4to, (252 x 200 mm). 34 pp., 1 ff. [blank]. Mottled calf with repairs to corners and spine ends, gilt on spine worn. Overall very fresh and clean, except for some toning to manuscript pages, foxing to map and text pages, 70 mm closed tear to map, light dampstaining throughout, mostly contained to margins.

Portugal's overseas possessions extended from Brazil to the East Indies, the Dutch Republic emerged as Portugal's principal commercial rival. Corte Real was dispatched by King Pedro II to the Netherlands in 1691 on a diplomatic mission aimed at resolving the persistent disputes between the two countries arising from frequent Dutch attacks on Portuguese shipping. In this Demonstration, Corte-Real exposes what he regarded as the bad faith of the Dutch position, arguing that Guinea was far from being wholly under Dutch control and demonstrating that Portugal maintained substantially more trading posts than its rival, which occupied only a limited portion of the coastline.

Corte-Real's mission concluded successfully on 22 May 1692 with the signing of an agreement favorable to Portugal, which received compensation for losses previously sustained. Nevertheless, the treaty failed to prevent Dutch merchants from continuing their efforts to establish themselves along the African coast, where Portuguese vessels and trading factories had long maintained a dominant presence.

Very rare, we can locate only 3 copies worldwide, all in Europe. Sabin 47825; Alden-Landis 727:160; Goldsmiths'-Kress, 6528.

[Bound after:] Mendoca Corte-Real, Diogo de. Examen et réponse à un écrit publié par la Compagnie des Indes Occidentales sous le titre Réfutation des Argumens. 1727. [Amsterdam?]. 64 pp., folding engraved map. Minor waterstaining. First edition, this work contains Corte-Real's detailed examination of the claims advanced by the Dutch West India Company, whose demands he vigorously refutes as unjustified. Illustrated with a folding engraved map showing in detail both the Portuguese and Dutch trading settlements, which he uses to illustrate his point. Sabin 47824; Alden-Landis 727/160.

[Bound with:] Manuscript copies of correspondence concerning commercial disputes and armed incidents between Portuguese vessels and those of the Dutch trading companies, written between 1717 and 1727. 104 ff.

[Bound with:] Nine unnumbered manuscript leaves containing copies of official documents: Extract from the Register of the Resolutions of Their High Mightinesses the States General, Tuesday, 30 March 1728, addressed to Councillor Mendonça Corte-Real. This document describes the dispute between the Dutch trading company and the Portuguese Crown. Among other allegations, the Company claimed that Portugal had unlawfully seized the vessels Graveland and Dom Carlos, “belonging to the Middelburg Trading Company.” Signed Flagel. 5 pp. Extract from the Register of the Resolutions of Their High Mightinesses the States General, 10 May 1728. Signed Jean van Corbag. 7 pp. Copy of a letter addressed to Mr. Hermans de Beche and Harmens at Lisbon, Amsterdam, 24 May 1725, followed by a copy of a letter dated 11 September 1725. Signed Jean van Corbag. 7 pp.