LIBERATOR OF VENEZUELA; and named him dictator.

About this period a Spaniard, Don Jose Tomas Boves, succeeded in bringing
about a counter-revolution in the Llanos, an immense tract of level
country, which traverses the centre of Venezuela, and extends to the
confines of New Granada. Boves organized a force, which consisted of men
mostly chosen for their desperate character, whom he led on by promises of
indiscriminate plunder, and by lavishing the greatest rewards upon the
perpetrators of the most revolting atrocities. The track of these ruffians,
to Calabozo, was every where marked with the blood of the aged and the
defenceless. Bolivar, who had detached a part of his force in pursuit of
Cevallos, had not above two thousand men left to make head against Boves,
who, with nearly five times that number, had possessed himself of the
fertile valleys of Aragua, and destroyed some patriot divisions sent to
check his progress. Bolivar took up a position at San Mateo, in order to
cover Caracas. A series of attacks, in the space of forty days, reduced the
number of Bolivar's force to four hundred. Cevallos had repaired the
effects of his defeat at Araure, and, reinforced by General Cagigal, had
penetrated to Valencia. The patriot division of the east having defeated
Boves at Bocachica, and compelled him to retire to the Llanos, and having
subsequently united with the remains of Bolivar's force, marched against
Cagigal and Cevallos, whose well-organized troops amounted to six thousand.
These were attacked and defeated by Bolivar, who then detached the greater
part of his force to reduce the province of Coro to submission, and himself
marched against Boves. Bolivar was overwhelmed by numbers at La Puerta. His
division dispersed, and fled to Cundinamarca. He was then obliged to
abandon Caracas. The same day witnessed the affecting spectacle of several
thousand inhabitants leaving their homes and property at the mercy of the
ruthless spoiler, while they themselves set out to face want, disease, and
death, in distant provinces.

On the 17th of August, Bolivar lost the battle of Aragua. The subsequent
affairs of Maturin, Cumana, Carupano, Guiria, Urica, and El Caris, were
fought, with varying success. All being lost in the east, Bolivar next
proceeded to Carthagena, and offered his services to New Granada, then
agitated by discordant parties of provincialists, centralists,
metropolists, federalists, royalists, and independents. A con