350 SPANISH AMERICA. 



quisimeto, retrieved their character by their 

 valour and good conduct, in taking musquets 

 from the enemy, themselves being armed 

 only with pikes, and thus they had their 

 arms restored to them. 



The attention of Bolivar was now called 

 to other circumstances : when he received 

 his command from the congress of New 

 Grenada, he was ordered to reinstate in 

 their authority the congress of Venezuela. 

 This, however, he had not thought it ex- 

 pedient to do ; and the latter country, from 

 the period of his taking possession of Carac- 

 cas, had been entirely under the sway of a 

 military government. Bolivar, it is true, 

 never abused the authority with which he 

 was thus invested ; but the same praise 

 cannot, unfortunately, be given to his sub- 

 ordinate officers, some of whom, in the 

 wantonness of power, committed excesses 

 which excited considerable discontent. 



