1831.3 ApparUion-AdveniKres. 631 



An officer of the name of Power had lately arrived at Paez's head-quar- 

 ters with the rank of general, Avith which he had been invested (as he 

 supposed under the authority of Bolivar*) by Devereux ; his commis- 

 sion had been forwarded to Santa Fe de Bogota for the commander- 

 in-chief's confirmation^ and he was anxiously awaiting the answer. 

 Blosset and Power had been brother-officers in the same British regi- 

 ment (the 28th foot), and served together in Egypt — on that burning 

 soil they had shared the same hardships, and confronted the same dan- 

 gers, and destiny had now re-united them on the plains of Venezuela, 

 not however with the view of cementing their ancient companionship. 

 No. Ambition had usurped the place of friendsliip. Blosset in his 

 old comrade saw only his rival. If Power's rank was confirmed, it was 

 possible he might assume the command of the legion, and his own hopes 

 of promotion would be annihilated. The bare idea of such an event 

 was wormwood to him : its consummation would have been madness or 

 death. Pending Bolivar's decision, an extreme coolness (on Blosset's 

 side, amounting to antipathy) existed betwixt the two officers ; they sel- 

 dom came in contact with each other, and then the stiff and formal bow 

 (the result of natural politeness) affiarded no token of former acquaint- 

 anceship. Blosset's house stood in a street which ran parallel with the 

 square, the back part of it opening into a veranda overlooking the rear 

 of the men's barracks ; these last were merely roofed, being otherwise 

 open on all sides, and thus affording an uninterrupted view of the inte- 

 rior from the colonel's quarters. On the night to which I would now 

 bring back my reader's attention, Blosset had retired early to his couch. 

 Power, on the contrary, who resided in the Plaza, was enjoying himself 

 with a party of officers, when all at once a melancholy cry, accompanied 

 by a sound like the sudden rush of footsteps, startled them in the midst 

 of their conviviality. On opening the door not a being was visible ; 

 the night was clear and bright. It could not have been imagination, all 

 present had heard it. Whatever the cause, the effect was instantaneous ; 

 it had thrown a damp over the spirits of the society, most of whom 

 retired, whilst two or three only resumed their seats — where we will 

 leave them to discuss the singidarity of the incident, and return to Blos- 

 set, at whose residence a scene was enacted that occasioned still greater 

 surprise. Between the hours of eleven and twelve, the men who were 

 sleeping in the neighbouring barracks were roused from their rest by 

 piercing cries, which apparently issued from the colonel's apartments, 

 and the next instant the folding-door communicating with the veranda 

 was burst open, and a man in his shirt rushed forth, uttering wild 

 shrieks for mercy, and threw himself on his knees, with his hands 

 clasped, in the attitude of deprecation. Several of the soldiers hastened 

 to his assistance, and were astonished at recognizing their commander in 

 the individual who had thus disturbed them. He was speedily re-con- 

 veyed to his bed, the cold perspiration falling in large drops from his 

 brow. The event was by himself attributed to incubus, though some 

 of the by-standers, by a shake of the head, seemed to intimate that it 

 sprang from a more mysterious origin. Whatever cause it arose frora^ 



• IJolivar subsequently refused (l)y a letter which the author translated) to con- 

 firm this appointment, statinf,' that Conf^ress liad atone the power ofcont'errin}? any 

 grade superior to that of lieutenant-coh)nel, which rank he offered Major I'ower ; 

 and it woui<l jirobably have been accepted by liini, liad not his duel with Blosset 

 occasioned his departure from the country. 



