Great Mortality among the Dutch on the Island St. Thomas, by reason of the unwholsomness of the Place.
Houte-been Sailing over from Loando to the Isle of St. Thomas, Landed some of his Men over against the Sugar-Mills of St. Juna, and ran with his Fleet to an Anchor near a square Castle, with intention to use no Hostility, unless provok’d; which the Portuguese did by firing their Guns, and were answer’d by Houte-been, one of whose Ships call’d the Enchuisen was blown up; those that Landed also met with some resistance from divers Negro’s; yet at last they gain’d the Fort, in which they found six Guns, and soon after march’d into the Town Pavaosa, where the Inhabitants had left nothing but empty Houses; the great Castle they were forc’d to let alone, because the Scaling-Ladders would not reach to the top of the Walls, which were twenty eight foot high: But Houte-been coming ashore, rais’d a Battery behind the Church, from whence he fir’d with six Demi-Cannons, and threw sixty five Granado’s amongst the Besieged, twenty whereof burst with such violence, that all things about them were beaten to pieces; and those in Garrison march’d out, notwithstanding they might easily have endur’d a long Siege, having twenty Brass, and sixteen Iron Guns, besides all manner of Ammunition. Houte-been thus become Master of all things on the Island of St. Thomas, sent for the fled Portugueses into the City on reasonable Proffers, embrac’d by many of the Inhabitants and Negro’s. But whilest Houte-been put all things in good order here, the Countrey Disease began to rage amongst the Seamen, for those who but a little before climb’d up the Walls couragiously, grew faint, and fell down in a Swoon; those who fought valiantly against their Enemies, were now put into their Graves; in short, of a thousand Men, a hundred were scarce left in health, the rest being departed, or lying Bedrid: the unwholsom Air without any difference infected both great and small; for the Commanders Mastmaker, Valett, Dammert, Claudius, Teer, Tack, and the chief in this Expedition, Houte-been, were all taken off, and Interr’d in the chief Church of Pavoasa, after the finishing of so much bloody Work. Most complain’d of intolerable Head-ache, even to Distraction, others also of horrible Gripings; and all those who were afflicted either of these two ways, most certainly dy’d in four days time. The occasion of this deadly Distemper was by divers, according to their different Judgments, imputed to several Accidents; but doubtless it was chiefly to be ascrib’d to the poysonous Damps or Fogs, which often rise in this Island, at which times every one us’d to keep close in their Huts or Houses; which the Netherlanders being ignorant of, neglected.
The first Colony sent thither by John the Third, King of Portugal.
The Portuguese that dwelt on this Island inform’d the Netherlanders, that few liv’d above fifty years there, yet notwithstanding the great Gain tempted them to tarry, several of them having two or three hundred Negro’s that work’d in the Sugar-Mills; that John the Third, King of Portugal, sent a Colony thither above two hundred years before, whom though the unwholsom Air destroy’d, yet the Place was not left desolate; for he sent new Inhabitants, who first Setled in Guinee, next in Angola, and lastly on the Island St. Thomas, that so they might be the better us’d to the Air; that the said King sold all those Jews for Slaves that refus’d to embrace the Roman Religion, and caus’d their Children to be Baptiz’d, from whom (coming thither in great numbers) most of the present Inhabitants were descended.
Twice a year, viz. in March and September, the Sun is in the Zenith here, being right perpendicular, and by that means makes no Shadow at Noon; but the Heat is somewhat mollifi’d in these two Moneths by the Rains which fall, and in the Summer by a West, or South Wind; for there never blow neither East nor Northerly Winds.
The Description of the Island.
The white People that dwell here have commonly a Feaver every eighth day; first they grow chill, next cold, and at last very hot, which lasts onely two hours. They commonly Let Blood four times a year to prevent this Distemper. The Negro’s generally attain to a great Age, many times to above a hundred years. The Island bears the Name of St. Thomas from the Saint on whose Day the Portuguese discover’d the same. From the middle of it rises a Hill, overgrown with Trees, and cover’d on the top with Snow, which dropping down into certain Brooks, runs through the Woods, and moistens the Cane-Fields. The Ground it self is tough, and Ash-colour’d; in it breed blue Crabs like Moles, which hurt all manner of Roots and Plants. The City of Pavaosa is the Metropolis of the Island, and a Bishop’s See; it lies near a clear and pleasant Brook, and is flank’d on one side with Hills, fruitful in the production of Sugar-Canes, but partakes of the unwholsom Air of the Island, which therefore can scarce be defended by Netherlanders, because they being unaccustom’d to the Climate, generally die: Wherefore Grave Maurice advis’d the States to people this Place with Malefactors, who might either live here to the Publick good, or die with less Disgrace than in a Prison.
The City St. Lodowick taken by Coin.
Towards the latter end of the Year 1641. Lichthart and Coin weigh’d Anchor with eight great, and six lesser Ships, and Sail’d to the Island of Maragnon; where Coin Landing near the City St. Lodowick, march’d immediately to the Fort, wash’d on both sides with one River, which there divides it self into two Branches: the Governor of it being too weak to hold out a Storming, sent two eminent Persons to Coin, with Proffers that they would surrender on reasonable Articles: whereupon Coin granted them their Lives, and free possession of their Goods, and gave leave to the Soldiers to stay in the City St. Lodowick, provided they had no Arms, till Orders came from Grave Maurice and his Council at Reciffa. The Hollanders entring the Fort found fifty five great Guns, abundance of all manner of Provisions, and left six hundred Men in Garrison. But the new King of Portugal complain’d by his Agent Mendoza to the States of the United Netherlands, concerning the Transactions of the West-India Company, who had taken the Loando, and the Isles St. Thomas and Maragnan, from him. But he was answer’d, That those Places were taken either before the ten years Peace was concluded with the Portuguese, or before the King approv’d of it, or at least before it was publish’d.
Grave Maurice finding that he could not prevail by fair means with the Portuguese in Brasile, sought to do something by force of Arms, because the welfare of the West-India Company depended solely upon the fortune of War; his Design lay towards the South Sea, whither the Ships might the easier Sail from Brasile through the Straights of Magellan or Le Maire, because in the Summer there blow for the most part Northern Winds along the Coast of America. There were likewise many good Conveniences in the Southern Ocean, not onely to surprize the rich Manilha Traders but also to meet with the Peruvian Plate-Fleet; besides which, Enquiries might be made with little Charges, if any Place were fit to Settle on for Trade in the unknown South Land.