▁to ▁produce ▁a ▁red ▁d ye . ▁During ▁John ▁III ' s ▁rule , ▁after ▁the ▁initial ▁colon ization , ▁Portuguese ▁expl or ers ▁intens ified ▁the ▁search ▁for ▁bra zil wood ▁and ▁began ▁the ▁cultiv ation ▁of ▁sugar c ane , ▁which ▁was ▁well ▁su ited ▁to ▁the ▁climate ▁of ▁Brazil , ▁especially ▁around ▁Rec ife ▁and ▁Bah ía . ▁ ▁In ▁the ▁final ▁years ▁of ▁John ' s ▁reign , ▁Portugal ' s ▁col ony ▁of ▁Brazil ▁was ▁just ▁beginning ▁its ▁rapid ▁development ▁as ▁a ▁producer ▁of ▁sugar ▁that ▁compens ated ▁for ▁the ▁grad ual ▁decl ine ▁of ▁reven ues ▁from ▁Asia , ▁a ▁development ▁that ▁would ▁continue ▁during ▁the ▁reign ▁of ▁his ▁grand son ▁and ▁successor , ▁Sebastian ▁( 1 5 5 7 – 1 5 7 8 ). ▁Since ▁Brazil ▁lack ed ▁a ▁large ▁native ▁population , ▁and ▁the ▁Indians ▁did ▁not ▁make ▁good ▁plant ation ▁workers , ▁the ▁Portuguese ▁colon ists ▁began ▁to ▁import ▁African ▁slaves ▁to ▁work ▁their ▁plant ations . ▁The ▁first ▁slaves , ▁from ▁the ▁region ▁of ▁Guinea , ▁arrived ▁in ▁Brazil ▁in ▁ 1 5 3 9 . ▁Most ▁of ▁them ▁worked ▁in ▁the ▁sugar c ane ▁fields ▁or ▁served ▁as ▁house ▁servants . ▁ ▁Death ▁and ▁issue ▁ ▁From ▁ 1 5 3 9 , ▁the ▁he ir ▁to ▁the ▁throne ▁was ▁João ▁Manuel , ▁Prince ▁of ▁Portugal , ▁who ▁married ▁Jo anna ▁of ▁Austria , ▁Princess ▁of ▁Portugal , ▁daughter ▁of ▁Charles ▁V . ▁The ▁sole ▁son ▁of ▁John ▁III ▁to ▁surv