840 nieuhoff's brazil. 



ftore of ferinha, the enemy having either confumed, fpoiled, or carried it away before ; 

 fo that we mufl: expofe our men to an apparent danger, without a fure profpeft of in- 

 tereft ; for, fuppofing we Ihould be fuccefsful, the quantity that might be got, would 

 not be fufficient to maintain our garrifons for any confiderable time. It was however 

 agreed to take an exaO: account of all the garrifons, to fee whether upon an occafion 

 fomething might be undertaken for the fervice of the ftate. Accordingly thefe two 

 majors, Bayert and Piftoor, having prefented a lift of thefe forces the next day to the 

 council, it was concluded that no troops could be fpared out of the forts, except it 

 were out of the Affagados, but they were but few in number. At the fame time it 

 was refolved to fend Captain Niger with his company of Brazilians to Rio Grande, 

 and the Omlandia and Greyhound yaeht were ordered forthwith to fail to Itamarika, 

 to tranfport the Brazilians to Rio Grande. 



The 30th of May the council, the admiral, and two majors, entered into a fe- 

 cond debate, whether it were poflible to attack the enemy, and in what place : againft 

 which it was alledged, that their chiefeft force was at prefent in the Vergea ; but 

 fuppofmg it was not, no farinha was to be got there, beciufe they were fupplied with 

 it themfelves from far diftant places. That the farinha-fields neareft to the Receif 

 were about St. Lawrence, at leaft five leagues from thence ; that the neareft farinha- 

 fields to the fouth were about St. Antonio and Moribeca, where, by reafon of the 

 ftrength of the enemy and the great diftance from us, there was no probability of 

 incompafling our defign ; and that the farinha-fields to the north were likewife at fuch 

 a diftance from the fea-fide, as could not in any likelihood anfwer our expe£lation. It 

 was farther taken into confideration, whether fome forces might not be fpared in Itama- 

 rika, but it was carried in the negative ; becaufe fmce the Brazilians were ready to de- 

 part for Rio Grande, it was not advifeable to expofe the reft of our troops there to a 

 hazard. After ferious deliberation, what forces poflibly could be raifed out of the 

 forts (their places being in the meanwhile to be fupplied by the inhabitants), it was 

 found that the AiFagados could furnifh about feventy or eighty men, the Quinquan- 

 gular fort and Maurice's Town, the fame number, and that of St. Antonio Vaez 

 about fifty. But, confidering that the city-militia of the Receif confifted only of fix 

 companies of feventy or at the moft eighty men each, and that they were obliged to 

 be upon the guard every night there (the place being without a garrifon), if a con- 

 fiderable number of them ftiould be employed in the forts, this muft needs expofe the 

 capital place, which the enemy chiefly aimed at, to an imminent danger. The fea- 

 men being not above two hundred and fifty in all, could likewife not be employed in 

 that fervice, unlefs we could leave our ftiips quite unmanned and ufelefs. So that 

 after many arguments on both fides, it was agreed to chufe the fecureft way, and ac- 

 cording to the orders of the council of Nineteen in Holland, to expert the fuccours 

 from thence with patience, and in the meanwhile to provide for the fecurity of 

 our forts. 



The fame day the council received letters from Mr. Walbeck, that fome of the Bra- 

 zilians of Itamarika had deferted, a rumour being fpread among them, that we intended 

 to leave them to the mercy of the Portuguefe, which had put all the reft into a great 

 confternation, but that Mr. Dortmund had convinced them to the contrary. Mr. Wal- 

 beck and Dortmund had in the meanwhile reprefented to the Brazilians, that they be- 

 ing many in number, and confequently very ill provided for at this jundure, whether it 

 were not beft for them to go for fome time to Rio Grande. They were at firft averfe 

 to his propofals, for fear of being deferted by us, neverthelefs the urgent neceffity of 

 providing for their fuftenance, and to Ihew their compliance with the government's 



orders, 



