This letter is undated but must have been written in the summer of 1631 as it reveals the interest of the Potiguara in forming an alliance with the Dutch.1 It is a remarkable letter addressed to the directors of the WIC in Recife by one Pedro Potij, an eminent Potiguara. He wrote in Dutch as he had been among the Potiguara taken to Holland by Hendricx in 1626. Potij explained to the Board of Directors that one Maraca Patira, a Tupi, had come over to him in Pernambuco from Rio Grande to tell the Dutch that the Tapuia and the Pepetama Indigenous people had made a truce and had agreed to wage war upon the Portuguese and their allies. In other words, it was time to forge alliances but, as we have seen, these first attempts were too loosely organized and it would be another few years before the Dutch established more trusted contact and alliances with the Indigenous people in the hinterland.2
This document is kept at the National Archives in The Hague, the Netherlands, under signature number NL-HaNAÂ 1.05.01.01 49, document 118.
Original Handwritten Document NL-HaNAÂ 1.05.01.01 49, Document 118
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[138]Mijn heeren Alsoo Maraca Patira geboren van Acawijtiba, Brasiliean over gecomen is op dinghstdagh verleden, ende verclaert als vlolcht: Dat den Coninck van Rio Grande naer Pepetema met sijn bij hebbende volck vertrocken is, dat den Capitein Maijoor mette portugiessen van Rio Grande voorsegde oorsaeck van sijn Coninckx vertreck sijn, in voegen dat sij[segde] tegens den anderen geoorloght hebben, waer mede den Coninck veel volck verlooren heeft, sulckx dat de overgeblevene naer Pepetama gevlucht sijn, ende aldaer noch tegens den anderen oorlogh voeren, ver- claert mede dat de inwoonders van baij Traison haer neutrael houden. Dat mede de inwoonders van Tapeuia die voordesegde met die van Pepetema geoorlooght hebben, in geaccordeert sijn, ende alsoo te samen oorloogen tegens de portugissen ende haren aen- hangh soo ist dat wij aen U.E. oitmoedelijck versoeken dat U.E. die van Pepetema geliefde te hulpe te comen opdat de portugiessen weder mochten uijt Rio grande verjaeght werden, twelck doende mijn heeren, twijffele niet ofte sal haest eenicheijt verwecken, & de Compagnie in corten profiteren. Vande resterende dingen ende gelegentheijt vande plaetssen daer ontstaat sal den versegde Maraca Patira U.E. mondeling contentement (gevraeght sijnde) doenâonderstontâU.E. onderdanige dienaerenâ& geteeckentâ, Pedro Potij. |
Translation [1]⦠Translation or Copy of the Journal On 28 January 1634 my Ensign3 marched into the night with 40 men from the other side of the river, from where they herded about 50 beasts, large and small. On 6 February a Brazilian of about 50 years of age appeared on the other side of the river opposite the fortress, and was fetched with a boat and brought to the fort, because he was completely naked and not covered; he was given a shirt and a pair of trousers. [He] told us that there are 4 villages in the vicinity of the sugar mill at about one dayâs travel from here and all are inhabited by Brazilians and that they have traded with the Portuguese, of those four villages three villages are inhabited by Brazilians, who are probably eager to trade with us; however, those of the 4th village (for they are in discredit with the Taponiers because of these Brazilians) who are Jan Seprijtingerâs partners, and during the siege of the fort one of the Brazilians was captured and killed. They do not have any trust to leave from here because they fear that the Taponiers want to avenge the death of the aforementioned Brazilians upon the other, but the aforesaid Brazilians would have sent 2 men to the Taponiers with the message they would not avenge the deceased man, and that they desired to be compared with their Taponiers. In the meantime, when this message was being sent, the aforesaid Taponiers were already on the point of arriving, whereas the one for the Brazilians has voluntarily come to us in order to gauge our intentions and situation but wanted to return to their people but would stay among us for some time and send Brazilians who had cut a lot of Brazil wood, which they wished to trade. The 8th of the same month, I sent my Lieutenant with 50 men to the fortress accompanied by 18 boatsmen from the jacht* Ouderkerck and three sailboats [2] together with the newly arrived Brazilians as well as Jan Seprijtingerâs Brazilians. He, Jan Seprijtinger, took some presents from us to give to the Brazilians, but also to find out if they wanted to stay with us, but our people first arrived at |