Woods of Brasile set on fire by Peter Vist.
In this Conjuncture the West-India Company suffer’d much by Robberies and Spoils committed up and down the Countrey, by the setting their Woods of Brasile on fire by a company of Negro’s, the chief Ring-leader of whom was one call’d Peter Vist, who from Caves and almost inaccessible Ways came forth in the Night, and set fire on whatsoever places he came to, notwithstanding a hundred Negro’s of his crew were soon after caught, which he at several times had by force taken out of their Masters Sugars-Mills; which Grave Maurice prevented as much as possible, by keeping Soldiers up and down in Arms. He also us’d the Portuguese very civilly, who though they promis’d Obedience, because they liv’d under the Jurisdiction of the West-India Company, yet were ready on all occasions to shew the contrary; wherefore Grave Maurice sending for the chief of them to Reciffa from Pernambuco, Itamaraca, and Parayba, told them before the Privy Council, that they might easily see how vainly they expected that the Spanish Crown should take Brasile from the Netherlanders; that formerly they depended on the Spanish Fleet Commanded by Mascarenhas, but that being destroy’d by a small Force, that hope was lost; therefore if henceforward they would Trade on their own Accounts, they might be assur’d they should not suffer in the least, either in their Goods, Religion, or Persons.
Hector de Calce taken Prisoner.
The Neopolitan Field-Marshal Hector de la Calce, setting Sail from the Haven Todos los Sanctos with an old Ship carrying six hundred Men, was forc’d to run aground in the Haven of Parayba, where he and the chief Commanders were taken Prisoners, whilest the Common Soldiers by reason of the scarcity of Provisions, were set at liberty.
Houte-been and Lichthart weigh’d Anchor with twenty four Ships, carrying two thousand Soldiers and seven hundred Seamen to Havana, to Cruise for the Plate-Fleet, but the Spanish Ships keeping within their Harbors, and their own being dispers’d and scatter’d by ill Weather, their Voyage prov’d in vain.
Not long after Grave Maurice sent some Ships under Lichtharts Command to Cruise before the River Januarius, and others for the same purpose to Angola; but he effected little, for he onely took two Ships, one whereof being laden with Wine, was sold for 9400 l. Sterl.
The news of the Portuguese Crowning the Duke of Bragancia, and casting off the Castilian Yoke, which very much chang’d the face of Affairs in Brasile, was about this time brought over by the Jesuit Francisco Vilhent, and the Under-Field-Marshal Peter Corera de Gama, who were by Bragancia sent to St. Salvador, not onely to bring the tidings of the Portugueses Revolt, but also to take the Oath of Allegiance from Montalvan to the new King, which he made no scruple of; so that from thenceforth all but the Castilian and Neopolitan Soldiers, cast off their Obedience to the Crown of Spain. Whereupon Montalvan desir’d Grave Maurice to allow a Cessation of Arms, till such time as they might both receive information what Tristan Mendoza, in the new King of Portugal’s Name, had Treated with the States of the United Netherlands about; and to make the Request seem the fairer, several Dutch Prisoners were set at liberty, and the Companies with which Paulo Acunhas was marching to Pernambuco, were call’d back.
Grave Maurice desir’d by the States and West-India Company to continue in his Government of Brasile.
Grave Maurice desiring in his Letters to be releas’d from his Employment in Brasile, receiv’d for Answer from the States, “That it would be very disadvantageous for the States for him to come home, now he throughly understood the Intreagues of the New World, in which he might do much good, especially since the Portuguese being revolted, would in all probability assist them in destroying the King of Castile’s Forces; therefore it was now the most proper time to prepare for Action.”
To this Request of the States was added that of the West-India Company, who also sent earnest Letters to the same purpose; which made Maurice defer his Return, and prepare himself for some grand Undertaking: And first he joyn’d the Province of Seregippe Del Rey to the Netherland Brasile, built a Fort and Armory in the same, and built a Wall about the Town; which Work was the more follow’d, because Seregippe, which border’d upon the Province of Todos los Sanctos, fed abundance of Cattel, and gave great hopes of Silver-Mines.