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MEXICO. 139 the public mind, enforced, as they were, by the example and success of Morelos, whose career it will now be my duty to trace, as furnishing one of the most interesting episodes in the Mexican Revolution. We left Morelos, in October, 1810, setting out from Valla- dolid, with a commission from Hidalgo to act as Captain-ge- neral of the provinces on the South- Western coast, without any other retinue than a few servants, from his own curacy, armed with six muskets, and some old lances. The first ad- dition which he received to this force, on arriving on the coast, was a numerous band of slaves from Petatan, and other towns, eager to purchase their liberty on the field of battle : arms were, however, so scarce, that twenty muskets, which were discovered in Petatan, were considered an invaluable acquisi- tion. The brothers, Don Jose, and Don Antonio, Galeana, who had already declared for the cause of Independence joined him, soon afterwards, with their adherents, (November, 1810,) and increased his numbers to about a thousand men. With this force Morelos advanced upon Acapulco. He was met by the Commandant of the district, Don Francisco Paris, at the head of a numerous and well-appointed body of troops. Notwithstanding his superiority, Morelos, aware of the ne- cessity of commencing his operations by a coup-d' eclat, deter- mined to attack the camp of the Royalists by night. The attempt was crowned with complete success. On the 25th of January, 1811, the enemy was surprised, and thrown into such confusion on the first onset, that they thought of nothing but a rapid flight. Eight hundred muskets, five pieces of artillery, a quantity of ammunition, and a considerable sum of money, fell into the hands of Morelos, who thus saw all his wants supplied at once. Seven hundred prisoners were taken at the same time, all of whom were treated with the greatest humanity. This successful enterprize was, as Morelos him- self frequently said, the corner-stone of all his later triumphs. The rapidity of his progress, from this moment, was astonish-