When the Dutch occupied Recife, they were not able to occupy the surrounding area or even to extend their territory straight away. This expansion was to be prepared properly as the Portuguese occupied the region and many Tupi were still loyal to them. Under the command of Colonel Artichewski, the Dutch managed to occupy Tamarica in July 1631. About this event, Johannes de Laet noted that âthe Company had made great efforts to establish an alliance with a nation of Savages called Tapujas, and believed it wise to ask them for help against the Portuguese.â1 This early mention by de Laet showed that the Dutch had previous knowledge of the Tapuia and had clearly designated them as potential allies.
On 18 October 1631, Ellert Smient sent out three Indigenous men from Ceará to contact Jandovy, leader of the Tapuia. They returned to Rio Grande a month later and Jandovy was sent to Recife to get reinforcements. He was provided a ship and 40 men in order to attack Ceará. They were put ashore but the ship, the Nieuw Nederlant, did not return as it had sailed for the West Indies.2 Nonetheless, Andries Tacoe and other Tupi were interrogated on board the Dutch vessel on 12 November 1631. They had found Jandovy, who was at war with some Tupi but had two Tupi allies called Jacaone and Jacovaije.
This document is kept at the National Archives in The Hague, the Netherlands, under signature number of the First or Old West Indian Company 1.05.01.01 49, document 80.
Figure 4
Anonymous manuscript map of Paraiba before the Dutch attack in 1631, NL-HaNAÂ 1.05.01.01 49, document 134
Courtesy of Nationaal Archief, The Hague
Original Handwritten Document NL-HaNAÂ 1.05.01.01 49, Document 80
Den 18Â october 1631 vertrocken vant schip Nieunederlant aen landt om haer reijse te vervorderen, soo is een Brasiliaen die in compagnie van haer vieren was, hadden een vaetien wijn mede genomen, ende deselve die de wijn droech genaempt Franciscus Matewie die bleeft achter en konde niet volgen, ende de andere drie vervorderen haere reijse nae het geberchte om bijde Tapoues tecomen ende reijsde 10 dagen lanck t landewaert in, in het welcke sij oock grooten dorst geleden hebben, ende geraeckt op eenen grooten wech daer sij meenden datter een geheel leger volck gemarcheert hadden; Ende het was op de wech van Siara, ende vonden een hoge plaetse daersij vier gemaeckt hadden, soo dat sij meende dat de Tapoeus naer Siara te getrocken sijn, ende soo dat sij daeroock geen water en vonden, soo hebben sij met malcanderen goetgevonden om dese wech te vervolgen nae Siara, ende sij sijn 5 dagen dese wech vervolcht, ende vonden een Portugees en quam van Siara met 17 slaven soo vrouwen als kinderen ende in compagnie van 8 brasilianen inwoonders van Goijamen een dorp, het selve legt twee mijl van Siara, ende het selve leijt mede ondert gebiet vanden Gouverneur van Chiara Domingo dela Vogeu ende soo haest onse 3 brasilianen bij haer quamen vernamen sij waerde overste vande Tapoeien was met sijn volck, ende kregen ten antwoort dat hij te Siara was, ende gaven malcander ten antwoort, wat ende van waer haer compste was, ende de andere 8 dat verstonden wilden sij wel met haer int verbondt treden, soo hebben sij met malcanderen goet gevonden dat Andries Tacou, met de vrouwen en kinderen hier nae toe gaen souden, ende de andere twee |
Translation
18Â October 1631 they left the ship Nieunederlant to go ashore and continue their journey. There was a Brazilian in their company of four, and they had taken a barrel of wine, and the one who carried the barrel of wine was called Franciscus Matewie, who remained behind because he was not able to follow, and the other three continued their voyage towards the mountains to reach the Tapoues. [They] traveled 10 days towards the interior, where they suffered from great thirst, and reached a main road where they believed an entire army had marched. And it was on the way to Siara, where they found a high place where they had made a fire, that they believed that the Tapoeus had gone to Siara, and that they had not found water either, and thus