First Settlement—Contests with Indians—Slavery of the Indians—Their Liberation—Boundaries—Mineralogy—Phytology—Zoology—Ports and Rivers—Igaruana Indians.—District of Para-Proper—Capital—Buildings—Exports—English Establishments—Adoption of a New Constitution—Towns.—District of Xingutania—Limits—In Possession of Indians—Rivers—Towns.—District of Tapajonia—Limits—Rivers—Indians—Towns.—District of Mundrucania—Rivers—Principally possessed by the Indians—Their different Customs—Towns.
Subsequent to the restoration of the island of Maranham, Francisco Caldeyra sailed from that port with two hundred soldiers, in three caravels, at the end of the year 1615, to him being confided the important project of selecting an eligible situation for the establishment of another colony, more immediately in the vicinity of the Amazons; equally with a view of promoting the navigation of that great river, and of frustrating the attempts of any other nation, that might be made in prejudice to the rights assumed by the Lusitanian crown to its adjacent territory.
After various observations on different parts of the coast, he anchored in the port near which now stands the city of Belem, commonly called Para, to which he immediately gave a commencement, by the erection of a wooden fort, in the beginning of the year 1616, denominating the territory Gram-Para, and imagining that he was founding his colony upon the margin of the great river.
This archipelago soon presented, and was for many years the theatre of a cruel and inveterate warfare. Various Indian nations opposed the establishment of this colony, principally the Tupinambazes, the remains and descendants of various hordes of the numerous Tupinamba tribe, under whose dominion the sertams of Pernambuco were, when the Portuguese extended their conquests into the interior of that province. Not being able to resist the progress of their invaders, they fled from them to the margins of the Tucantins and the Amazons.
The attacks of the Indians upon the new settlers increased with the pretensions of the Dutch to the country, who inspired them with enthusiasm for conquest; 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 rigorously treated two honourable men who boldly required from him a punishment adequate to the crime of the murderer. The circumstances attending it produced 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 commencement of the attack.
In the year 1619, shortly after the Indians had retired, Jeronimo Fragozo d’Albuquerque arrived from Pernambuco, being appointed by Don Luiz de Souza to transmit the prisoner Caldeira 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 pretext, 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 resignation 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; destroyed some hordes of the most courageous savages, obliged others to fly, and induced many to come and offer peace and sincere friendship to the colony; thereby acquiring the title of the conqueror of Maranham, by which name the river Amazons was also designated. In his government the Jesuitical Missionaries made great progress.