Some notes dealing with the navy of Brazil in 1823-1836

I used for this notes several digitalized books, but there still are more questions than answers. So there is still a lot of research to be done.

Niles’ Register (4 November 1826) mentioned that a 'beautiful and powerful ship, of 64 guns, built at Baltimore by that excellent mechanic, mr. Beecham, completely fitted out and equipped' departed for Brazil on behalf of the Imperial Brazilian navy. "This one of the most valuable vessels of her class-faithfully built, and of the very best materials-and is honorable to the naval architect of our city". Considered the information found at Henrick Marques Caminha, this is presumably the frigate Principe Imperial, armed with 62 guns, built in the United States and called Baltimore.

Beaumont (1828) slightly altered and republished a list, which appeared in April 1827 in the Mensagero. This list gives a Brazilian fleet consisting of 58 vessels and armed with 1127 guns.

Ship of the line

Pedro I, 74 guns [Vale: the former Portuguese Martim de Freitas, built at Bahia 1763 and refitted at Rio 1822, 1823 fitted out with 80 guns]; [Rodrigues Pereira: launched by António da Silva at Baia 29 January 1763 as Santo António e São José, also known as Santo António a Pérola da América, 1805 renamed Martim de Freitas, dimensions 53,33 x 13,38 x 11,25]

Frigate Maria Isabel, 64 guns

Frigate anonymous, new ship arriving from the United States, 64 guns

Frigate anonymous, new ship arriving from the United States, 64 guns

Frigate Piranga, 62 guns, present in the River Plate; [Vale: the former Portuguese União, built at Bahia 1817]

Frigate Emperatriz, 54 guns, present in the River Plate

Frigate Nitcheroy, 42 guns, present in the River Plate; [Vale: the former Portuguese Successo, built at Lisbon 1818]

Frigate Parnaguá, 40 guns

Frigate Paragnassu, 38 guns

Frigate Armonía, 36 guns

Frigate Tétis, 36 guns

Corvette Maria da Gloria, 36 guns; [Vale: built in the United States in 1819, former Chilean Horatio, 26 guns].

Corvette Liberal, 22 guns, present in the River Plate; [Vale: 1823 20 guns, former Portuguese, built at Lisbon 1791 as Gaivota]

Corvette Masaió, 22 guns

Corvette Carioca, 22 guns, present in the River Plate

Brig Bahia, 20 guns

Brig Guaraní, 20 guns; [Vale: called Guarany, the in February 1823 purchased former British Nightingale, with 14 guns]

Brig Maranhao, 20 guns

Brig Independencia del Nort, 20 guns

Brig Janeiro, 18 guns [Caminha: the brig-escuna Januária, 14 guns, built at Para 1825, lastmentioned 1845]

Brig Cacique, 18 guns; [Vale: the former Portuguese Reino Unido].

Brig Pirajá, 18 guns, present in the River Plate

Brig Caboclo, 18 guns, present in the River Plate; [Vale: purchased January 1823, ex-Maipú]

Brig 29 de Agosto, 18 guns [Caminha: the Vinte e Nove de Agosto, brig, 16 guns, ex bergantim Serqueira, in 1825 purchased at Bahia]

Brig Independencia 6 Muerte, 18 guns, present in the River Plate

Brig Irusuba ?, 18 guns

Brig Real Juan, 16 guns, present in the River Plate

Brig Voper, 16 guns

Brig Rio de Prata, 14 guns, present in the River Plate

Herm. brig Leopoldina, 14 guns

Herm. brig Maria da Glora, 14 guns

3 masts schooner Grecian, 22 guns, present in the River Plate

lugre Maria Teresa, 14 guns, present in the River Plate

schooner Atalante, 14 guns, present in the River Plate;[ Vale: mentioned for March 1823 a brigantine, 10 guns, purchased by Labutut, a former American vessel]

schooner Princesa Real, 10 guns, present in the River Plate

schooner Reino Unido, 7 guns, present in the River Plate

schooner Isabel Maria, 7 guns, present in the River Plate

schooner Doña Paula, 5 guns, present in the River Plate

schooner Concepcion, 2 guns, present in the River Plate

schooner Luis de Camoens, 2 guns, present in the River Plate

schooner Maria Isabel, 1 gun, present in the River Plate

schooner Providencia, 1 gun, present in the River Plate

schooner Rio, 1 gun, present in the River Plate

11 gunboats each of 2 guns, present in the River Plate

3 gunboats each of 1 gun, present in the River Plate

The Southern Review (1830) supplied the following details: "Brazil has one ship of the line, two 60-gun ships, built of live-oak in this country, five small frigates, the most of which are believed to have been altered from old Indiamen, one large corvette, mounting 26 guns, built of live-oak, in this country, three common-sized corvettes, and five small ones, nine brigs, and sixteen schooners, most of which have been fast sailing American merchant vessels, purchased, and afterwards equipped as men of war. The empire of Brazil is believed to possess more capacity to become a naval power, than all the other South American States united. She has numerous fine harbours, a healthy climate, a seacoast, extending three thousand miles, a large and increasing coasting trade, and an abundance of the finest ship-timber in the world. She only requires her mechanics to be modernised, and her naval regulation improved, to possess at no distant period, a powerful marine. She has within herself all the materials for an efficient navy, they only require to be put in requisitions".

James Bell (1832) wrote that The Brazilian navy consisted of 30 vessels of all sizes.

According to the Enclyclopaedia Americana (1836) there were 1 ship of the line, 7 frigates and 44 corvettes and smaller ships and vessels, with a total number of 52.

The Popular encylopedia (1836) mentioned that the navy consisted of totally 96 ships and vessels including one ship of the line and 4 frigates.

John Martin Baker (1838) wrote dealing with Saint Salvador that the arsenal built several ships for the Brazilian navy.

Sources

The Southern Review. February&May , Charleston, 1830, p. 205.

Niles' Weekly register, vol XXXI, September 1826-March 1827, p. 160.

J.A.B. Beaumont. Travels in Buenos Ayres and the Adjacent provinces of the Rio de la Plata with observations intended for the us of persons who contemplate emigrating to that country. London, 1828, p. 217.

John Martin Baker. A view of the commerce between the United States and Rio de Janeiro, 1838, p. 104.

James Bell. A system of geography, popular and scientific, 1832, p. 196.

Herick Marques Caminha. Orginazação Política e Administrativa do Império.

Daniel Keyle Standford a.o. The Popular encylopedia being a general dictionary of arts, sciences, etc., 1836, p. 168.

Francis Lieber ed. Enclyclopaedia Americana. A popular dictionary of Arts, Science, Literature, History, Politics, and Biography, vol. IX, Philadelphia, 1836, p. 186.

José António Rodrigues Pereira. Os Navios da Armada Real Portuguesa em 1807.

Brian Vale. "The Creation of the Imperial Brazilian Navy", Mariner Mirror, 1957.