Meanwhile your Excellency—­being no less a politician than a warrior, and enjoying to the utmost the confidence of His Imperial Majesty—­is fully empowered to adopt whatever means your judgment may suggest to facilitate the important objects of your commission.  On this subject, I also refer to the Imperial authority and other documents addressed to you in reply to your communications.

   I beg to add my personal thanks for the interesting communications
   with which you have favoured me, of which I shall avail
   myself in order to accomplish the objects desired to be effected.

   Be assured of the particular esteem and high consideration
   with which I am,

   De V. Exa. 
   Attento venerador e criado,
   JOZE BONIFACIO DE ANDRADA E SILVA.

The Junta continuing its unreasonable demand, the moveable property captured was embarked on board the Pombinho, and another vessel—­both prizes—­for the purpose of being sent to Rio de Janeiro for adjudication.  I then directed the Provisional Government to furnish me with an account of all money found in the treasury, customs, military chest, and other departments; also of all military stores in the various forts and magazines and of government property of every description, such property having been wholly awarded to the captors by Imperial decree of the 11th of December, 1822, issued to induce foreign seamen to enter the service.

On the 20th of August the Portuguese troops were ordered to depart for Lisbon—­Maranham being thus entirely freed from the presence of the armaments upon which the mother country had relied for the maintenance of her Northern provinces; this result, wholly unexpected by the Imperial Government or the nation, having been accomplished within the space of a few months, by measures adopted on my own responsibility.

Still numerous vessels and much perishable property taken from the enemy, remained on hand—­with which it was difficult to deal.  From having manned the captured brig-of-war, Don Miguel—­as well as the prize vessel, Pombinho, from the crew of the flagship, it was not expedient further to reduce her efficiency; so that there were no means 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.