CHASING A NEUTRAL. 259 too dangerous a venture, and he ran for Cienfuegos, got in safely, reached Havana by land with the treasure, and put the troops, arms, and stores ashore at Cienfuegos. By this time the port was watched by United States gunboats, but Deschamps ran the blockade outwards, and got away safely to Spain, where he received a public ovation on landing. He was summoned toMadrid,decorated by the Queen Regent herself, and then was told to take his ship to sea again after shehadbeen convertedintoanarmed cruiser.

The blockade of Havana itself was not as successful as might have been expected. Even in thefirst week twocoasting steamersran inbycreepingalong in the darknessunder the shadow of the cliffs at an imminent risk of shipwreck. The American squadron also allowed the strict It was curious that she approached the American fleet without showing her colours, and wilfully misled the United States admiral intochasing her. Italian sympathy wason the whole on the side of Spain, and the cruiser steamed into the harbour with the red-andgolden ensign ofSpain on her foremast, saluting the batteries of Cabanas as she passed in, while her band played the Spanish national anthem. Her commander paid a visit to Marshal Blanco, and wascheered through the streets of Havana. The Giovanni Bausan remained some days in the harbour. Rumour said that she landed ammunition for the Spaniards, but this was officially deniedby the ItalianGovernment.

The MadridGovernment hadprotestedagainst the capture of the Buenaventura and other ships that had gone to sea in ignoranceof the rule ofblockade to be broken on at least one occasion in broad daylight.

One morning a largecruiser was seen steaming towardsHavana. Promptly the flagship and one of her consorts gave chase. On board the New York some of blockade. On the 24th they proclaimed that a state of war existed, and they gave American ships in Spanish waters a month in which to get away safely. At Matanzas the Spanish gunboats towed some American sailing ships out to sea in order to facilitate their departure. In reply, the United States Government decided to release the earlier prizes, and in order to put matters on a more regular basis, a proclamation was issued at Washington on April 25th declaring that a state of war with Spain had existed since the 21st. Spanish ships actuallyin American ports were given till May 21st to complete cargoes and repairs and depart.

On the same day the Britisli proclamation of neutralitywas issued in London. It gave notice that warships of both belligerents would be required to leave British ports within fortyeight hours. During the war belligerent war vessels in distress might be tllowed to make temporary repairs in British ports, and might take on board enough coal to carry them to their nearest port; but they were only to be permitted to do this once in three months, " that they could not make a British port their base of operations. A United States torpedo the officers confidently identified the stranger as theSpanish armoured cruiser Vizcaya. Others held it was the Almirante Oquendo. The American ships were cleared foraction. At last itlooked as if there wasgoing to be afight. A gun from the flagship was fired as a warning to the stranger to show her colours, and up went thetricolour of Italy ononeof thecruiser's masts, while the Stais and Stripes were hoistedat hei signal yard, and her quick-firer roared out a salute. So impressed were manv of the United States officers with the idea that they were closing withanenemy's ship, that the hardly noticed, and the first gun of the salute was taken to be a hostile reply. The cruiser was the Giovanni Bausan of the Italian navy Strictly speaking,Admiral Sampson might have insisted on her turning back without entering Havana. But apparently he had orders not to interfere unduly with neutral warships,and the cruiser soon disappeared in the narrow entrance below Morro Castle.