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THE LIVING METHOD FOR LEARNING

How to Think in French

How to Think in German

How to Think in Spanish

[Pg 745]

CONTENTS.

We have received a number of inquiries
from our young subscribers in reference to
what they may do for the soldiers and
sailors. The following circular letter
which has just been received will, we feel
sure, interest all of our subscribers. The
work outlined is certainly to be commended, and we[Pg 746]
hope to hear of branches of this society being started
in other parts of the country.

New Books

“The General’s Double,” by Captain King, and
“Trooper Ross and Signal Butte,” by the same author,[Pg 747]
come to us from the press of J. B. Lippincott Company.
The former is a capital story of the Civil
War, the plot being based upon the remarkable likeness
existing between two men in the Union army.
It has all of the charm of the works of this favorite
author.

The second book contains two stories, the heroes
of both being boys. The first, “Trooper Ross,” describes
the adventures of an officer’s son, his exciting
experiences with Indians on the plains as a little
chap, taking his part at boarding-school later; then,
failing to obtain his admission to West Point, he
works his way through the ranks to his commission.
“Signal Butte” covers a series of exciting adventures
in Arizona, in which two boys are the central figures.
This book will prove a great favorite with the boys
especially.

This book is published by Crowell & Co., Boston,
and is indeed well worth reading. There are two
editions—one illustrated, price $1.50; the other without
illustrations, price 60 cents.[Pg 748]

HON. WILLIAM EWART GLADSTONE,
Born December 29, 1809; died May 19, 1898.

[Pg 749]

Current History

In our last number we mentioned
in the “Latest
News” the sinking of the
Merrimac at the entrance of
the harbor of Santiago; since
then a number of accounts
have come, which we are sure
you will be interested to hear.
The brave fellows who were
with Lieutenant Hobson were
Daniel Montague, George Charette, Osborn Diegnan,
George F. Phillips, Francis Kelly, J. C. Murphy,
and Randolph Clausen.

Before submitting his plans to Admiral Sampson,
Lieutenant Hobson had worked them out to the
smallest detail. Shortly before starting he told his
plans to one of his companions. He said: “I am
quite sure that we can reach to within three or four
hundred yards past Estrella battery behind Morro
Castle. I do not think that they can sink me before
I can get there. When I reach this, the narrowest
part of the channel, I shall swing the vessel around,
stop the engines, open the sea valves, touch off the
torpedoes, and leave the vessel lying across the channel,
which is not as broad as the Merrimac is long.[Pg 750]
There are to be ten torpedoes below the water-line
placed against the bulkheads and connected with each
other by a wire under the ship. These torpedoes connect
with the bridge, and they should do their work
very quickly. I shall have four of the men on the
deck with me, and in the engine-room two others.
We will all be in our underclothing, with our revolvers
and ammunition, in water-tight cases, strapped to our
waists. Near the anchor forward I shall have one of
the men placed, with an axe, and around his waist a
light line which will be attached to the bridge where
I stand. The minute that I order the engines stopped
I shall jerk this cord; this will be a signal to him to
cut the lashing and let go the forward anchor. He
will then jump overboard and swim to the boat at the
stern. The men in the engine-room, after stopping
the engines, will open the sea connections, and then
join the rest and throw themselves overboard. I shall
fire the torpedoes the last thing, and this will insure
the rapid sinking of the vessel.” When Hobson was
asked if he expected to escape alive, he said: “Well,
I suppose the batteries on shore will make it pretty
hot for us; but they will not be able to see very
clearly, and I think we have a fair chance of getting
away. We certainly shall not allow ourselves to be
taken prisoners without fighting for it.” All Wednesday
night the crew were at work on the Merrimac
to get her stripped for her final resting-place. Early
Thursday morning a start was made, but the vessel
was ordered back, as the delays in getting her ready
had made it impossible to take advantage of the
darkness. Very early Friday morning the second
start was made, and this time she succeeded in getting[Pg 751]
well in shore before the first glimmer of daylight; but
soon the crews on the ships, who were anxiously
waiting, saw the flash of the first gun on shore, and
then a brisk firing began from both batteries and fort,
which was kept up for some time. Of the Merrimac,
nothing more was seen until broad daylight, when
the top of her mast was discovered protruding from
the water in just the position that Hobson had planned
to place her.

ENTRANCE TO SANTIAGO HARBOR.

