Hoogenstraet sent to Treat with Antonio Silva, is privately tempted by him to deliver up the Fort St. Augustine.
In the mean time the Council sent the Captains Vander Voort and Hoogenstraet, to Antonio Silva, Governor of St. Salvador, to acquaint him with the treacherous Insurrection of the Portuguese, and of Camaron and Diez coming from St. Salvador to their assistance, urging, that these treacherous Proceedings and breach of Oath, could not but redound to the dishonor of the Crown of Portugal. Whereto Silva answer’d, “That Camaron and Diez were not under any Obligation of Oath, but that he would check the Insurrection in Pernambuco, and take care that the Authors thereof should make Satisfaction to the West-India Company.” Notwithstanding which fair Pretences, he so wrought with Hoogenstraet, that after a private Conference between them it was agreed, that for a certain sum of Money he should surrender him the Promontory of St. Augustine, of which he was Governor; but at his Return to Reciffa being made chief Commander of the Castle there, and being jealous what might follow his private Treating with Silva, he declar’d to the Council, that Silva had desir’d him to surrender the Fort St. Augustine, which he had granted, for no other end, but to catch the false Portuguese in their own Nets, and to trapan all such as should be sent to take possession of it; and that if the Council had any suspicion of him, they might make use of his Service in some other place.
About this time a hundred and fifty Tapuyans, led by a German Soldier call Jacob Rabbi, Sallying out of their Woods, fell upon the great Village Conyahou, under the Jurisdiction of Rio Grande, broke into the Church, murder’d all the Portuguese, and eating their raw Flesh, demolish’d the Place.
Hous also unfortunately Storm’d the Mountain Santantan, where the Enemy lay Intrench’d, being forc’d to Retreat with the loss of above a hundred Men, amongst whom was Captain Lo.
Grave Maurice his stately Palace demolish’d.
The Privy Council caus’d a part of Maurice-stadt to be pull’d down, as also the stately Palace Freyburgh, for which the Jews proffer’d Grave Maurice 6000 l. together with the stately Garden, which were thought to exceed the famous Gardens in Thessalia; but on the other side they kept Men at work Night and Day in repairing the decay’d Castle at Reciffa.
Bonavides appears with a great Fleet before Reciffa, but pretends Friendship.
About the same time the Admiral Salvador Correo de Bonavides, brought thirty four great Sail of Ships to an Anchor before Reciffa, the Gallion which he Commanded carrying sixty Brass Guns. The Admiral Lichthart ran to meet him with five Vessels, and sent him word, that if he fell down to Leeward, since he was got to the Windward, he should soon find, that five Ships durst Engage with a Fleet six times as strong. Whereupon Bonavides sent two Messengers to Lichthart to tell him, that he came as a Friend to damp the Portuguese Insurrection in Pernambuco; to which purpose he had already Landed some Companies at Tamandera. Lichthart sending the two Messengers to the Council at Reciffa, they sent two of their own Members to Bonavides, desiring to know of him what call’d him thither with so great a Fleet, and without giving the least notice, contrary to the concluded Peace of ten years?
