The Sun.
London, England, 1824-10-20 00:00:00

PORTUGUESE CAPTURES IN BRAZIL

The annexed ttocument was received yesterday
from Bahia, enclosed in a letter dated the 18th
of August. It is a communication from the Mi-
nister of Finance at Rio de Janeiro to the Junta
of the province of Bahia, and is worth notice,
from the explanation given in it of the motives
for the numerous captures of Portuguese vessels
made by the Brazilian navy, at a time when si-
milar aggressions were wholly abstained from by
Portugal, and for the delay of the prize courts at
Rio iu their condemnation. It will, however, ho
far from an honourable proceeding towards Lord
Cochrane and his brave associates, if their inte-
rests are sacrificed to an affair of political expe-
diency.
"Mariano Jose Pereira, of his Imperial Majesty's Council of
State, Minister of Finance, and President of the Treasury, &c.
".I make known to the Junta of Finance at Bahia' that
there having been presented to his Majesty the petition of Pedro
Gomez Pereira, the proprietor of a rope-manufactory in the
said city, in which he prayed the respective authorities to con-
fer upon him possession, independently of public sale, and
only by valuation, of a warehouse on .the quay of the said city,
•belonging to the-property of the Portuguese emigrant, Jose
Antonio de Sigueira Braga, which property is sequestrated,
paying it, at the price of valuation, into the coffers of the State
in the department of the arsenal, in articles of the above-
mentioned manufacture, at the requisition of the Intendant
of Marine.; and, taking all the information necessary on such
a subject, his Majesty has been pleased to declare to the said
Junto, that the sequestration of the estates of the Portuguese
.is a measure of mere precaution, taken in order to oblige that
nation to acknowledge our independence, which being acknow-
ledged,• the samevstates, with the proper deductions and equit-
able liquidation, may be restored, along with their rents, to the
proprietors,; it being necessary to proceed to the sale by auction,
not of the estate, but of the rent, if that has not been stipulated
with the proprietor, for in this case it shall not be altered ; and
if a public sale cif: the latter takes place, the petitioner may bid
along with other hkiders, lodging the price in the public trea-
sury. This is communicated to the junta, for its guidance and
execution."

Silvester Ferreira Pereira drew up this donee on.the 28th of
June, '1824, in Rio Janeiro.

INDIA.

BURMAN MISSION TO COCIIIN-CHINA.
(Prom the Singapore Chronicle, of April 29.)
The late mission from the Court of Ava to that
of Cochin-China, consisted of Mr. G. Gibson, as chief, and two
Burmans, as second and third members. Their train, includ-
ing interpreters, secretaries, and servants, amounted to
seventy persons. Mr. Gibson (as his name imports) is the son
of an English gentleman, and was, in fact, born at Madras.
He appears a person of much shrewdness, and curious obser-
vation.

The mission quitted Ave in January, 1823, in an European
built vessel. They reached Penang in the end of February,
where the ship was-burnt by the accidental circumstance of a
Siamese junk on tire running foul of her. The liberality of
the Uovernor of Prince of Wales Island procured a passage-
for the embassy on board a Portuguese ship, which, on her,
voyage to China, landed them at Cape St. James, on theist
of June.
Tai.kun, the Governor of Lower Cochin-China and Kam-
bojia a man of well-known talent and liberal conduct, re-
ceived the mission handsomely, but the present Government of
Cochin-China, from the very first, viewed the intentions of the
ambitious Government of Ave with much distrust. They de-
clared that they could see no benefit which could result from
an intimate 'connection between two people so remote from
each-other, and they had evidently apprehensions of alarming
the Chinese and Siamese, their immediate neighbours, both of
whom are known 'to entertain the strongest antipathy against
the Burman'', whose restless ambition they have so frequently
experienced.
After being detained nine months at 'Saigon, an unfavoura-
ble communication was finally received from the capital. This
Burman Mission would not be permitted to come at all to the
Court. The presents which they brought, with the exception
of a single ruby ring, Ismail not be received, and a war Nessel
was directed to be immediately prepared to carry them back.
lytoqulCial.eed tlSealingnlinabaonudt
tic
convoy.
escortv ot•'Theyiaescoolridliienrgs
to their' own country, with a deputation of Mandarins, and
ititolenomuridadbil:
of March.

