Spanish and Portuguese South America during the Colonial Period; Vol. 2 of 2 — John Shaqi
Spanish and Portuguese South America during the Colonial Period; Vol. 2 of 2Watson, Robert Grant
History
Spanish and Portuguese South America during the Colonial Period; Vol. 2 of 2
Watson, Robert Grant
America -- Discovery and exploration; South America -- History -- To 1806
Willekens had with him a soldier of experience, Van Dort, who now took
the command on shore. The fortifications were repaired, and
proclamations were issued offering full possession of their property and
freedom of worship to all such as would submit. Amongst those who were
thus brought under Dutch rule were two hundred Jews. The Brazilian
authorities, who imagined that this was merely a predatory expedition on
the part of the Dutch, such as they had become more or less accustomed
to on the part of Englishmen or Frenchmen, were astonished to find that
the Hollanders meant to keep possession of what they had taken. Their
national spirit revived with the realization of this fact; and as a
consequence measures were concerted to recover their honour and their
property. The governor having been taken prisoner, the bishop and other
chief persons opened his succession papers, by which they found that
their obedience was now due to the governor of _Pernambuco_. Messengers
were accordingly sent to advise him of his new position, and meanwhile
the command was vested in the bishop Teixeira. His force consisted of
fourteen hundred Portuguese and two hundred and fifty natives, with
which he established a fortified camp about a league from the city,
procuring three guns from a vessel which had taken refuge in one of the
rivers of the _Reconcave_.
The bishop, who was at least energetic, if not otherwise qualified for a
military command, was so fortunate at the outset as that the Dutch
general, Van Dort, fell at the hands of one of his skirmishing parties,
while the officer who succeeded him was shot. In the midst of this
undecided situation it seems strange indeed that the invaders should
have been so confident as to admit of Willekens sailing for Holland with
eleven vessels. A few days after his departure, his next in command,
Admiral Heyne, sailed in turn with the remaining vessels for _Angola_,
his object being to secure a supply of negroes for the Dutch colony in
_Brazil_. The admiral was, however, baffled in this object; and,
returning to South America, he met with no more good fortune in an
attempt upon _Espirito Santo_. Proceeding from there to _Bahia_, he
found the Spanish and Portuguese fleets in possession, and, being unable
to oppose them, made sail for Europe.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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