apparent. All the southern provinces were eager to declare their
independence. Pernambuco and its dependencies had long manifested a
similar feeling, and the province of Bahia was equally inclined to
freedom although the city was full of Portuguese troops under Madeira,
and receiving constant reinforcements and supplies from Lisbon.
The Cortes seemed resolved on bringing matters to extremities; the
language used in their sessions, with respect to the Prince, was highly
indecent. Such commanders either by sea or land as obeyed him, unless
by force, were declared traitors, and he was ordered home anew within
four months, under pain of submitting to the future disposition of the
Cortes; and they decreed that the whole means of government should be
employed to enforce obedience. The Brazilian members did indeed
remonstrate and protest formally against these proceedings; but they
were over-ruled; and the spectators in the galleries, on one occasion,
went so far as to cry, "Down with the Brazilian!"
In the months of June and July, Madeira began to make sallies into the
country around Bahia, as if it had been possessed by an enemy; and,
indeed, he quickly found one most formidable. The town of Cachoeira,
large and populous, and intimately connected with the hardy inhabitants
of the Certam, soon became the head-quarters of crowds of patriots, who
assembled there, and resolved to expel the Portuguese from their
capital.
They began to form regular troops; but though they were abundantly
supplied with beef and other provisions, they were in want of arms and
ammunition, and sent to Rio de Janeiro to represent their situation to
the Prince, and request assistance. They were also in great distress for
salt to preserve their provisions; and as to accoutrements, raw hides
supplied the place of almost every thing. An apothecary, in Cachoeira,
shortly began to boil sea-water in sugar-coppers, to make salt, and soon
reduced the price of that article, so that the quantity at first sold
for ten pataccas (eighteen shillings) fell to seven vintems (seven
pence). The same apothecary, collecting all the salt-petre in the
neighbourhood, applied himself to making of gunpowder, and a fortunate
discovery of some hundred barrels smuggled into Itaparica by some
English, was of essential use to them. But they had no cannon, no lead
for ball for their muskets and matchlocks; the lead, indeed, and a
quantity of gun-locks, their friends within the city contrived to
smuggle to them; and their guns were supplied in the following manner.
In each engenho, there was an old gun or two for the purpose of
balancing some part of the machinery; these were at once sent to
Cachoeira, where, being cleaned and bushed by an ingenious blacksmith,
they were rendered serviceable; and the patriots ventured to take the
field against Madeira's parties, even before the arrival of any
assistance from Rio.
Meantime, news of these transactions arrived at Rio, as well as notice
of the decrees of the Cortes at Lisbon. The Prince and people no longer
hesitated. His Royal Highness, together with the senate, issued
proclamations on the _3d_ of June, calling together a representative and
legislative assembly, to be composed of members from every province and
town, to meet in the city of Rio; and on the first of August he
published that noble manifesto, by which the independence of Brazil was
openly asserted, the grounds of its claims clearly stated, and the
people exhorted to let no voice but that of honour be heard among them,
and to let the shores, from the Amazons to the Plata, resound with no
cry but that of independence. On the same day, a decree was put forth to
resist the hostilities of Portugal, containing the following
articles:--1st, All troops sent by any country whatever, without leave
obtained from the Prince, shall be accounted enemies: 2d, If they come
in peace, they shall remain on board their ships, and shall not
communicate with the shore; but, having received supplies, shall depart:
3d, That in case of disobedience, they shall be repulsed by force: 4th,
If they force a landing in any weak point, the inhabitants shall retire
to the interior, with all their moveables, and the militia shall make
war as guerillas against the strangers: 5th, That all governors, &c.
shall fortify their ports, &c.: 6th, Reports to be forthwith made of the
state of the ports in Brazil, for that end.
This last decree had been anticipated by the Pernambucans, who had
marched a body of troops to the assistance of the patriots of Cachoeira,
and a most harassing warfare was commenced against the Portuguese in St.