Admiral Cervera sent a boat out with the news that
the men had been captured, and to make arrangements
for their exchange. Lieutenant Hobson’s exploit has
received universal praise from all parts of the world;
he will unquestionably be promoted and receive special
distinction from the Government.

One of the young officers on the New York, Cadet
Powell, also displayed great bravery. He was detailed
to command the New York’s steam launch,
which accompanied the Merrimac to pick up Hobson
and his men if they succeeded in escaping from the
harbor; he was the last man to see them. Speaking of
the start, he said: “Hobson was as cool as a cucumber;
when I shook hands with him, he said: ‘Powell,
watch the boat’s crew when we pull out of the harbor.
We will be cracks, rowing thirty strokes to the minute.’
We followed about three-quarters of a mile
astern of the Merrimac. When about two hundred
yards from the harbor the first gun was fired from the
eastern bluff; we were then about a half mile from
shore. The firing increased very rapidly, and we
lost sight of the Merrimac in the smoke which the
wind carried off shore. The western battery finally
was used and began firing. They shot wildly, and[Pg 752]
we did not see where the shots struck. We then ran
in closer to the shore. Then we heard the explosion
of the torpedoes on the Merrimac. Until daylight we
waited, just outside the breakers, about half a mile
from Morro Castle, keeping a sharp lookout for a
boat or swimmers. Hobson had arranged to meet us
off that point; but thinking that some might have
drifted out, we crossed in front of Morro. About five
o’clock we crossed the harbor again, and in passing
saw one spar of the Merrimac sticking out of the water;
we hugged the shore just outside the breakers;
the batteries saw us and opened fire; it was then broad
daylight; and finding nothing, we finally made for the
New York; the men behaved splendidly.” Great admiration
is expressed at the Navy Department in
Washington at the coolness and pluck shown by Cadet
Powell; he is likely to profit by his great courage.
Young Powell is one of the cadets from the Naval
Academy whom Lieutenant Hobson secured permis[Pg 753]sion
to take with him; they were in the class which
Hobson instructed, and he wished them to accompany
him in order that they might have practical experience
in the effect of explosives on ships. At Annapolis
young Powell was considered one of the brightest
cadets; he graduated at the head of his class.

Spanish accounts of the blowing up of the Merrimac
are exceedingly amusing. The official announcement is
made that an American vessel, trying to enter the harbor
of Santiago, “was sunk by the batteries”; the affair
is described as a brilliant Spanish victory; it is also
added that Admiral Cervera personally saved an
American officer from drowning, as his ship was in
close proximity to the cruiser during the engagement.
The official report goes on to say that the mines guarding
the harbor were exploded simultaneously with the
opening of the fire from the ships, forts, and batteries;
congratulations were sent to Admiral Cervera.

Each day is taken advantage of by the Spaniards
at Havana to add to their defences. Earthworks
are being rapidly thrown up in the neighborhood of
the city; a signal service has been established to enable
them to guard the coast at all the points, and
they feel confident that a successful invasion cannot
take place in that part of the island, as it is so well
guarded with modern rapid-fire guns in the batteries,
and quite a large force is concentrated there for the
defence of the city.

Little, if any, news comes from the blockading
squadron off the north coast of Cuba; there are, from
time to time, reports of engagements and the landing[Pg 754]
of troops; but official news has not yet been given
out, and for this we must wait until the Government
deems it advisable to publish it. Several regiments
have been embarked at Mobile, and by this time are
supposed to be off the coast of Cuba; they started in
high spirits, and there was a great deal of enthusiasm
on the part of the people who saw them start. They
have probably gone by way of Tampa, and been joined
there by the other transports.

A great quantity of ammunition and supplies will
be sent with the troops, so that they may not suffer
from lack of material to make the invasion successful.

One of our New York papers publishes a letter,
written by a young girl in Havana to a friend in New
York; it gives an excellent idea as to the true state of
affairs in Cuba. Among other things, she says:

“Our fisherman brought in some papers from New
York, and what a lot of lies they contain! My father
and all the other officials say that we have food here
for five months—flour, codfish, beans, and groceries—all
brought down from New York, and salted meat
from Montevideo. . . .

