The Sun.
London, England, 1828-07-11 00:00:00

EXTRACT FROM RECOLLECTIONS OF

A SERVICE IN COLOMBIA.

While General Morillo and his forces re-
mained at Margarita the last time, Mad. Aris-
mendez, a very beautiful and interesting woman,
the second wife of the General, then far advanced
in pregnancy, while bathing at night* in the riv©r
winch runs through La Ciudad, was captured
by a detachment of the Spanish army, and car-
ried to head-quarters. Arismendez vowed a
ten-fold vengeance when he ascertained his loss;
and immediately sallied forth with a numerous
body of men, at the head of whom he attacked
the enemy, slew a great number of them, and
took a Colonel and 160 soldiers prisoners.--
This Colonel, who was reputed the best officer
in Morillo's army, and was that leader's great
favourite, had proved himself the most merciless
destroyer of the Margaritanians, which being
known to Arismendez, the latter had been for a
long time endeavouring to capture him ; and
having now succeeded, his doom was instantly
fixed. When -Morillo received intelligence of
this disaster from the few who had escaped (as
a Spaniard would have been killed by the piques
before he could have reached the infbriated Ge-
neral), he despatched a little native boy, one of
his prisoners, with a note, proposing to restore
Madame Arismendez if his officer were sent back.
unhurt ; and declaring that she should be put
to death if he were not. The soldiers had al-
ready been slain when the note arrived ; to which
General Arismendez composed an answer, con-
formably to the following translation Gen.
Arismendez wars not with women, but against
the Spaniards, the enemies of his country, and
the disgrace distill= nature. General Morillo
may act as he pleases towards the wife of Aris-
mendez : dear as she is to him, he holds the
safety of his country dearer; and before the
bearer of this sets out on his return, the
monster whose hands have been so often steeped
in the blood of its unotfending inhabitants will
be dead." The above letter having been written,
the two sons of Arismendez drew lots to deter-
mule which should execute the prisoner.
Chance. decided for the youngest, who separated
the officer's head from his body with a machetti,
in the presence of the boy messenger, who was
then sent back to his employer. On receiving
the answer of Arismendez, Morillo was on the
point of putting his fair captive to death,
when some of his officers, moved by her
pitiable situation and tears, diverted him front
his purpose, and she was sent prisoner to Spain,
and confined in the fortreSs of Cadiz. 'non'
this place, after an imprisonment of a few days
only, she contrived to escape in the habit of 3
seaman ; and as she spoke the Spanish language
equal to a native, she managed to get on board
a merchant vessel in that capacity, which was
Just about to sail. This vessel was soon after
captured by a Venezuelan privateer, off the
Western Islands ; and in it, as a prize, she now
sailed in triumph to her husband. When she
landed at Margarita, all the females of the Island
assembled on the beach to receive her, and strewed,
the path from the shore to the General's house,
upwards of four miles, with flowers. A car was
also constructed, in which she was drawn to her
home, within view of the Spaniards, who could
witness the procession from their posts.

A prevalent Custom among the ladies of South Algeria'