WHERE THE FLEETS WERE. 249 3.— Distribution of the Fleets.

At the outbreak of the war many ships on both sides were still fitting out in the harbours and dockyards. The distribution of those actually ready for service was the following:— for some time after the actual outbreak of war. On April 21st the position was: AtlanticSquadron (AdmiralCervera).— Cape de Verde Islands. Armoured cruisers:Infanta Maria Teresa (flagship), Cristobal Colon, Vizcaya, Almirante Oquendo.

UNITED STATES SHIPS.

North Atlantic Fleet (Commodore Sampson).— At or nearKey West, Florida. Torpedo-boat destroyers: Terror, Furor, Pluton. Flagship:Armouredcruiser New Yjrk. Battleships : Iowa andIndiana. Torpedo-boats: Azor, Aricte. and Rayo. Cruisers : Cincinnati. Montgomery, Detroit, Marblehead.

Auxiliary cruiser: Villa de Cadiz (an armedliner). Monitors :Puritan.Terror. In Cuban harbours— Smaller craft : all the torpedo-boats and some gunboats.

Cruisers : Alfonso XII. (Havana), Reina Mercedes, Conde de Venadilo, Infanta Isabel,IsabelII. Flying Squadron (Commodore Sehlev).— Hampton Roads. Besides gunboats, torpedo-boats, and armed liners. Battleships:Texas, Massachusetts.

Armoured cruiser : />'■"oklyn. Cruisers: Columbia, Minneapolis.

On Brazilian. 0 m/— ■ Torpedo-gunboat : Temerario. Pacific Squadron (Admiral Montojo).— At or near Manila. Pacific Squadron (Commodore Dewey).— Hong Kong. Cruisers : Castilla (flagship), Conde de Venadito, Don Antonio de Ulloa, Don Cruisers: Olympia, Baltimore, Raleigh, Boston. ' Juan dc Austria, Reina Cristma, Isla de Cuba,Isla de Luzon. Gunboats: Concord andPetrel. On the way round from the Pacific to the Atlantic.

And a number of smallgunboats.

The Pelayo, Numancia, Vitoria, and the armoured cruisers not named as belonging to the squadron at St. Vincent, were fitting out at Cadiz and Cartagena. Small cruisers and torpedo-boats were reported to be watching the EnglishChannel and the Strait of Gibraltar.

Battleship: Oregon. Gunboat :Marietta. To pick up on the way the dynamitecruiserBuffalo.

SPANISH SHIPS. The foregoing lists show that at the outbreak of hostilities the United States navy had a much larger proportion of lighting ships ready for service and near the centre of operations than the Spaniards. A certain amount of unreadiness has for centuries been characteristic of Spanish fleets and armies. In the East, especially, where a weak squadron of obsolete ships had to face an American fleet of well-equipped cruisers, aimed with formidable artillery, the Spaniards had soon to pay the penalty of this unreadiness.

The Vizcaya and Almirante Oquendo had left Puerto Rico for St. Vincent, in the Cape de Verde Islands, as soon as war was imminent. They arrived there on April 19th. Four days before Captain Villamil's torpedo flotilla at St.

Vincent had been joined by the Infanta Maria Teresa (carrying the flag of Admiral Cervera) and the Cristobal Colon. St. Vincent is a Portuguese harbour, but the squadron thus concentrated was allowed by the authorities to use it as a base for completing their preparations