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 important article in that capitulation, was the immunity promised to all persons who had borne arms against the Spanish monar. chy, 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 intentions 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 indi. vidual. had been secretary of state under Miranda, and had rendered himself conspicuous, by the splendour of his talents, in favour of his native couutry. Monteverde ordered him to be 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, at least, fifteen hundred, exclusive of those confined in the interiour of the country, and others fled for safety to an immense 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 distinguished 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, gene. rously 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 labouriug 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 en thusiastic 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 Caracas, 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 not 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

Salomon, who came from Spain with the Spanish troops. Bolivar has offered to the successor of Monteverde, three different times, the same generous proposals as were before offered for the exchange of prisoners, but Salomon, refining on the obstinacy of his predecessor, has not only refused the exchange, on any of the ordinary usages of war, but in violation of a principle held sacred even among savages, he seized the person whom Bolivar despatched to Puerto Cavello with a flag of truce, on this humane mission, loaded him with fetters, and confined him in the fortress at Puerto Cavello; and what gives the highest aggravation to this outrage, is, that the individual charged with this mission, is an European Spanish priest, named Salvador Garcia, remarkable for the urbanity of his manners, and pure character. He was particularly selected by Bolivar, for the purpose of giving confidence and respect to the mission. This infamous act, closed all further communication between the parties on this subject, except reciprocal me. naces, in case either sacrificed the lives of the prisoners of the other. The war, now began to assume a new and more bloody aspect.-Bolivar gave no quarter in battle, nor expected any from his enemies.-Puerto Cavello was besieged by land, by the troops of Bolivar, and his flotilla strictly blockaded it by sea.—The armies under the standard of Ferdinand VII., were every where defeated, and there was every probability, that a few weeks more, would place the natives in an attitude of great strength and confidence.-At this juncture (November and December last) the royal chiefs at Puerto Cavello, and the Spanish governor of Guayana deliberately formed the infernal project, of raising the slaves of Venezuela, against their owners.-This desperate plan must have originated under the barbarous idea, that as Venezuela was lost to Spain, the latter or her agents, were resolved it should likewise be lost to the natives of the country.-To accomplish this scheme, various partizans of the Spanish government, were sent