MENDOCA CORTE-REAL Diogo de Traduction de la démonstration de la Compagnie des Indes Orientales concernant els raisons pourquoi les portugais ne sont point en droit de naviguer vers le côtes de la Haute & Basse-Guinée, &c. et Examen et réfutation de toutes ces raisons.

Sabin 47825 ; Alden-Landis, 727:161.

First edition of this translation of which neither Sabin nor Alden-Landis give a Portuguese language edition.

Diogo de Mendoça Corte-Real (1658-1736) was a highly qualified statesman and diplomat under the Portuguese kings Pedro II and Joao V.

From an early age, he devoted his energies to the study of law at the University of Coimbra, where he obtained his doctorate in canon law in 1686 and in civil law in 1687. His excellence was soon noticed by King Pedro II, who sent him on a diplomatic mission to Holland in early 1691 to resolve the constant problems between the two countries, linked to frequent attacks by Dutch ships on Portuguese vessels.

Portugal’s possessions were indeed vast in the 16th century, stretching from Brazil to the East Indies. This immense empire was contested by several major colonial powers, notably England and France. In the end, it was Holland that emerged as the real threat. This nation of navigators had placed numerous spies on Portuguese ships between 1598 and 1602 to gain access to overseas markets. On the strength of this intelligence, the Dutch East India Company was created in 1602 on the initiative of Maurice de Nassau, Prince of Orange.

Corte-Real’s mission was successfully completed on May 22, 1692, and a contract was signed between the two countries in favor of Portugal, which received compensation for losses incurred up to that point. This peace treaty did not prevent Dutch merchants from continuing their attempts to gain a foothold on the African coasts, which were well served by Portuguese merchant ships and trading posts.

The present memoir contains the new dispute between Portugal and the Dutch East India Company over the entire territory of Guinea.

In his Démonstration, the skillful diplomat and jurist Corte-Real demonstrates the bad faith of the Dutch by pointing out that Guinea was not entirely controlled by them, but that Portugal maintained far more trading posts than their adversary, who controlled only a small part of the country’s coastline.

Somewhat waterstained.

[Bound with:]

MENDOCA CORTE-REAL, Diogo de. Examen et réponse à un écrit publié par la Comagnie des Indes Occidentales sous le titre Réfutation des Argumens… [Amsterdam?] 1727. 64 pp. 1 engraved folding map.

Sabin, 47824; Alden-Landis, 727 /160. First edition. Contains the meticulous examination given by the great jurist who insists on the injustice of the claims of the members of the Compagnie des Indes. This edition contains a large fold-out map that meticulously details and names the Portuguese and Dutch trading posts. “On remarque d’autan mieux l’excès de l’injuste procédé de la Compagnie Occidentale, & que consultant d’un côté ses propres écrits & de l’autre la carte, on voie d’un coup d’œil avec quelle injustice elle réclame le pays de Majombo & de Gabon ou Corsico” (p. 4).
Somewhat waterstained.

[And:] Copie de lettres au sujet des problèmes commerciaux et musclées entre les vaisseaux portugais et ceux la Compagnie des Indes rédigées entre 1717 et 1727. 104pp.

[And 9 ff.n.ch:] Extrait du registre des résolutions de S.H.P. les Etats Généraux etc. Tuesday, March 30, 1728. 5 pp. Addressed to Councillor Mendoça Corte-Real, it describes the affair between the Compagnie des Indes and the Portuguese court. Among other things, the Company states that Portugal has illegally taken the vessels ‘Graveland’ and ‘Dom Carlos’ “appartenant à la Compagnie de Commerce de Middelbourg”. Signed Flagel.- Extrait du registre des résolutions des S.H.P. les États Généraux etc. 10 mai 1728. Signé Jean van Corbag. 7pp.- Copie de la lettre écrite à Mr Hermans de Beche ; et Harmens à Lisbonne. Amsterdam 24 mai 1725. Suivie de la copie d’une lettre du 11 septembre 1725. Signed Jean van Corbag. 7pp.

Fine collection of 18th century documents shedding light on the commercial clashes between Portugal and the Compagnie des Indes.