[Inclosure.—Translation.]
The decree of December 7, 1866, opened to foreign merchant ships the
navigation of the Amazon as far as Tabatinga and of the Madeira as
far as Borba. A subsequent decree extended the concession as to the
Madeira, permitting its navigation as far as Port San Antonio.
Neither one of these decrees refers to ships of war. Such may only
ascend these rivers by virtue of a special concession for each case.
In accordance with this [rule] proceedings have been had.
In 1878 the American legation, by order of its Government, asked
permission for a ship of war to ascend the Amazon as far as the
mouth of the Madeira and it was granted, as may be seen in the
correspondence annexed to this report. In 1882 the British legation
asked if there were in Brazil ports entirely closed to foreign
men-of-war. The documents are also attached. It was answered that
the ships of war of friendly powers might, without restriction,
enter the maritime ports, and that as to river ports the right
depended upon a special concession for each case if there were no
convention providing otherwise.
Recently and again in conformity with this rule permission was given
to the American gunboat Wilmington to ascend
the Amazon on her way to Iquitos, in Peru. I have to refer to what
took place in regard to this.
The governor of the State of Para communicated to me, by a telegram
of March 16, that the gunboat’s commander desired to undertake such
a voyage and that the American consul had asked his intervention
with the Federal Government, so that it might be given him without
the necessity of renewing the request at Manaos. I answered on the
17th that he might grant the permission when the consul should make
the request in writing; and I asked the governor to send word of
this to the governor of Amazonas. The commander did not wait for an
answer. When it came to Para he had already departed, taking the
consul with him. The governor informed him of this fact by telegram
of the 19th.
I believed that the commander had acted in this manner because he
counted upon a favorable decision, but the governor of Amazonas
communicated to me by a telegram of April 19 circumstances which did
not justify this supposition. The commander, when he went to thank
the governor for the manner in which he had been received, said as
he was taking his leave that he was going to return to Belem and
from there would proceed to the island of Madeira. He departed at 10
o’clock at night on the 6th. A ship coming from the Solimoes River
[Page 124] reported that it had
met the gunboat going up that river, bound for Iquitos.
In view of this information, the truth of which I could not doubt, I
sent to the American minister the note you already know about and
which I annex to this report.
After this note had been sent I received, upon the 29th of April, the
following telegram from the governor of Para:
I have just been visited by the American consul and the
commander of the Wilmington, who came
to bring me their spontaneous excuses for the departure of
the Wilmington for the Amazon before
the arrival of the authorization which, at the request of
the said consul, I had solicited from the Federal
Government. He had not considered the formality of the
license being granted in official form indispensable, and,
counting as certain the acquiescence of the Federal
Government, wished to hurry the voyage. I am convinced that
Consul Kenneday was sincere in making this decision. In the
course of the conference I had an opportunity of hearing a
satisfactory explanation and protests of sympathy and
consideration for and with our country.
