Chap. III. 
BRAZIL hy the PORTUGUEZE. 
former, they alledged three Things : Firftj the Whok- 
fomenefs of the Climate, the Pleafantnefs and Fertility 
of the Country, which rendered it, of all others yet 
known, the fitted: for receiving and maintaining a con- 
fiderable Colony ; they next take notice of its convenient 
Situation for Trade, as being in a manner at an equal 
Diftance, or at lead: in a more equal Diftance than any other 
Country, from Europe and the Indies : And thirdly, they 
mention the rich Produd: of this Country in Sugars, as 
alone deferving all the Expence they had been at about it, 
fince they were better in Quality, made with much lefs 
. Expence, and tranfported with far greater Eafe from 
hence, to all Markets where this valuable Commodity 
could be fold, than from any other Place. As to the 
fecond Point, what might be hereafter expeded from 
their being in PoffelTion of this Country, they likewife 
took notice of three feveral Heads ; Firft, they laid it 
down as a Thing evident, that the Pofieffion of Brazil 
was of equal Confequence, in time of Peace and in time 
of War: In regard to the former, it would afford the 
Means of raifing very large and very convenient Maga- 
zines, for the Supply of fuch Ships as might either touch 
there in long Voyages, or be driven into their Ports, 
as very often happened from Didirefs of Weather. And 
as to the latter, it would afford greater Advantages in 
equipping, refitting, and fheltering, either whole Squa- 
drons of Men of War, or Privateers, than any other 
Place in the known World. They next alledged, that it 
was fo placed as that not only their Eaft and JVefi 
India Fleets might touch there very conveniently for Re- 
ffefhments but that they mud: be obliged to put in there, 
and could noteafily, or at lead: not fafely, proceed in fuch 
difiant Voyages without having fuch Afiiftance. And lafl- 
ly theyfuggefled, that no Place in the World was fo hap- 
pily feated for commanding, at once, both the Eafi and 
JVefi India Trades, and confequently the whole Commerce 
of the Globe. It is true, that thefe Reafons were given 
to the States ten Years after the Time of which we are 
now writing 5 but without doubt they had occurred to, 
.and been confidered by, the Direftors of the JVefi India 
Company long .before, which induced us to place them 
as we have done. 
It is very probable that either thefe Reafons, or fome 
of a like Nature, were laid before the States by the JVefi 
India Company about this time, fince we find the utmod: 
Readinefs expreffed to affid: and fupport them. It was 
with this View, that as foon as their Fleet returned from 
Brazil^ Admiral Pater was fent thither with a much 
Ilronger Force, in order to put the Dutch in a Condition 
to conquer that whole Country. He arrived in Sight of 
the Coaft of Fernambuca on the firfl of May 1631, 
where he found the City of in the Poffedion of 
his Countrymen, but clofely blocked up by the famous 
Portugueze^ General Albuquerque^ with a numerous Army. 
TTe Admiral thought fit, thereupon, to land four hundred 
Men, under the Command of an experienced Officer, to 
take a View of the^ Enemies Works, that he might be 
the better able to judge how to attack them. But the 
Dutch Garrifon, in the City, no fooner faw his Fleet 
come to an Anchor, and thefe IVoops debarked, than 
they made luch a vigorous Sally upon the Befiegers, as 
forced them to retire from before the City with confider- 
able Lofs. After this, Admiral Pater landed two thou- 
End Men ; and, at the fame time, a6ling upon the Sea 
Coafi: with his Fleet, enabled his Countrymen to extend 
riieir Conquefts very confiderably, efpecially towards the 
South, having an Intention to enter the Bay of All Saints^ 
and attack the City of St. Salvador by Land and Sea ; 
bi^^ while he was thus executing great things, and pro- 
jecting greater, he had Intelligence that the Spanijh and 
Portugueze Fleet was adually at Sea, and of a Strength 
fufficient to undertake the Relief of Brazil. 
This Fleet, which was commanded by Admiral 
D Oquendo^ had failed from Spain in a very indifferent 
Condition, though it confifted of about thirty Sail. 
