gress
assembled at Tunja conferred upon Bolivar the command of the forces of New
Granada. Santa Fe de Bogota submitted, the provinces acknowledged the
congress, and an effort was made to establish a constitutional form of
government.

Bolivar having proposed to take the town of Santa Marta, still held by the
Spaniards, he was authorized by the government of Santa Fe to procure guns,
&c., from the arsenals of Carthagena. The governor of that fortress refused
to furnish the necessary supplies. In order to enforce compliance, Bolivar
invested Carthagena, before which he remained a considerable time, when he
heard of the arrival at Margarita of General Morillo, with ten thousand
Spanish troops. Upon this, Bolivar placed his own investing force at the
disposal of his rival, the governor of Carthagena; and, unwilling that the
cause of his country should continue to suffer from the dissention which
had arisen between himself and the governor, withdrew to Jamaica. Morillo,
soon afterwards, laid siege to Carthagena, which, unfortunately, in
consequence of the long investment it had already sustained, was nearly
destitute of provisions, Bolivar sent from Jamaica some supplies for the
besieged garrison; but before they could arrive, that important fortress
was in possession of the Spaniards. This enabled them to reconquer New
Granada, and the blood of its citizens was made to stream from the
scaffold.

At Kingston, Bolivar narrowly escaped assassination. The casual
circumstance of exchanging apartments with another person, caused the
murderer's dagger to be planted in the heart of a faithful follower,
instead of in that of Bolivar. The author of these memoirs happened to
live, for a few days, in the same boarding-house. Some officers of a
British line-of-battle ship, not speaking Spanish, requested him to invite
Bolivar, in their name, to dine with them. This was only a few weeks
previous to the intended assassination of Bolivar.

From Jamaica, Bolivar went to Hayti, and was received at Port-au-Prince by
Petion with kind hospitality, and was assisted by him as far as his means
would allow.

In April, 1816, he sailed with three hundred men to Margarita, which island
had lately again shaken off the Spanish yoke. He arrived at Juan Griego,
where he was proclaimed supreme chief of the republic. On the 1st of June
he sailed, and on the 3rd landed at Campano, where he beat nine hundred
Spaniards. He then opened a communication with