After making some demonstrations on the coast of Caraccas and New Granada, without producing any impression, these two officers, with a land and sea force, at length sailed for Guyana, and entered the river Orinoco; and another chief having taken Old Guyana, a fortress which commands a narrow part of the river below the capital Angostura, they were en abled to besiege and capture that place. From the superior force of small craft on the river, and from the possession of Old Guyana, their position there was perfectly secure from all attempts of the Spa.. nish forces. In this place, Bolivar began to in crease and organize his forces, whilst his colleague Brion made many successful cruises, and captured some valuable Spanish vessels.
The population of the country is too thin to af ford many recruits, though some joined the insur gent standard from the southern part of the province of Caraccas. Their principal support was there de rived from those numerous military men who had been deprived of occupation by the peace in Eng land, France, and Germany. Agents from the South Americans were fixed in many parts, who gave great promises of encouragement to such as would volunteer their services. Many were induced to repair to the standard of Bolivar, by which, in the beginning of 1817, he was enabled to commence his operations, by ascending the river Apure, de signing to attack the capital of Caraccas from the plains or Llanos that bound it on the south. In three or four months he had advanced towards Ca lobozo, when the army of Morillo were on the op posite side of the country. He was so far success ful as to secure that place, but before he could reach the defiles which lead to the Caraccas, they were oc cupied by Spanish regular troops, which prevented his progress.
The greater part of the year was occupied both by the Spaniards and the Americans in strengthen. ing the two opposing The campaign of 1818 was opened by Bolivar, who again attempted to force the passes that communicated with Caraccas, but the Spanish army was so much increased at that point, that they not only resisted, but, after a weak attempt on his part, which was repulsed, became the assail ants. Several battles were fought, in which, if they were not decisive, the Spaniards seemed to have the advantage ; at length a battle near Ortin determined the fate of the campaign, and compelled Bolivar to abandon Calobozo, and descend the river to his former asylum at Angostura. There he was joined by various parties of Europeans, who were at length organized and prepared for the grand expedition. Though the party that rallied round Bolivar were designated the Venezuelan Republic, yet for two years they had not been able to gain one foot of ter ritory in that country, unless the Island of Margari ta could be called a part of it. As the attack on that country seemed hopeless, he directed his at tention to the province of New Granada. His river
craft was much superior to any that the Spaniards could bring to oppose it. He had been strengthen ed by r.amerous recruits from Europe, who, how ever mutinous and predatory, were endowed with high spirit and much courage, and they constituted the most important part of his forces. The naviga tion from the Orinoco and up the river Meta is a tremendous operation, but it was attempted and suc ceeded. The forces that Bolivar had collected at Angostura were embarked in various small craft ; after ascending the river to the junction of the Me ta, and mounting that stream, they had scarcely any opposition to apprehend from armed force, for the Spaniards were waiting their approach on the Llanos that separate Guyana from Caraccas. The few troops near Santa Fe de Bogota were insufficient to impede the progress of the insurgents even at the passes through that ridge of mountains in which the Meta has its source. The capital of New Granada fell into the power of the invading force, but no ac counts have reached Europe of the particulars of that event, which occurred in August 1819, nor of any subsequent transactions.
Whilst Bolivar was carrying on his operations in the interior, expeditions against several points on the coast were conducted by persons from Europe, who professed to act under the authority of the Ve nezuelan Republic, or the Republic of New Gra nada.
Macgregor, who had been a Lieutenant in the British army, and had served in 1815 under Bolivar, collected a force with which he surprised Portobello, but was in his turn surprised, and, though he himself escaped with part of his forces, a large part of them were sacrificed. He afterwards, when recruited by fresh arrivals from Europe, made an unsuccessful attempt upon Rio de la Hacha. The repulse pro duced commotions among his forces, and they are now nearly dispersed.
Another expedition, fitted out in Europe, under an Englishman of the name of English, under Vene zuelan colours, was directed against Cumana. It captured the open town of Barcelona on the coast, and proceeded to that city, but the attempt was re pelled with considerable loss on the part of the as sailants.
One thing seems certain, that the inhabitants of the country take no interest in the contest, nor have done so, since the commencement of the year 1816. Since that period, the insurgents have almost whol ly relied on the efforts of the numerous Europeans that have joined their standard. Whether this quies cent state of the natives has arisen from disgust to the cause or indifference to it, from the fear of the ven geance of the Spanish troops, or from the total defici ency of all weapons but those furnished from Eu rope, it is as difficult to determine as it is to foresee what will be the final issue of the contest.