It must, however, be stated that these disorders admitted of some palliation, from the consideration that hundreds of Brazilians had been transported to Lisbon, by the Portuguese authorities, when in power; whilst hundreds of others were on my arrival imprisoned at Maranham, in the gaols and vessels in the harbour.  On my entrance into the city, I released numbers of these, and saved many others from impending incarceration.

By the 18th, though tranquillity was restored, I postponed the election of a general provisional Junta till the 20th of October, hoping that before that period, a reply to my earnest entreaties for instructions, would arrive from the Imperial Government.  It was for the sake of preserving order during the interval, that I had announced my intention of taking the Pedro Primiero to Para only, well knowing that a belief in her speedy return to Maranham would have a salutary influence in maintaining public peace.

Intelligence of the reduction of Maranham, and the annexation of that province, together with the province of Para, to the empire, was received at Rio de Janeiro with surprise and delight;—­surprise, that, in less than six months, without military force, and, in truth, with one ship of war only, so much had been effected—­and delight that the Empire was cleared of its enemies without the expense and uncertainty of expeditions which had been calculated on.  All Brazilians were eager to vie with each other in the expression of entire satisfaction with my exertions.

His Imperial Majesty was pleased to reward the services rendered, by creating me Marquis of Maranhao, as the fittest title to commemorate the advantages gained for the empire, at the same time awarding me an estate commensurate with the dignity of the honours conferred; the “Assemblea Geral, Constituente e Legislativa” adding a vote of thanks in the name of the nation.  The estate, however, was never given, notwithstanding that, at Maranham, and in other of the Northern provinces, numerous fine properties, appertaining to the Portuguese Crown, were added to the Imperial domain.  The inconsistency of this was remarkable, seeing that I had been the means of adding to Brazil a territory larger than half Europe—­for which service I was warmly thanked by the Emperor, his Ministers, and also by the General Assembly—­the latter body, nevertheless, refusing to confirm the gift of even so minute a portion of the vast territory unexpectedly added to the Empire.

The subjoined is the Imperial order, elevating me to the Marquisate:—­

His Majesty the Emperor, taking into consideration the great services which your Excellency has just rendered to the nation by assisting to liberate the city of Bahia from the unjust Lusitanian yoke, and afterwards wisely aiding the honourable inhabitants of the province of Maranham in throwing off the said foreign domination, so that they were enabled, according to their desire, to acknowledge His Majesty