“Pa says that if you Americans had attacked Havana
when you declared war it would have surrendered
in five hours, but that it is now fortified so that
it is strong as Gibraltar. You know, they built a
great big railroad upon sticks, in front of the forts,
and took cars of sand and dumped them down, so that
they have a mound in front of all the forts about thirty
feet wide and ten feet high. I went over the fortifications
yesterday, and I saw fifteen of those immense
12-inch guns. They say they can shoot twelve miles.
We have got 50,000 troops here in Havana, and 60,[Pg 755]000
in the provinces, and some 40,000 volunteers.
These are all veterans, and all the generals say that
it would take an army of 200,000 to beat us. The
coast is all supplied with telephone and telegraph
wires, so that any time your boats attempt to land we
can have a big force there in a couple of hours to
drive them off. Part of Cervera’s fleet is in Santiago.
There is so much mystery about this! Whether
the admiral is there or not, no one seems to know.
The rest of the fleet, some fifteen vessels, is somewhere
down in the Antilles, and Captain-General
Blanco says they are going to attack your coast in
about three weeks.

“The Alfonso XII. has been turned into a hospital
ship, and all her guns have been taken out of her.
You know she is the boat that was anchored opposite
the Maine and had in her the pneumatic torpedoes.
They say a man named Arjona had something to do
with the blowing up of the Maine, but I guess it was
Weyler’s orders. . . .

“The whole city is divided up into sections on what
they call the ‘Humanity Committee’s plan.’ They
find out who are in sympathy with the Cubans or
with the United States; and in case Havana is bombarded
all these people are going to be thrown into
Cabanas or shot. The people are such fools they
think nothing is known about what they are doing.”

We told you in a recent number about the unsuccessful
result of the attempt to land an expedition
in Cuba; this result was largely due, no doubt,
to the fact that the Spaniards were advised in ad[Pg 756]vance,
through Spanish spies in this country, of the
intended departure of the expedition. On May 31st,
the steamer Florida returned to Key West, after having
successfully landed an important expedition on
the island. This time they succeeded in taking their
departure without it being known to any one. The
expedition, consisting of about four hundred men,
with a pack-train and a large quantity of arms and
ammunition, sailed for Guantanamo on the night of
May 21st. The expedition was under command of
Colonel Lacret, with whom was Captain J. A. Dorst,
of the United States army. The men were equipped
with canvas uniforms furnished by the Government,
and had rations sufficient for fifteen days after landing;
the pack-train consisted of seventy-five mules
and twenty-five horses; the expedition landed on the
coast of Cuba, Thursday morning, May 26th. The
Florida, escorted by the gunboat Osceola, drew up
close to the shore, and first landed scouts to ascertain
if all was clear; these scouts were met by a band
of 1,500 insurgents, under Captains Vereira and Rojas.
There was absolutely no interruption to the unloading
of the Florida, as no sign of a Spaniard was
seen. This is the largest expedition which has ever
been landed in Cuba in aid of the insurgents.

There is a very interesting account of the origin
of the Red Cross Society in The Churchman.
About forty years ago, M. Henry Dimont, a native of
Switzerland, having witnessed the unnecessary suffering
of the wounded, from lack of care, at the battle of
Solferino, was so much impressed that he published[Pg 757]
a book, pointing out the necessity of forming a corporation
of nurses to work in the cause of humanity
in time of war, regardless of nationality of the injured,
and who should be permitted to aid the wounded
on the battle-field, under the protection of a flag
which should be recognized as neutral.

So much interest was taken in the idea that the
outcome was a convention held at Geneva in 1864,
which was attended by representatives from sixteen
of the great nations of the world, who signed an
agreement that they would protect members of the
association when caring for the wounded on the field
of battle. The society adopted for its colors the
Swiss cross, as a compliment to its birthplace; they,
however, reversed the colors, and the flag is therefore
a red cross on a white field, and is the only military
hospital flag of civilized warfare; it protects persons
from molestation who work under the emblem performing
services in aid of the wounded. Great care
is used in granting permission to persons to wear this
emblem; and in order that it shall not be taken advantage
of to spy in the enemies’ camp, private marks
are added to prevent imitation. The headquarters
of the International Committee is at Geneva; the
president of the society is M. Gustav Moynier.

In 1882, Miss Clara Barton was delegated by the
President of the United States to represent this country
at the Congress of the Red Cross Committee, and
was made a member of the International Board of
Managers when the United States signed the international
treaty.

