remedy was efficacious; from that moment, every one being at liberty to depart, no one dreamt of deserting, and the confidence of safety was restored to all. Five days after the battle we found a pecada, a path of the width of a man, rarely of two, traced in the forest. This path conducted us to a house, where we appeased our hunger by slaughtering two oxen.

From thence we pursued our route towards Lages, at which place we arrived in a frightful day of rain.

CHAPTER XXX.

SOJOURN AT LAGES, AND IN ITS ENVIRONS.

THAT good country of Lages, which had made so much of us when we were victorious, at the news of our defeat changed its flag, and some of the most resolute had re-established the Imperial system. These took flight on our arrival, and as they were traders, most part of them had left their magazines, furnished with all sorts of things. This was providential for us, for we thought ourselves entitled, without remorse, to appropriate to ourselves the goods of our enemies, and thanks to the variety of trades they exercised, our condition was very much ameliorated.

In the meantime, Texeira wrote to Aranha, ordering him to join us, and he had about that period news of the arrival of Colonel Portinko, who had been sent by Bento-Manoel to follow that same corps of Mello so unfortunately met with by us at Caritibani.

I have served in America the cause of peoples, and I have sincerely served it; I was therefore the adversary of absolutism there as in Europe. A lover of the system in harmony with my opinion, and consequently an enemy of the opposite system, I have sometimes admired men-I have often pitied them-I have never hated them. When I have found them selfish and wicked, I have placed their wickedness and

their selfishness to the account of our unfortunate nature. As I have left the theatre where the events passed which I am relating; as I am, at the moment I write, two thousand leagues from it, my impartiality may be believed. Well, I speak for my friends as for my enemies; these children of the American Continent against whom I fought were intrepid men, but they in whose ranks I had taken my place were not less intrepid.

It was, then, a bold enterprise for us to stop and defend Lages against an enemy ten times our superior in numbers, and whose confidence was doubled by recent victory. Separated from him by the river Canoas, which we could not sufficiently fortify to defend it, we waited long and tedious days for the junction of Aranha and Portinko, and during all that time the enemy were held in check by a handful of men. soon as reinforcements arrived, we marched resolutely towards them; but this time it was they who declined the combat, and who fell back upon the neighbouring province of San-Paolo, where they hoped to find powerful assistance.

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It was in this circumstance that I verified the defects and vices with which the republican armies are generally reproached. These armies are composed of men for the most part full of patriotism and courage, who only choose to remain under their colours whilst the enemy threatens, and depart and abandon them when he disappears. This vice was almost our ruin; this defect was near causing our destruction; in the circumstance, an enemy better informed might have annihilated us by profiting by it.

The Seiranians gave the example of abandoning their ranks; Portinko's men followed them. Be it observed, that the deserters not only took away their own horses, but those of the division, so that our strength melted away from day to day with such rapidity that we were soon obliged to abandon Lages, and retire towards the province of Rio-Grande, dread

H

ing the presence of that enemy who had been forced to fly before us, and whose flight had conquered us.

Let this serve as an example to people who wish to be free; let them learn that it is not with flowers, fêtes, and illuminations that the warlike, disciplined soldiers of a despotism are fought, but with soldiers still more warlike and more disciplined than they are. Let them not, then, undertake this rude task who are not capable of rendering a people warlike and disciplined, after having roused them. There are also peoples who are not worth the trouble of rousing-the gangrene is not curable.

The rest of our forces, thus diminished, when we were short of everything most necessary, particularly clothes a terrible privation at the approach of the dark and rough winter of these elevated regions,—the rest of our forces, I said, began to be demoralized, and to demand in a loud voice to be permitted to go to their homes. Texeira was therefore obliged to yield to this exigence, and ordered me to descend from the mountains and join the army, preparing on his part to do the same. This retreat was painful, both on account of the difficulties of the roads and of the concealed hostilities of the inhabitants of the forest, bitter enemies of the Republic.

To the number, then, of seventy or thereabouts, we descended the Picada di Peloffo. I have already said what a picada was, and we had to encounter unforeseen and reiterated ambuscades, which we got through with astonishing good fortune, thanks to the resolution of the men I led, and a little to the boundless confidence which I in general inspire in those I command. The path we followed was scarcely wide enough to allow two men to pass abreast, and was on all sides surrounded by maquis. The enemy, born in that country, acquainted with all the localities, formed their ambuscades in the most favourable places; then they surrounded us, rising up suddenly with furious cries, whilst a circle of flame was lighted and crackled

around us, without our being able to see the men who fired, fortunately more noisily than skilfully. But the admirable firmness of my men and their union in danger were such, that only a few were slightly wounded, and we had but one horse killed.

These events truly recall to my mind the enchanted forests of Tasso, where every tree was a living being, and had a voice and blood.

We joined the head-quarters at Mala Cosa, where Bento-Gonzales then was, uniting in his own person the functions of president and general-in-chief.

CHAPTER XXXI.

BATTLE OF TAQUARE.

THE republican army was preparing to march. As to the enemy, since the last battle of Rio-Pardo they had recruited at Porto-Allegro, left that place under the orders of the old General Georgio, and established their camp on the banks of the Cahé, awaiting the junction of General Calderon, who, with an imposing body of cavalry had set out from Rio Grande, and was to join him by crossing the country.

The great inconvenience I have before noticed of the dispersion of the Republican troops when no longer face to face with the enemy, gave the latter a facility in all they wished to undertake; so that at the moment when General Netto, who commanded the forces of the campaign, had got together a sufficient number of men to fight Calderon's, the latter had already joined the Imperial army on the Cahé.

It was indispensable that the President should unite with the division of Netto, if he wished to be in a condition to fight the enemy: and it was for this reason he raised the siege. This manœuvre and the junction which followed had a happy result, and did great honour to the military capacity of Bento-Gonzales. We set out with the army of Mala-Casa, taking the

direction of San Leopoldo, passing within two miles of the enemy's army. After a continual march of two days and two nights, during which we were almost without food or drink, we arrived in the neighbourhood of Taquarè, where we fell in with General Netto, who was coming to meet us.

When I said almost without food or drink, I spoke the truth. As soon as the enemy learnt our movements, they marched resolutely upon us, and often came up with and attacked us whilst we were reposing for an instant, or were occupied in roasting the meat which was our only nourishment. Now, at least ten times, when our meat was done to a turn, the sentinels cried "To arms!" and we were obliged to fight instead of breakfasting or dining. At length we halted at Pinhurinho, six miles from Taquarè, and all made preparations for battle.

The republican army, of a thousand infantry and five hundred horse, occupied the heights of Pinhurinho, a mountain covered with pines, as its name indicates, not very lofty, but yet dominating the neighbouring mountains. The infantry was in the centre, commanded by the old colonel Crezunzio. The right wing obeyed General Netto, and the left wing General Canavano. The two wings, then, were composed entirely of cavalry, beyond contradiction the best in the world. The infantry also was excellent. The eagerness to come to blows was general. Colonel San-Antonio formed the reserve with a body of cavalry.

The enemy on their side had four thousand foot, and, it was said, three thousand horse and some pieces of cannon; their position was taken on the other side of a little torrent which separated us, and their aspect was far from being contemptible. Their army was composed of the best troops of the empire, commanded by an old and experienced general.

Up to this point the enemy had marched warmly in pursuit of us, and had taken all the dispositions for a regular attack. Two pieces of cannon, planted upon