Chap; L ^ Commodore RoggeweiN, zSt 
only gilt: The Feet of this Creature reiembled the Paws 
of a Lion ; his Head was adorned with a double Crown, 
in which (luck up twelve Indian Darts, one of which, on 
each Side, was broken in the Middle ; behind his Head, 
on each Shoulder, there was a large Wing, like that of a 
Stork. In the Infide of the Statue was that of a Man, 
completely armed, after the manner of the Country, hav- 
ing at his Back a Quiver of Arrows, in his Left Hand a 
Bow, and in his Right a Shaft. The Tail of this mon- 
ftrous Idol was very long, and turned three or four times 
round the Body of the armed Man : The Inhabitants of 
the Country, who worfhipped fo frightful a God, called 
this Statue Nafil Lichma. T he Dutch looked upon it with 
Aftonifhment, and faw, with great Pleafure, a numerous 
Collection of European and American Curiofities that were 
in the Pofieflion of the Monks. The Port, or rather the 
River, of St. Sebajiian , is three or four Leagues in Length, 
and about one in Breadth. On the North-eaft lies a very 
fine Ifland, of about four Miles round, and on every Side 
of it lie fmaller Blands. The Haven, as well as the 
Town, is called St. Sebajiian. The Country of Brafil is, 
as all the World knows, very large, and very rich, info- 
much that the King of Portugal is faid to draw as great 
Riches from thence, as the King of Spain from all the reft 
of America ; and this may very well be, frnce his Catholic 
Majefty is content with a very fmall Part of the Gold and 
Silver found in his Dominions, whereas the King of Por- 
tugal fweeps all. The Province of Brafil extends South, 
Eaft, and North : The Capital of this Country is Bahia , 
or St. Salvador , Siara , Olinda , Rio de Janeiro , St. Vincent , 
&c. This Country was difcovered about the Year 1500 ; 
but then it is to be confidered, that, even to this Day, they 
have not penetrated much above eighty Leagues within 
Land. The Soil is good, and the Country would, doubt- 
lefs, produce Corn and Wine fufficient for the Ufe of its 
Inhabitants at leaft, if, from a Principle of Policy, the 
People were not hindered from cultivating their Grounds, 
and conftantly fupplied with thefe neceflary Commodities 
from the Portuguese. The principal Rivers in this Country 
are, Eapuca , Janeiro , Patipa , Dajpedres , San Francifco , 
Parayba , &c. It is the common Opinion of the Portugueje 
here, that the antient Inhabitants were Anthropophagi , or 
Man-eaters ; and it is even faid, that human Flefh was 
fold in their Markets as common as Beef or Mutton •, but of 
this there is no authentic Proof. Thofe of the Natives the 
Dutch faw were large Men, of a dark Complexion, thick- 
lipped, flat Nofes, and very white Teeth. The Portugueje 
here are very numerous, as well Natives of the Country, 
as thofe that flock over hither from Portugal , from time to 
time, in order to repair their broken Fortunes. Among 
other Riches, the Author allures us, that, a little before 
their Arrival, the Portugueje had difcovered a Diamond 
Mine not far from St. Sebajiian 1 s , of which, at that time, 
they were not in full Pofieflion, but were meditating an 
Expedition againft the Indians , in order to become the 
foie Matters of fo valuable a Prize ; and, with this View, 
they invited the Dutch to join with them, promifing them, 
in cafe they fucceeded, a Share in the Riches ; by which. 
Infinuations nine of their Soldiers were tempted to defert : 
The Author fays, that he does not know whether they 
were fo lucky as to fucceed •, but, in all Probability, they 
did ; becaufe, fince that time, great Quantities of Dia- 
monds have been imported from Brafil into Europe. It is 
laid, that they are found on the Tops of Mountains, 
aniongft a red kind of Earth, which holds a great deal of 
Gold, wafhed out of it by great Rains, and carried down 
by the Torrents into the Valleys, where the Negroes are 
employed in wafhing it. 
