dignation, and it appears now to be at its height. There has already
been some skirmishing, in which, however, I hear there have been only
three men killed. The Brazilian artillery occupies Fort San Pedro; the
governor, and the wreck of the junta, have the town and the palace. The
governor, indeed, has arrested several, I think seventeen persons, in an
arbitrary manner; among these, two of my acquaintance, Colonel
Salvador[72] and Mr. Soares, and have put them, some on board the Don
Pedro, some on board transports in the bay, for the purpose of
transporting them to Lisbon. Some of these persons are not permitted to
have any communication with their families; others, more favoured, are
allowed to carry them with them. These are not the means to conciliate.
We have sent on shore to offer shelter to the ladies, and Captain Graham
has agreed upon certain signals with the consul, in case of increased
danger to his family.

[Note 72: Colonel Salvador, though born in Portugal, has all his
property and connections in Brazil; he served with credit in the
peninsula. Mr. Soares, a Brazilian, had been long in England.]

_Sunday, November 4th._--On looking out at daylight this morning, we saw
artillery planted, and troops drawn up on the platform opposite to the
opera house. I went on shore to see if Miss Pennell, her sister, or any
of our other friends would come on board; but they naturally prefer
staying to the last with their fathers and husbands. Notwithstanding the
warlike movements of these last two days, it appears most likely that
the chiefs of the opposite parties will agree to await the decision of
the cortes at Lisbon, with respect to their grievances, and at least a
temporary peace will succeed to this little disturbance.

It appears, however, next to impossible that things should remain as
they are. The extreme inconvenience of having the supreme courts of
justice so far distant as Lisbon must be more and more felt as the
country increases in population and riches. The deputies to the cortes
are too far removed from their constituents to be guided in their
deliberations or votes by them; and the establishment of so many juntas
of government, each only accountable to the cortes, must be a cause of
internal disorder, if not of civil war, at no distant time.

_Monday, 5th._--A day of heavy tropical rain, which has forced both
parties on shore to house their guns, and to desist for the present from
all farther hostility