Historic Notes on a Trip to Ilha do Mel

The fortress “Nossa Senhora dos Prazeres” is shown in the photo below, which I took when I visited it a few days ago. Located in Ilha do Mel, district of Paranaguá, the fortress was built by the portuguese in the 18th century, and has seen real action when Brazil was an infant nation and an Empire. There the people of Paranagua plus a token garrison of the imperial army joined battle against England, in a half-hour exchange of fire between the fortress and the HMS Cormorant.

This was probabbly the peak of mounting tensions between the Brazilian and English Empires. Since the passing of the Bill Aberdeen the Royal navy had been raiding and harassing brazilian shipping in order to force the country out of the atlantic slave trading market. The Royal Navy had been capturing brazillian merchants off the coast, but the HMS Cormorant maybe too boldly entered shallow waters, capturing and sinking a number of vessels in the narrow channels between the islands next to the coast of Paraná. The local merchants and the general populace were enraged at such an affront and at the lack of response from the local authorities. A large group of civilians stormed into the almost-abandoned fortress, reading twelve pieces of artillery overnight.

As the Cormorant passed on its way back pulling its prizes, the fortress opened up a ferocious bombardment. The ship sustained significant damage plus casualties, and limped away to Serra Leoa for repairs.

Two months later Brazil passed a law withdrawing from the atlantic slave trafficking in order to avoid a fully-fledged war against victorian England; Fourteen years latter an ambicious Paraguay would attack both Brazil and Argentina thus initiating the devastating War of the Triple Alliance.

If you visit the fortress you’ll find a metal plate next to its gates with the following inscription:

“A primeiro de Julho de 1850 nesta fortaleza da barra de Paranaguá bravos filhos da cidade auxiliados por aderentes dedicados salvaguardaram a honra do Brasil resistindo à passagem do cruzador Cormorant, com as três presas feitas no porto. Em comemoração ao primeiro centenário do combate. Ilha do Mel, primeiro de Julho de 1950.”

(this entry was partly based on an excellent article by Guilherme Poggio, which can be found here: http://www.naval.com.br/historia/geopolitica_poder_naval/dipl_canhoneiras.htm )