flagship's portion being Rs. 607.315 $000, or L.121,463 sterling, in
addition to the captures made by the squadron generally--no less than
one hundred and twenty enemy's ships, with Portuguese registers and
crews, having been taken, the value, at a very moderate computation,
amounting to upwards of 2,000,000 dollars. As officers and men were
anxiously awaiting their prize money, it became my duty to the squadron
to urge its stipulated distribution upon the consideration of the
Government.

His Majesty directed this to be done, but the prize tribunal
appointed--consisting of thirteen members, nine of whom were natives of
Portugal--was directly interested in defeating the claims of the
captors, being inimical to any confiscation of Portuguese vessels and
property taken in the late campaign. Not venturing, as yet, openly to
act in this spirit, they adopted the alternative of doing nothing
towards adjudicating the prizes.

Finding this to be the case, and fearing that the Portuguese tendencies
of the new administration might interfere with the repayment of the sums
temporarily supplied to the Maranham Junta--I addressed the following
letter to the new Minister of Marine, Francisco Villela Barbosa:--

(Secret.) Rio de Janeiro, November 18, 1823.

MOST EXCELLENT SIR,

In my letter, No. 38, I communicated to your
predecessor my intention of aiding the Provisional Junta of
Maranham, in the payment of the auxiliary troops of Ceara and
Piahuy, who being in a naked and destitute condition had become
clamorous for their arrears; and I now beg to state that in prosecution
of such intention, I placed at the disposal of the Junta the
monies taken in the Portuguese treasury, amounting in cash and
good bills to Rs. 62,560 $243, together with outstanding debts
amounting to Rs. 147,316 $656, and I have also left in their
hands the balance which we found in the Portuguese custom-house,
amounting to Rs. 54,167 $877. All these accounts I have the
honour to convey to you for the information of the Imperial
Government.

In addition to these large sums, I left at the disposal of the
Junta much moveable property which belonged to Portuguese
individuals in Europe, desiring the authorities to render an
account of the same for the information of the Imperial Government.

Your Excellency will perceive that in leaving at Maranham these
monies, and other property captured from t