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272 Guayaquil led in September, 1876, a revolution against President Borrero. He defeated the govern- ment troops at Galte on 14 Dec, and on the 25th of that month entered the capital, and was proclaimed president by the Liberal party. In 1877 he defeated a rising of the Clerical party, but, as he retained many Conservative members in his cabinet, he was soon suspected by the Liberals of a leaning toward the clergy. The convention of Ambato, "packed " in Veintimilla's interest, declared him in 1878 dic- tator for an unlimited, period, and he issued a de- cree abolishing religious liberty and suppressing four opposition newspapers, one of whose editors he cast into a dungeon. His rule was arbitrary, his chief aim seeming to be to aggrandize and enrich himself and his personal followers. When the end of his constitutional term approached in 1882 he instigated several mock pronunciamentos, and for their suppression proclaimed himself supreme chief. But soon his terrorism became so unbearable that there were genuine revolutions under Gen. Alfaro and Gen. Salazar. The government stronghold of Esmeraldas was captured in January, 1883, by the latter, and the garrison of Quito by Col. Reynaldo Flores, forcing the dictator to take refuge in his last stronghold, Guayaquil. He was there hemmed in by the combined forces of the different revolu- tionary leaders, re-enforced in May by the arrival of Antonio Flores, and, after a protracted struggle, the city was occupied on 9 July by the insurgents, and Veintimilla fled to the steamer " Santa Lucia," which conveyed him to Peru. On 21 July he reached Lima, where he has since resided.

VELASCO, Jose Miguel de' (vay-las'-co), Bo- livian soldier, b. in Santa Cruz de la Sierra about 1790; d. there in 1859. In early life he entered the military service and espoused the cause of in- dependence, and after the battle of Ayacucho he was promoted colonel by Bolivar. After the mu- tiny of Chuquisaca in April, 1828, and by the treaty of Piquiza, Santa Cruz was elected pro- visional president and Velasco vice-president, the latter taking charge of the executive on account of the former's absence. In December, Gen. Blanco was elected constitutional president, but he was deposed and murdered by a revolt on 31 Dec, and Velasco took charge again, delivering the executive in 1829 to Santa Cruz on his arrival. He took part in the campaigns against Peru, and the bat- tles of Yanacocna and Socabaya, but when Santa Cruz marched against the Chilians in 1838, Velasco led a revolution against him in the south, and after the former's fall the latter was proclaimed presi- dent in 1839. His administration was a continuous struggle against the revolutions of Santa Cruz's followers, and in 1841 he was captured by the lat- ter and banished, but soon afterward he returned and pronounced for Jose Ballivian, who was elected president. On the resignation of Ballivian in De- cember, 1847, Velasco was proclaimed president, but, instead of re-establishing the constitution of 1839, according to his promise, he governed at his own discretion, discontent and revolutions follow- ing. Manuel Isidoro Belzu defeated him on 5 Dec, 1848, at Jamporaez. and was proclaimed president. Velasco then retired to his native city, where he died when he was preparing a new revolution against the government of Dr. Linares. He was a well- meaning man of undoubted bravery, but of little talent and feeble character, permitting his follow- ers to commit many arbitrary acts in his name.

VELASCO, Juan de, South American his- torian, b. in Riobamba, Ecuador, in 1727; d. in Verona, Italy, in 1819. He was educated at Quito and Lima, entered the Jesuit order, and occupied for many years the chair of theology in the Uni- versity of San Marcos in Lima. After the expul- sion of the Jesuits from the Spanish dominions, Velasco went to Italy, where he settled in Faenza, and devoted his time to poetry. He afterward went to Verona for the publication of his works, but died before concluding arrangements. His history, although defective on account of the au- thor's excessive credulity, is valuable for the facts that it gives about the reign of the Shyris, before the first invasion by the incas of Peru. The work was often consulted by writers on American his- tory, but was not generally known in Europe until its translation into French by Henri Ternaux- Compans, and shortly afterward it was published in the original language in Quito, with notes by Agustin Yerovi, who had obtained a copy of the manuscript. Velasco's works are "Colleccion de Poesias, hecha por un ocioso en la ciudad de Fa- enza," in five manuscript volumes; a large map of the kingdom of Quito, remarkably correct for that epoch, the publication of which is shortly to be undertaken by the government of Ecuador; and "Historia del Reyno de Quito" (3 vols., Quito, 1841-4 ; French translation, Paris, 1840).

VELASCO, Luis de, Count of Santiago, viceroy of Mexico, b. in Toledo, Spain, about 1500 ; d. in the city of Mexico, 31 July, 1564. He was descend- ed from the no- ble family of the constables of Castile, and had acquired such fame as a just and impar- tial magistrate, that Charles V., when he or- dered Antonio de Mendoza to Peru, resolved to send Velasco to Mexico as his successor. On 5 Dec, 1550, he arrived in Vera Cruz, and, after confer- ring with Men- doza at Cholu- la, began his ad- ministration by emancipating 150.000 Indians, who until then had been no better than slaves. When he was remonstrated with about this measure, which his counsellors said would ruin the mines, he answered that the liberty of the Indians was more valuable 'than the mines of the whole world. In 1553 the University of Mexico was founded, and he also instituted a hospital for the natives. When the Chichimec Indians revolted in 1555, Velasco founded the towns of San Miguel el Grande and San Felipe de Ixtlahuaca, and sent Capt. Francisco Ibarra to the north, who founded the towns of Durango and Nombre de Dios. He sent in 1558-9 expeditions under Guido de Labezares and Tristan de Luna y Arellano to explore and conquer Florida, but without favorable results, and in 1564 he was preparing an expedition under Miguel L. de Legazpi for the conquest of the Philippine islands, when he was overtaken by death. He was greatly mourned bv the people of Mexico, who called him " father of New Spain." — His son, Luis, Marquis de Salinas, b. in Madrid, Spain, in 1535; d. in Seville in 1614. came to Mexico with his father in 1550, occupied several posts in the municipality of