It was decided that the work of the Red Cross Society
should not be confined to times of war, but that[Pg 758]
in case of disasters and calamities, which were always
to be apprehended, the organization was to provide
aid. During the past seventeen years the American
Red Cross Society has served in fifteen disasters and
famines, and Russians, Armenians, and Cubans have
received aid from this society.

Friday, June 3d, Samuel Plimsoll, known as the
“sailors’ friend,” died in England. Plimsoll was
the originator of the famous “Plimsoll mark,” and this
is what caused him to be called the sailors’ friend.
Many years ago it was the custom of unprincipled
ship-owners to send their vessels to sea very much
overloaded; this was done to save the expense of a
double voyage, for in those days there were few steam
merchantmen, and sailing-vessels oftentimes took
months for their voyages. The Plimsoll mark is
painted on the vessel to indicate how much cargo she
should carry. When a vessel has her full cargo the
Plimsoll mark is at the water-line; laws were passed
making it illegal to load vessels so deeply as to sink
this mark below the surface of the water, and in consequence
sailors’ lives are not risked in overloaded
vessels.

Some very interesting questions have arisen in reference
to the difference of time between Manila
and New York. The difference between Manila and
New York is about eleven hours; when it is five in
the morning in Manila, it is four in the afternoon
with us. In order to change Manila time to our time
we must deduct about eleven hours. This is all very[Pg 759]
simple so far as hours are concerned; but when we
try to find out what day it is we run against a more
complicated matter, for there is a certain place, or
rather a certain mysterious line, which the great nations
have agreed upon as the international date line.
This date line is supposed to be the 180th meridian
longitude reckoning from Greenwich; but this meridian
is not actually followed, for in the case of the
Philippine Islands it takes a long sweep, and passes
to the west of them, and, in consequence, there is a
difference of nearly a whole day between Manila and
Hong-Kong, although the actual difference of time is
but about half an hour. This difference causes all
kinds of complications there, in that Hong-Kong and
Manila are so near each other. A telegram dated at
Hong-Kong, say, the 1st of May at one o’clock, will
reach us April 30th; if sent direct to Manila it would
reach there apparently nearly twenty-four hours before
it was sent, for when it is Monday in Manila it
is Tuesday in Hong-Kong. This will account for the
receipt of the despatch in reference to Commodore
Dewey’s victory dated Hong-Kong, May 2d, stating
that the bombardment was then taking place, whereas
it was really Sunday, May 1st, in Manila. The necessity
for having an international date line can best be
understood if you will imagine yourself travelling
around the world in some sort of a conveyance which
enables you to keep pace with the sun; say, for instance,
your start is on a Monday, with the sun directly
over your head. If it were not for the international
date line it would always be Monday to you;
instead of this, each time that you cross the 180th
meridian the day changes.[Pg 760]

A NATIVE OF THE PHILIPPINES.

A report has been received from Hong-Kong
that the insurgent chief Aguinaldo, at the Philippines,
has issued a proclamation that would seem
to show that he hopes to make himself leader or dictator
over the island.
The report goes on to
say that he has issued
orders that the lives
and property of
Europeans and all
Spanish non-combatants
are to be protected.
It is said
that his treatment of
the captives has been
very fair, and that he
is conducting the
campaign against
Spain in a very able
manner. Since he
has taken charge of
affairs the Spanish
soldiers have lost battle
after battle, and it
is said that there are
now in Aguinaldo’s hands over two thousand prisoners,
including many officers. Aguinaldo reports
that the Governor of Cavite (cä-vē-tā) has surrendered
to him. One of the American captains has written to
Hong-Kong, stating that it is his opinion “that the
rebels have undergone a radical change since the
arrival of Aguinaldo; the Spaniards have lost every[Pg 761]
engagement, and if our people do not hurry, there
will be no Spanish army left.”

The American vessels have taken no part in the
fight between Spain and the insurgents; Admiral
Dewey has contented himself with superintending
and insisting upon proper conduct of affairs. The
news he sends is exceedingly cheerful, and he seems
to be quite confident that he can hold out until reinforcements
arrive; he anticipates no trouble in capturing
the city of Manila.

