BOLIVAR. 



461 



spirit : nor can I possibly in any other way 

 account for the non-fulfilment of contracts 

 by the government of Angostura, than by 

 supposing that the ardent imagination of the 

 supreme chief had magnified this said An- 

 gostura into a second " El Dorado ;" or that 

 the activity of the Spanish merchants, in 

 taking advantage of the numerous opportu- 

 nities which must have offered, of removing 

 their property previously to the place fall- 

 ing into his hands, had deprived him of 

 the means of which he had promised to 

 possess himself, leaving little else but the 

 bare walls to the victor : not forgetting 

 that it was surrendered into the hands of 

 a needy and half-famished army and marine, 

 who were little likely to give an exact ac- 

 count to the government of all that fell into 

 their hands. Be it as it may, I cannot for 

 an instant believe that it arose out of dupli- 

 city or bad faith on the part of either the 

 supreme chief or his agent ; suffice it to say. 



