The walls of the dungeons, into which these unfor tunate victims were indiscriminately huddled, were in many places, rent with the late earthquake, and those of La Guira and Puerto Cavello, were a foot deep in water. from being situated near the sea. Some persons were shut up in pontoons and castles, generally without food and medical aid, and this in the hot season of the year. Some were manacled to negroes, to laugh to scorn the equality the late government had proclaimed; others, under a burning sun, were put with their heads in the stocks, in the public squares; and in short, every refinement in cruelty, was practised, as vengeance on some, and to extort money from others. In the night, some were taken out of their cells, and were no more heard of; others were found stabbed in the streets, on the high roads, and in their own houses. Nay, European Spaniards, were heard to cry out, that all the partizans of the revolution, were to be exterminated, and the ignorant and fanatic populace, were led to believe, that the earthquakes would not cease, till they were all extinct.

The above statement is extracted from a public document, addressed to all the nations of the world, and its contents, are more than confirmed, by eye-witnesses who have lately visited London. If my limits permitted me, I could here add, the reports of a French gentleman and of two Englishmen who were on the spot; and, certainly,

Army, under General Monteverde, on the 28th July, and that La Guira surrendered at discretion on the 21st.

“General Miranda is closely imprisoned at the latter place. The greatest distress has been experienced at the Caracas.”. Can this be called strict neutrality ?

their details exceed those just stated, in their strength of colouring, and in the mention of scenes, which the mind. cannot contemplate without the keenest emotion. Many appeals, have been made to the British commanders on the neighbouring stations, to endeavour by indirect means, to stop these and the successive horrors which have followed, but to no effect. They have always answered, that their instructions," prohibit, in so pointed a manner, all interference between the contending parties on the main, that they conceive, that no case whatever, can warrant a departure from them." Yet can it be considered just, that these horrors and atrocities should be carried on, with the very resources, England has given in trust to Spain, to use against a legal enemy, and to free her territory from invasion? Several pieces which have been printed, assert, that whilst the strictest care was taken to hinder any of the revolutionary parties, from getting even a musket, the governor of Curaçoa supplied General Monteverde with arms. Yet, when Caracas fell, in the manner just described, that same island was not allowed to be an asylum to some most respectable individuals, who were flying from scenes of carnage and desolation. Amongst the sufferers of Caracas, were eight individuals of great respectability and talents, who were put on board a ship, in irons, and sent to Cadiz. They were confined in the hold, during their passage. Amongst them, was the venerable canon of Chili, who by his humane attentions, had made himself known to Lord Camelsford and others, who accompanied Vancouver, in his voyage to the South seas. In vain, did these unfortunate victims, plead the amnesty of a solemn capitulation, it was of no avail.They implored the humanity of the British minister in Ca

A A

diz, they were unheard. At length on the 10th of April, 1813, the Cortes decreed, that it was derogatory to the majesty and dignity of the national congress, to validate a capitulation made with malignant insurgents; and these sufferers were thus sent to drag a miserable existence, in the prisons of Ceuta. Their friends, indignant at such a breach of national faith and humanity, used every exertion to aid in their escape, which they effected to Gibraltar, where they were delivered up to their persecutors, bound hand and foot, according to recent accounts, from Madrid. I have mentioned these particulars, relating to eight respectable individuals, comprehended in the capitulation made-between Generals Monteverde and Miranda, above alluded to, in order to introduce the correspondence, which took place between the governor of Curaçoa, and General Bolivar, in the month of September, 1813, on the subject of some demonstrations made by the first, in favour of suffering Spaniards. From the great length of these letters, I have placed them in my Appendix, under the head of I, and I now ask the question, whether in cases of this kind, the Creoles are not equally deserving of the interference of our officers, as the Spaniards, who are the aggressors?

§ But, of all the scenes of horror ever before heard of, perhaps the one which has just occurred in Caracas, is the most shocking. The manner, in which the Creoles of that country, were treated by the Spaniards, on their entry, has been just stated, in language by no means corresponding to the reality. These excesses were so great, and from them such fatal consequences were anticipated, that even the audiencia, a court that is composed of Europeans, and has always been one of the stoutest pillars of Spanish tyranny, in Anierica, sent over to the government

át home, a strong remonstrance respecting the conduct of Monteverde and the impolitic horrors committing in Caracas, which may be found in No. 39, of El Español.Such proceedings, could not fail to excite indignation, and exasperate the minds of an outraged people. The neighbouring section of Santa Fé, which had also asserted its independence, sympathized with the sufferers of Caracas, and resolved to march a force to their relief. Bolivar, at the head of a small band, penetrated from Carthagena by land, a distance of 600 leagues; his numbers increased, as soon as he reached the confines of Venezuela, and he, eventually, regained the country, from which he had lately emigrated, and which had been the tomb of so many fellow citizens. Monteverde retreated to, and shut himself up in Puerto Cavello. He had in his possession, about three or four hundred Creole prisoners. Bolivar sought to effect an exchange for those Spaniards he held, and consequently sent several flags of truce, with proposals. The Spanish commanders of Puerto Cavello, refused to treat with insurgents, and threw the bearers of the proposals and flags of truce, into dungeons. At last, Bolivar sent a Spanish officer whom he had taken, but he was again refused, and the commander of La Guira, brought on the ramparts of Puerto Cavello, four Creole officers, whom he had shot in front of the lines of the revolutionary army, and then sent their names, with a threat to continue the same scenes, to its commander. Exasperated at such conduct, Bolivar ordered all the Spanish prisoners, instantly to be shot, which was executed; whereby, upwards of 1300 persons, were murdered in cold blood. The particulars of this enormous scene, as well as of the horrors now committing, by the armed negroes in the province

of an eye witness, I feel the greater

of Caracas, will be found in the words in my Appendix, under the head of J. confidence in inserting this document, froin the known abilities and experience of the writer, who has been an eye witness of what he describes. So interesting was this statement of facts considered, that it has been sent to one of our ministers and the Admiralty, by one of the commanders of a station in the West Indies, from whence I have just received it.

However, the most alarming, as well as the most distressing of all the appendages of this unnatural and bloody contest, is, the measure lately resorted to by the agents of Spain, of revolutionizing, freeing, and arming the negroes in Venezuela. Out of a kind of desperation, some of the greatest cut-throats, were commissioned to collect a black banditti, in order to put the whites to the sword, and to carry plunder and violence through all the provinces. In the preceding document, marked J, to which allusion has been just made, a minute account is given, of the manner in which these slaves have been freed and organized into a horde of savages, pouring desolation wherever they go. The full and able manner, in which the fatal consequences that will, eventually, result to our West India islands, from rendering these provinces of the main, the theatres of horror and licentiousness, similar to what has so long deluged the French part of St. Domingo, preclude the necessity of any further remarks in this place; but the present situation of Caracas, now interests every British planter, merchant, or creditor connected with the West Indies, and all are imperiously called upon to arrest this flame of insurrection, before it reaches their own property. With these facts before them, can the ministers of England still