MASSACRE OF THE INHABITANTS. 355 



whom five hundred were shot, without any 

 form of trial. An alarm being given of the 

 approach of the patriot troops, Puy asked 

 if there was not time to execute the re- 

 maining seventy-four prisoners ; and being 

 answered in the negative, they were thus 

 saved. This anecdote may serve to give 

 an idea of the diabolical and deliberate fe- 

 rocity with which these detestable agents 

 of the royalists executed their sanguinary 

 mission. Some time afterwards, when the 

 patriots were compelled to evacuate Bari- 

 nas, Puy again entered the town, and made 

 a general massacre of its inhabitants. 



Boves and Rosette marched from the 

 Orinoco to the valleys of Tuy and Aragua ; 

 and through an extent of country of four 

 hundred miles they slaughtered, indiscri- 

 minately, every individual who refused to 

 join them. They thus contrived to collect 

 a force of eight thousand men, of whom 

 2 A 2 



