he patriots; the greater number of the
priests, however, professed to be loyal subjects of the King of Spain,
and supported his cause. One might have supposed that the Spaniards,
after all they had suffered at the hands of Napoleon's generals, would
have been inclined to treat their fellow-countrymen in their colonies
with leniency; but, on the contrary, the only lesson they appeared to
have learned had taught them to be more cruel and tyrannical than their
conquerors.

Among the various friends about whom my uncle made inquiries was our
relative, Don Fernando Serrano, whose estate was a few leagues off,
though it abutted upon that of Mr Concannan, which extended a
considerable distance to the southward. Properties in that country are
of great extent, and a visitor to Don Serrano's house had to travel a
dozen leagues through his estate before reaching it. He was not only a
wealthy man, but greatly esteemed by all who knew him. He was supposed
to entertain strong Liberal principles, but, on account of his age and
health, had taken no part in the struggle going forward. My mother's
and Uncle Denis's father, I may remark, had married his sister; he was
therefore my great-uncle, and his children were my cousins. Our
families, too, had always been on the most friendly terms, and my father
and mother had paid frequent visits at his house. His eldest son, Don
Carlos, who was married and had a large family, lived with him. Two of
Don Carlos' sons and one of his brothers had joined the insurgents, but,
not to commit Don Fernando, had assumed different names; though we knew
that both Don Fernando and Don Carlos afforded much pecuniary assistance
to the Liberals. From the precautions they had taken, they believed
that they were not suspected by the Royalists, and at all events they
had escaped being molested.

Their chief cause of anxiety arose, however, from the hostile behaviour
of a tribe of Indians, the Barawas, who inhabited the shores of the
river Guaviare, falling into the Orinoco. They belonged to the great
Carib family, and had many years before been driven by their white
invaders from their native territory on the coast to the eastward, and
had here settled themselves; retaining, however, their warlike
disposition and many of their ancient manners and customs. Barawa is a
Carib name for the sea; and they consequently took it, as was supposed,
from their ancestors having lived on the borders of the ocean, or h