Narrative of Services in the Liberation of Chili, Peru and Brazil Volume II Part 21

I am, with great respect,

Your Excellency's devoted friend,

and obedient servant,

COCHRANE AND MARANHA.

On the 16th of March, the Junta--finding that I would not listen to any farther evasion--paid 30 contos (.6000) in bills, and 3 contos (.600) in silver, as the first instalment of the 106,000 dollars (.21,200) for which the restoration of 425,000 dollars (.85,000) had been commuted.

The disburs.e.m.e.nt of this sum amongst the officers and men ent.i.tled to it, is fully narrated in the concluding chapter, containing a full statement of the disburs.e.m.e.nt of this and other monies charged against me, which statement is accompanied by vouchers fortunately retained in my possession, these placing the proper disburs.e.m.e.nt of the money amongst its rightful owners beyond doubt or question.

CHAPTER XII.

I QUIT MARANHAM FOR A CRUISE--BAD STATE OF THE FRIGATE--CONNIVANCE AT ILLICIT TRADE--WE ARE COMPELLED TO PROCEED TO ENGLAND--THE FRIGATE REPORTED TO THE BRAZILIAN ENVOY--WHO CHEATS ME OF .2,000--HIS a.s.sUMPTION THAT I HAD ABANDONED THE SERVICE--MY CONTRADICTION THEREOF--ORDER TO RETURN TO RIO--REASONS FOR NOT DOING SO--BRAZILIAN ENVOY TAMPERS WITH MY OFFICER--WHO ACQUAINTS ME THEREWITH--ENVOY STOPS PAY AND PROVISIONS--DECLARES THAT THE BRAZILIAN GOVERNMENT WILL GIVE ME NOTHING!--CAPTAIN SHEPHERD'S REPLY--I PREPARE TO RETURN TO RIO--THE ENVOY DISMISSES ME FROM THE SERVICE--WITHOUT REASON a.s.sIGNED--HE DECLARES THAT I VOLUNTARILY ABANDONED THE SERVICE--RECEIPTS FOE ACCOUNTS TRANSMITTED TO BRAZIL--THESE DENIED TO HAVE BEEN SENT.

The anxiety occasioned by the constant hara.s.sing which I had undergone--unalleviated by any acknowledgment on the part of the Imperial government of the services which had a second time saved the Empire from intestine war, anarchy and revolution--began to make serious inroads on my health; whilst that of the officers and men, in consequence of the great heat and pestilential exhalations of the climate, and of the double duty which they had to perform, afloat and ash.o.r.e, was even less satisfactory. As I saw no advantage in longer contending with factious intrigues at Maranham--unsupported and neglected as I was by the administration at Rio de Janeiro, and as I knew that my immediate return to the Capital would instantly be followed by resident contention, I resolved upon a short run into a more bracing Northerly atmosphere, which would answer the double purpose of restoring our health, and of giving us a clear offing for our subsequent voyage to Rio de Janeiro.

Accordingly--after paying both to officers and crews their share of the prize money refunded by the Junta of Maranham (see concluding Chapter), I shifted my flag into the _Piranga_, despatched the _Pedro Primiero_ to Rio, and leaving Captain Manson, of the _Cacique_, in charge of the naval department at Maranham, put to sea on the 18th of May.

On the 21st we crossed the Equator, and meeting with a succession of Easterly winds, were carried to the Northward of the Azores, pa.s.sing St.

Michael's on the 11th of June. It had been my intention to sail into the lat.i.tude of the Azores, and then to return to Rio de Janeiro; but strong gales coming on we made the unpleasant discovery that the frigate'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 doc.u.ment 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 pa.s.sed, 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 circ.u.mstances into consideration, I resolved, notwithstanding the Foreign Enlistment Bill, to stretch on to Portsmouth, and there procure provisions, anchors, cables, and stores, indispensable for the use of a ship of war; the frigate being so dest.i.tute of all these, that, had I been fully aware of her condition before quitting Maranham, I should have hesitated to put to sea.