Salvador: these last had received a reinforcement of seven hundred men
on the 8th of August; but they had hardly had time to exult in their
arrival, when a squadron from Rio Janeiro disembarked at Alagoas 5000
guns, six field-pieces, 270,000 cartridges, 2000 pikes, 500 carbines,
500 pistols, 500 cutlasses, and 260 men, chiefly officers, under
Brigadier-general Lebatu[96], who soon joined the patriots, and fixed
his head-quarters at Cachoeira, having stretched a line of troops across
the peninsula on which the town is placed, and thus cut it off from
provisions on that side; but the sea being still open, supplies were
abundant, not only from abroad, but from the opposite island of
Itaparica. That fertile district, however, was soon occupied by the
Brazilians; and Madeira had only his supplies from seaward, unless he
could by force dislodge the Brazilians from their quarters on that
island.
[Note 96: This gentleman was an officer under Napoleon, in the
Spanish war. For some military irregularity, he was dismissed; but
pardoned on condition of living in Cayenne, and procuring information
for the French government. He left that country, however, and settled in
Brazil; where, with the exception of a short time spent in the service
of Bolivar, he had lived quietly and respectably till the present
juncture.]
The cabinet of Rio became sensible that it was necessary to provide a
naval force, if they wished to preserve the kingdom from the farther
attacks of Portugal, or to dislodge the enemy from his strong-hold in
Bahia. Accordingly, the agents of the government in England were
employed to engage officers and men: some were collected on the spot;
others, such as Captain David Jewet, from Buenos Ayres and America, were
instantly employed; and all exertions were made to repair such of the
ships left behind by King John as would bear the repairs.
At length, on the 12th of October, the birth-day of the Prince, the
troops being, as usual, assembled in the great square of Santa Anna, and
a great concourse of people attending, the Prince was suddenly hailed
Emperor of Brazil, and the kingdom changed in style and title, and all
dependence on, or connection with Portugal, for ever abjured.
This event seemed to give new spirit to the war of Bahia: as it
exasperated the Portuguese, so it encouraged the Brazilians, now assured
of independence. Madeira, resolved, if possible, to gain a communication
with Nazareth on one of the rivers of the Reconcave, which is most
fertile, and furnishes abundance of farinha, sent one hundred men of
the Caçadores, under Colonel Russel, to attempt to gain possession of
the Ulha do Medo, which commands the Funil, or passage between the
mainland and Itaparica leading to Nazareth; but their boats grounded,
and they were obliged to wait for the tide, while the Brazilians, who
are excellent marksmen, and were concealed among the bushes ashore,
picked them off at leisure. Another expedition, equally unfortunate, was
sent with a large gun-vessel to Cachoeira, and arrived off the public
square, just as it was filled with people proclaiming the Emperor. The
guns began to play on the mob; but the tide was low, and the shot,
instead of reaching the people, only struck the quays, and did little
damage. The Brazilian soldiers now crowded to the wharfs, and thence
commenced so brisk a fire on the enemy, that the commander of the vessel
retreated hastily without killing a man, though he lost many. In this
action Dona Maria de Jesus distinguished herself; for the spirit of
patriotism had not confined itself to the men.[97]
[Note 97: Of her, see more in the Journal.]
The most considerable expedition sent by Madeira from Bahia was to the
Punto de Itaparica, the possession of which was becoming daily more
important, as the provisions in the town diminished. For this purpose
1500 men were embarked on board the Promtadao, and two other brigs of
war; they were to land half on one side and half on the other of the
little peninsula forming the Punto, on which there is a small fort and
town, which the troops were to attack while the brigs fired on the fort.
The passage from Bahia to this point is usually of six or seven hours at
most, allowing for a contrary wind; but these vessels were two days in
reaching it, by which time the Brazilians had thrown up heaps of sand;
behind which they lay concealed, and deliberately fired on the
Lusitanians as they passed, and committed great slaughter, without the
loss of a man, though they had several wounded. This action, if it may
be called so, took place on the 2d of January, 1823, and lasted from
noon till sunset.
Meantime the land side of the city had been harassed by continual
attacks, and the troops worn out with constant watching; for the
Brazilians were continually riding about in the woods, and beating
marches, and causing their trumpets to sound to charge in the night, and
by the time the enemy could reach the spot they were fled. On the 18th
of November, 1822, however, Madeira made a sortie, and was met by the
Brazilians at Piraja, between two and three leagues from the city, when
a severe action took place, with some loss on both sides, and both
claimed the victory; but as the Lusitanians retired to the town, and the
Brazilians took up new positions close to the city gates, the advantage
must undoubtedly have been on the side of the latter. Meantime the
scarcity of fresh provisions was such, that all the foreign merchants
who had families, and who could by any means remove, did so. All the
country-houses were abandoned, and the people crowded into the town. The
heaviest contributions were levied on all natives and foreigners, and
the misery of a siege was coming upon the city.
