nding the neglect of the administration to supply the squadron
with necessaries, and myself with instructions, in a position foreign to
my duties as naval Commander-in-Chief, and which I had only accepted at
the earnest wish of His Imperial Majesty--I carefully kept the
Government advised of all that took place. The same ship which conveyed
the ex-president to Rio de Janeiro, carried also the following despatch
to the Minister of Marine:--

Maranham, December 31st, 1824.

MOST EXCELLENT SIR,

I have to acquaint your Excellency that a belief
that the squadron was about to withdraw and leave the abandoned
and disorderly military of this place under the feeble control of his
Excellency the President, excited a degree of dread in the public
mind amounting almost to a state of frenzy--and convinced me
that I had no alternative, but either to abandon the principal
inhabitants, and, indeed, the whole white population, to the fury of
mercenary troops and blacks--or to remain with the squadron until
another President should be nominated by His Imperial Majesty.

This last measure, however, upon mature consideration, appeared
to be wholly incompatible with the interests of His Imperial
Majesty, not only on account of the violent animosities subsisting
between President and people, which, notwithstanding the utmost
vigilance on my part, daily disturbed the public tranquillity--but
because the presence on shore of nearly the whole of the
seamen in the ships of war is requisite to counterbalance the
influence and power which the President has obtained over the
soldiery and irregular bands, by the impunity with which he has
suffered them to act, and by rewards bestowed on persons in the
ranks, or of the lowest orders of society. The continued absence of
seamen from the ships would, it is evident, endanger the safety of
the latter; besides which, the season is now approaching when diseases
incident to the climate become prevalent, and would not fail
considerably to thin the small force at my disposal.

The necessity of adopting some decided measure became every day more
urgent. Representations continued to pour in from all quarters
against the conduct of the President. The Consul of His Britannic
Majesty, moreover, having heard that the squadron is about to depart,
has written me a letter, of which I enclose to your Excellency a
copy.