DEATH OF GlllAIlDOT. 349 



About this period, the royalists of Coro, 

 having been reinforced by some troops from 

 Puerto Rico, sallied out of the town, under 

 the command of Ceballos, and penetrating 

 into the territory of Caraccas, defeated, on 

 the 10th of November, a body of patriots 

 at Barquisimeto. Bolivar, in consequence, 

 again took the field, and routed the royalists 

 at Vigirima, and Barbula. In the last men- 

 tioned battle, the patriots lost Girardot, a 

 young warrior who had frequently distin- - 

 guished himself by his valour ; and to com- 

 memorate whom, an annual mourning was 

 ordered by Bolivar, and a pension was as- 

 signed to his family for ever. This action 

 was followed by the battle of Aran re, on 

 the 5th of December, in which the patriots 

 were again victorious. It was in this battle 

 that a patriot battalion, who had been de- 

 prived of their arms, by order of Bolivar, 

 in consequence of their having manifested 

 some cowardice in the engagement at Bar- 



