BattleoftheCanoes

Throughout 1565, there were many battles between the Portuguese and the Tupinambás in Guanabara Bay. In order to keep his colonizing campaign going, Estácio de Sá frequently requested that soldiers and provisions be sent from other captaincies. The mission's successive victories were backed by the support of the Jesuit priest Manuel da Nóbrega, who, from the captaincy of São Vicente, shipped supplies to the Portuguese settlement, built in March next to Cara de Cão hill, at the entrance to the bay.

Between that year and the following one, Estácio de Sá led several assaults on Tupinambá villages near the coast. The conflicts always culminated in the killing of the elders and adult warriors of the tabas. Young people, children, and indigenous women were promptly sent to other captaincies as slaves.

The accounts from this period often seek to glorify the deeds of the Portuguese. The Portuguese and their allies, almost always fighting outnumbered or being ambushed by the natives, constantly emerged victorious from the battles. Some of these narratives, written by the Jesuit Simão de Vasconcellos, detail a Tupinambá attack that took place in mid-1566. Involving warriors from what is now the Região dos Lagos, the native assault began with the pursuit of Francisco Velho's canoe, who had left the Portuguese camp in search of wood to reinforce the São Sebastião chapel.

While trying to defend his companion and counterattack, Estácio de Sá and some of his men came upon a Tupinambá fleet that was waiting for them behind a point of the bay. Faced with the shower of arrows launched at them, the Portuguese tried to fire a small cannon they were carrying in one of their canoes. However, the accidental explosion of the gunpowder caused a huge fire.

A thick cloud of smoke darkened the sky. Struck by the glow the fire was causing, a native woman began to beg for the natives to withdraw. They interpreted the woman's despair as a prophetic vision and suddenly retreated.

The abandonment of the fight by the Tupinambás was also attributed to the appearance of a divine figure, who intervened on behalf of the Portuguese. Saint Sebastian, patron of the Portuguese mission, was said to have been seen by warriors on both sides, amid the mist that hung over the waters of Guanabara Bay.

Image description: The image is a painting depicting a confrontation scene between two groups of people in canoes. From left to right, we see a group of naked men, holding paddles and actively taking part in the action. They are in a canoe decorated with geometric motifs. On the right, there is another group of men dressed in more elaborate clothing, also holding paddles and appearing to be engaged in a fight or dispute. The background features a cloudy sky and some distant figures, possibly other boats or landscape elements. The painting is in tones of gray and beige, suggesting it may be a black-and-white work or one with soft colors.