Portuguese naval movements in 1807

In my note “The Portuguese fleet according to a British witness in September 1806” on this weblog, I wrote about the British fears for the faith of the Portuguese navy, afraid she would become part of the French imperial navy. So all movements of Portuguese warships were closely observed and immediately reported to the British Admiralty.

1 December 1807 the commanding officer of the Hibernia off the Tagus W. Sidney Smith reported to the Admiralty the departure of the Portuguese royal family towards Brazil in the morning of 29 November with a considerable naval force. The warships conveyed a amount of large armed merchant ships. The naval force consisted of the: Principe Real (84 guns), Rainha de Portugal (74), Conde Henrique (74), Meduza (74), Affonso d’Alberquerque (64), D. Joao de Castro (74), Principe de Brazil (74), and the new Martino de Freitas (64), frigates Minerva (44), Golfinho (36), Urania (32), one of which the name is still unknown, brigs Vondor (22), Vinganen (20, Lebre (22) and the schooner Curioza (12).

Sidney Smith wrote the same day a second letter to the Admiralty. Apparently the visited the leaving ship of the line Principe Real, where he received of the Portuguese warships which were left behind at Lisbon. Those were “S. Sebastiao (64 guns), unserviceable without undergoing large repairs and yet not more than a hulk, the Maria Prima (74), unserviceable, yet not more than a hulk, it was decided to rebuilt her as a floating battery but nothing was done to accomplish this, the Princesa (64), condemned, yet not more than a hulk, it was decided to rebuilt her as a floating battery but nothing was done to accomplish this and finally the Vasco da Gama (74), her repairs were nearly finished so they were to forced to left her behind, her guns were used for the Martino de Freitas and another departing ship. Also the frame of the Principe Regente was left behind, still on stocks. Five frigates stayed behind, the Fenix (48), Perola (44) and Amazone (44) all, needing large repairs and the Tritao (40) and Veney (30, both past repairs.

Source

The Naval Chronicle vol XVIII, p. 507- 509. Digitalized version