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Once upon a time, there was a man named Manuel de Borba Gato.
He was a Brazilian Bandeirante—literally "flag-carrier"—and, as such, Borba Gato was a slaver and a coward.
It is easy to think of him as fearless because he wasn't afraid of the undiscovered Brazilian woods. However, it is essential to remember that even almost 200 years later, the white men had guns while the indigenous didn't.
It is also crucial to remember that white men could do whatever they wanted with the native people, but the Tupis, Guaranis and others couldn't touch a single Portuguese hair string.
So, was Borba Gato fearless? No. He was only greedy and, more importantly, he was white.
The Bandeirante's history shows how coward he was.
Like any other white man at the time, Borba Gato understood only one language: violence. And like any other white man at the time, he wasn't exactly clever.
Manuel de Borba Gato was used to wear his heart at his sleeve. When killing non-white men, that was no problem at all. People even celebrated him for it.
However, once he forgot that not all people are created equal.
Because of his greediness and stupidity, Borba Gato killed Dom Rodrigo de Castelo Branco and did what every other coward would do: he fled and went into hiding.
For years, the Bandeirante didn't dare to show his face. But—and unfortunately, for people like him, there's always a but—that's not the end of his story.
While hiding, Borba Gato found gold. He used his knowledge of the location of the mine and the gold to bribe the authorities, especially Governor Arthur de Sá e Menezes.
The Governor pardoned the Bandeirante.
Borba Gato died almost 20 years later, with lands donated by the Governor and as lieutenant-general also named by Arthur de Sá Menezes.
What should we learn with such a historical figure? That there's no justice nor right or wrong, there's only the right amount of money to pay off any and everyone.
THE END
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Manuel de Borba Gato (1649–1718) was a bandeirante in Colonial Brazil. He began his career with his father-in-law Fernão Dias Pais. When he died in 1718, he held the office of Juiz ordinário of the town of Sabará. It is unknown where he is buried, perhaps in the Capela de Santo Antônio or the Capela de Santana in the old town of Sabará, or even, according to various writers, in Paraopeba where he had an estate. Beyond being a discoverer of mines, he was an effective administrator at the end of his life.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Borba_Gato