Brafil abounds with all Sorts of Birds, Fifh, and Beads, 
tame and wild\ They have Tygers there, that do a great 
deal or Mifchiei : 1 here are likewife abundance of Ele- 
phants, the Teeth of which are of great Value ; neither is 
there any Country, where Serpents, and other venomous 
Creatures, are more frequent, or of a larger Size. The 
Popifli Religion prevails as far as the Power of the Por- 
tuguefe can extend it. There are, however, vaft Numbers 
of the native Inhabitants, who are yet unfubdued, live in 
their old idolatrous Religion, and are fo cruel and vin- 
dictive, that, if a Chriftian unluckily falls into their Hands, 
- Numb. 18. 
the beft thing he can expeCt, is to have his Throat cut % 
for very often they put them to Death by intolerable Tor- 
tures. The Air of the Country is extremely wholfome^ 
though, at fome certain Times of the Year, it is exeeffively 
hot. I he Author experienced the Excellency of the Clime 
by his fpeedy and perfect Recovery from the Scurvy, and 
other Diftempers ; and it had the like EffeCt on the reft 
of their Tick People. There are vaft Numbers of a ve- 
nomous Kind of Muskitoes about St. Sebajiian 1 s, which 
fling People to fuch a Degree, that they are all covered 
over with Blitters. An Accident of this Kind happened 
to their Pilot, who, having drank too freely of the Rum 
made in that Country, flept afterwards in the open Air, 
and had his Face, Arms, Head, and Legs, fo flung, that 
his Life was in the utmoft Danger ; and it was not without 
abundance of Care, and after a lohg Space of Time, that he 
throughly recovered. The Dutch Commodore, while they 
remained here, obliged his People to obferve a very ftri£t 
Difcipline ; and, upon Complaint being made, that fome 
of his Sailors were too familiar with fome of the Indian 
Women, he caufed them to be feverely chaftifed, and 
would never afterwards permit them to go on fhore, But, 
how well loever the Dutch and Portuguefe might agree, the 
Governor was far enough from being fatisfied with his new" 
Guefts : He had learned from fome of the Deferters, that 
the Defign of their Voyage was to make Difcoveries to- 
wards the South, which difpleafed him very much ; and 
therefore he praCtifed every Art he could devife to hinder 
and diftrefs them : With this View, he furnifhed them 
with Provifions only from Day to Day, to prevent their 
adding to their Sea Stores ; he likewife talked of five or 
fix Men o! War coming from Rio de Janeiro , in order to 
put the Dutch in Fear of being attacked : To carry this as 
far as it would go, he actually fent for the only Ship that 
was then there, to come to St. Sebajiian 1 s. The Commo- 
dore underftood the Meaning of all this very well, and 
took no notice of it, complying exaCtly with the Terms 
ftipulated by the Treaty with the Deputy-Governor, faving 
Part of his frefh Provifions daily, and faking them, clean- 
ing and repairing his Ships one by one, taking on board 
i obacco, Sugar, and whatever elfe he wanted, till he 
thought himfelf in a Condition to continue his Voyage % 
and then he fully fatisfied the Governor in Fire-arms, Hats, 
filk Stockings, Linen, Stock-fifh, and other European 
Commodities, for whatever he had received; and made 
him a very confiderable Prefent befides. The Governor, 
in Return, fent him fome Black Cattle, and a Certificate 
of his honeft Behaviour, to be made ufe of in Europe i 
And, all Things being thus fettled, to the mutual Satis- 
faction of all Parties, the Dutch Commodore failed with his 
Squadron, keeping ftill to the South- weft; and, finding a 
defert Ifie, about three Leagues from the Coaft, he fet on 
fhore there the Swabber, who had attempted to murder 
the Cook, according to the Sentence that had been pafled 
upon him, as has been before related. 
6. After leaving the Coaft of Brafil , the Commodore 
propofed vifiting the Ifland of Aukes Magdeland , fo called 
from its firft Difcoverer, who, about one hundred Years 
ago, faw a Light in that Hand, which is faid to be fituated 
in the Latitude of go 0 South ; but did not go on fhore. 
As the Situation of this Bland muft have been very advan- 
tageous, and in a good Climate, the Commodore intended 
to fettle a Colony there, for the Service of fuch Ships as 
fhould afterwards be bound to the Southern Indies , that, 
by this means, they might obtain Wood, Water, and 
other Refrefhments, without being obliged to touch at 
any of the Countries fubjeCt to the Portuguefe. He found 
it, however, abfolutely impracticable, becaufe, in fpite of 
all tire Pains he could take, he never could difcover that, 
or any other Bland, in or near the Latitude of go 0 ; which 
obliged him to change his Courfe, and to fteer towards the 
New Ifands , fo called by the Dutch ; but, by a French 
Privateer, that firft difcovered them, named St. Lewis . 
The Squadron profecuted its Voyage very happily, by- 
continuing always within 40 and 50 Leagues of the 
American Shore, by which they enjoyed the Benefit of the 
Land and Sea Winds ; whereas, if they had kept farther 
from Land, they would have infallibly fallen in with the 
Weft Monfoon. ' 
3 X ' , On 
