e accompanied the _Piranga_ as a
passenger, or rather _quasi_ prisoner; and to this, in either capacity,
it was impossible, without degradation, to submit. I had no inclination
to place myself at the mercy of men who had taken advantage of a
spurious decree to dismiss me--now that--in spite of their
opposition--the destiny of the Empire had been irrevocably decided by
my having counteracted their _anti-national_ views whilst carrying out
the intentions of His Imperial Majesty.

As will presently be seen, it was falsely represented by Gameiro, to the
Imperial Government, that I had _voluntarily abandoned the service!_
though, from the letter just quoted--ordering the officers to "disengage
themselves from all subordination to me," this subterfuge of my having
_dismissed myself_ is obviously false. I will not, therefore, trespass
on the patience of the reader by dilating upon the subject; suffice it
to say that, not choosing to return to Rio de Janeiro as a passenger, I
had no dignified alternative but to give up the frigate to the command
of the senior officer, Captain Shepherd; confiding to him all accounts
of monies distributed for the Imperial service, with the vouchers for
the same--taking the precaution to send however the duplicate receipts
given by the officers on account of the monies paid by the Junta of
Maranham--and retaining the originals in my possession, where they now
remain, and will be adduced in the statement of account forming the
concluding chapter of this volume.

For these accounts--which the Brazilian ministers _deny ever to have
received_--Captain Shepherd gave me, under his own signature, the
following acknowledgment--now in my possession; a photograph of which,
together with photographs of other important documents has long since
been sent to the Brazilian Government:--

Received from Lord Cochrane, Marquess of Maranhao, the key of the
iron chest, in which the prize lists and receipts for the
disbursement of public monies have been kept during His Excellency's
command; which key and chest I engage faithfully to deliver to the
accountant-general of His Imperial Majesty's navy, or to the proper
authority at Rio de Janeiro, taking his receipt for the same.

On board H.I.M.'s ship _Piranga_, November 12th, 1825,

JA's SHEPHERD.

The denial by the Brazilian Administration--of the accounts and receipts
thus acknowledged by Captain Shepherd, and the absence of any