88o nieuhoff's brazil. 



by Dunkirk and Oftend with a brilk gale, and about noon fafely arrived In the road of 

 Fluffingen. I got immediately afhore, and after having refrefhed myfelf for five days, 

 I went to Middleburgh, where I likewife continued five days. From thence I continued 

 my journey over Dort, Rotterdam, Delft and Harlem, to the famous city of Amfterdam, 

 from whence I undertook this Weft-India voyage 1640. From Amfterdam I went to 

 Zwell, the birth-place of my father John Nieuhoff, and fo to Benthem, my native 

 country, where I met ,with my parents in good health, after fo many fatigues of a 

 tedious voyage ; whilft I was at Benthem my father died 1651, the 15th of May, in the 

 eighty-fifth year of his age, being lamented by all, by reafon of his good qualifications. 



Some troublefome people laid the lofs of the Dutch Brazil at the door of the mem- 

 bers of the great council, viz. Henry Hamel, Adrian BuUeftraet and Peter Jande Bas, 

 who left Brazil 1647. It was alledged that the before-mentioned contrafts made with 

 the Portuguefe had given them great opportunity of a revolt; for which it was faid the 

 faid members had received great fums of money ; but it being evident that the fucceed- 

 ing members of the great council having taken cognifance of that affair before their de- 

 parture, November 6, 1646, and in March 1647, ^^^7 were fully cleared of thefe accu- 

 fations, the fame having been tranfafted by fpecial orders of the council of Nineteen in 

 Holland ; befides, that the revolts which were about the fame time in agitation in An- 

 gola, Africa, and the ifland of Ceylon in the Eaft-Indies, where no fuch contracts were 

 made, do fufEciently teftify that the foundation of this inteftine war was laid in Portugal, 

 long before the contrafts were fet on foot. What is more furprifing is, how the Portu- 

 guefe, confidering we were pretty well provided with forts and garrifons, durft think of 

 fuch an attempt ; but the reafon is plain, for what they wanted in ftrength or otherwife, 

 they were fupplied with from the Bahia. 



The motives that induced the Portuguefe to this revolt, were, the recovery of their 

 liberty, the difference of their language and manners from ours, but efpecially of reli- 

 gion, which our people had endeavoured to eftablifh in Brazil ; thefe, with fome other 

 concurring circumftances, fuch as our prefent weaknefs, and the difpofition the ftates 

 were in at that time, to be fairly rid of Brazil, gave them fufficient encouragement for 

 this attempt. It has been the opinion of fome, that the firft fparks of this rebellion 

 might foon have been quenched, by feizing fome of the heads of the Portuguefe fac- 

 tion ; but it being apparent from the records, that nothing was left unattempted upon 

 that account, though without any confiderable fuccefs, the fame cannot be imputed to 

 the negleft of the government ; the true reafons of the lofs of Brazil were the flender 

 garrifon, and the inconfiderable number of Dutch inhabiting there ; nothing being 

 more obvious, than that a conquered country muft be maintained, either by a fufficient 

 military force, or ftrong colonies ; the laft of which was the conftant practice of the 

 ancient Romans, who, befides this, backed them with good armies to keep the con- 

 quered nations in obedience. Another way of eftablifhing themfelves in a conquered 

 country, though a very barbarous one, was introduced by the Spaniards and Portuguefe 

 in America, who, by deftroying the ancient inhabitants, and planting colonies of their 

 own, faved themfelves the charge of keeping many forts and garrifons for their defence. 

 Neither of thefe was fufficiently obferved by the Dutch, after their conqueft of the 

 Dutch Brazil ; for, according to their agreement made with the Portuguefe, the lafl 

 were left in the entire and quiet poffeflion of all the fugar-mills, plantations, and grounds 

 thereunto belonging, whereby the Dutch fubjeds were, in a manner, excluded from 

 getting any confiderable footing in the open country, efpecially, fince fuch of the fu- 

 gar-mills as happened to fall into the company's hands, by forfeiture or otherwife, were 

 fold promifcuoufly to both nations, and commonly at fuch exceffive rates, that the 



Dutch 



