VICTORY BY BOLIVAR. 357 



Bolivar, whose troops were now nume- 

 rically inferior to those of his opponents, 

 again took the field, and obtained a signal 

 victory over Boves at La Vittoria ; Colonel 

 Rivas defeated Rosette on the banks of the 

 Tuy ; and Yanez was defeated and killed 

 at Ospinos. But these victories, owing to 

 the disproportion of numbers, were dearly 

 purchased, it being computed that one- 

 third of the patriot troops fell in the three 

 engagements. 



Boves and Rosette having rallied their 

 troops, and received some reinforcements, 

 again marched towards Caraccas. Generals 

 Marino and Montilla, however, repulsed the 

 royalists at Bocachica ; and G^eneral Bolivar 

 gained a similar advantage at San Mateo. 

 Through these successes, the siege of Va- 

 lencia, which had been carried on by the 

 royalist commanders, Cevallos and Calzados, 

 was raised. 



