FAILURE OF MIRANDA's EXPEDITION. 287 



position, where he might collect around him 

 those resources, which, of course, must in a 

 great measure be furnished by the country 

 to which he was proceeding. 



Under these circumstances, Miranda's ex- 

 pedition to Caraccas took place in 1806. 

 That it failed, is not to be attributed to 

 Miranda himself ; unless, perhaps, in so far 

 as he too eagerly calculated upon means 

 and resources over which he had no con- 

 trol ; for, feeble as his force was, he effect- 

 ed a good landing at Coro, and took up a 

 position the most advantageous that could 

 have been chosen, upon a considerable 

 extent of coast. The chief causes of the 

 failure appear, after all, to have iD^een the 

 intelligence treacherously conveyed to the 

 Spaniards, and the misconduct of some 

 American shipmasters employed in the ex- 

 pedition. And even with all these draw- 

 backs, it is believed, that had the British 



