80 SOUTH AMERICA— THE ANDES REGIONS. 



have been traversed only in a few directions, and are figured on the maps 

 mainly from native reports and the more or less shrewd conjectures of a small 

 number of explorers. 



Codazzi's map, published in Paris over half a century ago, still remains the 

 chief cartographic document available for the study of Venezuela. It has, 

 however, been rectified and supplemented in many of its details, thanks especially 

 to the marine surveys, by which the astronomic positions of the seaports, head- 

 lands, and adjacent islands have been determined, while the contour-lines of the 

 whole seaboard, shifted by Codazzi a little too far west, have been restored to their 

 proper position. 



In the interior, scientific observers, such as Sievers, have also corrected 

 Codazzi's surveys, about Lake Ticaragua, in the Merida and Tachira districts, 

 and along the Colombian frontiers. The map has also been improved in many 

 important particulars by the general progress of settlement, mining enterprise 

 and railway undertakings. But the whole work requires to be thoroughly 

 recast. 



The War or Independence. 



The insurrection which resulted in Venezuelan independence broke out in 

 1810. More than once the patriotic party seemed on the point of being crushed, 

 and the cause of the revolution was seriously endangered by the earthquake 

 which destroyed Caracas in 1812. The indirect consequences of this disaster 

 were even more deplorable than the catastrophe itself. It certainly prolonged 

 the ruinous war probably for years, and greatly intensified its horrors. The 

 event having taken place on Holy Thursday, the first anniversary of the declara- 

 tion of independence, the priests, nearly all of whom belonged to the Spanish 

 party, declared that the hand of Grod had wrought the ruin in order to crush the 

 revolution. Most of the towns besieged by the Spaniards fell into their hands, 

 and Miranda, general-in-chief of the insurgents, capitulated, leaving the remains 

 of Caracas to its old masters. 



But the revolution broke out again, thanks especially to foreign aid. Owing 

 to its geographical position in relative proximity to the Antilles, North Ame- 

 rica and Europe, Venezuela received more volunteers from abroad than any 

 of the other revolted provinces. As many as 9,000 English, Americans, and 

 French are said to have served in her armies, besides about 1,000 blacks from 

 Haiti. But the same geographical position also facilitated the landing of 

 Spanish troops. The issue might have been long retarded but for the action of 

 the llaueros (the " cowboys " of the llanos), who at a critical moment joined the 

 revolution, and under their leader, Paez, introduced a system of guerilla tactics 

 against which the resources of regular warfare proved ineffectual. After eleven 

 years of incessant struggles the battle of Carabobo put an end to the Spanish 

 dominion, and the former " capitaneria " of Caracas became an integral part of the 

 great republic of Colombia, which also included Ecuador and New Grrenada. In 

 the collective work of South American emancipation the merit of final success 

 was largely attributed to the Venezuelan general and diplomatist, Simon Bolivar. 



