with the like felicity and success, and that your Imperial Majesty
being so well served, nothing more may be necessary to immortalise
that admirable commander, not only in the annals of Brazil, but in
those of the whole world.

A large amount of government and public property in the several
departments was seized, in conformity with the Imperial proclamation,
and an addition made to the Brazilian navy of a brig-of-war, the _Don
Miguel_, a schooner, and eight gunboats--besides merchant vessels, some
of which were appropriated to the conveyance of the late garrison to
Lisbon, under engagement to restore their value--a stipulation which was
never fulfilled.

Everything being thus satisfactorily settled, my next step was to inform
the Minister of Marine at Rio de Janeiro of the extraordinary means by
which possession of the city and province of Maranham had been obtained;
the subjoined letters were accordingly despatched.

(Secret.) _Pedro Primiero_, August 8, 1823.

MOST ILLUSTRIOUS SIR,

Your Excellency will perceive by the official
documents accompanying this, that in order to effect the objects I
had in view at Maranham, I judged it expedient to create a belief
amongst the people and garrison, that a large force was at my
disposal, and therefore I used expressions in my public correspondence
that were not borne out by the actual circumstances
under which I summoned that city, as I had--in fact--no other force
than this ship alone, which from the nature of the anchorage could