Letters were received yes...
Letters were received yesterdav froin Rio de Janeiro, dated the 4&th of March, which enable us to state the nuin- ber of French ships of war in that harbour at the end of February, respcetiv-g wlhichl s) snuclh attention has been recently excit,'l in the political world. In the whole, there were six vessels of war, and one armed trans- 'ort: the names of thc ship;s of war are as fGllows-the .hI,'icienne and .lst, ea frigates; the Prudence, Dili- genre, and ELsperainra corvettes; and the Ineonstsnt brig: that of the arme; transport is not given. It is meii- iioned thWtt several mare slhips of wvar were expected; but on iiltbrinatizcn of that nature it is ;mpossibie to place mucil relianec. Every stateimtent respecting them, however, appears to have readily obtained belief in Rio, after the notion wa, once cnteitained by the sner- chants thiat tdc Frenc!t were intriguing Lo overthrow the indepenrlcnice of Brazil. It miw be presumted the ships at Rio would soon he increaswd by the arrival of the Jean Part, a ship) of the line, as the Frertch papers hiave spoken oif that vessel as alreadly there; hut -with respect to any otbers th-rc is no autlhority but conjecture. It is said, that fon the l t,h of February, a messge wvas sent by the EMrPE- .oa to the Commodore of the French vessels of war lying in the port of Rio de Janw ro, to inquire the reason wliy so many of them lIad reccntlv arrived; andl that his reply was, that thev inerel ealled there to take in provisions. It -wa; undertootl that the three corvettes were immediately to proceel to Litns. As far as these accounts from Rio go, they fe:nd, we thiik-, to lessen tite apprehensions fe!t lhere. an(l tto confirm, in sabstance, the assurances given botn by the Frentch Mini4terc and ottr own Government. I t will rcquirc, however, furtiher evicience, before the sus- picio:.s ilat have been txcitedl are wholly reimoved. His M.jestv's s'a;pi (Canhr;Adge and Spqrtiate remainct at Rio.