The National Register. — London, England, 1821-09-23 00:00:00

,-) i Ow Ling, Con§titution, anti ILairsi. No. I,S!3.—Vot. XIV.] ,eigate u. _ Collet, and the golctta l'llirondelle, . by M. Ropert. This squadron sailed in the direction of Margin ita, and on the 30th of June anchored about a league from the land, opposite the fort La Geier°. The nest day two officers were sent on shore, where they had leinaed that the inhabitants had refused to fur nish their contingent of 1,000 men, which had been required by the President of the Republic, and that their chief, Al ismendi, being desirous of acceding to their demand, had been sent away from the island, and had escaped to Barcelona on board the indepetalent goletta Le Noureaux Congres, on the 5 .h of May lost. Tue squadron again set sail, and arrived on the 3d of: July in sight of La Guayra, where the Spanish flag was flying. Three French vessels were at this anchorage, ic Sylene and rE g erie, commanded by MM. Moricc end Duni:weir, k , nd a merchantman :rem 11lartinique. According. to orders from II•ron Duperre, com mandant of the station of the Leeward Islamic, l'Egerte and. Sigcne immediately joined Rear M mirel Jorien's division. These two vessels remained 1 day at La Guayra, where the Spanish gail:son was reduced to the last extremity. To make tile narrative of the events which fol lowed the arrival of the French ships in the road s.cad intelligible, it is necessity to give a statement ~f the situ:llion of the republic of Columbia with respect to the war at that period. On the 27th of Muy last, after the taking of 'Cameras and La Guayra, Bi igadier Morales re paired to Valencia to join Gen. La Torres, the Commander-in-Chief of the Royal army, 'cavil) , Col. Pereyra with 1,500 men to defend the capital against Bermudes, who was at the head of a divi sion of the Independent ataly. After some engagements of no iTnportance, Pereyra was constrained to fall back, and the inhabitants of La Guyara, menaced with a new invasion, removed on the 22d of June to Porto Cabello. On the 23d Beimudes entered Caraceus to attack Pereyra's divi sion, but he was defeated and put to flight by the latter, who forced him to a distance of seven or eight leagues from the city. On the 240, Bolivar and General Paea, gained the battle of Curabobo, ~ g ainst Gen. La Torre and Brigadier Morales, who took refuge at Porto Cabello. Col. Pereyra then gave up the pursuit at Bermu des for the purpose of moving again upon Caraccas, but he was intercepted in his march by another division of the victoriues suety, anti compelled to retire to La Guayra, which Was then occupied by a detachment of only 20 men belonging to the Inde pendent troops he arrived there on the 2,1 of July unit 900 men, after a forced march of seversl days la almost impassable ravines. Boliver,,,who entered Caracas on the SOth of June, direct,d ha route on • La Guayra, and surrounded the place on all sides with a corps of about 4,000 men. Colonel Pereyra was thus shut op in La Guayra, where not a single inhabitant cemented; he was without provisions, without stores, with a disisiun of 900 men, whose sale nourishment for tn'o days past was the Juice of some sugar canes, and who manifested their doter. urination ()laying of starvation sooner than fall into t he power of the besiegers the advanced posts of the latter wen; in sight the very day the Spanish ei%ision entered that place. Such was the state of La Guayra on the 3d of July at noon, when lteer.Admirol Juticn anchored in the roadstead. Ile immediately sent M. Lalonde, his first Adjutant, to Colonel Percy:a, This °facer, reduced to the lest extremity, had resolved to die in the place rather than surrender to Boliv.T ; he had renewed the demands which he bad made the pr..- cedin ts eveniog of the Captains of the . 4. ,Aste and the Egerle to embark the Spanish gartison, and convey it to Porto Cabello, adding, that tt was no succour which lie then asked from the French; that he had made up his mind to run.iin un shore n itit the blacks, Rear-, iorien, judging only course towards a reconciliation of the duties and interests of all parties, engaged Col. Pereyra to accept the capitulation which Bolivar had proposed to lm, on condition that that General should con sent to the embarkation of the Spanish troops on board the King's ships. This, which was the only means of safety, was eagerly embraced by the officers and by the soldiers of the Spanish &vision, and the negotiations were instantly commenced. In