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treaty was signed on the 23d June 1611 . The Dutch, 

 ' now conceiving their Brasilia!! possessions to bc"in 

 the most profound security, thought only of i 

 cing the enormous expence of tlic ettablilbment. With 

 this view, tin 1 ! Prince Maurice-, who, with 



all his talents for war and government, was considered 

 as not sufficiently economical. In his room, they 

 out a board of directors, in whom they conceived 

 full reliance could be placed. A merchant of Am- 

 sterdam, a jeweller of Haarlem, anj a carpenter of 

 Middleburg, were the persons nominated to succeed 

 Prince Maurice. On inquiring into the state of af- 

 fairs, it soon appeared to these careful men, that it 

 was needless to keep up fortifications which, accord- 

 ing to all appearance, would not be needed ; that 

 arms and ammunition might be advantageously dis- 

 posed of to the Portuguese, who were willing to 

 purchase them at a high price ; and that, by giving 

 permission to a large proportion of the troops to re- 

 turn to Europe, the expence of their pay and main- 

 tenance might be saved. The Portuguese governor 

 soon perceived and reported tn his court the defence- 

 less state to which the kingdom was reduced by this 

 prudent system. The kir.g was dissatisfied with the 

 manner in which the Dutch had executed many ar- 

 ticles of the treaty ; and as his war with Spain had 

 been distinguished by brilliant success, he no longer 

 felt the same entire dependence on the Dutch as be- 

 fore. He cautioned his officers, however, to avoid 

 any open rupture with that nation, but at the same 

 time to be on the watch for favourable opportunities 

 of wresting from them the provinces which they oc- 

 cupied in Brasil. 



This object was on the point of being very sudden- 

 ly accomplished. Encouraged by the state of tor- 

 por in which the Dutch government was sunk, an 

 individual conceived the idea of overturning it. In 

 Maurice-town, which had become the capital of Fer- 

 ambuco, there still resided a number of Portuguese, 

 who were treated with great lenity. One of these, 

 named Cavalcante, who exercised even the office of 

 judge among his countrymen, formed a daring con- 

 spiracy for the massacre of all the Dutch who were 

 at (he head of the government. The occasion fixed 

 for the perpetration of this enormity, was a festival, 

 by which he was to celebrate the marriage of his 

 daughter. The plot was discovered ; but Caval- 

 cante, and the principal conspirators, found means 

 to escape, and having collected a number of their 

 countrymen, began to lay waste the Dutch territo- 

 ries. A petite guerre was thus begun, and carried 

 on with great animosity on both sides ; and though 

 publicly disavowed, was secretly supported and en- 

 couraged by the Portuguese governor; This was pret- 

 ty evident, when the insurgents were so well provided 

 with artillery and ammunition, as to be able to lay 

 siege to the strong places in Dutch Brasil. Yet so 

 much was the government of Holland lulled by the 

 assurances o. the Portuguese governor, that they 

 allowed a fleet from Portugal to touch and water at 

 the port of Ohnda. The same fleet then proceeded 

 to the Rio Formoso, and there disembarked 1500 

 men, who immediately joined the army of the insur- 

 gents, and enabled them to gain considerable advan- 

 tages. The Dutch, now roused, began to make 



warm and serious remonstrances to the court of 1'or- Bravl. 



tugiil. The king omitted nothing by which, with- ' ' v ' 



out sacrificing his object, ho could pacify them, and 

 lull their vigilance. After r> pi <si nting the difflcul- 

 .vhicli they would experience in IT during the in- 

 surgents, he offered to take that task upon himself : 

 he granted them advantageous treaties of commerce, 

 and lavished upon them promises of every kind. The 

 Dutch had then engaged with England in a n < 

 sanguinary and desperate contest, which was to de- 

 termine which of the two powers should henceforth 

 have the dominion of the sea. They were thcrcf" 

 easily deceived, and induced to shut their eyes to 

 moter interests. In consequence of this neglect, the 

 Portuguese interest silently strengthened itself in 

 Brasil ; their force was augmented, and new places 

 of strength were added to those which they had al- 

 ready taken from the enemy. In 1654, therefore, 

 when the republic had concluded peace with Eng- 

 land, and when it was evident that the professions of 

 the court of Lisbon were wholly insincere, they de- 

 termined to apply themselves vigorously to the p, 

 servation of tins' important possession. Preparations 

 were accordingly made to equip a fleet of thirty sail, 

 with a corresponding number of land troopson board. 

 But while they were still involved in the bustle of 

 preparation for this armament, news arrived, that its 

 object was no more ; that the Portuguese were now 

 entire masters of Brasil. 



In consequence of the neglect of the government Fi na i ei- 

 at home, affairs at Oimda had been becoming con- pulsion of 

 timially worse. The troops were not only diminish- 'he Dutch, 

 ed in number ; but those who remained not being 

 regularly paid or supplied with provisions, and not 

 being allowed to return home at the expiration of 

 their period of service, began to shew strong symp- 

 toms of discontent and irritation. The warlike 

 stores, disposed of by the economy of the board 

 which succeeded Prince Maurice, had never been re- 

 placed ; and the naval force of the colony had been 

 reduced to a single vessel. The Portuguese, judg- 

 ing this a favourable moment, drew out their whole 

 force, both naval and military, and having formed a 

 large army, with a fleet of sixty sail, which accom- 

 panied its progress, and supplied it with provisions, 

 they proceeded directly against the city of Olinda. 

 They were expected there, not as enemies, but as 

 deliverers. Schouppe, the governor, surrendered 

 without striking a blow, on receiving permission for 

 his garrison to return to Europe. The capitulation 

 was signed on the 20th January, 1654-. 



The Di'tch were struck with equal concern and 

 indignation at seeing themselves deprived of so va- 

 luable a possession, by an ally who had lavished on 

 them so many professions of amity. Hostilities were 

 immediately commenced against Portugal, both in 

 Europe and in the East and West Indies ; but no 

 attempt was made for the recovery of Brasil. The 

 war was prosecuted for tix years with great animo- 

 sity, but without any success that could compensate 

 for the burdens which it imposed. At length, on 

 the Int March, 1661, the province of Holland ad 

 dressed a memorial to the others, representing the 

 absolute necessity of thinking on peace. The rest, 

 however, though they agreed to open a negotia- 



