1831.] 



Biographical Memoirs of Eminent Perso7hs. 



and 3'ielded all the ardour of his heart to 

 the duties of patriotism. 



Arriving at Venezuela, he was ap- 

 pointed a colonel in the service of the 

 newly-established republic, and was sent 

 to London on an important mission, the 

 expense of which he himself defrayed. 

 On his return, IMiranda gave him the 

 command at Puerto Cabello ; but the 

 Spanish prisoners having risen and seized 

 the fort, he was obliged to evacuate the 

 town, and proceed by sea to Cai'accas. 



When ]\Iiranda had capitulated with 

 Monteverde, and resistance seemed to 

 be at an end in Venezuela, Bolivar re- 

 tired to Cura9oa, where he formed a con- 

 nection with Brion, by which he pro- 

 cured maritime co-operation. His ser- 

 vices were now tendered to, and ac- 

 cepted by, the congress of New Gre- 

 nada ; and, finding that the Venezuelans 

 were once more disposed to cast off the 

 Spanish yoke, he obtained from the con- 

 gress a body of COO men, with which, in 

 1813, he penetrated across the Andes 

 into Venezuela. There, after several 

 sanguinary actions, he succeeded in 

 wresting tirom the enemy the whole of 

 that province, excepting the parts of La 

 Guyra and Puerta Cabello, in the latter 

 of which Monteverde defended himself 

 with the most determined obstinacy. 



It was in this campaign that \heguerra 

 a miierta, or war of extermination, began, 

 in consequence of the Spaniards having 

 put to death some of their prisoners. 

 The Spanish domination would now have 

 been annihilated, had not Monteverde 

 succeeded in arming the slaves, and 

 s])rcad insuiTection over the whole face 

 of the country, which was remorselessly 

 ravaged with fire and sword. 



Bolivar, who had been declared Dic- 

 tator of Venezuela, now marched against 

 these new enemies, and would probably 

 have destroyed them, and suffered him- 

 self to be defeated in a decisive engage- 

 nient. Amongst the republicans, dis- 

 trust and disunion ensued, and the 

 royalist achieved an unqualified tri- 

 umph. 



Bolivar again retired to New Grenada, 

 and served two years under the banners 

 of the congress. In llil5, when the 



103 



Spanish troops, under Morillo, reached 

 the South American coast, he threw 

 himself into Carthagena, which he de- 

 fended till resistance became hopeless. 

 With part of his army he then cut his 

 way through the besiegers, and retired 

 to St. Domingo. 



Not yet, however, was the spirit of 

 resistance crushed. Arismondi drove 

 the Spaniards from the island of Mar- 

 garita, and Bolivar arrived there with 

 his forces, which he had recruited at 

 Aux-cayes,and was soon joined by Brion. 

 With him he made some attempts on 

 the coasts of Caraccas and New Grenada, 

 ascended the Orinoco, and secured An- 

 gostura, the capital of Spanish Guyana. 

 There Bolivar increased his strength by 

 means of volunteers from Europe, and 

 prepared to commence another struggle 

 with Morillo. In 1817, he ascended the 

 river Apure, and penetrated into Car- 

 accas, as far as Calabozo ; but, after se- 

 veral hard fought battles, he was de- 

 feated near Ortin, and compelled to 

 return to Angostura. 



Yet undismayed, Bolivar changed his 

 plan, embarked the whole of his forces, 

 ascended the Orinoco and the Meta, and 

 thus penetrated into New Grenada, and 

 made himself master of Santa F^, the 

 capital, in August, 1819. This master- 

 stroke of policy as well as of arms, was 

 decisive. Joined by numbers, he had 

 the resources of an extensive country 

 under his command, and Morillo in vain 

 endeavoured to stop his progress. To- 

 wards the close of 1820, that chief was 

 compelled to conclude an armistice with 

 Bolivar, in order to afford time to nego- 

 ciate a treaty between the South Ame- 

 ricans and the government of Spain. 



At length the Spanish sceptre in the 

 new world was broken for ever, and Bo- 

 livar received, as he had nobly earned, 

 the title of Liberator of his "Country. 

 But, after many difficulties and many 

 disasters — for Bolivar's success as a 

 statesman was not equal to that as a sol- 

 dier—he died heart-broken, through the 

 ingratitude of the very nation for which 

 he had obtained independence. He diod 

 at San Pedro, near St. Martha, on the 

 17th of December last. 



MONTHLY AGHICULTUllAL REPOIIT. 



TiTK long and unfavourable course of east and north winds, with constant drouglit, 

 ceased about the !)th instant, and have been succeeded to the present date by west- 

 ern and south-western breezes, with frequent variations indeed, but with a warm 

 and general atmos])heric temperature which has almost worked miracles of im])rove- 

 mt-nt in the condition of the crojjs of corn and i)ulse. Unfortunately for the fruit 

 districts, the havoc and destruction occasioned by ungenial May, are irremediable 

 by any chanj^e, however flattering, and our orchardists, generally, must sit down 

 contented with a slight sprinkling of apples, so they phrase it ; and the people at 

 large, according to old custom, must depend for their sujijily of fruit on the more 

 certain products of the isles and of Normandy. The croji of filberts is said to have 

 suHcrecl beyond all others. This favourable change, of which wc began almost to 

 desuair, is probably to be attended with the most imjiortant and beneficial results, 

 both as regards the national supply and the interests of the farmers. Instead of a 