In pa.s.sing the Azores, we overtook the brig _Aurora_, which left Maranham ten days before the _Piranga_, cleared out for Gibraltar under Brazilian colours. She was now steering direct for Lisbon under a Portuguese ensign, in company with a Portuguese schooner; this circ.u.mstance clearly shewing the kind of intercourse carried on between Brazil and the mother country by connivance of the authorities. Though both vessels were within my grasp I did not molest them, in consequence of having received private information of a decree pa.s.sed by the supreme military council at Rio de Janeiro on the 26th of October, from the tenor of which decree, had I made further captures from the enemy, I should have incurred additional penalties, as acting contrary to the obvious intentions of a majority of the council, though their views had not been officially communicated to me.

I had, however, stronger reasons for not molesting these vessels.

Knowing that both were bound for Lisbon, I felt certain that they would carry the news of our approaching the sh.o.r.es of Portugal with a view to mischief--and that a knowledge of the proximity of a Brazilian ship of war, with the further consideration of the injury she might do to the trade of that nation in case of rupture of the pending negociations, could not fail to inspire a desire for peace on the minds of the mercantile portion of the population, who had hitherto been chiefly instrumental in delaying the paternal intentions of His Portuguese Majesty with regard to the independence of Brazil as now firmly established under the government of his descendant and heir apparent.

The effect antic.i.p.ated was, in reality, produced by their report, so that we contributed in no small degree to hasten the peace which was shortly afterwards established.

Another motive for not molesting these vessels was, that being compelled, for the reasons before stated, to resort to an English port, at a time when I knew the British Government to be carrying on negociations for peace between Portugal and Brazil, I felt it better to abstain from hostilities against Portuguese vessels or property--considering that a contrary course might impede the reconciliation which was desirable both for the interests of His Imperial Majesty and his royal father; a result scarcely less advantageous to England on account of her rapidly extending commerce in Brazil.

We sighted the English coast on the 25th of June, and on the following day came to anchor at Spithead, our available provisions being entirely expended. My first step was to inquire of the authorities at Portsmouth, whether, in case of the _Piranha's_ saluting, the compliment would be returned with the same number of guns? The inquiry being answered in the affirmative, the salute was fired, and replied to; thus, for the first time, was the flag of His Imperial Majesty saluted by an European state, and the independence of Brazil virtually acknowledged.

My next step was to report the arrival of the _Piranga_ at Portsmouth, to the Chevalier Manoel Rodriguez Gameiro Pessoa, the Brazilian Envoy in London; at the same time informing his Excellency of the circ.u.mstances which had unavoidably led to our appearance in British waters, and requesting him to forward the means of paying the men's wages. This requisition was complied with, to the extent of two months' pay to the men.

As it was contrary to the law or usage of England to a.s.sist in the equipment of ships of war belonging to foreign belligerent states, the articles required for the re-equipment of the frigate could not be furnished from the Royal a.r.s.enal--the duty of providing these, therefore, devolved upon the Brazilian Envoy, who soon afterwards represented that he was without means for the purpose, thus impeding the equipment of the frigate. The men being also without fresh provisions or the means to procure them, were beginning to desert, I advanced .2000, in order to keep them together, giving the Chevalier Gameiro an order for this amount on my bankers, Messrs. Coutts, and taking his receipt for the amount, for which I drew a bill upon the Imperial Government at Rio de Janeiro, which was _protested, and has not been paid to this day!_

On the 4th of August, I was surprised at receiving from the Envoy a letter charging _me personally_ with the amount he had advanced to the _Piranga_, and also with .295, an alleged error of account in payments made at Maranham; his Excellency concluding with the extraordinary declaration, that--"having received from my bankers, Messrs. Coutts and Co. the sum of .2000 he had placed against it the amount advanced, the transaction leaving me indebted to the Legation in the sum of .25!"

Though the Legation could not have anything to do with the a.s.sumed error arising from transactions at Maranham.

On the 21st of August, I received a letter from the Brazilian Envoy to the effect that he had perceived in the newspapers a report that I had accepted from the Government of Greece the command of its navy--and wished to know if there was any truth in the a.s.sertion. To this inquiry I replied that so long as I continued in the Brazilian service I could not accept any other command; that the Greek command had been offered to me whilst in Brazil, in the same manner as the Brazilian command had been offered to me whilst in the service of Chili; and that, soon after my return to Portsmouth, the Greek committee, zealous in the cause which they had adopted, had renewed their offers, under the impression that my work in Brazil was now completed. At the same time, I a.s.sured the Envoy that as, in the case of Chili, I did not accept the Brazilian command till my work was done, neither should I accept a Greek commission till my relations with Brazil were honourably concluded, but that nevertheless the offer made to me on behalf of Greece was not rejected.

