A SKETCH IX THE TROPICS. 169 



feat of arms which the South American patriots had 

 achieved during the whole of their protracted struggle 

 with Spain. That victory had literally electrified the 

 troops, and inspired them with a courage and con- 

 tempt of their enemy, that frequently showed itself, 

 as on this occasion, in acts of the greatest daring and 

 temerity. 



At the gun by which Eeady and myself took our 

 stand, half the artillerymen were already killed, and 

 we had scarcely come there, when a cannon-shot took 

 the head off a man standing close to me. The wind 

 of the ball was so great that I believe it would have 

 suffocated me, had I not fortunately been standing 

 sideways in the battery. At the same moment, some 

 thing hot splashed over my neck and face, and nearly 

 blinded me. I looked, and saw the man lying with- 

 out his head before me. I cannot describe the 

 sickening feeling that came over me. It was not the 

 first man I had seen killed in my life, but it was the 

 first whose blood and brains had spurted into my 

 face. My knees shook and my head swam ; I was 

 obliged to lean against the wall, or I should have 

 fallen. 



Another ball fell close beside me, and, strange to 

 say, it brought me partly to myself again ; and by the 

 time a third and fourth had bounced into the battery, 

 I began to take things pretty coolly my heart beating 

 rather quicker than usual, I acknowledge ; but never- 

 theless, I began to find an indescribable sort of 



