PROVINCE OF PARA. 



449 



gress of their invaders, they fled from them to the margins of the Tucantins and 

 the Amazons. 



The attacks of the Indians npon the new settlers increased with the preten- 

 sions of the Dutch to the country, who inspired them with enthusiasm for con- 

 quest; the ardour of which was augmented, by the attempts of some small 

 parties of English and French upon the Amazons. Caldeira was regarded by 

 the Portuguese as an intrepid commander, but was wanting in equity, and the 

 necessary qualifications to found a colony amongst these savage tribes. 



The barbarous assassination, by a near relation of his, of a Captain esteemed 

 by the whole colony, led to the termination of his government. He pretended 

 to expiate the atrocity of his relative by a few days imprisonment; and rigorous- 

 ly treated two honourable men who boldly required from him a punishment 

 adequate to the crime of the murderer. The circumstances attending it pro- 

 duced a considerable tumult, from which resulted his imprisonment in 1618. 



In the intermediate short government of Captain Balthazar Rodrigues de 

 Mello, the colony was assaulted with such intrepidity, by the Tupinambazes, 

 that the issue would have been doubtful, if the chief of the Indians, denominated 

 by the Portuguese, Cabello da Velha, had not fallen dead soon after the com- 

 mencement of the attack. 



In the year 1619, shortly after the Indians had retired, Jeronimo Fragozo 

 d' Abbuquerque arrived from Pernambuco, being appointed by Don Luiz de 

 Souza to transmit the prisoner Caldeyra to the Court, and to succeed him in the 

 government, which he commenced with various success, by means of an armament, 

 of which he took the direction, having for his Admiral the celebrated Pedro 

 Teyxeyra. At the moment of exultation after these advantages. Captain Bento 

 Maciel arrived, from Pernambuco, with an auxiliary force of eighty Portuguese, 

 and four hundred disciplined Indians, to assist in the prosecution of the war 

 against the Tupinambazes. 



In the same year, the death of the governor occurred, which was followed by 

 the installation of Mathias d' Albuquerque, who was deposed, under some pre- 

 text, in the course of twenty days. He was succeeded by Captain Custodio 

 Valente,Frey Antonio, guardian of the Capuchins, and Captain Pedro Teyxeyra, 

 who governed alone after the departure of the first for Lisbon, and the resigna- 

 tion of the second. 



His government was short, the before-mentioned Bento Maciel succeeding 

 him in the year 1621. He expelled the Dutch, already established upon both 

 margins of the Amazons 1, destroyed some hordes of the most courageous savages, 



3 M 



