35<= .EAVING TAMPA ; GUARD MARCHING TO TRANSPORT.

CHAPTER XXVII.

WAITING FOR THE ADVANCE.

they can do it in that time," writes Ramsden, " and what theyare going to eat whenthey get thereIdon't know. Hurried preparations for defence of town arebeingmade, earthworksand cannon placed, etc. Linares says he can hold out for a long time behind his entrenchments. He is a man whoprobably willfight to thelast."'

In the night the Vesuvius is at work again. Two of her three shells explode,one blowingto pieces the house of the lighthouse keeper at the Morro, the other falling on the Morro,doing a lot of damageand wounding a soldierand three seamen. On the Sunday Linares publishes a proclamation to the troops. He explains that he has withdrawnthem from the coast so as not to expose them to the fire of the American fleet, but that he means to defend the town and"do his duty." Before daybreak on the Monday the Vesuvius threw two shells into the Socapa battery;the result was three sailors wounded. These terribleshellsproducedneitherdestruction on a large scale nor the shadow of panic. There were still no signs of the expected land attack. "No one can understand what the American forces are waiting for," writes Ramsden, noting theimpression ofhis fellow townsfolk inSantiago.

Tuesday, the 28th,was the day whenthe reinforcements should have arrived, but there was yet no news of them. Ramsden's diary under this date containsentries which reveal a serious state of things in the city. " Flour," he writes. "has been sold at 68 dollarsgold per barrel,and anyone who has any now asks too dollars per barrel for it. Eggs are fifteen cents each, and a 1ET us now, with the help of Consul Ramsden's diary, see what was the state ol ■ affairs in Santiago during the days that followed the landing of the American army. The fact that the enemy had landed at Daiquiri was generally known in Santiago on June 23rd, the day after the descent. General Linares had gone out to Sevilla. Consul Ramsden, who was in the best position for judging, estimated the whole Spanish force in the Santiago district at only 7,000 regulars. On the next day firing was heard towards Sevilla and Siboney, and late to the afternoon General Linares returned to the city. It was known that the Spaniards were retiring on Santiago. Report said they had lost seven killed and fourteen woundedin the skirmishes in the morning and on the previous day. It is certain there were no heavy losses, for in that case a lot of wounded would have come into Santiago.

On Saturday, the 25th, the American ships were bombarding Aguadores, the last point on the coast east of Santiagoheldby the Spaniards. The possession ofAguadores wouldhave put the batteriesnear the Morro Castle at themercy of a landattack, so the Spaniards heldon doggedly to the place. In the evening they blew up with dynamite the railway bridge over the San Juan river near Aguadores. During the day the welcome news arrived that a column of 4,000 troops had started on the 22nd to reinforce Linares at Santiago. They were expected to arrive on the 28th. !'Imuch doubt, however,if