At the Canaries it was joined by fifteen more, and in the 
Height of the Cape h V erd Iflands, met with fuch an 
Acceffion of^rce, as rendered it fifty four Sail of large 
^ Dutch Admiral had but fixteen, but he was 
VolHI. Numb. LXXXL 
jealous of the Honour of his Country, and therefore 
folved to fight at any rate^ It was with this View, that 
he might render his Countrymen the greater Service, that 
he refolved not to Wait for, but to meet, the Enemy, 
which he accordingly did in the Latitude of fix Degrees 
South. As foon as they appeared in Sight, and the Dutch 
Fleet faw how unequal the Difpute was like to prove, ten 
of their Captains bore away, and left the Admiral with 
fix Ships only, to fight an Enemy almoft ten times his 
Strength. Admiral Pater had two Flags under him, who^ 
to their immortal Honouiq were two of thofe who 
joined him ; fo that there were three Admirals to fix Ships. 
The Battle was long and bloody ; abundance of the 
Portugueze were funk; and it plainly appeared that if 
the other ten Ships had ftaid^ Vidtory would have declaf- 
ed for the fmaller Number ; but at laft. Admiral Ihys.^ 
in txhe Prince JVilliam^ was funk ; and not long after, a 
Portugueze Man of War difeharging a Broad-fide at the 
Dutch Admiral, a Ball unluckily fell in the Powder Room, 
by which the Ship was blown up, and that brave Man 
loft. The four Dutch Ships that remained, retired upon 
this, and did it with fo much Courage and Addrefs, that 
they not only arrived . fafely at Olinda^ but likewife car-- 
ried off a Portugueze Man of War that they had taken ; 
fo that, upon the whole, it may be fafely affirmed there- 
never was a more glorious Adlion than this, fince the 
Dutch became a maritime Power. When Admiral ■ 
D" Oquendo arrived, he contented himfelf with fending Re- 
frefliments and Reinforcements to the Army of Albu^ 
querque., but attempted nothing againft the City of Olinda, 
and confequently left things in very little better State than 
he found them ; which he excufed from the great Lofs he 
had fuffered in the Battle ; amounting, in the whole, to 
no lefs than thirteen Sail taken and funk. 
In the Month of OHober he fet fail for Lijboni, but had 
the Misfortune to meet in his Paffage with four Dutch 
Men of War well manned, who made no fcruple of at- 
tacking him, though he had ftill forty Sail, and moft 
of them large Ships. He loft in this Engagement the 
Captain of his own Ship, twenty two Captains more, 
his Vice-Admiral, three Men of War, two Frigates, and 
about feven hundred private Men ; fo that he brought 
home the wretched Remains of a Fleet unfortunate from 
the Beginning, and yet without any Impeachment of his 
own Charadler ; the Blame falling entirely upon the , Mi- 
nifters, who had obliged him, in Ipite of his Remon- 
ftrances, to fail with Ships half equipped and half manned. 
^ However, when the Misfortune could not be reme- 
died, thefe Minifters declared that they were willing to do 
all that was left in their Power, which Was, to repair it ; 
and therefore Orders were given for providing a greater 
Fleet, and for equipping and manning thereof, as it ought 
to be ; the Command of which was to be given to Don 
Frederic de Poledo^ whofe Reputation was remarkably 
high, and not without Reafon. But, after abundance of 
Pains taken, it was found that nothing could be done 
that Seafon, and therefore it was deferred till the next 
Spring ; when it was refolved to fend fuch a Force as 
fliould put an End to the War at once ; but as it is 
much eafier to talk of fuch things, and to lay fine Schemes 
in the Cabinet, than to carry them into Execution •, fo, 
notwithftanding this famous Admiral actually proceeded 
on his Voyage with a very large Fleet, every way well 
provided •, yet he did fo little, that none of the Authors 
I have met with have recorded what he did. 
12. Thefe Delays to which the Spanijh have 
been always liable, proved extremely prejudicial to them 
in Brazil ; where the Dutch^ having the Advantage of 
feveral good Officers both by Sea and Land, made a 
moft furprizing Progrefs ; reducing, in the Space of feven 
Years, four intire Captainffiips under their Dominions, 
viz. Fernambuca^ Tamaraca, Paraiba., znd. Rio Grande i 
and the Importance of thefe Conquefts very quickly ap- 
peared in the Mifehiefs done to the Spaniards in this and 
other Parts of America., of which we have a very exadt 
Computation ; From whence it is evident, that from the 
Time ot the Dutch JV fi India Company’s being eredled, 
to the Year u 63 7, they had deftroyed and taken, in Mo- 
ney and Merchandize, to the Value of forty-five Millions 
Y y of 
