nieuhoff's brazil. . 871 



iikewlfe punQ:ually paid, which made many who had lived In the country before the 

 beginning of the civil war, and had ferved the company before, take fervice again, who 

 were all entertained according to their refpedlive qualities and former flations. 



Among the free inhabitants of Brazil that were not in the company's fervice, the Jews 

 were the mod confiderable in number, who had tranfplanted themfelves thither from 

 Holland. They had a vaft traffic beyond all the reft ; they purchafed fugar-mills and 

 built ftately houfes in the Receif. They were all traders, which would have been of 

 great confequence to the Dutch Brazil, had they kept themfelves within the due bounds 

 of traffic. 



The flaves of Dutch Brazil were either negroes or natives of the country ; the laft 

 of which were either bought in Maranhaon being prifoners of war, or from the 

 Tapoyers, who likewife had made them captives, and otherwife, according to their 

 cuflom, would have put them to death. For it being refolved immediately, at the firft 

 entrance of the Dutch in Brazil, that none of the natives fhould be made flaves (except 

 they were either bought from the Tapoyers or brought from Maranhaon) the Brazilians 

 were fettled in certain villages to enjoy their own liberty under certain limitations, and 

 permiffion was given them to affift the Portuguefe in the management of their mills 

 and grounds^ for certain wages appointed for th^t purpofe ; by which means many 

 Alicas or villages were filled with Brazilians in Parayba and Rio Grande, who during 

 the time of 6ur government enjoyed the fweets of a perfect liberty. 



Vaft numbers of negroes of divers nations were entertained in the Receif, and the 

 open country, for the manuring of the ground, and working in the fugar-mills of the 

 Portuguefe, which could not be done without them, by reafon of the extremity of 

 the heat of the climate, and the incredible toils they are fain to undergo ; fo that in 

 my time near forty thoufand negroes were employed in the fugar-mills betwixt Rio 

 Grande and St. Francifco. Moft of thefe negroes are brought hither from the king- 

 doms of Congo, Angola, and Guinea j a black fhining Ikin, flat nofe, thick lips, and 

 fhort-curled hair, is their chief beauty. The luftieft and moft laborious ufed in time 

 of good trade to be fold in Brazil for feventy, eighty, or one hundred pieces of eight, 

 nay, fometimes for one thoufand four hundred or one thoufand five hundred gilders, 

 but thefe underftood fomething more than ordinary : but when trade began to decay, 

 they were fold for forty pieces of eight. There was fcarce a Hollander of any fub- 

 ftance but what had feveral of thefe flaves. They are moft miferably and beaftly 

 treated by the Portuguefe, though at the fame time it muft be confeflTed that it is 

 abfolutely neceflary they fliould be kept under a ftri£t difcipline ; for they are full of 

 rogueries, fuperftitious to the higheft degree, and forcerers : they would often pre- 

 tend to tell us what fliips were at fea from Holland for Brazil, though they were yet 

 on the other fide of the line, and how to recover ftolen goods. I remember I hap- 

 pened once to be at a friend's houfe of mine, when I faw an old negro enter the 

 kitchen, who came thither to cure a negro-flave of his illnefs, which he told us was 

 occafioned by witchcraft. He made the patient rife from his chair, and taking a piece 

 of wood from the fire-hearth, he ordered him to lick three times with his tongue that 

 end which was burning-hot with the glowing coals. The fame end of the wood he 

 afterwards extinguiflied in a bafon of water, and rubbed the coals in it, till it turned 

 as black as ink. This he ordered the fick negro to drink off at a draught, which he 

 did accordingly, and was immediately feifed with a flight griping in the guts. This 

 done he rubbed both his fides, and taking hold with his hand of a piece of flefli and 

 fat above the hip, he made an incifion there with a knife he pulled out of his pocket, 

 of two inches deep, out of which he drew a bundle of hair and rags, with a little of 



the 



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