THE CATALAN CAPUCHIN. 



FEW persons who have not been in the country have ever heard the 

 extraordinary traits of individual heroism which characterized the 

 annals of the South American revolution. History has not yet done 

 justice to the memory of those brave men who have shed their best 

 blood for their country, and by whose sacrifices the ultimate happiness 

 and freedom of their posterity will be effected. But this by the way 

 it is not my intention to treat the matter seriously here. There are 

 instances of humorous incident, and others, of a mauvaise plaisanterie, 

 that will suit my present purpose better. 



Among the mass of men which the revolution introduced from 

 obscurity, were many whose sole recommendation was their daring in- 

 trepidity. Assisted by the influence which such a quality obtained 

 for them among their countrymen, they procured detached commands, 

 where, by dint of valour and vigilance, such extraordinary deeds were 

 achieved as would astonish the modern tactitian, and lead us back to 

 the days of our chivalric forefathers. 



Distinguished from many of the minor chiefs of that day, was one 

 who I shall call Llanero. He was by birth a native of Porto-Rico, 

 but had expatriated himself on account of a slight difference he iiad 

 had with the alcalde of his town. In the short progress of this mis- 

 understanding, the alcalde was left minus a nose ; and such was the 

 indignation of the authorities, by this outrage upon justice, that poor 

 Llanero was never able to return. He was a man of no half-measures; 

 therefore, seeing his proffered friendship treated with the promise 

 of a halter by the Spanish government, he determined on doing his 

 best to earn the distinction. The first proof of his conciliatory inten- 

 tion became manifest by his volunteering into the insurgent forces, 

 commanded by General Miranda, destined to act against the province 

 of Valencia. After the defeat of Miranda, and upon the re-establish- 

 ment of the royal authority, many individuals belonging to the Inde-' 

 pendent forces, who had private reasons of their own for not returning 

 into royal bondage, scattered themselves in the immense plains and 

 forests which lie between the Carraccas and the Orinoco, and, col- 

 lecting a few followers, commenced a small brigand practice on their 

 own account ; and really managed to carry on a very pretty stroke 

 of business. They had plenty of wild cattle for food, plenty of good 

 horses to ride, and their hammocks,, swung between trees, formed a 

 very comfortable and economical lodging. Their gains were princi- 

 pally devoted to their luxuries, and were spent in ardent spirits and 

 tobacco. Llanero was one of these free-traders, and managed to main- 

 tain himself in this respectable position in society till the arrival of 

 General Bolivar, who entered the province of Venezuela at the head 

 of an inconsiderable number of troops, and, after obtaining some suc- 

 cesses on the Orinoco, was joined by most of the free companies scat- 

 tered about. His insignificant armament thus became a formidable 

 corps; it was then the deadly struggle commenced, which ended in 

 the expulsion of the Spaniards from the land which they had ruled 

 for centuries. 



M. M. No. 96. 4 Q. 



