I was further much pleased with the Piranga, a noble frigate mounting long 24-pounders on the main deck.  Not to enter into any further details, with regard to the ships, a brief notice must be taken of the men, who, with the exception of the crew of the Maria da Gloria, were of a very questionable description,—­consisting of the worst class of Portuguese, with whom the Brazilian portion of the men had an evident disinclination to mingle.  On inquiry, I ascertained that their pay was only eight milreas per month, whereas in the merchant service, eighteen milreas was the current rate for good seamen,—­whence it naturally followed that the wooden walls of Brazil were to be manned with the refuse of the merchant service.  The worst kind of saving—­false economy—­had evidently established itself in the Brazilian Naval Administration.

The captains complained of the difficulties they had to contend with as regarded the crews, particularly that the marines were so much gentlemen that they considered themselves degraded by cleaning their own berths, and had demanded and obtained attendants to wait on them! whilst they could only be punished for offences by their own officers! or, to use the words of one of the captains, “They were very much their own masters, and seemed inclined to be his!” It was, indeed, evident to me that neither seamen nor marines were in any state of discipline.

Not having as yet had experience of political party in the Empire, it struck me as an anomaly that Portuguese should be employed in such numbers to fight their own countrymen, though I afterwards became but too well acquainted with the cause of a proceeding at the time beyond my comprehension.  In the course of our visit of inspection, the phrase “attacking the Portuguese parliamentary force,” was frequently used by the Emperor, and was no less singular, as implying that the Brazilian Government did not make war against the King or country of Portugal, but merely against the Cortes; the distinction, as regarded the conduct of hostilities, being without a difference.

A curious circumstance occurred after this visit of inspection.  On landing—­hundreds of people of all ages and colours, crowded round to kiss His Majesty’s hands—­paternally extended on both sides to rows of devoted subjects, who, under no other circumstances, could have come in such familiar contact with royalty.  To this ceremony the Emperor submitted with the greatest possible good humour and affability, his equanimity not even being ruined by familiarities such as I had never before seen taken with King or Emperor.

On the 17th, a visit was paid to me by the Minister of Marine, Luiz da Cunha Moreira, relative to the terms of my appointment, he being evidently desirous that my services should be obtained at as cheap a rate as possible, notwithstanding the concurrence of the Prime Minister with the offers which had been made through the Consul-General at Buenos Ayres.  The pay now offered was that of an admiral in the Portuguese service,—­notoriously the worst paid in the world.  On enquiring what this might be, I found it less than half what I had received in Chill!  My pay there being 8000 dollars per annum, with permission from the Supreme Director to appropriate another 4000 from the Government moiety of captures made.