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 circumstances 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 assist 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 arsenal—­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 L.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 L.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 L.2000 he had placed against it the amount advanced, the transaction leaving me indebted to the Legation in the sum of L.25!” Though the Legation could not have anything to do with the assumed 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 assertion.  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