Upon this occasion a stronger reluctance has been evinced to
enter into any close political connection with the Court of Ava,
than has been shown even in regard to any European nation.—
It app Ira to be the ambition of the present ,King of Cochin-
China. fo imitate both the manners and the policy of the Chi-
note Court; he professes, therefore, an open aversion to stran-
gers—the Christian. religionas no longer openly professed—he
Juts refused to admit Catholic Bishops into his presence, ac-
cording to the usage of the late King, and the French gentle-
men who have been so long residing in the kingdom are, it is
said, preparing to leave it-without delay.
Much state and pomp are observed not only at the Court of
the King, but also at the Courts of the Governors of Tonquin
and Kambojia.
A person attached to the Burman, mission gave us authentic
accounts of a singular and unexpected discovery made by Al.
Diard, in Cochin-China. This gentleman, travelling lately be-
tween the Southern and Northern provinces of that kingdom,
found a people professing the Brahusinical worship. They are
the race called'Loi, the aboriginal inhabitants of the country,
extending front Cape St. James to between the ,13th and 14th
degrees of North latitude. This race of alien is at present con-
fined to the hilly parts of the country, the coast being occupied
‘by the Cochin-Chinese or Allays nation as conquerors. Hindu°
temples and images arc not unfrequent throughout the territory
in question, and M, Diard.is stated to have obtained both spe-
cimens and drawings.
This must be looked upon as a very•singular, and not easily
accounted fur, event in the history of the !limber religion, for
the people who now vrofess it are every where hemmed in by
followers of Boodh' and Confuscius. Will it be adduced as an
argument in favour of the superior antiquity of the Brahmini-
cal over the Budhist form of worship ?
-In the -Singapore Chronicle of the 211th of April, we find
the following remarks on the long rumoured rivalry between
the British Settlements of Penang and Singapore :
" We have beers not a little surprised and amused at certain
•paragrapha in some of the English periodical publications,
which have just tome to hand, representing the existence of
A most bitter rivalry between the Settlements of Penang and
Singapore. For our own parts, we confess we know of no
such rivalry. The merchants of Singapore, if we arc rightly
'informed, are so well employed in their own affairs, that they
have scarcely time to think of those of other people ; and we
have the best grounds for believing, that the present Govern-
went of Prince of Wales island has on every occasion expressed
the most libaral sentiments towards Singapore.
" Any-feelings of jealousy, indeed, between these two settle-
ments would be equally unreasonable and absurd. They are
mutually beneficial to each other, and, above all, the mass of
British trade, which is carried on, owing to the existence of
both of them, is incomparably greater than it would be by the
existenceeof•one of them only.

A BA NKER'S PARCEL STO EIN.-YegteranY
morning, at .six o'clock, :tt banker's parcel, di-
rected to the house of Sir P. Pole and Co. was
stolen front the coach-office at Maidstone. T e
person who was entrusted with it left it for a mo-
ment on the comaer of the coach-office, and on
returuing he found it had disalipeared. Ael
alarm was immediately given, but we understand
not the slightest trace of the thieves was obtained.
An express was immediately sent to town, and ap.
lineation was 'uncle to Mr. Brown, the City Mar-
shal. Measures were promptly taken to stop the
payment of the hills and notes, and at about two
o'clock Mr. Brown, accompanied by two active
racers, went down to Maidstone. The Police
'ivel we understand, obtained intelligence of
the track. of some jitinoll men) or ex pedelleed
thieves, in that direction ; but the particulars
have-not transpired. The parcel wits from the
bank of Edmonds and Co. Maidstone, and con-
sisted of the sum of 1,5181. 16s. in cash, in dike.
rent country notes, 4,4671. hi draughts, payable
at sight, and 7,20 w. ys. Gd. bills ; in the whole
13,1881. ssr. 6d. But the value of the booty ob-
tained by the thieves will be greatly diminished
by thu prompt measures taken by the Police.