the battle of Monte das Tabocas the Dutch withdrew after nightfall leaving the Pernambucan forces to find themselves the victors the next morning. This amounted to a boost to Portuguese morale but did not affect the standoff between the belligerents. The next year, 1649, having in the interim made a raid on Bahia with considerable success, the Dutch again came out to fight in Pernambuco. Once again the forces met in the second battle of Guarapes. The Dutch early on took the high ground which had little concealment. The Portuguese, under Francisco Barreto, remained among the trees at the foot of the hill. The Dutch grew thirsty in the tropical sun on the barren hilltop and decided to withdraw. When the main body was passing a narrow spot the Portuguese attacked. Although the Dutch fought well for a while, confusion set in and the Portuguese victory became a route. Despite the rout, the situation changed little. The Portuguese still controlled the countryside, but could not take Recife because of Dutch sea power. Both the Dutch and the Pernambucans had much to discourage them. Neither side had a good prospect. The ultimate surrender of the Dutch mostly resulted from the outbreak of war between the English and the Dutch beginning in 1652. This diminished the ability of the Dutch to project sea power against Portugal and Brazil. Now the Dutch could not blockade Lisbon if King João sent ships against Recife. This he did in 1653. With Portuguese ships now supporting the Pernambucans, the Dutch surrendered Recife in January 1654. A slow recovery from the Dutch incursion: 1650 to 1700 External influences Heroic as the Brazilian Portuguese were in the struggle to expel the Dutch, their ultimate success was largely dependent on external factors. The Dutch dominated the seaways, Portugal itself was under constant threat by a land attack from Spain and a blockade by the Dutch. The failure of the Dutch to immediately counter their expulsion from Recife can be laid to three principal considerations: the exhaustion of the Dutch from their war with England, the nearly complete bankruptcy of the West Indies Company, and an overriding concern with the Dutch Baltic trade which was threatened in 1655 by a crisis between Denmark and Sweden. After extended dissension among the United Provinces, and mediation by the not disinterested English, the Dutch period in Brazil was only finally settled diplomatically in