DOCUMENT J.

Remarks on the Disasters of the Provinces of Caracas, by an English Gentleman, an Eye-witness.

THE extraordinary and melancholy events, which have taken place within the short space of six months, in the beau tiful province of Venezuela, are, perhaps, without a parallel, even in this age of revolutions; and with regard to the conse quences that may follow to the rest of South America, and to the West Indies, from the present state of things in Venezuela, makes it perhaps, the most serious and delicate subject, that ever has been laid before the British government.

It is almost impossible to obtain correct information, from the official documents, published by any of the contending parties.

The European Spaniards and their chiefs, view the natives of the country, as a desperate band of rebels, that must be subdued by coercive measures, no matter how irreconcilable those measures may be, to the dictates of humanity, and the usages of civilized nations. They assert, that any measures of lenity or persuasion to these people, does not comport with the dignity of the Spanish monarchy, and, in fact, they have reduced this barbarous and impolitic theory to practice, by a series of horrors scarcely credible, but, unfortunately, well authenticated, not by the often exaggerated statements of the na tives, but by the unerring testimony of ocular proof, afforded to many respectable British subjects and other foreigners, who visited or dwell in the country, for commercial purposes.

The first and most perfidious act of cruelty and perfidy, (and, indeed, that which gave birth to all the subsequent horrors) was the violation by General Monteverde, of the capitulation he had solemnly entered into, with Miranda. The most im portant article in that capitulation, was the immunity promised to all persons who had borne arms against the Spanish monarchy, or who had held civil offices under the revolutionary government. Scarcely had Monteverde got fixed in the seat of authority, at the city of Caracas, when he indicated his inten tions to set aside the capitulation, and in a short time, publicly declared it null and void. He began his dreadful system of infraction and vengeance, by seizing the person of the most distinguished Creole in the country, Doctor Roscio.-This individual had been secretary of state under Miranda, and had rendered himself conspicuous, by the splendour of his talents, in favour of his native country. Monteverde ordered him to he loaded with chains, and conducted to the public square, where he was put into the stocks, and remained there twenty-four hours, exposed to the insults and derision of the European Spaniards; from thence he was conveyed to a dungeon, until an opportunity offered, to send him and some other victims to Spain.

This outrage on Dr. Roscio, was the prelude to the tragic scenes, which immediately followed. Monteverde caused to be arrested, nearly every Creole of rank throughout the country; he then had them chained in pairs, and conducted to the dungeons of La Guayra and Puerto Cavello, where many of them perished in a few weeks, by suffocation and disease. The num ber of victims, thus immured in the above two places, was, át least, fifteen hundred, exclusive of those confined in the inter riour of the country, and others fled for safety to an im mense distance from the capital. While Monterverde, was thus openly pursuing this system of perfidy and revenge at the city of Caracas, his agents were busily employed in the same

measures, throughout every village and town over the extensive Country. The catalogue of horrors, committed by the said agents, is of so long and disgusting a nature, that I forbear to detail; suffice it to say, that one of the common methods of punishing those who had been employed under Miranda, or were suspected of disaffection to the Spanish government, was to mutilate their persons, by cutting off their ears or nose.

It could not be expected that such scenes of outrage, would remain long unresisted by a people, who although they had been used for ages to habitual oppression, had recently, tasted the enjoyment of some of their natural rights.

Accordingly, symptoms of revolt against Monteverde, began to exhibit themselves in the early part of last year, throughout various parts of the province, which continued daily to augment, in consequence of the people knowing that Simon Bolivar (a distingnished native of Caracas) was at the head of a considerable force from New Granada, and advan. cing to their relief.

