512 SPANISH AMERICA. 



considered as decisive. The remnant of the 

 royalist forces took refuge, after the battle, 

 at Puerto Cabello. 



Bolivar then turned his attention to Ca- 

 raccas, w^hither he marched w^ith four thou- 

 sand men, and which place he entered by 

 capitulation on the 4th of July. He also 

 adopted measures to prevent the incursions 

 of the enemy from Puerto Cabello. 



On the 1st of October, this extraordinary 

 man, on being called upon to take the oath 

 as President of Colombia, addressed a letter 

 to the President of the Congress, earnestly 

 desiring to be excused from serving in that 

 capacity ; but he was over-ruled by them. 

 On taking the oath, he delivered a speech, 

 of which follows a curious sample : — " I am 

 the son of war, the man whom battles have 

 raised to the magistracy. Fortune has sus- 

 tained me in this rank, and victory has con- 

 firmed it. But these titles are not those 

 which are consecrated by justice, by the 



