he interval between this recognition of my services and my return to
Rio de Janeiro, an unfortunate change had taken place in the Councils of
His Imperial Majesty, introductive of persons more favourable to the
interests of Portugal than to furtherance of the judicious measures
contemplated by His Majesty for the consolidation of the
newly-constituted empire. To the obstructive aspirations of these
persons--in ill-concealed concert with the designs of the parent
state--my annexation of the Northern provinces necessarily proved
fatal; and they ever afterwards regarded me with an animosity which
appeared to increase as the empire became, by these, and my subsequent
exertions, more firmly established.

Sailing from Maranham on the 20th of September, the _Pedro Primiero_
arrived at Rio de Janeiro on the 9th of November--the Emperor doing me
the honour to come on board to welcome me. I immediately forwarded to
the Minister of Marine a recapitulation of all transactions since my
departure seven months before; viz. the evacuation of Bahia by the
Portuguese in consequence of our nocturnal visit, connected with the
dread of my reputed skill in the use of fireships, as arising from the
affair of Basque Roads; the pursuit of their fleet beyond the Equator,
and the dispersion of its convoy; the capture and disabling of the
transports filled with troops intended to maintain Portuguese domination
in Maranham and Para; the device adopted to obtain the surrender to the
_Pedro Primiero_ alone of the enemy's naval and military forces at
Maranham; the capitulation of Para with the ships of war to my summons
sent by Captain Grenfell; the deliverance of the Brazilian patriots whom
the Portuguese had imprisoned; the declaration of independence by the
intermediate provinces thus liberated, and their union with the empire;
the appointment of Provisional Governments; the embarkation and final
departure of every Portuguese soldier from Brazil; and the enthusiasm
with which all my measures--though unauthorised and therefore extra
official--- had been received by the people of the Northern provinces,
who--thus relieved from the dread of further oppression--had everywhere
acknowledged and proclaimed His Imperial Majesty "Constitutional
Emperor."

The powers which I had taken upon myself to exercise during this
eventful period, were, no doubt; in excess of those conferred by my
orders, but, knowing that everything depended upon the annexation and