rigate's
maintopmast was sprung, and when putting her about, the main and
maintopsail yards were discovered to be unserviceable. A still worse
disaster was, that the salt provisions shipped at Maranham were reported
bad; mercantile ingenuity having resorted to the device of placing good
meat at the top and bottom of the barrels; whilst the middle, being
composed of unsound provisions, had tainted the whole, thereby rendering
it not only uneatable, but positively dangerous to health.

For the condition of the ship's spars I had depended on others, not
deeming it necessary to take upon myself such investigation; it is
however possible that we might have patched these up, so as to reach Rio
de Janeiro, had not the running rigging been as rotten as the masts,
and we had no spare cordage on board. The state of the provisions,
however, rendered a direct return to Rio de Janeiro out of the question,
the good provisions on board being little more than sufficient for a
week's subsistence of the crew.

On ascertaining these facts, I convened the officers for the purpose of
holding a survey on the state of the ship and provisions, they all
agreeing with me as to the impracticability of attempting a six weeks'
voyage with defective masts and rigging, and only a week's provisions on
board, at the same time signing a survey to that effect, which document
is now in my possession. It was therefore determined to put into some
port for the purpose of refitting; but here another difficulty presented
itself. Portugal was still an enemy's country. Had we made a Spanish
port, the prominent part I had taken in depriving Spain of her colonies
in the Pacific would have ensured me a questionable reception. A French
port too was unsuitable, as France had not acknowledged the independence
of Brazil.

To enter an English harbour was attended with some risk of annoyance to
myself, in consequence of the enactments of the "Foreign Enlistment
Bill," the provisions of which had been specially aimed at my having
taken service in South America though before that Bill was passed, so
that I did not consider myself to come within the meaning of the Act.
Still the point was debateable, and were it raised, might subject me to
considerable personal inconvenience, the more so as being in command of
a foreign ship of war belonging to an unacknowledged state. The
necessity was, however, urgent, and taking all circumstances into
consideration, I resolved, notwit