SUCCESSES OF THE PATRIOTS. 341 



hope, except what was founded in resist- 

 ance. 



The first effort was made in the province 

 of Cumana, where Don N. Marino, at the 

 head of a body of patriots, captured the 

 town of Maturin : he was attacked there 

 by the Spaniards, who were repulsed ; a se- 

 cond attack was made in the beginning of 

 April 1813, by Monteverde, who com- 

 manded in person, but was completely de- 

 feated. 



General Bolivar, in the mean time, had 

 obtained from the Congress of New Gre- 

 nada the command of a body of troops, 

 with whom he crossed the Andes, on the 

 side of the provinces of Tunja and Pam- 

 plona, and approached the river Tachira, 

 the boundary of New Grenada. Having 

 surprised and dispersed the royalists at 

 Cucuta, Colonel Nicolas Briceno was sent 



