nieuhoff's brazil. 845 



and fervice ; but they refufed to come into the fort Keulen before they had fpoken with 

 Rudolph Baro, who had been fent for upon that account. About this time feveral 

 merchants fet out fome privateers, but as this could not be done without great charge, 

 and there were but few lliips at fea of the Portuguefe, this turned to no great account, 

 and confequently continued not long. A very odd accident happened to me much' 

 at the fame time ; for fome of the labourers who were employed to unload a yeffel 

 belonging to the company, were got fo drunk, that they had killed a man, and hurt 

 feveral others, by letting a pipe of wine fall upon them ; I went thither to prevent 

 any further diforder, but was no fooner entered the fliip, when on a fudden I found 

 the filver galoons upon my coat turn black, and myfelf bereaved of my fight, which 

 however I recovered by degrees in a few days after, the caufe of which I attributed 

 to the (Irong exhalations of the wine, that had been clofed up for a confiderable time 

 before. Much about the fame time a diiference arofe betwixt the officers of the army 

 and the city-militia, about the chief command of the head guard in the Receif, which 

 the city-officers laid claim to.. 



But to return to our fo long expedled fuccours.. 



The reiferated letters from the council of the Dutch Brazil to the States-General, 

 and the dire(?tors of our company,, wherein they prefented their dangerous condition 

 to them, had had fuch an influence upon the firft, that they advifed the diredors of 

 the company to fend us a reinforcement of five or fix thoufand men, and a good fleet ; 

 for which purpofe they fent them twenty-five companies of their regular troops, and 

 gave leave for the raifmg as many more, as in all amounted to four thoufand land 

 foldiers, befides feamen and volunteers. 



This fleet, confifl:ing of a good number of brave fhips, was ready to fail in November 

 1645, ^^^ ^y reafon of a fudden and hard frofl, were detained in the road of 

 TJlieffingen, till February 1646. One Mr. Bankert, admiral of Zealand, had the chief 

 command of this fleet, and at the fame time the following ^five gentlemen,, who were 

 appointed members of the great council of the Dutch Brazil, and were to relieve the 

 old ones, were fent to their ftations there ; to wit, Walter Schonenburgh prefident,. 

 Michael van Goch penfionary of TJlieffingen, Simon van Beaumont fifcal of the city of 

 Dort, Henry Hacks, and Mr. Trowens, two great merchants of Amflerdam^ and Mr. 

 Heremite a lawyer of Dort, their fecretary. One Sigifmund Schoppe, formerly under 

 Count Maurice, and who had commanded the land forces of Dutch Brazil, was now 

 fent in the quality of commander-in-chief of thefe forces ; he was a mofl experienced 

 captain, and who always kept a ftrift difcipline among the foldiers. 



Never did any fleet fent from Holland to Brazil meet with fo many unfortunate 

 accidents as this, during the fix months they were at fea. For within two days after 

 they had left the Dutch coail, they were forced to caft anchor in the Downs oppofite 

 to Newport, where they lofl two of their fhips by flrefs of weather. After a ftay of 

 three days, the winds being fomewhat allayed, the fquadron under Mr. Van Goch fet 

 fail again, but was in two days after again forced into St. Helen's in the ifle of Wight ; 

 three days before their arrival, a rich Dutch fhip, valued at two millions of livres, then 

 lately come from Brazil, was lofl among the rocks, fo that of three hundred perfons 

 no more than thirty were faved.. Here they were detained by foul weather and contrary 

 winds feven Weeks, when another Dutch fhip coming from Brazil chanced to caft 

 anchor near them, and told them, that thek- countrymen in the Receif were drove to 

 the laft extremity ; nay, that perhaps the place was furrendered by this time, they 

 having np more than two months provifions left at the time of his departure. Hereupon 

 it was refolved to continue their voyage with the whole fleet, notwithftaading the winds 



were 



