io6 THE BRAZILS. 
of luxury. It sceuis indeed that the increased demand for 
this A ahiable product, in the markets of Europe, first con- 
vinced the Court of Lisbon of a truth to which it had hitherto 
paid little attention, namely, that a colony might become 
usefu] to the mother country, though it had neither gold, 
silver, nor diamonds in tlie soil. 
So much, indeed, had the importance of the Brazils in- 
creased in tlie eyes of government that, in about fifty years 
after the discovery, it Avas considered to be worthy of the su- 
perintending caic of a Governor-General. This great man 
had scarcely set foot in tlie country before he contrived to 
quarrel with the natix e Indians. From his o^vn observations 
of the gentle and tractable disposition of these savages, which 
were corroborated by the accounts he received from the colo- 
nists, he conceived, as he thought, the laudable design of 
reducing some of them to the condition of slavery, and of 
compelling others to cultivate the ground on such terms as 
he should prescribe. The Governor no doubt acted in con- 
formity to the spirit of his instructions ; for, it may be ob- 
served that, in all the discoveries and conquests of Spain and 
Portugal, the population of a country was never considered 
as any criterion of its wealth. To reduce theii- numbers, by 
making them slaves, and to search for gold dust, were the 
first objects of their consideration. By the partial successes 
of the Portugueze on the coast of Africa they ^vere no doubt 
encouraged to pursue a similar plan in South America ; but 
the Brazilians, taking the alarm at such an unexpected out- 
rage, determined to repel injustice by force. Their numbers 
and their courage were greater than was necessary to crush 
7 
