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JlIircDida and the Britisli Admiralty 527 any fortified place on the coasts nor even the Island of Margaritta with any probability of success: on that supposition we came to Coro where we have compleatly succeeded in the first instance and notwithstanding a concatenation of blunders in pilots and our raw land officers that is really unaccountable. The people of the country are very well disposed to join us in this enterprise for their own sake, but at the same time they are ex- cessively shy, seeing that our troops are so few in number and that we may ultimately be driven out of the country, and leave them totally destitute of protection. If I had with me only one regiment of Infantry, and one or two squadrons of cavalry with one company of Artillery, the whole might be settled in a few days and our success would be compleatly obtained. I have evacuated the town of Coro with the view of inspiring confidence to the inhabitants, and going back again if necessary after having received a reinforcement of troops. In the secret correspondence that I intercepted at Coro, at the Com- mandant's House, I find in a letter dated 11'!' July 1S06 the following intelligence. " Via (?) abia noticia venida de Puerto Cavello por un barco proce- dente de Martinica que dicen ha llegado alii, notician que los Franceses han conquistado a Portugal cuio Reyno cede la Francia a nos ostros y en remplazo le danios esta Provincia." ' If this information is true (which would not surprise me in the present circumstances) this province instead of belonging to us as was intended, will become a province of France, and the footstool for the invasion of the whole South American Conti- tinent. We have no time to lose, my dear Admiral, send me the rein- forcements I mention to you in this letter and we shall be at Caraccas be- fore the month expires. I mean to hold on to this coast, and to keep some of the small ports, until I hear from you, and to direct my steps toward Puerto Cavello by the Sea Shore, in proportion as I shall receive reinforcements from you, from Jamaica or any where else : I am expecting to descry the Jason every moment or some other frigate that will give support to our gallant small squadron, with instructions that may enable the commanders to land a portion of their seamen, and support our efforts on shore, as Cap- tain Campbell has so willingly and so usefully done. Any side or fire arms are most necessarily wanted at this moment to give to the people that most anxiously demand them. I am with the greatest respect and affection etc. Fran, de Miranda. 1 /. e., apparently, " — have news from Puerto Cabello by a bark said to have ar- rived there from Martinique, that the French have conquered Portugal, which country France cedes to us [Spain], and in return we give her this province [meaning, prob- ably, the captain-generalship of Caricas],