This enabled them to reconquer New
Granada, and the blood of its citizens was made to stream from the
scaffold.
At Kingston, Bolivar narrowly escaped assassination. The casual
circumstance of exchanging apartments with another person, caused the
murderer's dagger to be planted in the heart of a faithful follower,
instead of in that of Bolivar. The author of these memoirs happened to
live, for a few days, in the same boarding-house. Some officers of a
British line-of-battle ship, not speaking Spanish, requested him to invite
Bolivar, in their name, to dine with them. This was only a few weeks
previous to the intended assassination of Bolivar.
From Jamaica, Bolivar went to Hayti, and was received at Port-au-Prince by
Petion with kind hospitality, and was assisted by him as far as his means
would allow.
In April, 1816, he sailed with three hundred men to Margarita, which island
had lately again shaken off the Spanish yoke. He arrived at Juan Griego,
where he was proclaimed supreme chief of the republic. On the 1st of June
he sailed, and on the 3rd landed at Campano, where he beat nine hundred
Spaniards. He then opened a communication with patriot chieftains, who had
maintained themselves in isolated parties dispersed over the _llanos_ of
Cumana, Barcelona, and the Apure.
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