IMPRISONMENT OF NARINO. 387 



reached Pastos, when a part of his army 

 was thrown into confusion, through a false 

 report, circulated by some of the enemy's 

 spies ; and being attacked at the moment, 

 he was defeated, and taken prisoner, in 

 June 1814. Don J. M. Cabal, who suc- 

 ceeded him in the command, had great 

 difficulty, in consequence of this sinister 

 event, in effecting his retreat to Popayan, 

 his troops being closely pursued by Ay- 

 merie. 



Narino, as already mentioned, had so early 

 as 1794 manifested his opinions in favour 

 of independence. Escaping from Spain, whi- 

 ther he had been conveyed in custody, 

 he was in England in 1796, when a plan 

 was in contemplation for effecting the se- 

 paration of Spanish America from the mo- 

 ther-country. He returned, incognito^ to 

 New Grenada, but being discovered, he 

 was imprisoned for many years : he was 



