get intelligence concerning the prefent pofture of the 

 enemy. The 1 7th of February, the fhip the Swan and the yacht called Bulleftraet 

 were ordered to go out a-cruizing ; the 1 8th, the yacht the Flight, and the 20th, the 

 fhip Hollandia, fet fail for the fame purpofe. The mip the OveryiTel was alfo ordered to 

 go out, to ferve for a fpy-ftiip on the coaft of Parayba. 



The 2 1 ft of February, the council received a letter from Mr. de Linge, dated the 

 1 8th, in the fort of St. Margaret, intimating that he had heard nothing fmce of the 

 enemy. Yet that he wiftied the forces he had fent to Rio Grande might be returned 

 with all convenient fpeed, to make ufe of them for the defence of his forts, in cafe of 

 an attack. The 24th of February, a party under command of Captain Kiljion Taylor 

 and Captain Nicholas Nicholfon, were fent abroad towards the ifland of the Barette 

 to get fome prifoners, but they returned the 20th to the Receif, having met with 

 nobody except a man, at a confiderable diftance. Another party which had taken 

 their way towards Olinda and Bracco de St. Jago, but with the fame fuccefs, the 

 enemy having only ftiewn himfelf at a diftance, as they were returning to the fort 

 Bruin. The 27th of February, the enemy appeared with a ftrong body in the Salinas, 

 but being faluted by fome cannon-fliot from the fort Bruin, retired without attempting 

 any thing. 



In the meanwhile, according to Mr. IJnge's letter, from the 2d of March, three 

 barks with foldiers were arrived in Parayba from Rio Grande, fo that the reft, under 

 the command of Mr. Bas, being five hundred in number, might be hourly expeded 

 at the Receif. He further advifed, that he had feen no enemy of late, but being in- 

 formed that a confiderable body lay encamped in a valley near the village of Maga- 

 rebbe, he had ordered thither one hundred and twenty foldiers, and one hundred 

 Brazilians, to beat up their quarters, and to get fome prifoners. In effeft the 4th of 

 March, he, with his troops confifting in five hundred men, arrived from Rio Grande 

 at the Receif, and the 5th of March gave the council an account of his expedition. 



vojp. XIV. 5 o The 



