ENCOUNTER WITH THE ENEMY. 485 



Spain, and was Bolivar's birth-day. The ac- 

 tion commenced by the enemy throwing out 

 his light troops to threaten the right flank of 

 the patriots, which was protected by a mo- 

 rass ; whilst he made, with one battalion, a 

 successful attack on their extreme left, si- 

 tuated on a rising ground which commanded 

 the whole position, and which was occupied 

 by General Santander's division. In the 

 centre, on a small plain, were the English, 

 some native battalions, and about eighty of 

 the cavalry mounted on horses, mules, and 

 asses — some with saddles, without bridles, 

 and vice versa, and others without either. 

 The enemy, having easily turned the left 

 wing, advanced to attack the patriots' cen- 

 tre : in the mean time the English were or- 

 dered to dislodge the enemy from the height 

 of which he had possessed himself, which 

 they immediately moved to do, under the 

 command of Colonel James Rooke, who was 

 almost instantaneously wounded, and sue- 



