of forwarding the other prizes and property to Rio de Janeiro for
adjudication. I therefore apprised the Minister of Marine, that the only
course circumstances would permit me to pursue--though not perfectly
regular--would be to dispose of them and remit to the Government in
specie the amount realised; as, in case of my departure from Maranham,
they were certain to be improperly appropriated. Accordingly, an offer
was again made to the merchants, to accept two-thirds of their value in
specie, and to submit the amount to the further decision of the Court of
Admiralty, I little anticipating at the time the anti-Imperial
predilections of the members composing the prize tribunal at Rio de
Janeiro.

The amount of the seizures effected by the squadron was very
considerable, comprising upwards of a hundred and twenty vessels, some
of which contained important cargoes. The aggregate amount of
these--together with merchandise found in the Custom-house--Government
and other public property and stores--was several millions of dollars,
and this by His Imperial Majesty's decree of the 11th of December,
1822--promulgated to attract foreign seamen into the Brazilian
service--was, as before mentioned, the property of the captors; the
Imperial Government, by that decree, disclaiming all share in it,--a
stipulation afterwards remorselessly violated.

On the 25th of August, the province of Turi Assu sent in its adhesion to
the Empire, this favourable circumstance being however counteracted by
the arrival of deputies from the troops of Cearà and Piahuy, reporting
their revolutionary tendency, and demanding payment for their previous
service; the Piahuy troops--consisting for the most part of Indians
recruited in the interior--even threatened to march upon Maranham and
enforce their demand, although they had rendered no assistance. The