GENERAL 
The long-prepared expedition 
from Cadiz, designed for the re- 
duction of the independents on 
the eastern coast of South Ame- 
rica, sailed in the spring, and the 
arrival at Porto Cabello, of two 
Spanish ships of the line, six fri- 
gates, and 70 transports, having 
on board upwards of 12,000 
troops, under the command of 
Gen. Moriilo, was announced in 
the month of April. Another ex- 
edition was said to have sailed 
in company, destined for the ri- 
ver la Plata. 
Authentic intelligence was re- 
ceived in May at Buenos Ayres, 
that the royalists having aban- 
doned the strong entrenchments 
of Cotagayta in consequence of 
the advance of General Rondeau, 
‘commander-in-chief of the army 
of Buenos Ayres, and afterwards 
evacuated Potosi, that city was 
entered by the advanced guard of 
the latter on the 5th, and was 
occupied by the rest of his troops 
on the 9th. 
Further intelligence from Bue- 
nos Ayres to June 19th men- 
tioned, that the royal army of 
Lima had sustained another de- 
feat, in which Ramirez, the se- 
cond in command, and two other 
generals were killed. With re- 
spect to Buenos Ayres itself, it was 
said that the squadron for its de- 
fence under Admiral Brown was 
fully equipped and manned ; that 
the land forces in the city and its 
environs amounted to 18,000, and 
that upwards of 200 pieces of ar- 
tillery were mounted onits works. 
Also, that several districts in the 
interior had engaged, on the first 
appearance of the expedition from 
Spain, to march 23,000 men to 
its assistance. 
HISTORY. [127 
The storm of war from Old 
Spain was, however, chiefly di- 
rected against the independents 
who formed the confederation of 
Venezuela; and from a procla- 
mation of Don Manuel del Cas- 
tillo, general of the armies of 
New Granada and Carthagena, 
dated from the latter city on July 
Z\st, we learn that their utmost 
efforts were required to resist the 
arms of the assailants. By sub- 
‘sequent accounts from Jamaica it 
would appear that Castillo was 
acting a treacherous part, and 
was probably in league with the 
Spanish commander. It is said 
to have been his plan to send out 
small expeditions for the purpose 
of falling into the hands of the 
, enemy, that the patriots might be 
destroyed in detail, which so far 
succeeded, that Carthagena was 
brought into great danger; but 
his treachery, at length, becom- 
ing manifest, he was deprived of 
his command, which was confer- 
red upon Don Bermudez. Mo- 
rillo was afterwards repulsed at 
Carthagena, and was obliged, for 
want of provisions, to remove 
from the vicinity of that city. A 
further account mentions, that 
the general situation of Vene- 
zuela is much in favour of the 
independents, who possess all the 
savannahs of Cumana and Barce- 
lona; and that an army from 
New Granada had occupied the 
provinces of Merida, Truxillo, 
and Barinas, and had defeated the 
Spaniards in a decisive action. 
Advices from Mexico mention 
that 2,500 of the Spanish troops 
of the expedition were landed in 
that province as a reinforcement 
to the royalists, but that, being 
drawn into the interior by the 