Lieutenant Carranza’s missing letter has
been found. You will remember we told in our
last number of the arrest of a Montreal detective who
had been arrested and accused of stealing it. It was not
taken by the Montreal detective, but by a secret service
officer of our Government. It seems that the Spanish
officials at Montreal have been very carefully watched
for some time, for it was known that they were spying
upon our Government. The detectives had followed
Minister Polo and his staff ever since they left
Washington, and had secured absolute proof that
Du Bosc and Carranza were collecting information and
forwarding it to the Spanish Government. On the
pretext of purchasing the house, they were shown all
over it, and succeeded in securing a number of important
letters, cablegrams, maps, etc., which were forwarded
to the Government. The letter which Carranza
has made so much fuss about was stolen in a
very clever way. The detective took a sheet of fly
paper, and in a careless way dropped it over the letter;
then took up the fly paper and the letter attached[Pg 762]
to it, and passed it to another detective, who at once
forwarded it to Washington. Part of the letter has
been published. It is addressed to his Excellency
Don Jose Gomez Imay. In it Carranza expresses his
regret that Imay was not appointed to command the
Cadiz fleet; he speaks disparagingly of Camara and
highly of Cervera; most of this part of the letter is
in reference to his personal employment by the Government,
and he expresses great anxiety to be away to
the front and in active service on the fleet.

Speaking of his spy system, he says: “We have had
bad luck because they have captured our two best
spies. The Americans are showing the most extraordinary
vigilance. I shall be extremely gratified to
have a ship or a torpedo-boat to run the blockade, or
anything rather than playing second fiddle.” These
quotations go to show that Carranza was not over-pleased
with the work of conducting the spy department
in Canada. He takes the trouble to criticize Cervera’s
actions, and he alludes to him as “Don Pasquale,”
and says that he cannot believe that the
Admiral would do such a stupid thing as to get
caught in Santiago, his purpose being to attack the
American fleet and delay the invasion of Cuba. This
letter demonstrates very clearly the wisdom of the
Government in keeping carefully guarded all knowledge
of the movements of our army and navy, for
Carranza has taken advantage of the statements published
and information easily obtained heretofore,
and has kept his Government informed, and has
also personally been advising Admiral Cervera whenever
opportunity offered: he speaks of having cabled
to Cervera on 20th of May. Our Government has[Pg 763]
made application to the English Government for the
expulsion of the Spanish spies from British territory.

Kellert, the Montreal detective, has caused the arrest
of both Du Bosc and Carranza, in a civil suit for
damages for false imprisonment; so the Spaniards are
in hotter water than ever, especially as all of their
money in the Bank of Montreal has been seized as
security.

A very interesting account of life in Skaguay,
Alaska, has recently been received. The account
is written by a Wisconsin woman who, with
her husband, went to Alaska to open a restaurant and
hotel in Skaguay. She writes: “I never felt so lonesome
in my life; I never worked so hard, but have
never been so happy; money comes in so fast that we
do not know what to do with it. At first, when there
was no bank, we were obliged to hide the money in
all parts of the house, and we were in constant terror.
We had paper money, silver money, gold money, gold
dust, and every form of currency that can be imagined
hidden all over the house; and as the town was full of
people who were without money, and who would not
hesitate to cut one’s throat for a dollar, we did not
have a single moment free from anxiety. Early in
the winter we did succeed in sending a number of
thousands of dollars to Seattle, and were very much
relieved when we received a receipt from the bank.

“The transportation companies are swindlers. They
are persuading thousands of people to come to this
awful country who will never be able to go back, and
all for the sake of making the profit on transportation.[Pg 764]

[Pg 765]

“Flour that we had shipped from Seattle, and which
cost over $5 per barrel, cost as much more for freight
to this place. But as we sold it for over $40 a barrel
before it left the dock, we had nothing to complain
of; and it was very poor flour at that, not fit for bread,
and hardly suitable for the plainest kind of cooking.

“As for our restaurant, we started it with the idea of
giving people good home cooking, and we can hardly
serve the people, they come so fast. The restaurant
is open day and night, and the tables always full. At
first we got a good price for our meals, that is, from
$1.50 to $2.50 for a dinner. But there is more competition
now, and prices have gone down.

“The town is still filled with gamblers, and is a
mining town in every sense of the word, although the
troops keep the rough element in fairly good order.
The town is particularly lonely for refined women, as
there are very few here, and very little in the way of
amusement for them.

“It is not so very cold. I have seen as severe weather
in the States; and the thermometer rarely goes below
15 degrees below zero, and that is not so bad.
But there is very little sun, and this we miss the most.
We work by lamplight day and night.

