A history of the Brazil : $b comprising its geography, commerce, colonization, aboriginal inhabitants, &c. &c. &c.Henderson, James
History
A history of the Brazil : $b comprising its geography, commerce, colonization, aboriginal inhabitants, &c. &c. &c.
Henderson, James
Brazil; Brazil -- History -- To 1822
on board all the people he could assemble, personally embarked with
the squadron. He visited all the intervening capitanias of the coast,
and received on board all those who were willing to accompany him.
The French defended themselves vigorously against the attacks of this
fleet; but not being able to remedy the destruction and havoc which
they sustained from the more powerful ships of the Portuguese, they
retired by night to the continent, uniting themselves with the Tamoyo
Indians, whose friendship they had previously conciliated. Mendo de Sa
collected the artillery which the French had left, and, with one of
their ships, which he found in the port, he returned to Bahia.
Intelligence was received afresh that the Protestants continued to
frequent the bay of Rio de Janeiro, and were successively becoming
more strongly fortified in the continental situations they had taken
up. The crown of Portugal, now discovering of how much importance it
would be effectually to take possession of and colonize this fine port,
which having no donatory or forces to impede the establishment of
whatever enemy might think proper to proceed there for that purpose,
resolved to despatch Estacio de Sa to Bahia, with two galliots, and
there to receive from his uncle, Mendo de Sa, the governor, such an
accession of force as would enable him to extirpate the French. Estacio
de Sa, having augmented the squadron as much as circumstances would
allow, arrived at Rio de Janeiro in 1565, and took up a station near
the Sugar-Loaf Mountain, at the place now called Villa Velha; but in
various attacks, which he made upon the united French and Indians,
fortune was never decisively propitious to him. This circumstance
induced Mendo de Sa to prepare, in the bay of Bahia, an armament, which
consisted of three galliots, commanded by Christovam de Barros, two
ships of the crown, which were cruizing on the coast, and six caravels.
This auxiliary force he accompanied in person to the assistance of his
nephew, visiting, as before, the intervening capitanias, and offering
to convey, gratuitously, all families who might wish to people the
future colony; and, in consequence, a great many did accompany him. He
arrived on the 18th of January, 1567, but deferred the attack till the
20th, that day being St. Sebastian’s, under whose auspices he meant
to begin and carry on the enterprise. Two years had previously passed
in useless and indecisive contention, which, in two days, Mendo de
Sa brought to a successful termination, by possessing himself of the
forts Urussumiri and Paranapucuy, not, however, without his followers
feeling the effect of the arrows of the Tamoyos, which often transfixed
the shield to the arm that supported it. Amongst others, Estacio de
Sa received a wound from one of them, of which he expired a few days
afterwards. The French escaped in four ships which they had in the
harbour; and Mendo de Sa did not allow much time to elapse before he
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