Without, however, giving me time to do this, I received another letter from the same authority, dated Dec. 30, containing my formal dismission from the service—­this shewing that Gameiro had previous instructions to act in the way narrated in the last chapter.

The following is the official letter dismissing me from the command of the Navy, and from the post of First Admiral:—­

His Majesty the Emperor, informed of that which your Excellency has set forth in your letter No. 300, dated the 5th of November last, has been pleased to determine that your Excellency shall fulfil the orders already several times transmitted to you, and further in compliance with the order of the 20th inst., a copy of which I inclose, you are to return to this Court, where it is necessary you shall give an account of the Commission with which you were entrusted.  His Majesty is much surprised that, after having taken the frigate Piranga to a foreign port, and having there remained in despite of the Baron Itabayana, you should have adopted the extraordinary resolution, not only to abandon that frigate, but also to retire from the service of the Emperor, without having returned to give an account of your proceedings previous to your dismissal from the command of the naval forces, and from the post of First Admiral of the National and Imperial Armada.  All which I communicate for the information and execution of your Excellency.

   God preserve your Excellency.

   Palace of Rio de Janeiro, Dec. 30th, 1825.

   (Signed) VISCONDE DE PARANAGUA.

   To the Marquis of Maranhao.

From this extraordinary document it is plain that Gameiro had written to the Imperial Government the same falsehood, as he had used when endeavouring to seduce Lieut.  Shepherd from his duty to me as his Commander-in-Chief; viz. that I had voluntarily retired from the service, because the Admiralty Court having condemned me in L.60,000 damages, I durst not return to Rio de Janeiro! though I announced to him my readiness to sail in the frigate.  The Jesuitical nature of the preceding letter amply proves its object and motive.  It does not dismiss me—­but it calls on me to come and be dismissed! carefully addressing me, however, as “Marquis of Maranhao,” and not as First Admiral, thereby intimating that I was already dismissed!  As there can be no mistake about the meaning of the document, it is not worth while to discuss it—­the reason why it is adduced being to shew that I was not only dismissed by the Envoy Gameiro, but in a little more than a month afterwards by the Imperial Government itself; which for thirty years reiterated in reply to my often pressed claims—­that I dismissed myself by abandoning the service of my own accord!