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, passing St. Michael’s on the 11th of June.  It had been my intention to sail into the latitude 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 document 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 passed, 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,