Under these circumstances the military force of thirteen hundred men, together with the native allies, landed north of the _Potengi_. These troops had before them the terrible task of finding their way by land to _Bahia_ over a distance of three hundred leagues, through such a country as is _Brazil_, and without any stores beyond what each man could carry. After this the Count Datorre went before the wind to the West Indies and thence to Europe. We are not surprised to learn that on reaching Lisbon he was thrown into prison. His subordinate, Vidal, who was at the head of the land forces, had no choice but again to break them up into small parties. These being joined by the troops from the north, made their way back, as well as was possible, to _Bahia_, which place the fugitives reached in safety, having meanwhile subsisted, as it is said, mainly upon sugar. Nassau was not slow in pursuing the work of retaliation for the havoc committed by the Portuguese. Two thousand _Tapuyas_, in alliance with the Dutch, were let loose upon _Bahia_, their families being meanwhile kept as hostages in the island of _Itamaraca_. Admiral Jol was next sent to the _Reconcave_ to lay it waste with fire and sword. The whole of the sugar-works in that extensive bay were destroyed. But ere long both parties saw the folly of this desolating warfare, and the new Viceroy, the Marquis of Monte Alvam, entered into negotiations with the Dutch for suppressing it; but these bore no fruit until the province of _Pernambuco_ had been by his secret orders in turn laid waste. His predatory bands, however, were so well acquainted with the country that they eluded the vigilance of the Dutch, and their proceedings were publicly disowned by the Viceroy. An important change in Europe at this time altered the face of affairs in _Brazil_. In 1640 the Duke of Braganza recovered the throne of Portugal. On information of this event reaching the Viceroy, measures were at once taken for disarming the Spanish portion of the garrison; after which King John was proclaimed. This news was received with enthusiasm throughout _Brazil_, as it had been throughout Portugal. It had an important bearing on the relations between Portugal and Holland, inasmuch as either country was now at enmity with Spain, and it was accordingly duly communicated to Nassau. A strange turn now took place in the fortunes of the Viceroy himself. Two of his sons, it appeared, had deserted the cause of their country and fled to Madrid, with the result that Vilhena, a Jesuit, was sent to _Bahia_ with conditional instructions to depose the Viceroy, in case he too should have followed the same party. Although he had behaved most loyally to Portugal, he was now improperly and outrageously superseded and sent a prisoner to Lisbon. [Sidenote: 1641.]