The command of this expedition would be entrusted to Miguel de Noronha, 4th Count of Linhares, for which he was appointed Capitán General del Mar Océano, but he eventually declined to lead the fleet as he did not trust in the success of the expedition. García Álvarez de Toledo, 6th Marquis of Villafranca also rejected its command, but not the Count of Torre, Dom Fernando de Mascarenhas, former Portuguese governor of Tangier. The same day that the French siege of Hondarribia was lifted, he was given the command of 41 ships, of which 23 were Portuguese and were commanded by Admiral Dom Francisco Melo de Castro and Vice Adm. Dom Cosme Couto de Barbosa, and 18 were Castilian under Admiral Juan de la Vega y Bazán and Vice Adm. Francisco Díaz de Pimienta. 5,000 soldiers of infantry were embarked aboard this ships. Half of them were of the Tercio de Anfibios, a unit specialized in the naval fighting. The fleet stopped at the islands of Cape Verde, where an epidemic struck the crews of the ships, resulting in the death of 3,000 men and a number plus larger of incapacitated at the arrival of the fleet to Salvador da Bahia. Mascarenhas, ignoring his orders for an immediate assault upon Recife, spent about a year in the town before set sail again, which was done in January 1640 with the intention of land 1,200 soldiers under Luís Barbalho Bezerra to reinforce the Portuguese guerrilla surrounding the Dutch garrison of Pernambuco.

Who all declined the command of the expedition?
A: Miguel de Noronha

Coming off their home win over the Bengals, the Texans flew to the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome for a Week 9 interconference duel with the Minnesota Vikings.  In the first quarter, Houston trailed early as Vikings RB Adrian Peterson got a 1-yard TD run.  The Texans responded with CB Jacques Reeves returning an interception 44 yards for a touchdown.  In the second quarter, Minnesota answered with QB Gus Frerotte completing an 8-yard TD pass to WR Sidney Rice and a 49-yard TD pass to WR Bernard Berrian. In the third quarter, Houston tried to rally as QB Sage Rosenfels completed a 3-yard TD pass to WR David Anderson.  In the fourth quarter, the Vikings replied with Frerotte completing a 25-yard TD pass to TE Visanthe Shiancoe.  The Texans tried to come back as Rosenfels completed a 14-yard TD pass to WR Andre Johnson.  However, the Vikings' defense stiffened for the win. QB Matt Schaub (21/29 for 224 yards and 1 interception), who started the game, left after the first half with a sprained left knee.

How many more yards was the last touchdown than the first?
A: 13

The late 17th century was a difficult period for Scotland, as it was for much of Europe; the years 1695-97 saw catastrophic famine in present-day Estonia, Finland, Latvia, Norway and Sweden plus an estimated two million deaths in France and Northern Italy.  Scotland's economy was relatively small, its range of exports very limited and it was in a weak position in relation to England, its powerful neighbour . In an era of economic rivalry in Europe, Scotland was incapable of protecting itself from the effects of English competition and legislation. The kingdom had no reciprocal export trade and its once thriving industries such as shipbuilding were in deep decline; goods that were in demand had to be bought from England for sterling. Moreover, the Navigation Acts further increased economic dependence on England by limiting Scotland's shipping, and the Royal Scots Navy was relatively small. A series of domestic conflicts, including the 1639-51 Wars of the Three Kingdoms and unrest related to religious differences between 1670-1690 exhausted the people and diminished their resources. The so-called "seven ill years" of the 1690s saw widespread crop failures and famine, while Scotland's deteriorating economic position led to calls for a political or customs union with England. However, the stronger feeling among Scots was that the country should become a great mercantile and colonial power like England. In response a number of solutions were enacted by the Parliament of Scotland: in 1695the Bank of Scotland was established; the Act for the Settling of Schools created a parish-based system of public education throughout Scotland; and the Company of Scotland was chartered with capital to be raised by public subscription to trade with "Africa and the Indies".

How many years did the Wars of the Three Kingdoms last?
A:
12