THE SPANISH-AMERICAN WAR. -}20 known for some hours as to the fate of Hobson and his crew. Young Powell kept his steam launch under the Morro shore till afterdaylight. All he could make out was that the Merrimac had sunk. He could see, as the dawn came,her masts sticking out of the water, and Spanish boats near them. As there wasnohopeofpicking up any of the wrecked ship's crew he ran back to the flagship soon after five o'clock, the Morrosending some shots after the launch,but failing to stop her. In the afternoona tug was seen steaming out of the harbour with a white flag of truce flying fromher mast. She stopped near theNew York and sent on board the flagship Captain Oviedo, Cervera's chief of the staff-He brought a courteous message from the admiral, saying that Lieutenant Hobson and his have fired in a minute if they had not been restrained. Iswam towards the launch, and then she started towards me. Icalled out in Spanish, 'Is there an officer on board ?' An officer answered in the affirmative, and then I shouted in Spanish again, 'Ihave seven men to surrender.' Icontinued swimming, and was seized andpulled out of the water. " AsIlooked up when they were dragging me into the launch Isaw that it was Admiral Cervera himself whohad hold ofme. He looked at me rather dubiously at first, because Ihad beendown in the engine-room of the Merrimac, whereIgot covered with oil,and that with the soot and coal dust made my appearance most disreputable. Ihad put on my officer's belt before sinking the Merrimac, as a means of THE " MERRIMAC" seven companions were prisoners in Morro Castle, and that they were all well,though two of the men were slightly wounded. Cervera wrote that he admired their courageous deedso much that he was anxious that their friends should know that they were well,and that they should have the best of treatment.

AdmiralSampsonsent his thanks tohischivalrous opponent, giving Captain Oviedo some money for the prisoners, andexpressing a hope that an early exchange wouldbe arranged so as to set them at liberty. Everyone in the fleet wascharmed with Cervera's courteous act, and delighted at the news that Hobson andhis comrades were safe. The only unsatisfactory point in the situation was that the news had been brought by a fairly large steamer. It was therefore clear that the Merrimac had not completely blocked the channel where she sank. Still, it washoped that even though there wasroom for a tug boat, there was not enough for a cruiser to get past the wreck, and the newspapers identification,no matter what happened to me, and when Ipointed to it in the launch the admiral understood and seemed satisfied. The first words he said to me when he learned who Iwas were, 'Bienvenido sea usted,' which means,'Youare welcome.' " Hobsonand his men were taken on board of the Reina Mercedes, and the Spaniards in their chivalrous admiration for their bravery treated them morelike comradesthan prisoners. Consul Ramsden noted in his diary for the day:" The prisoners are treated well, andIknow that the officer was bathing himself and getting into clothes of the first lieutenant of the Mercedes when a friend of mine went on board. The sailors of the Mercedes were feasting the other men with coffee and biscuits,whilethey gotinto clothes of theformer on the deck of theMercedes. In fact, although they had been doing their best to kill them before, they did not knowhow to do enough for them."

On board the American fleet nothing was