Rio de Janeiro presented a very different spectacle. The inhabitants
were decorating their town with triumphal arches for the coronation of
their Emperor, who, on the 1st of December, was solemnly crowned in the
chapel of the palace, which serves as the cathedral; and it is no
exaggeration to say, that the whole of southern Brazil presented one
scene of joy.
The ministers, no less than the monarch, were beloved. The finances
began to assume a flourishing aspect: large subscriptions flowed in from
all quarters for the equipment of a fleet; and an invitation had been
sent to Lord Cochrane to command it. The Emperor had accepted the most
moderate income that ever crowned head was contented withal[98], in
order to spare his people. He visited his dock-yards and arsenals
himself; attended business of every kind; encouraged improvements in
every department, and Brazil had begun to assume a most flourishing
aspect. Such was the state of things when I arrived for the second time
in Brazil, along with Lord Cochrane, on the 13th of March, 1823.
[Note 98: Less than twenty thousand pounds sterling a year.]
[Illustration:]
_March 13th, 1823. On board the Col. Allen, at anchor in Rio de
Janeiro_.--One of the most windy and rainy days that I ever remember
seeing in Brazil; so that the beautiful landscape of the harbour is
entirely lost to the strangers from Chile, and I cannot get ashore
either to provide lodgings for myself and my invalid[99], or to assist
my friends in any way. When the officer of the visiting boat came on
board, the captain of the ship showed him into the cabin, and left him
with me. I found he spoke English, and immediately began to enquire of
him concerning the news of Rio. And first he mentioned the coronation of
the Emperor, and then the war at Bahia; on which I questioned him very
closely, on the ground of having formerly visited the place. It appears
that last night only His Imperial Majesty's ships Unaŏ, (now Piranga,)
Nitherohy, and Liberal, with a fleet of transports, had returned from
Alagoas, where they had landed reinforcements for General Labatu; whose
head-quarters are at Cachoeira, and who is investing the city of Bahia
closely. General Madeira has a strong force of Portuguese soldiers,
besides 2000 seamen which occasionally do duty ashore, and a
considerable naval force.[100] But it appears, that the seamen are on
the point of mutining for want of pay. Having told me so much, the
officer began to question me in my turn,--Did I come from Chile? Did I
know Lord Cochrane? was he coming to Rio? for all eyes were turned
towards him. When he found that His Lordship was actually on board, he
flew to his cabin door, and entreated to kiss his hands; then snatched
his hat, and calling to the captain to do as he would, and anchor where
he pleased without ceremony, jumped over the side to be the first, if
possible, to convey to the Emperor the joyful intelligence. Nearly the
same scene was acted over when Perez, the port-captain, came on board;
and in a few minutes Captain Garçaŏ of the Liberal came to pay his
respects, and shortly afterwards Captain Taylor of the Nitherohy, from
whom we learned something more of the state of His Imperial Majesty's
fleet. The Pedro Primeiro, formerly the Martim Freitas, had been left by
the King in want of thorough repair; this she has had, and came out of
dock yesterday; she is said to sail well. The Caroline is a fine
frigate, but not commissioned, for want of men. The Unaŏ is a very fine
ship, wants copper, and is commanded by Captain Jewitt. The Nitherohy is
a corvette, well found, and in good repair, but a heavy sailer; and the
Maria da Gloria, a fine corvette, is commanded by a French officer,
Captain Beaurepair. The great difficulty the navy here has to dread is
the want of men.[101] Portuguese sailors are worse than none; few
Brazilians are sailors at all, and French, English, and Americans are
very scarce. The Emperor is fond of the navy, and very active in looking
into every department. He is often in the dock-yards by daylight, and
the Empress generally accompanies him.
[Note 99: My cousin Mr. Glennie invalided, from the Doris, having
broken a blood-vessel.]
