126 
combines them, together with interest- 
ing, if faithful, views of men and man- 
ners in that territory.. Many pleasing 
and varied extracts might be made, but 
I will conclude with a paragraph in 
which the great Colombian General 
Bolivar is boldly and_perspicuously 
characterized. 
“ The management of his troops was the 
great art of Bolivar ; his partizans have, in 
their enthusiasm, compared him to Cesar, 
but he much more nearly resembles Ser- 
torius.* Like him, he had to reduce a 
savage people to obedience, and to combat 
a powerful and experienced nation. The 
places of contest have a near resemblance : 
for there were, in this part of America, the 
same difficulties to surmount (as to the 
height of the mountains, and the boldness 
ofthe roads), as there were in Spain during 
the time of Sertorius. Like him, Bolivar 
disconcerted his enemies by the rapidity of 
his marches, by the suddenness of his at- 
tacks, and by the celerity of his move- 
ments, which rendered it easy for him to 
repair his defeats. In the mountains, he 
displayed the same activity as in the plains, 
and set an example of sobriety and tem- 
* Sertorius surpassed not only his con- 
temporaries, but his countrymen, generally, 
in affability, clemency, complaisance, and 
generosity. His first campaign was under 
the great Marius, against the Teutones and 
Cimbri, and, in his very first battle, he 
had the misfortune to lose an eye. Ser- 
torius, though with expressions of sorrow 
and concern, accompanied Marius and 
Cinna in their slaughtering entry into 
Rome. Sylla proscribed him; but, in 
Spain, he conducted himself with so much 
‘valour and address, as to be regarded as, 
almost, the sovereign of the country. The 
Lusitanians, particularly, fevered and loved 
him; and Sertorius shewed himself not less 
attentive to their interests, by establishing 
schools, and educating the children of the 
country in the polite arts, and the litera- 
ture of Greece and Rome, than by his 
military conduct and administration. He 
maintained much authority by pretending 
to hold commerce with Heaven, by means 
of a tame white hind, which he had taught 
to follow him about, even in the field of 
battle. 
The success and popularity of Sertorius, 
in Spain, alarmed the Roman troops who 
were sent to crush him—in vain: four 
armies were insuflicient to do this; and 
even Metellus and Pompey were driven, 
with dishonour, from the field. But Per- 
penna, one of Sertorius’s own officers, con- 
spired against him; and, at a banquet, 
having overturned a glass of wine, as a 
signal, his disaffected comrades rushed for- 
ward and stabbed their illustrious com- 
mander— seventy-three years before Christ. 
Hide- Rope Bridges.—Impure Water. 
[Sept. 1, 
perance to his troops, whose numbers were 
thus increased from those of a small band, 
until they formed a powerful and. irresist- 
ible army. But if his military tactics were 
different from those of the Spaniards,. his 
conduct was still more so. He knew how 
to gain the affections of mankind, by par- 
doning the vanquished, and those who had 
deserted the cause of their country: thus, 
too, he increased his numbers.’ The 
priests even did not refuse him their 
prayers, for he respected their ministry, 
which the Spaniards had often despised 
since their wars with the French; and 
finally, by flattering the pride of the Ame- 
ricans (by constantly extolling their valour 
and intelligence), he, by these encomiums, 
rendered the disdain, with which the Spa- 
niards treated them, still more insupport- 
able. Morillo, therefore, was little de- 
sirous of encountering, on the banks of the 
Oronooka, this able chief, endowed with 
the talents of that William of Nassau, to 
whom the Low Countries were indebted 
for their liberation in the reign of Philip 
IJ. ; and he turned his arms, with more 
hopes of success, against the Isle of Mar- 
guerita, peopled by 15,000 men of colour, 
and commanded by Irismendi, an officer of 
great bravery.” 
I do not, Sir, offer this as by any 
means a complete specimen of M. Mol- 
lien’s work, in which he endeavours to 
satisfy the curiosity, which various cir- 
cumstances have conspired to raise, 
respecting the lately-revolutionized Re- 
public of Colombia; but, considering it 
impossible that all, even of the works 
really meriting notice, should fall under 
your eye, I have ventured thus to offer 
an imperfect mite of assistance to the 
gentleman who so ably conducts the 
reviewing department in the Monthly 
Magazine.—Y ours, &c. ye 
=O 
To the Editor of the Monthly Magazine. 
Sir: 
RESIDE in a house where the water 
which supplies our wants is of ex- 
ceeding bad quality. When it first 
comes in, it is so foul and muddy, that 
we are obliged to wait several hours 
before we can use it: when it has ac- 
quired a sufficient transparency to ena- 
ble us to see half-way towards the bot- 
tom of the tub, we have the pleasure of 
viewing shoals of young shrimps’ sport-_ 
ing themselves in the sediment,and 
mid-stratum, as one might say, of the 
water we use to drink. Qy. What-are 
the best means of remedying this incon- 
venience, and bringing this element in 
a healthful pure state to our bana . 