they agreed among them to follow this road to Siara. They followed this road for 5 days, and found a Portuguese coming from Siara with 17 slaves, women and children, accompanied by 8 Brazilians, inhabitants of the village of Goijamen, located in the country under the jurisdiction of governor Chiara Domingo de la Vogeu. And as soon as our 3 Brazilians reached them, they learned where the chief of the Tapoeien was [located] with his people, and got for answer that he was in Siara, and [the Brazilians] told each other where they had come from, and the other 8 learnt that they would be happy to establish an alliance. In this manner they all agreed that Andries Tacou would come over with the women and children and that the other two, Marsiael and Melchior Arraroen, would continue their |
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marsiael ende melchior Arraroen soude haer reijs vervorderen, ende hadden een bespreck met malcanderen gemaeckt dat sij den portugees doot slaen souden & hij was genaempt Jan Perero, & hij woude trecken nae Mathijs Alburquerque om brieven van recommandatie te haelen, om eenich ampt te bedienen binnen Siara, & als sij den dach van malcander [428] verscheijden waeren, hebben sij weder een van haer Compagnie gesonden naer Siara toe, om haer geslachte5 daer te waerschouwen, vant verbondt dat sij met ons gemaeckt hebben, onder wegen wesende om herwaert aen te comen, met de Portugies ende de slaven, soo vraechde de Portugees Andries Tachoe, waer hij soo lanck geweest hadde, ende seijde dat hij sijn vrienden besocht hadde in Porto Calvo, waer op de Portugees antwoorde dat hij looch ende dat de spraeck ginck binnen Siara dat hij bijde Hollanders geweest hadden, ende meer andere â¨handeâ© woorden die sij onder malcanderen kregen, soo vonden sij met malcanderen goet dat sij hem bijde Chalijn6 dootslaen souden, het welcke sij oock gedaen hebben, want de Portugesen haer vijant sijn, ende onse vrienden, ende soo hebben wij haer gevraecht oft Marciael de opperste vande Tapouien haest vinden sou, ende wanneer sij weerkomen souden, soo gaven ten antwoort als datte twee Capiteijnen vande brasiliaenn waeren genaempt Jacaone & de ander Iacovaije die hadde oorloch tegen andere brasilianen int landt ende de overste vande Tapouie andavie met sijn volck hem adsisteerde ende nae haer meijninge dat hij noch wat lanck wech wesen soude, ende soo haest daer gedaen hebben, met den oorloch soo sullen sij doort landt vande Tapoien trecken naer Rio Grande, Aldus gedaen & gepasseert int schip Nieunederlandt, den 12 November 1631 & was ondertekent Albert Gerritsz, J van doussz Samuel Cohen, Adriaen Jorisz thienpont |
journey. They had agreed together that they would kill the Portuguese, who was called Jan Perero, and who wished to leave to see Mathijs Alburquerque to obtain letters of recommendation, to serve some office in Siara. And when they had separated from each other during the day, [428] they sent one of their Company members towards Siara, in order to warn their families of the alliance they had concluded with us. Once on the road to arrive thither with the Portuguese and the slaves, the Portuguese asked Andries Tachoe where he had been so long, and he said that he had visited his friends in Porto Calvo, to which the Portuguese responded that he was lying. There was hearsay in Siara that he had been with the Hollanders, and other similar words they told each other, so they agreed among them to slay him at âchalijnâ,3 which they did, because the Portuguese are their enemies, and they our friends. Thus we asked them if Marciael, the chief of the Tapouien, could find them quickly. When they returned, they answered that the two captains of the Brazilians were called Jacaone and the other Iacovaije were waging war against the other Brazilians in the country and that the chief of the Tapouie Andavie, assisted him. According to their opinion, he would be away for a little longer, and once they had finished there with the battle they would trek through the country of the Tapoien towards Rio Grande. Thus it was done and happened on the ship Nieunederlandt, 12 November 1631, and was signed by Albert Gerritsz, J van Dousz, Samuel Cohen, [and] Adriaen Jorisz Thienpont.4 |