“Whatever people may say about the Klondike,
there is still plenty of gold there; and although we
are making a barrelful of money here at this business,
we will very probably ‘up stakes’ and go to the diggings.
Every boat that arrives is loaded with gold-hunters,
and Skaguay is crowded. Hundreds of people
are camped between here and Chilkoot Pass, and are
scattered all along the trail. This year will bring[Pg 766]
many improvements in the line of travelling, and, in
consequence, there will be less hardship.”

Much interest has been awakened by the report
of an interview with Señor Moret, ex-Secretary
of the Colonies of Spain. He is reported to have
said that “the Government does not know where it
is going. There is no person in Spain who can tell
the outcome of the present situation. The Government
is not a fixed one, and allows matters to run in
their own course heedless of the effect; in other
words, matters are allowed to drift their own way.
It is useless to conceal the fact that the Cabinet is not
solid. Its members are working at cross purposes, the
ministers lack energy, and, in fact, are absolutely incompetent,
and simply trust to chance to get out of
their present troubles.

“A campaign in favor of peace has been begun, and
is progressing among the people. I am convinced that
if the people were allowed to state their wishes, even
the soldiers would advocate peace.

“It is difficult to say whether the regency will be
overthrown, nor can I say what will happen to a country
that is without guidance and with a foreign war
on its hands. If the regency is overthrown it will be
an immense misfortune to Spain. The affairs of Spain
are in complete disorder.”

This report comes by way of London, and would
seem to confirm reports previously published as to
the condition of matters in Spain.

[Pg 767]

A bill for the removal of all political disabilities
arising from the Civil War, recently presented
in Congress, has passed and is now a law, as
President McKinley has formally approved it. This
bill refers to Section 3 of the Fourteenth Amendment
to the Constitution.

This amendment made it impossible for any person
to hold a political position in the United States who
had taken up arms against the Government, if he
had previously held a political position and had declared
his allegiance to the United States. The law
that has just been passed declares that “disabilities
imposed by Section 3, Amendment 14, of the Constitution,
heretofore incurred, are hereby removed.”

Some of the survivors of the terrible massacre at
Sierra Leone reached New York during the past
week. The story of their escape is a very thrilling
one. It seems that among the natives in that part of
Africa there is a secret society. When the natives feel
that they have any grievance against a particular tribe
or people, they send word to all members of the society
that “pura” is declared against the offenders;
this means that they are condemned to death.

As a result of the hut tax, which we told you about
in a recent number, “pura” was declared against all
English people in Africa. News soon reached the
different missionary stations that this had been done;
but the attack on the Rotufunk mission came almost
without warning. Mr. Ward, who is the only one of
these missionaries left alive, went in the latter part of[Pg 768]
April to Freetown for supplies, and at that time there
was not any sign of danger. Through natives the
story of the massacre has been obtained. It seems
that early on the morning of May 3d native women
came running to the mission house and cried that an
armed force was coming to capture the place. The
missionaries had no means of defence; their only hope
of safety was in flight; but, unfortunately, they were
too late. When the tribesmen arrived and found that
the whites had left, they started through the bush,
and soon captured all of the unfortunate missionaries.
The tortures to which they put these poor men
and women are too terrible to repeat. Death put a
welcome end to their sufferings.

GOVERNMENT HOUSE AT BONTHE ON SHERBO ISLAND,
SIERRA LEONE

In the mean time, the colony of Americans at Shengeh
received news that the natives had rebelled. A
friendly native visited the mission and told Dr. Burt[Pg 769]ner
that the tribes had declared “pura” against this
mission, and that he had better fly. Immediately
the work of getting boats in readiness was begun, and
the missionaries, together with the friendly natives,
finally succeeded in reaching Freetown.

Miss Mullins, whose station was at Momliga, where
she was the only white person, had a very narrow escape.
April 29th, a band of natives came there shouting
and singing. Miss Mullins ran to the river in the
hope of finding a boat in which she could escape.
The boats had all been taken by the natives, who had
either fled or gone to join the war tribes. Knowing
that there was no chance of her hiding in the bush,
the brave girl decided that if she was to die she would
die at her post.

