nieuhoff's braziu 849 



belt foldiers, and five hundred Brazilians, befides the wounded that were carried to, 

 the Receif ; when our troops had no other arms than pointed flicks and clubs. Thefe 

 are bleffings from heaven, for if we are able to perform thefe things without powder 

 and ball, what may not be expefted from our forces, now they are flrengthened with 

 good troops, and provided with fufficient arms and ammunition ? All which I confirm 

 to you upon my word, to be nothing but the real truth ; and, had it not been \n re- 

 Ipect of thofe colonels fent from the Bahia, and of His Majefty of Porti^gal, I had by 

 this time been mailer of the Receif, or fome of the forts, or at leaft I might have done 

 much greater mifchief : but if matters are not brought to a happy conclufion, I am 

 refolved to ad like a defperate man, and not leave any fugar-raills, cattle or negroes 

 in the country, but will rather turn all to ruin and deflrudiion, before we v;iii be com- 

 pelled to fubmit again to your obedience. 



" As thefe prefents may ferve as a warning to you, fo I hope you, and the reft of 

 the merchants, will not delay to enter with us into fuch articles of agreement, as may 

 be moll conducing to the prefervation of your poITefTions ; for I would have you call 

 to mind, that there are many ingenious (mills) reduced at prefent to fuch a ftate, as no;: 

 to be likely to be in a condition to be ufed thefe ten years next to come. The Vergea 

 is in no better condition than Parayba and Goyana, and the cattle (without which the 

 mills cannot fubfift) deftroyed in moft places. 



" Colonel Sigifmund Schoppe, I fuppofe, pretends to keep the field againft us, as 

 he did in the lafl war, but he will find himfelf egregiouHy midaken, becaufe the in- 

 habitants will not be of his fide ; for if I fhould hear of one that was, I would caufe him 

 to be hanged immediately. You allege that we are vafTals of the company, but wheii 

 was ever any conquered nation treated thus as we were, worfe than the vileft flaves, of 

 which you are fenfible as well as we ; fo that, being forced to break our chains, we 

 do not owe you any further obedience. If we had not been in hopes of this oppor- 

 tunity, we would long before have implored the afliftance of the King of Spain or 

 France ; and if thofe had failed us, to have had recourfe to the Turks and Moors. 

 I defire you not to throw away this letter, becaufe experience will convince you of the 

 truth of it ; and that we fhall purfue the fame methods here as we have done in other 

 places ; wherefore, I would have you not give credit to any body, except to thofe that 

 come in perfon from thofe places ; I having told them nothing but the bare truth, 

 which you will find in effeft thus : in the profecution of this war, I hope you will con- 

 iider what is moft for your intereft, in which I am ready to ferve you ; for though youp 

 governors do not dire£l their letters to me, it is I that have the chief management of this 

 war, and under my command ; the power of the colonels come from the Bahia ex- 

 tending no farther than over thofe troops they have brought along with them. A Reyal 

 debonJefus, September 11, 1646. 



" On the 10th of this month, the before-mentioned colonels having fent an anfwer to 

 a letter dire£led to them from your council, by one of our captains, feveral infnaring 

 queftions were afked him concerning the prefent war, which he, perhaps, not anfwer* 

 ing according to their expedation, they replied more like drunken cowards than fol- 

 diers ; if they will be pleafed to come out and tell me thefe things, I will try whether 

 their fwords are as nimble as their tongues are, and teach them what' refped is due to 

 the melfengers of thofe perfons who have the fupreme command here. This I write 

 to you at prefent, but fhall not fail in due time to make my words good by the fword, 

 of which your people feel the daily effeds as often as they dare to corpe out of their 

 forts. Pray be not deceived, for Brazil is not allotted to you ; not queftioning but 

 that Gqd will blefs our arms, and if we happen to die, we fliall lofe our lives in th^ 



VOL. XIV. 5 Q defence 