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[429]Op huijden den 16. November 1631 is bij de Gecommitteerden goet gevonden dese naer volgende articulen als confessie van Brasilianen int schrift gestelt hebben ende verder geresolveert de Brasilianen van van Siara aff te vragen, oft sij haer selven sterck genoech kenden, omde Portugesen aldaer neven het Casteel* te vermeesteren, waerop sij rondtuijt seggen Jae, versoeckende nevens de hulpe van ons schip op dat sij int gesicht, als sij haer aenslach beginnen sullen, waerop wij haer reden gevraecht hebben hoorende op wat manieren sij haer aenslach beginnen souden, daerop hebben sij bijde gecommandeerde geantwoort, als dat wij met ons schip int ooch komen sullen haer dineste moeten doen aende Portugesen tot defentie vant Casteel ende sij brasilianen, sullen sij opt Casteel doot slaen, derhalven is onse resolutie soo genoomen, om met het schip ende een sloup daer heen te gaen, hoop ende dat Godt met ons wil wesen, ende een goede uijtcompst verlenen, ende en twijffelen oock niet off de heeren sullen ons met de eerste gelegentheijt adsistentie doen van volck en van cost, ende het Casteel met Godes hulpe vermeestert hebbende, salmen onse beste daer mede doen, ende met Capiteijn Colster met een partij volck sullen daerop gaen, om het selvige te bewaeren, ende hier senden wij U.E.* noch eenige brieven van importantie die bijden portugies gevonden is, die dootgeslagen is waerover wij geobligeert sijn haer te adsisteren, is vorders geresolveert, gelijck sij oock tegens ons geseijt hebben, dat sij met ons niet en vaeren, gelijck sij voordesen met ons inde Baij Traison gevaren sijn, waerop wij haer geantwoort hebben, dat sij niet vresen en souden, want wij en sullense niet verlaten, Aldus gedaen ende gepasseert int schip Nieunederlant, desen 16 November 1631 ende was onderteeckent Albert Gerritsz, J. Van Dousz, Samuel Cohen Adriaen Jorisz thienpont. |
[429]At present, 16 November 1631, it has been agreed by the Commissioners, according to the following articles at the Braziliansâ confession, to act and resolve to ask the Brazilians of Siara, if they consider themselves strong enough to conquer the Portuguese next to the fort. They responded freely Ye, demanding also the aid of our ship, which should be in sight when they start their attack. Upon this we asked their reason and heard their plan of attack, to which they answered the commanding officer that when we come in sight with our ship, [they] will have to do their service for the Portuguese to defend the fort and they will kill the Brazilians at the fort. Hence our resolution has been made to send the ship and a sloop there, hoping that God will be on our side, to give us a good outcome, and there will be no doubt that the Lord would assist us with food and people at the first occasion. And once the fort has been conquered with Godâs help, we shall do our best. Together with Captain Colster, accompanied by some men, we will occupy and secure it. Here we send Your Eminence a few important letters which we found with the Portuguese who were slain, for which we are obliged to advise you. Furthermore, it has been resolved, as they have said to us, that they will not sail with us, as they have sailed with us before to the Baij Traison, to which we answered that they should have no fear, for we will not abandon them. Thus it was done and happened on the ship Nieunederlant, this 16 November 1631 and was signed Albert Gerritsz, J. Van Dousz, Samuel Cohen, Adriaen Jorisz Thienpont |
De Laet, Historie, 238.
See also Boogaart, âInfernal Allies,â 523.
Perhaps at Cabo Halijn.
Highly remarkable name, one Joris Thienpont also commanded the Eendracht and delivered a small group of colonists in New Netherland in 1624, see Janny Venema, Kiliaen van Rensselaer (1585â1643): Designing a New World (Hilversum: Verloren, 2010), 191.
Read: familie, âfamily.â
Unknown word, perhaps a toponym.