the course of the evening there appeared in the offing a convoy of fifteen sail, under the escort of a ship of war, which appeared to be steering for Porto Cabello. The night was passed in tranquillity. On the 4th July, at duy-break, the advanced posts of the Independent army were within half cannon shot of the town, several flags of truce passed to and fro, and Bolivar in person pushed forward a reconnoitring party up to the advanced guard; shortly afterwards the Spanish colours which were flying wore struck on the citadel, and the troops which occupied it de. scended into the town. At half-past seven in the morning a Field Officer of the Spanish division, and an Aide-de-Camp of • Bolivar, repaired on board the Colossus, to announce to Rear-Admiral Julien that the capitulation had taken place with the modifications pointed out, by him, and to request, on the part of Gen. Bolivar and Cul. Pcreyra, that he would be pleased to give orders for the embarkation of the Sp.a.lalt troops, which were to evacuate the place in two hours, with their . arms and baggage. After these arrangements, M. Lalande, lieutenant of the navy, was again sent on shore, to communi cate wills Cul. Pcreyra on the means of forwarding as much as possible the embarkation of the Spanish troops, and with orders to visit General Bu:ivar, who, with Isis staff, was in one of the first houses in the subutki. Lalonde was exceedingly well received, and the General addressed hint as i011ows:—" I must beg of you to give my thanks to the itear-Admiral for the conduct tie has pursued in this affair: he has preserved the strictest neutrality, and he has at the same time given mean opportuuitj of proving to the world, and to tlio Spaniards in particular, that we do not make war like barbarians, Col. t'ercyra is an excellent soldier, who defends with incredible constancy the cause which has been confided to him: I have granted him a capitulation which he could not have expected; in fine, I have granted all that he asked, because I know that he lies defended him self to the last extremity; any longer perseverance . would have been a useless waste of blood in a war which has already cost so much; we are both of us much 'idebted to the Admiral fur the opportunity of sltaring it." /11.1.,olande was likewise instructed to say to Gen. Ilolivar that French ixuntneroo relied upon I'is jus. tice and his protection in the case of any ship of our nation touching at any of the ports, or on any part of the coast subject to his command. " You may as sure the Admiral," lie rep“cal, " that the trade of Franco shall no where be so well protected as in the republic of Columbia. We have lately a second time taken Caraccas, the town most attached to So-its, and no disorder has been committed even against the Spaniards: what then shall we do for u nation, which, in the present instance, gives us so fine an example of neutrality in this our ti mils querrel?" At 10 o'clock in the forenoon M. Lalande returned to the beach, *hero the Spanish troops were draw a up; the boats of the squadron were ordered to re ceive them, and the embarkation was effected, not. withstanding innumerable d'fficulties, the sea rolling very heavily, and breaking pith great force on the beach, which could not be aprrouched by the boats without great risk of being clothed to pieces. The officers and soldiers, exhausted with fittilre, pressed with hanger, and with their clothes in rags, were fined to wade up to their shoulders in the water to Set into the boats; and even women, worn out and ifrr ationalt SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 28, 1821. • ' t Pit wE Sid. The unfortunate Spaniards, whom the cold had seized after being thrown into the water, came on deck almost dying, and had great difficulty in dra ging themselves up to the place destined to receive them. But scarcely were they on board when every one hastened to relieve them from the wet tatters with which they were covered, and gave them cic. thing more comfortable and decent. Captains Com mandant, Etat Majors, young officers of marines, masters and seamen, disputed the pleasure of lavish ing their succours on the old soldiers, whose honour able wounds attested their valour. About half an hour after the embarkation of the Spanish troops, those of Columbia made repeated discharges of musketry in the place in token of rc joicing, and the captain of the French craft, Le Pc tit Far, complained that he had been tired upon,and that several balls