In the hope of getting a more reliable class of men for the flagship, I
authorised Captain Crosbie to offer from my own purse, eight dollars
per man, in addition to the bounty given by the Government, and by this
means procured some English and North American seamen, who, together
with the men who accompanied me from Chili, sufficed to form a tolerable
nucleus for a future crew; as to the rest--though far short of the
ship's complement--it had never before fallen to my lot to command a
crew so inefficient.

On the 26th of March, the following commission from His Imperial Majesty
was presented to me:--

IMPERADOR,

The valour, intelligence, activity, and other qualities of Lord
Cochrane as an admiral, being well-known by the performance of
various services in which he has been engaged, and seeing how
advantageous it would be for the Empire to avail itself of the
known qualities of an Officer so gifted, I deem it proper to confer
on him a patent as "First Admiral of the National and Imperial
Navy," with an annual salary of eleven contos and five hundred and
twenty milreis, whether at sea or on shore; and further in table
money, when embarked, five contos, seven hundred and twenty
milreis, which is the same pay and table money as he received in
Chili. To which favour, no admiral of the Imperial Navy shall claim
succession, neither to the post of "First Admiral," which I have
thought fit to create solely for this occasion, from the motives
aforesaid, and from particular consideration of the merits of the
said Lord Cochrane. The supreme Military Council will so