he enemy, instead of
bringing them to Rio for adjudication, we could be influenced by no
other motive than zeal for the interests of His Imperial Majesty
and the good of his people; as by so doing, we enabled the
Provisional Government to meet the present exigencies of the
moment, and to quiet the Ceara and Piahuy troops; whilst the
revenue of the province thus remains clear and unanticipated--
being applicable to such purposes as His Imperial Majesty shall
command. All which I trust His Imperial Majesty will take into
his gracious consideration, and be pleased to award such compensation
to the officers and seamen as he, in his princely justice,
shall deem fit.

(Signed) COCHRANE.

For some days no notice was taken of this letter, but on the 24th I
received a visit from the Minister of Marine, bringing what professed to
be a verbal message from His Majesty, that he "would do every thing in
his power for me _personally_." The way in which this intimation was
conveyed led me to infer that these personal favours implied a sacrifice
on my part of the rights of the squadron, by shutting my eyes to the
restoration of the captured Portuguese ships and property to the friends
and adherents of the ministry, for the purpose of conciliating the
Portuguese party. Taking the message, however, literally--I told the
Minister that His Majesty had "already conferred honours upon me quite
equal to my merits--and that the greatest personal favour he could
bestow, was, to urge on the speedy adjudication of the prizes, so that
the officers and seamen might reap the reward decreed by the Emperor's
own authority."

The policy of the Portuguese faction in power, was--now that the
squadron had expelled the fleet and army of the mother country--to
conciliate their countrymen who remained, and thus to create and
maintain an influence which should reduce the Imperial authority to the
smallest possible dimensions. The first object--if I could be brought to
acquiesce--was to restore Portuguese property, captured by Imperial
order, and now the right of the captors--my connivance being supposed to
be procurable by offers of personal enrichment! I scarcely need say that
the offer failed in its purpose.

As the squadron had received no pay during the performance of all its
services, it became my duty to urge attention to the subject, and this
was apparently complied with, the 27th of November being appointed for