55>i 



AMERICA. 



Chap. VII. 



Schuppt, 

 HaelcSj and 

 Schontnbeigh % 

 declare the 

 'Reafons of 

 rhe Jofs of 

 Rtcijfa. 



They are 

 tryM at a 

 Council of 

 War. 



Their Pkas. 



authoris'd or coiintenanc'd by him ; laftly, he ofFer'd them free Trade to (Brafile 

 eighty Tun of Gold to the Weft-India Qomf>any y 800000 /. to the Orphans and Wi. 

 dows in Zealand, and payment of all private Debts. But making no mention of 

 reftoring the Places in Era/tie, he feem'd to mock the States 5 who refented it fo 

 much, that they would admit of no farther Conference with him. 



Mean while the Weft.India Companies Bufincfs in Urafile went daily more and 

 more to ruine, infomuch that in the Year 1 654. they loft all their Forts and Places 

 of Strength and Habitation, and amongft them fycijfa, the chief Refidcnce of the 

 Council oCBrafde, who returning home, brought nothing but a doleful Relation 

 of their unfortunate Proceedings. Scbuppe, Haeks, and Schonenbergh , made each of 

 them a long Oration, fetting forth the fad Condition of the Place, and the Miferies 

 they had endur'd a long time before they left it % alfo excufing their total quitting 

 thereof to the Enemy by the great want of Provifions and other Supplies, which 

 they fo often had written for in vain,at lcaft receiv'd fliort of what their Neceflities 

 requir'd, and by the Clamours of the Soldiers, who were ready upon all occafions 

 to Mutiny or Revolt, as appear'd by their crying out .upon the difcovery of a Fleet 

 oifortugueft upon the Coaft, Behold our Deliverers from the Netherlanders Tyranny 5 

 laftly,by the growing Power of their Enemies, which they could not have refilled,' 

 though they themfelves had been much ftronger than they were. 



But the Weft-India Company fenfibly touch'd at the thoughts of their LofTes,were 

 not fatisfi'd with the Relation of Schonenbergb, Haeks, and Schuffe, but requir'd a 

 Journal of every days Tranfaftions, or Teftimonies to confirm the truth of their 

 Relation : They alfo demanded an Account of the Condition of the Store-houfes 

 when Glecijfawas furrendred, and fell upon them with fevcral Interrogatories, vi^. 

 Why the Fottjfogados was forfaken ? Why the Garrifons were not drawn in from 

 the North to \eciffa \ Why they did not keep footing on the Land, and guard 

 thofe Places they had left when %ec\jfa was loft? Why they made fuch ado for 

 want of Provifions and Ammunition to difhearten the People? Why the Money 

 proffer'd by feveral Citizens was not taken I Why they did not burn the Enemy's 

 Fleet, fince, according to the opinion of feveral, it might eafily have been done ? 

 How they could teftifie the Sedition of the Soldiers, fince none of their Comman- 

 ders complain'd of it \ Whether they us'd any Means to encourage the Befiegcd ? 

 Who did,and who did not confent to the Surrender? Whether no better Terms could 

 have been made ? In fine,they prevailed with the States to fecure Scbonenbergh,Haeks y 

 and Scbuppe, in their Houfes, and on the ninth of September, Anno 1654. brought 

 them before a Council of War in the Hague, where the chief things objected againft 

 them were, That the Tortuguefe had gotten by the Conqueft of ti(ecifa 9 above two 

 hundred Brafs Guns, moft of them Demi-Culverins, and four hundred Iron Guns, 

 valu'd together at ten hundred thoufand ^dollars , That the Store-houfes were 

 fufficiently ftock'd with Provifion and Ammunition 5 That they tookf care to fe- 

 cure their own Goods, but left what belong'd to the Weft.India Company as a Prey 

 to the Enemy. 



Schuffe on his part alledg'd, that he could do nothing of himfelf, as being under 

 the Command of the ftrafilian Council. Haeks and Schonenbergb pleaded the want 

 of Men, by reafon of the many that daily droptfrom them, either by Death or 

 Defection, to the Enemy, and thofe that remained, unfafe to be trufted, as confid- 

 ing of fo many different Nations . alfo their being blocked up at the Sea by the 

 Vortuguefe Fleet, the great want \>f Ammunition, efpecially Inftruments of Fortifi- 

 cation . laftly, the head-ftrong Refolutions of the Soldiers, to deliver up the Place, 

 whatever their Officers fhould determine to the contrary , notwithstanding which, 



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