This reply was construed by the Chevalier Gameiro into an admission that _I had_ accepted the Greek command, and he addressed to me another letter, expressive of his regret that I should have "come to the resolution to retire from the service of His Imperial Majesty the Emperor of Brazil, in the great work of whose independence I had taken so glorious a part, (a grande obra da independencia, V. E'a teve tao gloriosa parte) regretting the more especially that his august Sovereign should be deprived of my important services (prestantes servicios) just at a moment when new difficulties required their prompt application,"

&c. &c.

These expressions were probably sincere, for, since my departure from Maranham, serious difficulties had arisen in the river Plate, which afterwards ended with little credit to the Brazilian cause. But _I had not accepted the Greek command_, and had no intention of so doing otherwise than consistently with my engagements with Brazil. On the 6th of September, I therefore addressed to the Envoy the following letter:--

Edinburgh, 6th Sept. 1825.

MOST EXCELLENT SIR,

I regret that your translator should have so far 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 a.s.suredly before the complement can be procured.

I have the honour, &c.

COCHRANE AND MARANHA.

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 doc.u.ments 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 doc.u.ments, 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 played, as I had every reason to believe it would be--and as it afterwards in reality was.

On the 27th of September, the Brazilian Envoy forwarded to me an order from the Imperial Government at Rio, dated June 27th, and addressed to me at Maranham; the order directing me to proceed from that port to Rio immediately on its receipt, to give an account of my proceedings there--though despatches relating even to minute particulars of every transaction had, as the reader is well aware, been sent by every opportunity. His Majesty, when issuing the order, was ignorant that I had quitted Maranham, still more that on the day the order was issued at Rio de Janeiro, I had anch.o.r.ed at Spithead, so that obedience to His Majesty's commands was impossible.

Acting on this order, the Chevalier Gameiro took upon himself to "require, in the name of the Emperor, the immediate return of the _Piranga_, so soon as her repairs were completed, and her complement of men filled up." As I knew that the order in question would not have been promulgated by the Emperor, had he known the effect produced by the presence of the _Piranga_ in the vicinity of Portugal; and as, in everything I had accomplished in Brazil, His Majesty had placed the fullest confidence in my discretion, I felt certain that he would be equally well satisfied with whatever course I might deem it necessary to pursue, I did not therefore think it expedient to comply with the requisition of the Envoy, a.s.signing the following reasons for using my own judgment in the matter:--

Edinburgh, Oct. 1, 1825.

MOST EXCELLENT SIR,

I have this day been favoured with your letter containing a copy of a _portaria_ dated June 27th, wherein His Imperial Majesty, through his Minister of Marine, directs my immediate return from Maranham to Rio de Janeiro, leaving only the small vessels there; which order you will observe I had antic.i.p.ated on the 20th of May, when I left the Imperial brig-of-war _Cacique_ and the schooner _Maria_ in that port. Since then, His Excellency the Minister of Marine is in possession of duplicates of my correspondence mentioning the arrangements I had so made in antic.i.p.ation of the Imperial order; and of my official communications--also in duplicate--transmitted on my arrival at Portsmouth, by your Excellency's favour, with your despatches.

These will have acquainted His Imperial Majesty with the cause and necessity of our arrival at Spithead--as well as with my intention there to wait a reasonable time before the departure of the _Piranga,_ in order to learn the result of the negociations with Portugal.

I have only to add that, by some inadvertence, your Excellency's secretary has sent me the copy instead of the original order addressed to me by order of His Imperial Majesty, which mistake may be remedied on my return to town.

I am gratified to learn that there is less difficulty in procuring men than I had antic.i.p.ated under the regulations respecting foreign seamen.

I have the honour, &c.

COCHRANE AND MARANHA.

The Chevalier GAMEIRO.

Shortly previous to this, the Chevalier Gameiro addressed a letter to Lieutenant Shepherd, under the t.i.tle of "Commander of the _Piranga_!"