mistaken the words and meaning of my last letter as to lead your
Excellency to a conclusion that I had taken the resolution to leave
the service of H.I.M. the Emperor of Brazil, or, in other words,
that it was I who had violated the engagements entered into with
the late ministers of His Imperial Majesty in 1823. Whereas, on
the contrary, the _portaria_ published in the Rio Gazette on the 28th
of February, 1824, was promulgated without my knowledge or
sanction, and the limitation of my authority to _the existing war_ was
persevered in by the present ministers, notwithstanding my remonstrance
in writing, both to the Minister of Marine and the Minister
of the Interior.

Your Excellency ought not therefore to be surprised, if--threatened
as I am with this _portaria_--I should provide beforehand
against a contingency which might _hereafter_ arise from an occasion
happily so nigh, as seems to be the restoration of peace and amity
between His Imperial Majesty and his royal father.

With regard to any communications of a pressing nature relative
to the equipment of the _Piranga_, your Excellency may consider
Captain Shepherd authorised to act, in my absence, in all ordinary
cases. And that officer, having instructions to acquaint me whenever
the _Piranga_ shall have two-thirds of her complement of men on
board--I can at any time be in London within two days of the
receipt of such communication, and most assuredly before the
complement can be procured.

I have the honour, &c.

COCHRANE AND MARANHAO.

To Chevalier MANOEL RODRIGUEZ GAMBIRO PESSOA.

Notwithstanding that my engagements with Brazil rested on the original
patents conferred upon me by His Majesty, of which the validity had been
further established by the additional documents given before my
departure for Pernambuco--the latter completely setting aside the
spurious _portaria_ of Barbosa, limiting my services to the duration of
the war--I nevertheless felt confident that, when my services were no
longer required, no scruples as to honourable engagements would prevent
the ministry from acting on the spurious documents, though promulgated
without my knowledge or consent, against every principle of the
conditions upon which I entered the Brazilian service. No blame could
therefore attach to me, for not rejecting the offer of the Greek
command, in case a trick of this kind should be pla