The Rhode Island American, And General Advertiser

Philadelphia, January 19.

FROM RIO-JANEIRO

[Furnished by Mr. J.N. Pierce, of Boston, passenger in the ship Cordelia, from Rio-Janeiro.]

The Cordelia sailed from Rio-Janeiro, on the 3d of November last, and left the following American vessels in that harbour: ship Mount-Hope, Breeze, of Salem from Newport, (R. I.) destination not known; ship Laura, Seaver, of and from Boston, via Ceara Grande, (north Coast of Brazil,) destination unknown; schooner Mary, Lincoln, of and from Boston, for Havana or Boston in about 20 days; ship Passenger, Perry, of and from New-York, for the Cape of Good Hope, in ballast, to sail November 10; brig Hollon, Willis, of and from Philadelphia, via Teneriffe, for River Plata, in ballast, to sail November 6; Ship Huntress, Williams, and schooner Hope, Story, from New-York, on a sealing voyage, put into Rio-Janeiro to repair, and sailed again in company about the 26th of October last. Several vessels from the United States had touched at Rio-Janeiro during the season, and sailed again without being able to sell their cargoes. The large number of English merchant ships, which were continually arriving at Rio-Janeiro, had glutted the market with almost every article of merchandise usually carried there, and business in general was dull.

The following ships under the British Admiral de Courcy, were laying in the harbour of Rio-Janeiro, November 3, viz. Foudroyant, 74; Elizabeth, 74; Lightning, 18; Nancy, 12 guns. The Bedford, 74, (belonging also to this squadron,) had sailed on a cruise. The mainmast of the Admiral's ship, the Foudroyant, had been injured, and was out to be repaired. A number of Portuguese ships of war were also at anchor there. Admiral de Courcy's conduct had been such as to do away any unfavourable impressions which have been made on the Portuguese by his predecessor on that station; of course the former had become very unpopular with the people generally. The Prince Regent and Princess had been some weeks at Santa Cruz, his country residence, (about 45 miles from the city of Rio-Janeiro,) where he remained somewhat indisposed. The old Queen of Portugal, mother to the Prince Regent, resides at the Palace in the city.

Intelligence of a contradictory nature, from the River Plate, had been received by different vessels, but by the last accounts brought from thence to Rio-Janeiro, which came in a Lugger in 15 days passage, it was ascertained that the Viceroy, (who arrived there from Spain last summer,) considered the trade as actually under the same regulations, which governed it before the British troops came there. The English, notwithstanding, had been able to smuggle on shore several cargoes of goods. A number of vessels from the United States were said to be in the River Plate, waiting, in hopes that some favourable arrangement might be made for the neutral trade.— From the best information, however, which could be obtained at Rio-Janeiro, those hopes were not likely to be soon gratified.