Having failed in inducing the Administration to withdraw the _portaria_
issued with a view to nullify the commissions conferred upon me by His
Imperial Majesty,--I waited upon the Emperor to beg his interference in
a matter no less derogatory to his authority, than unjust to myself. His
Majesty regretted the circumstance, but having alluded to the
difficulties in which he was placed with regard to the Administration,
begged me to rely on him for justice, assuring me that he would take
care that nothing was done which should practically alter my original
compact.

His Majesty was exceedingly anxious that the expedition to Pernambuco
should not be delayed, but I could only represent to him that nothing
whatever had been done to satisfy the seamen, who, in consequence,
would not re-enter--that several of the best officers were either in
prison on frivolous accusations, or under arrest--that the necessary
repairs to the ships were not completed--that no steps had been taken to
provide for their equipment--and that, in fact, the greater was His
Majesty's anxiety to put down the revolution, the more obstructive were
the obstacles interposed by the Ministry to the accomplishment of his
wishes.

The Ministers now resorted to a clumsy system in order to lower me in
popular estimation, by imposing, for my guidance in naval matters,
stringent orders about trifles which were absurd or impracticable,
non-observance of these being followed by _printed reprimands_ such as
were never before addressed to a Commander-in-Chief, whilst my
refutations and remonstrances against such treatment were refused
publication. This course was succeeded by another still more unworthy,
the ministers so far forgetting the dignity of their position, as to
write or cause to be written against me a series of scurrilous articles
in the newspapers under the feigned signature of "Curioso," these
containing matters which could only have come from the Minister of
Marine's office; but as I was able to reply to _anonymous_ attacks
through the same channel, I took care that the refutation signally
recoiled on the writers, who, finding the course pursued more
detrimental to their objects than to mine, relinquished this mode of
attack. Pamphlets of an atrocious description were then resorted to, the
more noticeable of which, was one purporting to emanate from Chili, and
representing that not only had I effected nothing for that country or
Peru, but that my very