280 THE SPANISH-AMERICAN WAR.

devotedvalour. When CaptainBoado, the chief of Montojo's staff, went on board the Boston with amessage from the admiral after the action, Lamberton,hercommander, said to the Spanish officer,"Youhavefought us with four very bad ships,not warships. There wasneverseenbefore braver fighting under such unequal conditions. It is a greatpity that you exposedyour lives in vessels not fit for fighting." And Dewey sent through theBritish consul a message to Montojothat he congratulated him on his gallant conduct,and would beglad to grasphis hand.

The American fleet anchored off Manila for were extremelycourteous, but to my question, 'How many Spanish werekilled and wounded? ' they repliedsadly that they did not know. In the wardsIsaw over eighty wounded. The horrors of war were seen at their worst. Some of the men were fearfully burned, some with limbs freshly amputated, others with their eyes shot out, their features torn away by steel or splinters— every kind of injury that surgery records. The shrieksandgroans of the wounded wereappalling. Icouldnot stay to hear them, though my profession is calculated to harden one against such scenes. HadIbeen working THF. SPANISH CRUISER "VELA.-.CO."

the night, after sending word to General Augustin, the Spanish governor, that if the shore batteries at the harbour openedfire, the city wouldbe laid in ashes. All night long the sky was red with the glareof theburning wrecks inBakor Bay,and more than once there was a loud explosion as the magazinesblew up. Next morning Cavite arsenal was evacuated by the Spanish garrison and occupied by American marines. A surgeon of the Olympia whoaccompanied thepartygives thefollowing account iifhls experiences:— "Ilauded at the hospital on the point near Cavite. 1 went through allits wards. The sight was terrible. It is a good hospital, withdetached wards in little pavilions grouped about the central buildings. Everything was in ■>rdei andcleanly. Iconversedwithseveral of the doctors inFrench,asIdo notspeakSpanish, and they had no English at command. They Ishould have endured it, but as an onlooker it was unbearable. We had received urgent messages from these doctors saying for God's sake to send Americans to guard the hospital against the insurgents, who, they feared, wouldmurder them and their patients. We had posted guards as soon as possible,but not before the insurgents had robbed them of all the clothing not on their hacks, and all their food exceptenough tor twelvc hours."

The telegraph connecting Manila with Hong Kong had been cut during the action, but not until an incomplete message had been sent to Madridannouncing that, thoughseveral Spanish ships had been destroyed, the Americans had been forced to retire with loss. This referred, no doubt, to the temporary cessation of the action at seven o'clock. The news caused an outburst ol rejoicing in Madrid ;but when the