Pernambuco also boasts five Towns, viz. Garasu, Olinda, Maurice-stadt, to which also belongs Reciffa, Bella Pojuca, and Formosa. The Villages Moribeca, St. Laurence, Antonio, Amaro, and others are also not inferior to little Towns.
The Countrey is for the most part Hilly, but is exceeding fruitful in the Valleys, and near the Rivers, especially in Sugar-Canes.
Here are also a hundred and twenty Sugar-Mills, of which a great number stand still for want of Negro’s.
Next Pernambuco lies Tamarica, which hath onely one Haven, one City, and twenty three Sugar-Mills, of which thirty are onely employ’d. This Island produces excellent Grapes and Melons, yet is for the most part barren, by reason of the Pismires.
The Countrey Parayba hath its Denomination from the River which washeth it, being deep, and without any Rocks or Sands; on the Banks thereof stand twenty Sugar-Mills, two of which are still standing.
In the Lordship of Rio Grande stands the Town Puntael, whose Buildings were ruin’d in the Wars; after which the Inhabitants had leave to build them another City on a fruitful Soil.
The Countrey hereabouts us’d formerly to be very full of Cattel, but was not onely bereav’d thereof by the Hollanders and Portuguese, but also for the most part made desolate.
The River which washes the Castle Ceulen, affords a convenient and safe Harbor for all sorts of Vessels.
This Lordship of Rio Grande boasts onely two Sugar-Mills, of which one is decay’d; so that in all those Parts in Brasile which belong to the West-India Company, are a hundred and sixty Sugar-Mills constantly employ’d, besides forty six which are about repairing. It is scarce to be reckon’d how much Sugar they make yearly, in regard, through the alterations of the annual Seasons, as also the more or less fruitful Fields, they produce one year, and in one place, more than in another.
The Inhabitants are of two sorts, viz. free People, and Slaves; the Slaves are African Negro’s, and the others, Netherlanders, Portugueses, or Brasilians; which last came in of their own accords, or else were absolv’d from their Oaths, and acquitted from their Martial Offices; yet are ready to venture their Lives and Estates, and to Serve either on Foot or Horseback for their Freedom against their Enemies. Those that went from the Netherlands to Brasile on their own Accounts, drive a Trade, or Serve the Traders, or else keep Inns, and follow Handicraft Faculties; some of which, when grown rich, buy Parts in Sugar-Mills; others live on Tilling: by all which several sorts of People Reciffa is very well inhabited, and full of Houses, which yield great Rents, and are held at high Prices: wherefore Grave Maurice thought good to mark out pieces of Ground on the Isle Antonio Vaes, which were sold for a considerable Sum of Money, insomuch that in a short time a new City call’d Maurice-stadt was built on the same, and inclos’d within strong Bulwarks; yea, notwithstanding the Rumor of a great Spanish Fleet in some measure abated the Courage of the Builders, yet the City was extended down to the Fort Frederick Henrick, and a brave Bridge laid over the Stream Biberibi, cross which they go from Reciffa to Antonio Vaes, where no People were in greater esteem than Handicraftsmen, who could get their ten or twelve Shillings a day. The Labor which is requir’d in the Sugar-Mills, no Men are able to undergo but the Negro’s. Of the Portuguese some have liv’d here a considerable time; others lately came hither, being most of them Jews, of whom there live a great many at Reciffa, and are very diligent in promoting of Trade: They possess several Sugar-Mills, and are kept very much under; their whole study and contrivance is for Gain; they conceal their Hatred against the Christians, as also their Covetousness, yet are mortal Enemies to the Hollanders. The Brasilians, who are the ancient Inhabitants, live apart from other People in their Villages, consisting of long Straw Huts, forty or fifty of them under one Roof sleeping on woven Hammocks; they esteem no Houshold-stuff but Nets and Calabashes, using the first to fish with, and the other to drink out of; about their Huts they plant Mandihoka and Brasile Trees; when they are not employ’d in the Wars, they spend most of their time in Hunting, but many in Idleness; they esteem wild Fruits better than those which are Planted; they Drink night and day, making their Liquor of the chew’d Root Mandihoka, or the Apples Tajovis; they esteem nothing so much as strong Drink, and to wear Linnen next their Skins; they would not value Money, could they but get Brandy and Spanish Wine without it; if they are not promis’d a Reward, they will not work. Each Village, nay House, hath its peculiar Governor; but besides him there is a Hollander, who stirs up the Idle to work, and takes care that the Owners of the Sugar-Mills do them no injury: They never suffer themselves to be Hir’d for above twenty days, at the end whereof they demand their Wages; they are commonly employ’d to chop Wood to boyl the Sugar with; but by reason of the scarcity of Negros, they are often made use of for other Business, which to avoid they hide themselves; as also when they are to go to Fight; they are hard to be kept in Ranks, for they will run out of their own Fyle into another on the least occasion; but if they put their Enemy to flight, they pursue him, and spare none alive. They little regard the Christian Religion, yet some of them have learn’d the Lord’s-Prayer and the Creed of the Roman Priests. The Minister Davil having learn’d the Brasilian Tongue, Converted very many of them, and Baptiz’d them in their Villages.