She turned back from the river into the clearing,
where the superstitious natives stood aside to let her
pass. One of them seized her as she was passing, and
asked her what she was going to do. She said: “I
am going inside; I cannot escape you, you are too
many for me. Leave me to myself for a short time.”
The man brandished a spear in her face, and said:
“See, that is the blood of your friends; yours will soon
cover it.” But she did not falter, and the savages
probably left her untouched for this reason. They
are very superstitious, and must have thought that
there was something supernatural about her. Shortly
after this she heard the tramp of feet outside, and an
English voice calling to ask if there was anybody inside;
running out, she found that the British commissioner
and a large force had arrived. And with them
she made her escape.

When the Americans arrived at Freetown, a large[Pg 770]
force of volunteers had been concentrated, and it is
hoped that the uprising will soon be at an end.

One of our subscribers has asked why the flag of
Hawaii has eight stripes and three crosses.
There is a very interesting story told in reference to
this peculiar flag. It seems that about twenty-five
years ago, when the country was still a monarchy, it
was quite frequently visited by war-ships of different
nations. It is said that one morning the King discovered
a French war-ship anchored safely in the harbor
of Honolulu, and fearing that the French were there
for purpose of seizing the island, sent for his Prime
Minister, who advised him to raise a flag, and in this
way advise the visitors that the islands belonged to
some one. But the island did not possess a flag of its
own; the only one the King could find at first was an
old British flag. This he had run up to the top of the
highest flag-pole. The flag had hardly been raised,
when one of his chief advisers came running to him,
and told him he must take the flag down immediately,
for a British man-of-war was expected, and would be
sure to claim ownership of the islands if the British
flag was seen flying over the palace. So the King
started on another flag hunt. This time he found an
American flag, and, with great ingenuity, took the two
flags, cut them up, and made a combination. Therefore
the first Hawaiian flag had thirteen red and white[Pg 771]
stripes, and the English jack in the corner. Later, it
was decided that eight stripes, to represent the eight
islands of the nation, would be more appropriate;
therefore the extra stripes were cut off, and now the
flag has eight stripes, four red and four white, and
still carries the St. George’s, St. Andrew’s, and St.
Patrick’s crosses, the same as the English flag.

The superstitious natives believe that the ascendency
of the white people over the colored is due to the
fact that the white stripe was left uppermost on the
flag. They have frequently tried to have the flag
changed for this reason, for they believe that, if the
red is given prominence, the natives will again have
the ascendency.

On the morning of June 8th, the first definite confirmation
of the news of an engagement off
Santiago was published. The vessels which are reported
to have taken part in the engagement were the
Brooklyn, Marblehead, Texas, and Massachusetts forming
the first division; the New York, New Orleans,
Yankee, Iowa, and Oregon the second division. Very
early on the morning of the 6th, they steamed in toward
the entrance of the harbor in double column, the
first division to the left, the second to the right, the
vessels being in the order named above. When about
three thousand yards off shore the first division turned
toward the west and the second division toward the
east; the little vessels Vixen and Swanee remaining
far out on the left of the first division to watch the
riflemen on shore, and the Dolphin and Porter occupying
similar positions on the right for the same[Pg 772]
purpose. The fight was started by a 12-inch shell
from the Iowa, which struck the base of the Estrella
battery and tore up the works. This was a signal for
all of the vessels to begin firing, and from that time
until the firing ceased the bombardment was terrific.
The vessels had run up in the beginning at the point
where the range of the forts and batteries was known,[Pg 773]
and, in consequence, although the smoke hung so
thickly about the ships that the forts could not be
seen, the shots were very effective. The vessels of
the first division had been instructed to concentrate
their fire at the fortifications at the left or west side
of the entrance to the harbor; those of the second division
attacking Morro Castle and fortifications to the
right, and the Spanish vessels in the harbor which
were within range. The Spanish gunners on shore
replied promptly, but their marksmanship was of no
better quality than in previous engagements, and it
is reported that practically no damage was done to
our fleet. It is reported that one Spanish shell struck
the military mast of the Massachusetts, but nobody was
hurt. One man on the Swanee was slightly wounded,
and it is said that he is the only one who was hurt on
our side. As the bombardment proceeded, Commodore
Schley’s ships moved nearer to the shore, and
the effect of their fire at such short range was tremendous:
earthworks were simply blown to pieces, and
the Spanish gunners soon forced to stop firing. The
Estrella fortification, which was probably the strongest
one there, was given particular attention by Schley’s
column. The fort offered great resistance, but when
the vessels had moved to closer range the heavy guns
of the Texas and Marblehead were turned upon it.
The Spanish guns were soon silenced and the fortification
set on fire. The Cayo battery was silenced
by the New York and New Orleans after a terrific fire
of about half an hour. Many of the American shells
were wasted for the reason that the fortified points
on the shore could not be accurately located in the
thick weather. There was a heavy rain and fog at the[Pg 774]
time, and this made marksmanship much less accurate.
Shortly after nine o’clock the firing from shore
ceased, and a signal was hoisted by Admiral Sampson
to cease firing. It was then seen that the earthworks
and the Estrella and Catalina fortifications were
so damaged that it is doubtful whether the Spaniards
will be able to use them again.