[Note 100: Don Joam Sesto, 80 guns.--Constituiçam, 56.--Corvette, 10
de Fevreiro, 29.--Active, 22.--Calypso, 22.--Regeneraçaŏ, 22.--A
store-ship, 28.--Brig Audaz, 18.--Promptidaŏ, 16.--Smack Emilia,
8.--Conceiçam, 8.
_Armed Merchant Vessels_.--San Domingo, 20 guns.--Restauraçam, 24.--San
Gualter, 26.--Bisarra, 18.]
[Note 101: The pay of seamen is but scanty. The advertisement of
February for seamen to man the Pedro Primeiro is as follows:--To
able-bodied seamen 8 mil. bounty; 4 mil. 800 rees to ordinary seamen.
Monthly pay, 8 mil. to able-bodied seamen, 6mil. 500 rees to ordinary, 4
mil. 800 rees to others, and 3 mil. to landsmen.--This very day, 13th of
March, the able seamen's monthly pay was raised to 10 mil.; that of
ordinaries to 8 mil.
Shortly afterwards a farther advance was made, and petty officers
received extra pay, which they had not hitherto done. The bounty was
also increased.
The pay in Bellard's foreign regiment, 8 mil. bounty, 80 rees per day,
40 rees stranger money, (both together 6_d_. sterling,) 24 oz. bread, 1
lb. meat, and clothing.]
Their Majesties appear by all accounts to be highly popular. Their
youth, their spirit, the singular situation in which they are placed,
are all interesting. It is seldom that a hereditary prince, ventures to
stand forth in the cause of freedom or independence; and a son of the
house of Braganza, and a daughter of that of Austria, leading the way to
the independence of this great empire, cannot but excite the love as
well as the admiration of their fortunate subjects.
The weather cleared up in the afternoon, and I went ashore to see if I
could find any of my old friends, or hear any news; but all the English
were gone to their country-houses, and the opera, the proper place for
gossip, is shut, because it is Lent; so I returned to the brig, and
found Lord Cochrane ready to go ashore to wait on the Emperor, who had
come in from San Cristovaŏ to meet him at the palace in town. His
Lordship and Captain Crosbie, who went with him, did not return till
late, but then well pleased with their reception.
_March 14th_.--Another day of such heavy rain, that I have no chance of
landing my invalid. Mr. May came on board, and told me I might have Sir
T. Hardy's house for a few days, till I can get one for myself. He also
gives us good accounts of the government, its finances, &c.
An embargo has been laid on all vessels to-day, to prevent the news of
Lord Cochrane's arrival from reaching Bahia.
_15th_.--I went early ashore to prepare for leaving the brig. I observed
two of the arches, under which the Emperor had passed on the day of
coronation, designed in extremely good taste, and well executed. They
are of course only temporary. Some more solid works have been executed,
since I last saw Rio; new fountains opened, aqueducts repaired, all the
forts and other public works visibly improved, and the streets new
paved. There is besides every where an air of business, I carried
Glennie ashore in the afternoon, and was foolish enough to feel very
sorry to leave my fellow-passengers, and still more foolish to be vexed
at the perfect indifference with which they saw me go: both perhaps
natural enough. I, am once more without any one to lean to, and alone in
the world with my melancholy charge; they, have business and pleasure
before them.
It was a fine evening, and the little voyage in the boat to Botafogo
seemed to do Glennie good; but we had the mortification to find that
neither the provisions I had bought in the town had arrived, nor the
servant one of my friends had promised to procure me. So we were alone
and supperless,--but, thank God, not helpless. I have learned so much in
my wanderings as not to be dependent; and so, after a time, I had from
the huckster’s shop in the neighbourhood a tolerable tea to give my
invalid, and sent him to bed in pretty good spirits, and took time
afterwards to be pretty miserable myself.
_March 20th_.--These past days I have employed in looking about for a
house, and have succeeded, in receiving and returning the visits of my
old acquaintance, and in being very unwell.
I hear there is nothing yet settled about Lord Cochrane’s command. The
world says that he was asked to serve under two Portuguese admirals and
for Portuguese pay. Of course, these are terms he could never accept. I
have not seen him, so am not sure about this. I suppose, however, it is
true; or he would not still be living on board that dirty little brig in
which we arrived.
