246 Lectures on Brazilian Affairs
in Portugal already shared Brazilian trade, the great Portu-
guese colony soon became one of the chief factors in Anglo-
Portuguese commercial relations, and its importance can be
traced by the increasing part Brazil took in the Portuguese
Empire.
Before 1580, that is to say, before Spanish annexation,
there were no special interests for England in Brazil; during
the domination, the Armada episode transpired. But after
1640, commercial and political ties secured the predominance
of England, and from about 1756 onward, Brazil became the
chief factor in the commercial relations of the two European
powers.
Let us have a closer view of the details of those commercial
exchanges. During the first period of colonial rivalry, to
1580, Portugal used to get sugar from her new colony, after
having previously brought it from the Indies and Barbary.
Yet William Hawkins sailed to Brazil in 1530 apparently
without arousing the jealousy of Portugal. Tobacco was
later freely imported from Brazil and smuggled into England;
raw sugar was obtained in the same way by London sugar
dealers. Spanish annexation did not affect the growing trade
with Brazil, though Mendoza advised in 1582 that English
ships should be sent to the bottom. In 1587, however, fifteen
ships sailed to Brazil with woollen goods, glass, and hardware;
the returns were coarse sugar, molasses, and dye-wood.
Had not the attention and activities of England been
drawn to their own North American colonies, it might have
greatly affected the situation of the new Spanish colony
at this time. What the English did not attempt seriously—
for the capture of Sao Vicente was just a temporary aggres-
sive measure against Spain—the Dutch did, and to a certain
extent were successful, for they occupied an important part
of the northeastern coast up to 1654.