854 nieuhoff's brazil. 



Lambart, La Montagne, Gerrit Schut, Kilian Taylor, Daniel Koin, and three lieu- 

 tenants, Jooft Koyman, Anthony Baliart, Jeronymus Hellemen, and one enfign. 



The 8th of January Mr. Van Goch, in the name of the new council, advifed with 

 thofe of the old council, that it being refolved among them to fend for a confiderable 

 number of their forces out of Parayba, in order to gather a body of troops for fome 

 important defign, they defired to be informed concerning the prefent condition of the 

 faid captainfhip ; and whether the city of Parayba and St. Andrew might be defended 

 by a fmall garrifon ; whereupon thofe of the old council replied, that the town of 

 Frederica had no frelh water but what they muft fetch at a mile's diftance, and con- 

 fequently might be cut off by the enemy; the fame thing might be done at the 

 paflage leading to the river fide ; befides, that there was no fortifications belonging to 

 the place but the monaflery, which was of no great confequence, and the Guarte 

 Domaiges church, which had been fortified by the enemy in this war. As to St. Andrew 

 it was no more than a fugar-mill, about four hours diftant from the city of Parayba, 

 fituate upon the bank of the river ; that the communication of this place with the fort 

 of St. Margaret might eafily be cut off by the enemy, as being likewife about four 

 leagues from thence, but it might be relieved from the water-fide, and yet not without 

 great difficulty. Mr. Van Goch told them he would make his report thereof to the 

 council. 



The 1 2th of January the council received advice, that the enemy were, with a flrong 

 body of troops, entered Parayba, and advancing very near to the fugar-mill of St. 

 Andrew's, had in the night-time furprifed fome Dutch and Brazilians, to the number 

 of fifty men, women and children, of which they had killed fome, and ripped up the 

 women's bellies. 



The 13th of January fome pamphlets were again difperfed by the enemy, containing 

 in fubftance, that fince the inhabitants of the Receif were now bej^ond all hopes of 

 further relief, it would be their fureft way to come to an accommodation ; for they 

 were relolved to venture all before they would lay afide their defign ; but if all failed, 

 they would deftroy the whole country, and fo leave it : they exhorted them not to be 

 deceived by the infinuations of thofe who belonged to the company, and called them 

 rebels ; they being no more to be ftyled fo than the Dutch themfelves, who had aflerted 

 their liberty againft Spain. 



The 17th of January four negroes belonging to one Ifaac de Raffier, who had been 

 taken prifoners fome days before in Parayba, came over to us into the Receif, and 

 brought advice, that the enemy, after having tarried but a little time in that captain- 

 fhip, where they had killed five Dutchmen and fome Brazilians, were retired from 

 thence. 



The 2 2d of January, early in the morning, the enemy began to batter the wooden 

 fort near the Baretta, from a battery on the bank of the fouth fide of the river, which 

 he continued the whole day, but defilled at night ; the garrifon having been reinforced 

 about noon with five companies of foldiers, and fome provifions ; becaufe Mr. Hamel, 

 one of the members of the old council, did reprefent to Mr. Van Goch, that though 

 the fort itfelf was fo inconfiderable, as fcarce to be worth the trouble of defending it 

 by a good garrifon, yet at this juncture, when the enemy had made his firft attempt 

 upon it, it would not be advifeable to defert it, for fear of giving encouragement 

 to the enemy to attack the other forts ; but that on the contrary, as long as they did 

 meet with a brave refiilance here, they would not be fo forward to attempt others ; 

 efpecially fince we had the conveniency of relieving them with boats at high water, 

 with low tide by land by the way of the fand-ridge ; and that we might annoy the 



^ enemy 