CHART OF SANTIAGO HARBOR.

Reports of the engagement make particular mention
of the good showing made by the naval militia on the
Yankee. They worked like old blue-jackets, pouring
a savage fire into the enemy, and it was accurate too.
They kept close in shore and paid particular attention
to the batteries near the beach. This was their first
experience under fire, and they showed the stuff they
are made of. Indeed, they proved themselves so fond
of that sort of thing, that when orders were given to
stop the engagement, there was a great deal of amusement
on board the larger vessels when it was seen that
they hammered away with their stern guns as long as
they were within range; even after the order had been
signalled to cease firing, they turned slowly and
reluctantly away, as if they were sorry to leave.

June 10th, “Old Glory” was raised on
Cuban soil, and the welcome sight was
Deceived with rousing cheers by the marines,
who had landed.

On Thursday, the 9th, orders were given to a number
of the vessels to go to Guantanamo Bay and assist
in a landing there.

On Friday, under cover of the guns of the Oregon,
Marblehead, Yankee, Yosemite, Porter, Dolphin, and[Pg 775]
Vixen, six hundred marines of the first battalion
landed with small boats near Caimanera in Guantanamo
Bay. This place had been shelled several
days before, in order that the Spaniards should have
no fortifications to aid them in preventing this
landing.

No Spaniards appeared, however, and our men had
soon landed tents and the necessary implements with
which to make an encampment. The site chosen was
the hill where the blockhouse had been, as this high
spot was considered the most healthful position.

Orders were given to destroy the few houses and
huts, to prevent all possibility of catching yellow
fever from any germs which might have been lingering
there. These hovels made a fine bonfire, as they
were built of light materials with thatched roofs.

The men were glad enough to get ashore, for they
have been cooped on the transports most of the time
since April 22d, knocking about on the ocean. In
that hot climate it is not over-agreeable to be on ship-board,
even with ample room to move about in; but
when crowded as the men on transports are, there is
no end of discomfort.

All Friday afternoon and evening the men worked
away at their camp, and were tired enough when they
were ordered to turn in for the night.

Every precaution was taken to guard against a surprise,
although no attack was expected. Saturday
the men continued their work, which was getting
along finely and almost completed, when late in the
afternoon, while a large number of men were hauling
water up the hill, and others, who had been working
hard all day, were taking a swim in the bay, there[Pg 776]
was suddenly heard the sharp crack of Mauser rifles,
and the men knew that the Spaniards were there.

As a matter of course, the attack came from the thick
underwood surrounding the rear of the camp, and
soon the air was filled with bullets whistling around
the heads of our men.

As soon as the shots were heard the men came running
to aid their comrades. Many of them who had
been swimming grabbed up their rifles and cartridge-belts,
and began firing, without waiting to dress.

With great coolness the men were formed and soon
repulsed the Spanish force. Firing was kept up until
midnight. In the darkness the Spaniards became
bolder and attacked the camp, the white tents making
a good mark. If their marksmanship had been
better, our losses must have been serious. As it was,
however, but four men were killed—Assistant Surgeon
J. B. Gibbs, Sergeant C. H. Smith, and two privates,
William Dunphy and James McColgan. During the
night the vessels off shore kept their powerful searchlights
turned upon the heights, and this greatly interfered
with the Spaniards, who could not leave the
woods without exposing themselves to the fire of our
men.

The first news of this, our first land encounter with
the Spanish, was published on Monday of this week.

News of the fall of Manila, received Monday, the
13th, came by way of London from our ambassador
there. But particulars were not given, and we do not
know whether the city was surrendered to the rebels
or to Admiral Dewey.[Pg 777]

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