24 



GENERAL SUCRE. 



thing for South Americans, and their spirits 

 accordingly rose with that feeling of freedom, 

 which the exercise of an elective right inspires 

 more than any other. The whole scene, therefore, 

 was highly animated, and more like that of an 

 English election than anything I had before seen 

 abroad. 



They must needs have an army too ; and, as in 

 revolutionary times, the military always take upon 

 themselves to become a reflecting body, and as 

 they wear by their side a cogent and effective 

 argument, they generally usurp no small share of 

 influence. Accordingly, on Christmas eve, at the 

 time we were sailing up the river, the whole 

 army of the state of Guayaquil, consisting of one 

 regiment, marched out of the town, and having 

 taken up a position half a league off, sent in a 

 message at day-break to the governor, to say they 

 were determined to serve under no other flag than 

 that of Bolivar ; and unless they were indulged in 

 this matter, they would instantly set fire to the 

 town. The governor, with the good sense and pru- 

 dence of utter helplessness, sent his compliments 

 to the troops, and begged they would do just as 

 they pleased. Upon the receipt of this civil mes- 

 sage, one half of the regiment feeling much flattered 

 with having the matter left to their own free choice, 

 and being rather anxious, perhaps, for their 

 breakfast, which was waiting for them, agreed to 

 relinquish the character of rebels, and come 

 quietly back to their allegiance. 



The government thus strengthened, took more 

 vigorous measures, and lost no time in acceding to 

 the wishes of the remainder of the troops, who 

 were embarked in the course of the morning of our 

 arrival, and sent up the river to join Bolivar's 

 forces, at this time surrounding Quito. This 

 measure was adopted at the recommendation of 

 General Sucre, one of Bolivar's officers, whose 

 head-quarters were actually in Guayaquil, notwith- 

 standing its boasted independence. The whole 

 affair, indeed, looked like a burlesque on revolu- 

 tions : most fortunately no blood was shed ; for as 

 both the soldiers who went out of the town, and the 

 inhabitants and such of the military as remained, 

 had arms in their hands, it is difficult to say how 

 tragical this farce might have been in its catastrophe, 

 had they not come to some terms. Although it 

 ended so pacifically, there was considerable alarm 

 throughout the town during the whole of Christ- 

 mas day, and no flag of any kind was flying till 

 about noon, when, upon the suppression of the 

 rebellion, the Independent national standard was 

 again displayed. 



On the 26th, the alarm had completely subsided, 

 and all was going on as before. As it was a fast- 

 day, however, no business could be done, nor any 

 supplies procured ; and as all the people I wished 

 to see were occupied at mass, I took the oppor- 

 tunity of making some astronomical and magnetical 

 observations, on the left bank of the river, imme- 

 diately opposite the town ; a spot which from its 

 solitude appeared well suited to this purpose/ But, 

 on rowing up a little creek, we came unexpectedly 

 to a large wooden house, half concealed by the 

 trees ; here we found a merry party of ladies, who 

 had fled on Christinas eve during the alarm. 

 They carried us into the forest to show us a plan- 

 tation of the tree which yields the cocoa, or more 

 properly cacao-nut, from which chocolate is made. 



The cacao grows on a tree about twenty feet high 

 The nut, such as we find it, is contained within a 

 rind of a melon shape, as large as a man's two 

 fists, with the nuts or kernels clustered in the 

 inside. The fruit grows principally from the stem, 

 or, when found on the branches, still preserves 

 the same character, and grows from the main 

 branch, not from a lateral twig. 



Whilst we were losing our time with these 

 merry gossips, a messenger arrived to inform the 

 ladies that a boat had been sent to carry them 

 back, as the city was again restored to tranquillity. 

 We escorted them to the creek, and saw them 

 safely into their boat, having made more progress 

 in our acquaintance in an hour, than we could 

 have done in a month, in countries further removed 

 from the sun, and from the disorders of a revolu- 

 tion. 



We were still in good time for making our ob- 

 servations at noon ; but the heat at that hour was 

 intense, for there was not the least breath of wind; 

 and as soon as the meridian observation was over, 

 we retreated to a thick grove of plantain trees, to 

 make some experiments with the dipping needle. 

 Here, though completely sheltered from the sun, 

 we had a fine view of the river, and the town 

 beyond it. The stream, which at this place is 

 about two miles broad, flowed majestically along, 

 with a surface perfectly smooth and glassy; bearing 

 along, on its steaming bosom, vast trunks of trees 

 and boughs, and large patches of grass. The 

 town of Guayaquil viewed through the vapour ex- 

 haled from the river and the glowing banks, was 

 in"a constant tremour — there was no sound heard, 

 except now and then the chirp of a grasshopper, 

 — the birds which soared sleepily aloft seemed to 

 have no note — everything, in short, spoke to the 

 senses the language of a hot climate. 



I dined at two o'clock, with the author of the 

 foregoing letter, and afterwards rode with him to 

 see the lines thrown up for the purpose of keeping 

 off the Spaniards, should they, as was apprehended, 

 make a descent upon Guayaquil from Quito. Such 

 irregular and hastily constructed means of defend- 

 ing an open town, are held, I believe in no great 

 respect by military men ; yet the moral influence 

 of such undertakings may nevertheless, as in this 

 instance, prove beneficial. It may have the effect 

 of making the people believe themselves in earnest; 

 and thus by uniting them in a common work, give 

 them confidence in one another's sincerity ; a feeling 

 which, if properly guided, may be rendered a great 

 deal more formidable, than the artificial defences 

 themselves. 



In the evening a party of ladies assembled at 

 our friend's house; but as they arranged themselves 

 in two lines facing one another, in a narrow veran- 

 dah, it became impossible to pass either between or 

 behind them. Atlength I discovered a little window 

 which looked out from the drawing-room into the 

 verandah, near the middle of the station taken up 

 in this determined manner by the ladies. By this 

 time they were all speaking at once, in a loud shrill 

 voice ; and so distinctly, that I had no difficulty in 

 distinguishing the words ; but of the conversa- 

 tion, which was entirely made up of local topics, 

 and allusions to characters and incidents of the 

 day, I could make nothing for a considerable 

 time, till at length the subject was changed, and a 

 very spirited discussion on politics commenced. 



