een two of them, sunk one, and compelled several others to strike:
his own ship, however, grounded, and he burnt her. He added four ships
to his own fleet, loaded four others with prize-goods, and burnt the
rest. Nor was this his only success; for although the Dutch had been
baffled in several attempts on the coast, they sent home prizes enough
to be of national importance.

But a conquest of infinitely more consequence was shortly made; that of
Olinda, which, in 1630, was taken after a feeble resistance on the part
of Matthias de Albuquerque. The Dutch general-in-chief was Henrik Loncq,
the admiral was Peter Ardian, and Wardenburg commanded the troops. The
latter landed at Pao Amarello, three leagues to the north, while the
ships kept up a regular fire opposite to the place; consequently the
Portuguese were surprised, and the towns and forts easily taken.

But the country around continued to be the theatre of a most cruel
predatory war, during which atrocious cruelties were committed by both
parties, but chiefly by the Dutch; and while these things were going on,
a number of negroes had escaped from time to time into the great
palm-forests, about thirty leagues inland, and had multiplied so that
they are said to have amounted to upwards of thirty thousand. These men
were governed by a chief whom they called Zombi: they had some laws, a
shadow of the Christian religion, and were agriculturists. They harassed
the Portuguese, and added by their depredations to the general misery.

At length the Dutch government sent out Count Maurice of Nassau, to take
the command at Pernambuco. He arrived in 1537, and carried on the war so
vigorously that the Portuguese retired out of the province. He also set
about reforming the abuses which existed among the Dutch themselves at
Recife, and having established himself firmly there, he sent one of his
officers, Jan Koin, over to the coast of Africa, who took possession of
St. Jorge da Mina, by which a supply of slaves was secured, and leaving
a garrison there, returned to Recife. The next year, Maurice made an
unsuccessful attack on St. Salvador. His fleet anchored in the bay of
Tapagipe; but though he obtained at first some important posts, he was
finally repulsed and returned with loss to Pernambuco. There he occupied
himself in building a new town, and making the two first bridges that
had yet been built in Portuguese America, besides planting trees, and
improving the fortifications.