had reached on board. M. La- Linde was again sent to infinm General Bolivar of this circumstance, and to demand the search for and the punishment of the guilty ones. That General replied, that he was in despair lest such an accident should fall out, notwithstanding the orders for the prewtion of it which he had the precaution to issue. It. was known subsequently front information which he caused to be taken, that some soldiers having drank without inederation of strong liquors, had directed their pieces towards the sea, without the intent of firin ,, on Le Petit Fox. _ _ M.. Paris, French vent, consi•;ner of this vessel, having already several cargoes in the warehouses of La Guayra, and fearing to see them carried off, had entreated Rear Admiral Jurien to assist him in cm barking thcm, and he had been promised marines and boats to effect the operation more promptly ; but circumstances !lasing altered, M. Paris no longer• deemed it neccssaty to remove them. The day was far advanced when all the disposi tions relative to the embarkation of the Spaniards were tertainated. The calm did not Fa mit the squadron to set sail, and the departure from Ls Guayra was postponed ti'l the following day. lhe .sth July, the squadron hoisted sail. The c.tl•n and the feebleness of the n•ind did not allow of r their arrival at the anchorage at Porto Cabello till the following evening. Rear Admiral Jurien itnin • diately sent an uflicer to General La Torre, to demand boats lar the disembarkment of the Spaui•'r troops. The cOnsoy which had been descried front La Guayra on the of July was fauna in th,..e roads, together with the Ifia, of 6 & guns, lite Viceroy of Mexico and of Grenada, and Plenipoten dries from Spain, had turived in this ship to treat ler peace with the Independents of Columbia, An Aide-de-Cutup of General La Torre came on his pert to invite Rear Admirel Jurien and some officers of the ilivisian to his house. They tound there the Viceroys, the Plenipotentiaries, and the principal Chiefs, who received them in the kindest Planner. A person sent flrom- the Republic of Columbia hod entered the city to propose on armistice. Bolls% r himself was to come in a few Buys feom Volencia, which is only seven or eight Icogues distant, in the intet:or. Evej thing seemed to announce the end of Ws obstinate and unfortunate war. On the Bth of July, Rear Adm;ral Juticu prt . posed to WI, and continue b;s ct4ti , e, with the (Otosse ship of the I;ne, and the Gelathee frigate—. Before he quitted Porto Cabello he gave orders for the captain of the 'n Syene, of the Egerie eta vttte, uud the liirmultik• riqott • to return to Mg+ - tinique, rid put themselves under the flag of Rear Aduairel Duperre. It is a curious circumstance that King Charles I. slept at the Prim ) ! in Brecknonk, on hii way t eitiN 3 ! North Wales from the Duke of Beaufort's, Au,• . (. I. '-`;...... -... -ne - 1642, and that his present itlajesty should Fle . p .. 5. .. ,. " N ' . , • them also on his roadto the saute nobleman's lux week. Slit7ll AMERICA. and perish with them if it were necessary; but that suffering from privations of every kind, reduced to —ep-- he besought the Admiral to receive on board the the same necessity, presented a scene the most SURRENDER OF LA GUYRA. Europeans, who up to that day had shared in his touching and most afflicting. We have reason to believe the following is an se- fortunes, attuning him, moreover, that they should The cares and activity of M. Ltlamle effected this curate narrative:— leave their arms and baggage ou shore, and t...ke operation with the best possible order. This officer On the 28th of June last, the vessel k Colosse, their departure as refugees. After having spoken exercised, under these circumstances, a teal the most on Ward at' which Heise Admire Jurien hoisted his to this effect to Mr. Lalonde, Col. Pereyra sent on remarkable and most worthy of praise. Ahcart two Eag,, and which it commanf l et tliy M. Rrontiwetlia ' Zees& the Coleman tiro #oen 0/442itaicoyitb in- o'clock there remained ashore only Col. Percy& and the road - of St. Pietre at Martinique, in cempnny st iuc ti o ns t o m a ke an official statement - of the ditpo- •some atlas offinissorbikrapaired ouboaral in a sepa- with the frigate In Gal'dlec, commanded by M. sitions of their Chief. , rate boat. All the soldiers embarked bad preserved Collet, and the coletta 1' lliroluklle, commanded by Rear-Admiral Jurien, judging mediation to be the i their arms. " _ • ~~ ~~ 1 4' *