Alexandria gazette & advertiser. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1822-1824, 1823-07-08
Spanish force
Colombian force

y
So that The Spanish force was more than
double IN number OF guns besides great
superiority IN weight OF metal and more
lhau three tunes the number Of men. Not.
w,thslanding this great dlsproporlIon OF
force, il appears That the two Colombian
cogveites maintalued the contest warmly
tor more than an hour, within pistol shot,
after the departure OF ComInandant Be-
luChe with his vessels. Bait Patriot.
LAGuIRA, May 18th, 1923.
To His ExcellenCy Gen. Charles Soub
iette, lntendant OF Venezuela, DC &c
SIR-l have the honor 10 present to you
a narrative OF the events which occurred
IRON the goth Apr 'tIli lst May, in re-
gara 10 the vessels composing the Nation.
al Division, which had The honor to com-
mdEd,
by the orders of your ExoelIency, |
was charged TO press The block AIDE OF
Puerto CavelIo with all possible r,gor,
winch siIenuousiy eDdeavured TO effect,
by taxing all the measures winch betiev.
ed most proper to OBTAIN so desirable re-
suil For the purpose OF explaining more
particularly the situation winch | intend
ed The vessels OF the DIVISION should &C.
cupy on the 26,n April and tine follow lug
days, | have The honor 10 Transmit TO your
EAceIiency copy OF my instructions to
Captain q .. CHRISTIE, commanding the
corvette Maria francesca, !. under whose
direction had placed the corvette Boli-
var, Lieut.. b. Murray, lie brig Iencedor
Lieutenant +. N broIherton, the schr
Flor de la Mar, Lieut.. Sam'l Wright, the
schooner Rayo, Lieutenant Wool, with
orders to make close blockade OF Puerto
Csyeiio, anu especially not to devIate IRON
my instructions | transmit TO you ai,u
copy OF my instructions to he sever !
commanders of vessels under the di.ecton
OF Captain Christie. You will perceive
by these instructions, that was on board
tue corvette Cara5obo, and that my IN.
tentlon was not tn separate the vessels.
From some Cause which have not as
certaIned, the corvette Bolivar was sepa.
rated from the division, and was not ~
sight on the LIST Nay the day of The battle,
nor Tor ssverol days before On The 29,h
April the brig Veno edor, ioulen,nl Bro
therton, being off POINT oucaqre, capt
b therton observed vessel 10 ieeward
iSJtu!u, NC libbiSdidleJJ -utTGCtGu DIS
course towards the place, and discovered
that it was the brig PInchInCa, lieutenant
iatlbews; he dlsp"tcneu Inr lh- schr
Flor lie la hfar, lieutenant Wright, to in
form ne OF this event, which learned on
ihe 3Uth April, al e,eyen O'Clock al night.
The next morning | made signal to The Ma
ria Francisco, captain Cbi'sue, 10 approach
me, with the intention OF dispatcbIng her
io",rds the brig PmcGincha, that she
might render her every possible assistance,
ana IN case OF the loss OF the brig, to save
her guns and whaievor else ii might be
practicable 10 OBTAIN, but while was ma.
King the necessary dispositions 10 this eff
feet, a signal from the Mara Ftsncisca.
announced tour strange sails, two ships,
anG two scbooners, which we soon ascer.
tanned to be Spanish Division, Com
mandant Rene Beluche, having arrived
from Ia Guayra about the same tiu.e that
The Spanish Division appeared, had an
interview with bin, and he promised to
support me in the engagement, which II
was now probable would take place, and
not abandon me, The force of the lnde-