but that, _at present,
being in full possession of my office and authority_, my opinion was in
no way changed, that the _Piranga_ should be first fully equipped, and
then wait for a reasonable time for the decision of those important
matters in discussion."

Finding that Lieutenant Shepherd would not fly in the face of my
authority, the Envoy finally resorted to the extraordinary measure of
stopping the seamen's wages and provisions. On the 6th of October,
Lieutenant Shepherd wrote to me, that "in consequence of their wages not
being paid they had all left off work, and though Clarence did all he
could to pacify them, and get them to return to their duty, they had
determined not to go to work until they were paid." On the 8th,
Lieutenant Shepherd again wrote, "that Gameiro having ceased to supply
the frigate with fresh provisions, he had, on his own responsibility,
ordered the butcher to continue supplying them as usual." On Lieutenant
Shepherd waiting upon the Envoy to remonstrate against this system of
starvation, he replied--and his words are extracted from Lieutenant
Shepherd's letter to me, that as "His Lordship did not think proper to
sail at the time he wished, he would not be responsible for supplying
the frigate with anything more--nor would he advance another shilling."
In all this, Gameiro--acting, no doubt, on instructions from the
Portuguese faction at Rio--resorted to every kind of falsehood to get
the officers to renounce my authority and to accept his! Of the
character of the man and his petty expedients, the following extract
from Lieutenant Shepherd's letter of the 8th of October, will form the
best exponent:--

I have had another visit from General Brown, when he began a
conversation by mentioning the evils which would arise from the
feeling between your Lordship and Gameiro, who was at a loss how to
act, as he had no authority over you--Gen. Brown suggesting how much
better it would be for me to place myself under Gameiro's orders.
Finding that I refused--on the following morning he called again, and
told me that he had seen Gameiro, and had heard that the
misunderstanding between your Lordship and him was at an end, but
that Gameiro wanted to see me. On this I waited on Gameiro, who after
some conversation told me that if I had any regard for His Imperial
Majesty's service, I should never have acted as I had done. I told
him that all I had done had been for the