the quantity of foreigners who every year come to our country to fix their abode, none of them come from taste, or from any regard to a country to which they are totally strangers, and of which the Germans do not understand even the language. We know that they come here not for our advantage, but for their own; not to labour for our prosperity, but to ameliorate their own condition. Thus we expect to see very few individuals of Europe who enjoy in their own country ease, happiness, or even any gratification, come and settle in America. Those who are happy and contented remain at home, and it requires a principle of motion not less powerful than want to remove a man from his native country, and the place where the tombs of his ancestors are placed.

Of the small number of emigrants of fortune who endeavoured to settle in our country, a considerable portion were dissatisfied with our singular customs, and after a certain residence returned home. There are certainly some exceptions; and in the most opulent and distinguished class of our fellow-citizens, we have the good fortune to count some individuals who would have acquired fortune and distinctions, even had they not passed into a new country, and another portion of the world. We should feel great satisfaction in seeing yourself among this number, and that it would accord with your dispositions and sentiments. I have the honour to be, Sir, &c.

"JOHN QUINCY ADAMS."

CHAPTER

THE progress of that great political operation, the successive enfranchisement of the vast provinces of Spanish America from the control of the mother country, and their formation into a cluster of separate but allied republics, continues to render this portion of the western hemisphere an object of profound attention to every people of the civilized world.

On this ample scene, several distinct centres of action are distinguishable, which it will be ex. pedient slightly to indicate before a more minute detail is attempted of the events of the year.

The city of Angustura on the river Orinoco, has become the capital of the republic of Venezuela, of which Simon Bolivar is the president. It was against this state exclusively that the Spaniards were enabled to carry on military operations during 1819, and the campaign of general Morillo against the patriots of Venezuela, with the progress of the latter in the kingdom of New Granada, will form the most prominent feature of the ensuing narrative. The United States of the river de la Plata, of which Buenos Ayres may be termed the soul, have experienced no

disturbance from

the mother country beyond the menace of invasion by the mighty armament which so long a series of impedi ments has still detained within the harbour of Cadiz. Monte Video, and the surrounding district on the northern shore of the Plata, are held by Artigas, an in dependent chieftain with whom the authorities of Buenos Ayres carry on by turns hostilities and negotiations.

The republic of Chili united in a strict alliance with Buenos Ayres, besides securing its own independence, has been enabled to carry on offensive war against Spain by sea; and it was with the fleet of Chili that lord Cochrane has attacked Callao, and placed for some time the whole coast of Peru in a state of blockade. Macgregor, by whom Portobello was surprised and plundered, is said to be avowed by none of the new republics, and can therefore be regarded in no other light than a free booter, and the same may be said of the person styled commodore Aury. We now return to the principal seat of war.

Venezuela. Early in the spring, general Morillo the Spanish commander-in-chief, quitted his head quarters in the city of Caraccas [R 2]

at

at the head of about 10,000 men, and directing his course inland, entered upon a toilsome route of many hundreds of miles with the > intention of reaching the banks of the Orinoco and dispossessing the independents of the city of Angostura their capital. In the mean while, Bolivar, who had received a very important accession of force, principally from the arrival of English troops, prepared for a campaign comprising a rather complicated system of action. An encampment was formed in the Island of Margaretta of about 1,500 men, who were to remain there in readiness till circumstances should decide on what point of the coast a descent might be attempted with most effect in support of the operations carrying on in the interior: general Santander was dispatched to the westward to oppose the advance of a body of troops sent from New Granada to form a junction with Morillo; General Marino marched into the province of Barcelona to intercept the division of Morillo's army which was destined for an attempt upon Angostura; and Bolivar in person, attended by Paez, at the head of a light cavalry armed with lances, composed of the free people of colour and the inhabitants of the plains, called Llaneros, watched the motions of Morillo himself. On every point the efforts of the Venezuelans were crowned with success. Marino totally defeated the force opposed to him at a place called Cispero or Centaura, in the neighbourhood of Barcelona, and concentrating his forces advanced upon that important city. This

success decided the destination of the troops at Margaretta. The Spanish squadron of six large vessels and eight flecheras had been shut up by the Venezuelan fleet of 15 ships of war, in the port of Cumana, which was placed in a state of blockade; and in the mean time col. Ursler, with 300 English and German auxiliaries under gen. English, forming part of the expedition from Margaretta, effected a landing at Barcelona, and on July 18th carried the fortress called the More, with the loss of only 13 men. 13 men. Three Spanish ships which came with troops in aid of the place were also captured, and another division of general Urdeneta's force from Margaretta, disembarked to the leeward of Cumana to form the siege of that place. Santander advancing into the plains of Casanare, forming the western boundary of the province of Parinas, encountered a Spanish division of about 3,500 men, over whom he gained a splendid victory, cutting to pieces or making prisoners of the whole. Disappointed of this expected reinforcement, Morillo, notwithstanding some partial advantages with which he began the campaign, was gradually driven back, by the incessant harassing of an enemy greatly superior to him in cavalry; and retreating northwards and westwards, received, on July 26th, a defeat at a place called Columboso, a short distance from the mouth of the lake of Maracaibo.

In the state of feebleness and destitution to which the army of Morillo had thus been reduced, Bolivar was enabled to avail him

self

self to the utmost of the victory of Santander, by which an unobstructed course was opened into the kingdom of New Grenada; a province already ripe for revolution, from the inhabitants of which he received frequent deputations, congratulating him on his victories, and offering him supplies of men and money. Departing from the cautious and defensive system which he had judged it necessary to preserve in the early part of the campaign, the president directed his march from Varinas towards Santa Fe de Bogota, the distant capital of New Grenada. His own bulletins will best record his success.

BATTLE OF BOJACA.

Fourth Bulletin of the Liberating

Army of New Granada. Yesterday, at day-light, our advanced corps giving notice that the enemy was in march by the road of Samaca, the army was put under arms; and as soon as it was ascertained that he intended passing the bridge of Bojaca, in order to open direct communication, and be in contact with the capital, we marched by the high-road to prevent him, or force him to give battle.

At two in the afternoon, the enemy's first division reached the bridge, where he saw only our advance of cavalry. Not then able to ascertain our force, and believing those opposed to him were nothing more than a reconnoitering party, he attacked them with his Cazadores to clear the way whilst the main body followed up. Our divisions quickened their march, and to the great surprise of the enemy, the

whole of our infantry showed themselves in a column on a height commanding his position. The enemy's van had ascended part of the road, following our advance, and the remainder of his army was below, about a quarter of a league from the bridge, and showed a force of 3,000 men.

Our battalion of Cazadores of the van sent out a company of skirmishers, and with the remainder in column attacked the enemy's Cazadores, and drove them back precipitately to a wall, from whence they were also dislodged; they then passed the bridge, and took up a position on the other side, and in the meanwhile our infantry came down, and the cavalry marched along the road.

The enemy made a movement by his right, which was opposed by the rifles, and the British company. The battalions, first of Barcelona and Paez's Bravos, with the squadron of the cavalry of the upper plain, marched by the centre. The battalion of the line of New Granada, and the Guides of the rear, joined the battalion of Cazadores and formed the left. The columns of Tunja and Socorro remained in reserve.

The action began at the same instant all along the line, general Anzoategui directed the operations of the centre and right; he ordered a battalion to be attacked which the enemy had sent out as skirmishers in a glen, and forced it to retire on the main body, which, formed in column on a height with three pieces of artillery in the centre and two corps of cavalry in the flanks, waited the attack.

Our