Wherever Vidal had the power to do so he acted in the spirit as well as according to the letter of the King’s instructions; and under his protection Vieyra diligently pursued his schemes. The chief settlements of the “reduced” Indians were to the north of _Maranham_, where fifty villages were established along the coast. Vieyra’s desire was to form a line of stations in like manner towards the south, as far as _Ceará_, thus connecting the Jesuit stations of _Maranham_ with those of Southern _Brazil_. He desired likewise to continue the same connecting system up the great rivers. With the latter object in view, two Jesuits, with a Portuguese surgeon and a hundred Indian boatmen, went for a distance of three hundred leagues up the river to the _Tocantins_. The Fathers were successful in persuading about a thousand persons to follow them on their return down to _Belem_, where they were received by Vidal and Vieyra. Many Indians were likewise brought from other quarters, and for some time the success of the missionary work, aided as it was by the strong arm of the civil authority, was all that could be desired. [Sidenote: 1657.] But a period came to this prosperity. In the year 1657, Vidal was promoted to be Governor of _Pernambuco_. About the same time, Vieyra sustained a severe, and indeed an irreparable, loss by the death of the Prince of _Brazil_, which was soon followed by that of King Joam. He had still, however, a powerful and steady friend in the Bishop of _Japan_, who was the Queen’s confessor; and he was appointed Visitor and Superior in that part of America. The new Governor, _Don_ Pedro de Mello, however, who succeeded Vidal, displayed a great falling-off from his predecessor. He lost no time in engaging in a serious war with the inhabitants of the islands at the mouth of the _Amazons_. He had brought out with him the news that Holland and Portugal were then at war; and it was apprehended that the Dutch might renew their operations in this quarter. The new Governor, therefore, was urged to attack the Indians with all his force before the Dutch could arrive to help them. Vieyra alone advised that conciliatory measures should at first be used; and he offered to undertake the task of negotiating. Being permitted to try what he could do, he wrote to the tribes, informing them that the new laws which he had gone to Portugal to procure had put an end to the wrongs and grievances of which they complained. He pledged his word that the old unjust system was prohibited, and said that he was ready either to receive them or to go amongst them. His messengers could give them full information of the actual state of things.