124 



COLOMBIA. 



sure was adopted at the recommendation of Gene- 

 ral 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 consi- 

 derable alarm throughout the town during the 

 whole of Christmas day, and no flag of any kind 

 was flying till about poon, when, upon the sup- 

 pression of the rebellion, the Independent na- 

 tional Standard was again displayed. 



On the 26th, the alarm had completely sub- 

 sided, 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 

 opportunity of making some astronomical and 

 magnetical observations, on the left bank of the 



