494 SPANISH AMERICA. 



before they passed the Paramo of Pisba, he 

 sent a colonel back (the native troops having 

 passed some days previously) with alpargates 

 and bread for their use. Whenever any of 

 the officers fell sick, he invited them to his 

 own mess, that they might share the little 

 he had, which never exceeded that of the 

 common soldier in more than a little broth 

 (if a little rice in the water in which beef 

 was boiled, without either seasoning or ve- 

 getables, can be so called) ; a piece of com- 

 mon sea biscuit, the size of a dollar, and a 

 lump of brown sugar, one quarter that size, 

 being given to each person. On their ar- 

 rival in Santa Fe de Bogota, he ordered 

 them to be clothed immediately, and that 

 they should ever after receive their full 

 pay, although the rest of the army were 

 receiving only half-pay ; this could not at 

 all times be carried into effect, but they 

 never were again, as in 1819, entirely with- 

 out pay. When in quarters, he had their 



