Soon after Martin Thyszoon being sent out with twenty two Sail, sent four Ships for Holland with the Lieutenant-Colonel Stein Callenfels, and the Councellor Serooskerken; yet thirteen Sail remain’d still before the Coast of Brasile, under the Command of Captain John Mast, who whilest he stood to and again from the Shore, and Cruising up and down, the Governor of Reciffa and Colonel Rembach march’d with five hundred Men and forty Negro’s, from Reciffa about six a Clock at Night, by Olinda along the Shore: Whereupon the Portuguese Horse-watch ran instantly to Real, two Leagues from Olinda, to give notice thereof to Albuquerque; but they surmounted all the Difficulties they met with by the Way (which were the greater in regard of the abundance of Rain that had lately fall’n,) and on the first of May 1632, came to the City Garasu about Noon; where whilest Rembach stood still in good order with three Companies, the Governor of Reciffa fell upon the Town with three Companies. The Inhabitants had not the least thoughts of being molested by the Netherlanders there, because they judg’d the Ways which led thither could not be pass’d in that rainy Season. In the first Onset a hundred Portugueses, most of them great Merchants, were slain, they being come thither with their Goods from Olinda; and amongst the Prisoners which they took, were six Franciscans.
This Victory the Hollanders obtain’d with the loss but of eight Men, and twenty five wounded, besides Captain Rembach, who was also wounded. The Governor of Reciffa entering the City, stav’d two hundred Pipes of Wine, to keep his Soldiers from over-drinking; and because there were many fair Women there, he caus’d them all to be lock’d up in the Church of St. Cosmo, to preserve them from the Soldiers outrages.
Description of Garasu.
The Priest Duarte Mendez Serraon (a Letter of whose John de Laet quotes) values the Booty carry’d away by the Hollanders from Garasu, at 9000 l. Sterl. besides the damage which the Place suffer’d, being almost ruin’d. He relates farther, That the City call’d Villa de Santo Cosmo de Garasu lay five Leagues to the Northward from Olinda; and that in it were three Churches, viz. Cosmus, Misericordia, and Heremitage de Santa Crux; as also two Cloysters, viz. Invocation de Antonio, inhabited by Capuchins, and another dedicated to Franciscus, inhabited by Persons of his Order; That the chief Church Cosmus, built like a flat-roof’d House, had a fair Entrance, before which stood two Turrets, and in them hung Bells; That the Franciscan Cloyster was inclos’d within a great Wall in the middle of a pleasant Garden, and had on each side a Tower; That most of the People who kept the Feast of St. Philip and St. Jacob, were at Mass when the Hollanders came thither, and though they saw the Soldiers out of their Windows, judg’d them to be Portugueses, who (as it was reported) had a Design upon Tamarica.
The Governor of Reciffa marching with his Booty from Garusa, set several Houses on fire, and march’d towards the Fort Orange, on the Island Tamarica. Albuquerque inform’d thereof, dispatch’d a Spanish Regiment, Commanded by Colonel Ferdinand Ludovico Barbalho, and Paulo de Perado, with a considerable Body of Volunteers; but they all came too late: Whereupon the Portugueses, being thus kept in continual Alarms ashore, and sustaining every day more and more Losses at Sea, began to desire Peace, and the rather, because they could not hear of any Fleet coming from Spain to their assistance; and hearing a Report, that the West-India Company were making great Preparations. To which purpose Peter Alvares (acquainted with the Dutch Commanders, as having been their Prisoner) was sent by Duarte de Albuquerque (to whom the Lordship of Pernambuco properly belong’d) and by his Brother (being General of all the Forces in Brasile) to Reciffa, to Treat about the deciding of the Differences between them and the Netherland West-India Company: But the Council in Reciffa weighing the many Disadvantages that would ensue, if they should upon easie Terms patch up a Peace with the Portugueses, return’d Alvares this Answer: “That the West-India Company was resolv’d, to the utmost of their power, to keep all those Places which they had taken by force of Arms; but that if he could move Albuquerque to deliver up the Countrey to them, he should be bountifully rewarded.”
After this the Hollanders Landing at Barra Grande, took great quantities of Wine and Tobacco, and burnt two Villages; as also the Sugar-Cane Fields, and Sugar-Mills on Catuwanha, also one at Barra Grande, and three at Porto Francisco.
At the same time the Hollanders also scatter’d Letters amongst the Portuguese, signifying their trouble for the great effusion of Blood in those Parts, which was occasion’d by their own stubborn and unreasonable Proceedings; likewise intimating the great Preparations that were making on their own part, and on the other side the great unlikelihood, and indeed impossibility, as things then stood, of receiving farther Succors from Spain.
The Hollanders Counsels betray’d to the Portuguese by Leonard van Lom.
These things being powerfully urg’d, had perhaps taken greater effect with the Portugueses, had not the secret Counsels of the Netherlanders been betray’d by Leonard van Lom, Overseer of the Prizes, and Translater of the Portuguese Letters, who confess’d that he was perswaded to that villanous Action in Amsterdam by a Portuguese Merchant, call’d Duarte Rodrigues Delves, with whom he had made some Agreement; and for the better confirmation had receiv’d the Sacrament upon it of an Amsterdam Priest: His Agreement was, “That he should go to Reciffa, enquire after all Concerns, and give speedy advice thereof to Rocque de Barros; which he did by a Mulatto, who carry’d Letters between them.”
This Villain the Council judging worthy of Death, first caus’d his two fore-Fingers to be cut off, next his Head, and afterwards his Body to be divided into four Quarters. The Mulatto was likewise Beheaded.