THE SPANISH-AMERICAN WAR 284 Cojimar, and on Tuesday the gunboat shelled the work at long range. Little skirmishes of this kind wereof almost daily occurrence. The Spaniards generally reported that they had repulsed a serious " Yankee"attack. The more sensational journals in the United States described the action as a victory,inflicting serious loss 011 the enemy. The simple fact was they were useful reconnaissancesthat,by drawing the fire of the enemy's forts and look-out stations, enabled Admiral Sampson to complete his information as to the Spanish plans for the defence of the coast. At the same time he hoped that these small affairs might serve as feints to make the enemy uncertain as to when and where he wouldmake a real effort to land suppliesfor the insurgents.

was quieter than Madrid, where the news of the disaster at Manilahad led to serious rioting and necessitated the proclamation of martial law.

Notwithstanding the activity of the Spanish coast patrols, Admiral Sampson succeeded in landingmessengerswithdespatchesfor theCuban insurgent leaders. Lieutenant H. Whitney, of the 4thUnited States Cavalry, succeeded in this wayinreaching the camp of Gomezin the Santa Claraprovince at the end of April, andarranged tor regular communication between the fleet and the Cuban- headquarters. Gomez was informed that though no large body of United States troops couldbe sent to his assistance till the end of theunhealthy rainy season, an effort would be madeto reinforcehim with acorps of Cuban refugees wdaich was being equipped and drilled at Tampa. The reports thatLieutenant Whitney and the other American envoys sent as to the position and resources of the insurgents were very disappointing. Before the war the friends of the Cubans had said that if theUnited States fleetwouldonly co-operate, Garcia, Gomez, and their comrades would rapidly reduce every town in the island. But it was now evident that without the help of a considerableregular force theycould accomplish nothingof importance.

The ships of the blockading squadron had usually opened fire at such long range that, although their ownexcellent weapons and welltrained gunners could produce some effect, the Spanish return fire was absolutely harmless, generally fell short, and soon ceased. Coupled with what had happened at Matanzas, this led to a growing belief that " the Spaniards could not hitanything but the sea, and only hit that because it was so big." But a fight at Cardenas in the second week of May revealed the fact that someSpanish gunners knew how to shoot. This fight hadbeen precededby another in the same waters, in which, as usual, the United States ship had come out of action absolutely unscathed. This firstfight tookplace onSunday, May8th.

Meanwhilethe fleet was very active at various points alongthe Cuban coast, and its operations led te> some sharp fighting on a small scale, though, at the time, the public anxiety for news led to these little skirmishes being described as destructive bombardmentsand desperate engagements. On the same Sunday morning on which Dewey was winning the battle of Manila the United States gunboat, Castine, stood into the entrance of the bay ofCabanas, on the north coast, to the east of Havana, and sent her steam cutter in to within a thousand yards of the Spanish fort to take soundings and verify the chart of the bay. The fort did not evenopen fire. On the sameday some shells were thrown at long range into Cienfuegos, and fire was opened on an earthwork fort between Mariel and Cabanas. The few shots fired in reply fell short. On the Mondaythe gunboat Wilmington fired upon and dispersed a body of Spanish cavalry belonging to the coast patrol,who seen marching along the shore near Cojimar, apparentlyunder the idea that the Yankei ship couldnot reach them with her guns. That evening the torpedo boat Ericsson reported to the Wilmington that the Spaniards were building a new earthwork fort a few miles from The harbour of Cardenas, sheltered behind a labyrinth of coral reefs, traversed only by narrow windingchannels, was a difficult place to blockade. At its wharves lay a crowd of fishingboats and coasting craft and a couple of larger ships,guarded by a battery and three little gunboats, the Ligera, the Antonio Lopez, and the j ilerta. No heavy warship could approach the town for want of water; so the blockade was kept up by thelighter craft of Sampson's fleetgunboats and torpedo b The Spanish ships used to come out occasionally, lire a few shots,andrunbackintosafety. It was a kind of challenge, m\A on this -Sunday of May the torpedo boat Footeran in after them andopened fire on the shipping with her light guns. But she found that with the heavy swell at the harbour mouth she was making very wild practice, while the Spanish guns onboard theirboats in the still water,and in the battery on shore, were beginning to get