_21st_.--Whatever difficulties were in the way of Lord Cochrane’s
command, they are over. I have a note from him announcing that he hoists
his flag at four o’clock this afternoon, on board the Pedro
Primeiro.[102]
[Note 102: Much was said among the English as well as Brazilians of
His Lordship’s high terms. I have reason to think (not from his
information) that his pay and that of the English officers is only equal
to that of England, rank for rank.]
_22d_.--Captain Bourchier of His Majesty’s ship Beaver kindly lent me
his boat to-day, to convey me with my cousin and my goods to my
cottage on the Gloria hill, close to Mr. May's, and not very far from
the house the government has given as a temporary residence to Lord
Cochrane. It is pleasant to me on many accounts: it is cool, and there
is a shady walk for the sick. It is almost surrounded by the sea, which
breaks against the wall; and not being near any road, we shall be
perfectly quiet here.
[Illustration:]
_Friday, 28th_.--This has been a busy week, both to me and to my
friends, who are hurrying every thing to get to sea as quickly as
possible; as it is of the utmost consequence to free Bahia of the enemy.
_Saturday, 29th_.--His Majesty's ship Tartar, Captain Brown, arrived
to-day from England, bringing no good news of any kind. In the first
place, Lord Cochrane suffers extreme distress on learning that Lady
Cochrane and her infant daughter are on their way to Chile, so that they
will have to perform the rough passage round Cape Horn twice before he
sees them;--and in the next, Captain Brown gives a most formidable
account of a Portuguese fleet bound for Bahia, which he met on this side
of the line. I trust he is mistaken in the last, and I try to comfort
Lord Cochrane as to the first piece of intelligence, by suggestions, of
the probability, if not certainty, that the ship Lady Cochrane will sail
in, must touch in this port; however, his natural anxiety is not to be
overcome.
_Monday, March 31st_.--Yesterday the Pedro Primeiro dropped down the
harbour, as far as Boa Viage, and to-day I went with Lord Cochrane on
board of her. We found that the Emperor and Empress had been on board at
daylight. On some of the Portuguese officers complaining that the
English sailors had been drunk the day before, the Empress said, "Oh,
'tis the custom of the North, where brave men come from. The sailors are
under my protection; I spread my mantle over them." The Pedro Primeiro
is a fine two-decker, without a poop. She has a most beautiful gun-deck;
but I could not see her to advantage, as she was still taking in stores,
and receiving men. Her cabins are beautifully fitted up with handsome
wood and green morocco cushions, &c.; and I am told the Emperor takes
great pride in her. Captain Crosbie commands her; and three lieutenants
who came with us from Chile are appointed to her.
_April 1st_.--I had expected the Admiral to breakfast with me; but, to
my great disappointment, I saw the ship get under weigh, and sail. I
afterwards learned that the Emperor and Empress were on board, and
accompanied him out of the harbour as far as the light-house, so that he
could not leave them. The morning was dull and grey when the Pedro
Primeiro, the Maria da Gloria, the Unaŏ, and the Liberal got under
weigh; but just as the little squadron came abreast of Santa Cruz, and
the fort began to salute, the sun broke from behind a cloud, and a
bright yellow flood of light descended behind the ships to the sea,
where they seemed to swim in a sea of glory; and that was the last sight
I had of my kind friend.
_10th_.--Nothing of any note or variety has taken place during these ten
days. Glennie is gaining ground: I write and read, and attend to him.
The Nitherohy sails to-morrow to join Lord Cochrane off Bahia, with
three mortars on board, two 10, and one 13-inch. I find, with surprise,
that the cartridges are still made up here in canvass, not flannel; and
I fear that the ships are not so well found as I wish them: great part
of the canvass and cordage have been seventeen years in store, and, I
should fear, partly rotten. But all this is nothing to the evil
attending the having Portuguese among the crews. 'Tis not natural they
should fight against their countrymen.
I have had the pleasure of reading Peveril of the Peak within these few
days. 'Tis a sort of historical portrait, like Kenilworth, where the
Duke of Buckingham, he who
"In one revolving moon
Was hero, fiddler, statesman, and buffoon,"
is the principal figure: Charles II. and the rest of the court serve for
the black boy and parrot in costume; while the story of Peveril is
nothing more than the carved-work frieze of the very pleasant apartment
he has been placed in.