put to flight. The pursuit being indiscreetly conducted by the patriots,
and a fresh royalist division arriving to support Morillo, the fortune of
the day was changed. Each party was alternately defeated, and both
rallied their dispersed corps to reengage at Ortiz.

The division which succeeded in capturing San Fernando had an indecisive
affair at Cojedes. Others of the same character took place at El Rincon
del Toro, and other places. At the close of this campaign, the Spaniards
held Aragua, and the patriots San Fernando. Thus the former possessed the
most fertile provinces of Venezuela, and all New Granada; while the
latter were reduced to the Llanos and Guayana. Arms were sent to General
Santander, who was endeavouring to raise a division in Casanare.

In 1819, the various corps united in San Fernando, where the supreme
chief devoted his labours to the regulation of civil affairs. He invited
the provinces to send deputies to Angostura, to form a general congress,
and then delegated his powers to a council of government to act in his
absence.

With four or five thousand men, the supreme chief opened the campaign
against Morillo, who had six or seven thousand. Twelve hundred British
troops arrived at Margarita from England. They had been
engaged in London by Colonel English, and were equipped and sent out by
Messrs. Herring and Richardson; besides these, eight hundred others also
arrived at Angostura. The latter were engaged by Captain Elsom, and sent
out by Messrs. Hurry, Powles, and Hurry; the greater part were disbanded
soldiers from the British army, reduced on the return of the troops from
France.[4] These volunteers were equipped in the most efficient manner.
With these expeditions large supplies of spare arms were sent to assist
the cause of independence. Bolivar, in his speech to congress, thus