pts to land a force at the different
inlets, where he was deterred by the appearance of the militia of the
country, succeeded at Guaratiba, between thirty and forty miles from
the city, and thence he marched upon it with about one thousand marines.
The governor, Francisco Castro de Moraes, made no attempt to stop him
until his arrival at the city. There the first check the enemy met was
from F. Francisco de Menezes, a Trinitarian friar, who appeared every
where, and did what the governor, who remained quietly intrenched in a
flat space, where the place of the Rosario now is, between two hills,
ought to have done. The French having divided, one party attacked the
palace, but the students of the college defended it successfully; and
after a short, but desperate struggle, the French were overpowered, and
the victory disgraced by the inhuman conduct of the Portuguese. Duclerc
and his people were imprisoned and harshly treated. Duclerc himself is
said to have been murdered in his bed.

The next year drew on Rio de Janeiro a signal punishment for these
proceedings. The famous Duguay Trouin undertook to inflict it; and
accordingly, in August, 1711, one year after Duclerc's adventure, he
arrived off the coast, and taking advantage of a fog, entered the bay,
notwithstanding the fire of the forts.

The Portuguese government had notice of his design, and had sent out
stores and ammunition to meet the attack, and had appointed Gasper da
Costa commander of the troops. But the sudden appearance of the French
actually within the harbour, seems to have palsied the understanding of
every person on shore, whose business it should have been to oppose
them, and the forts and the city were given up almost without a
struggle.

It would, however, have been impossible for the French to maintain
themselves in Rio; therefore Duguay Trouin, after refreshing his people,
ransomed the city for 600,000 cruzadoes. Bad weather alone prevented him
from laying waste the reconcave of Bahia, as he had done Rio: but he had
fulfilled the ostensible purpose of his voyage by avenging the treatment
of Duclerc and his people, and returned to France early in 1712.

These circumstances had awakened the greatest anxiety on account of
Brazil in the cabinet of Lisbon: and at the peace of Utrecht, 1713,
every precaution was adopted by the Portuguese ministers to avoid any
expression that might seem to admit of a free trade by any power
whatever to Brazil, notwiths