arture from Rio de Janeiro, in the preceding
August!

Notwithstanding this marked neglect, I took care to keep the
administration well advised of all my proceedings, and the causes
thereof, the following being extracts from my letters to the Minister of
Marine, respecting the events just narrated:--

No. 290.

Maranham, March 16th, 1825.

I beg to acquaint your Excellency, for the satisfaction of the
Imperial government, that I have caused the provinces which required
military assistance, to furnish pay and provisions for the ships
immediately under my command; and further, that I have required the
government of Maranham to pay, as a recompence to the officers and
seamen, _one-fourth part_ of the amount of money and bills, and
_one-fifth part_ of the value of the military stores surrendered by
the Portuguese authorities on the 28th of July, 1823. Thus the
Imperial government at Rio de Janeiro will be relieved from
considerable disbursement, and the officers and
seamen--notwithstanding the great additional trouble to which they
have been put--will be satisfied, so far as regards their claim to
the value of their captures in compensation for their services at
Maranham.

I cannot refrain from drawing the attention of the Imperial
government to the abuses which exist in every department of the
provincial government, where, notwithstanding the great revenue
derived from various sources, the Junta of Fazenda possess so little
credit, that their bills have actually been sold at 30 per cent.
discount, and I am credibly informed that no money can, at any time,
be received from the treasury without a heavy per centage being given
to the inferior officers; but how such per centages are afterwards
disposed of, is to me unknown.

The price at which provisions were being purchased by the
Intendente for the use of the squadron being exorbitant, I instituted
a minute inquiry, the result of which was the discovery of
a fraudulent system which I abolished by purchasing our own
provisions. American salt beef, for which the Provincial Government
charged 25 milreis the barrel, I have purchased for 12 milreis--pork
charged 32 milreis, I buy for 15-1/2 milreis. Bread is charged
10 milreis the quintal, whilst the English sloop-of-war _Jaseur_ is
purchasing it at 5 milreis, for bills on England. Indeed, the abuses
here of all kinds