Prior to the arrival of Bolivar, in the province of Caracas, Monteverde had suffered a signal defeat, at a place called Maturin, in the province of Cumana, by a handful of men, commanded by a young man, named Marino.-Monteverde, ́alarmed at this defeat, and hearing of the rapid advances of Bolivar, thought it prudent to retire from the capital, and shut himself up in Puerto Cavello, and there wait the arrival of expected succours from Spain. At his departure from Caracas, he appointed a certain Colonel Fiero (a native of the Canary Islands) governor and captain-general, ad interim; but this individual, with a baseness and pusillanimity beyond any example on record, formed the diabolical project, not only of offering a fictitious capitulation to General Bolivar, but to precipitately fly from Caracas, and abandon at least fifteen hundred European Spaniards to the rage of a victorious army, and to the indignation of those Creoles, who were about

to emerge from the very dungeons and chains, under which they had been so long groaning. In order to accomplish this plan, Fiero sent a deputation to meet Bolivar, composed of the most respectable European Spaniards in the country, who had directions to capitulate on the best terms they could with General Bolivar. The latter, not suspecting any treachery, and confiding in the personal knowledge he had of the characters of the deputies, and desirous of giving a proof of magnanimity, generously acceded to such terms, as the European Spaniards had little right to expect from a victorious Creole chief. After the capitulation was signed by Bolivar and the deputies, the latter transmitted it to Monteverde for his approbation, but whether from a previous understanding between him and Fiero, from obstinacy, or from his fears that the Creoles might follow the fatal example which he had given of had faith, in the execution of a former capitulation, be it as it may, Monteverde refused his approbation of the capitulation, declaring, at the same time, his determination never to treat on any terms, with the insurgents. Before this answer could be communicated to Bolivar, and while the unsuspecting deputies had been labouring to procure an amnesty for themselves, their countrymen and property, the perfidious Fiero, in union with a body of Catalans, Biscayans, &c. determined on flight from Caracas, with all the treasure, public and private, they could collect, and accordingly about the last of July, departed for La Guayra, where on their arrival, Fiero took the necessary measures to embark himself and his illustrious companions, and departed for Curaçoa, leaving behind him as before mentioned, more than fifteen hundred European Spaniards.

Immediately on the departure of Fiero, the dungeons of La Guayra were thrown open, and gave back to their country and relations, those who had survived the horrors of a year's confinement. No language can describe the affecting scene that took place, at the meeting between these martyrs to tyranny

and their respective families, much less can be depicted, the enthusiastic joy, that was manifasted by all orders of society, on their deliverance from their oppressors. Nearly at the same time, that is, on the 4th of August, Bolivar entered into the city of Caracas, in a manner which,likewise, no power of description can pourtray. During these moments of effervescence, it might have been expected, that every European Spaniard would have been sacrificed, but the principle of revenge appear. ed to have been forgotten, or absorbed in the general feeling of gratitude and satisfaction, which pervaded all orders of society. Not a single European Spaniard lost his life, many of them walked unmolested in the streets; but in a short time afterwards, they were arrested and confined in the prisons of Cara. cas, to serve as hostages for the security of those natives, whom Monteverde held as prisoners at Puerto Cavello. One of the first acts of General Bolivar, was to send a flag of truce, to Monteverde, offering to give up all the European Spaniards (who amounted to at least fifteen hundred in number ) in exchange for the Creole prisoners at Puerto Cavello, who at that time, or since, were pot more than three hundred and fifty persons. Notwithstanding this disproportion of numbers, and although Monteverde knew that the life of every European Spaniard in the cities of Caracas, La Guayra, and other places might be sacrificed (as will be seen hereafter was the case) in consequence of this refusal; still, however, he obstinately persisted in that refusal, on the simple principle, that he would not treat with insurgents. The fact, however, was, that Monteverde, was then in daily expectation of a large force from Spain, and flattered himself, that on its arrival, he could ea sily subdue Bolivar. About twelve hundred Spanish troops, did arrive in August, but they have been repeatedly beaten by Bolivar, and at this time, nearly all killed or taken prisoners. Monteverde himself, has since been so severely wounded, that he was obliged to give up the command to a Colonel