The San Francisco call., 1898-06-15

tack. The siege of the city began at once, but violent storms and torrents of rain protracted the taking of the place, iards and Indians.
 The latter, although armed with only poWS and arrows, were SaVagely ferociouS, ana rushed on to the very muzzles of the British muskets and died like wild beasts, gnaWing at the bayonets. The English landing force consisted of 906 seamen and marines and about 2300 soldiers, mostly Lascars. On October Cavite was taken by storm. To save Manila from pillage a ransom of s4,000 900 was offered and ac- cepted, but this was not agreed to after ward by the King of Spain, peace having come In the interim of the negotiation and demand for the settlement. The capture of Manila netted only about one million dollars in prize money of which the Ad- miral received $70 sos IS and each sailor and soldier s30 The loss was inconsider- able to the British, amounting in all to S2 killed, B drowned and Ill wounded.
 ates, La Sybille, Captain Edward Cooke. and the Fox, Captain Poultney Malcolm, practiced ruse by which they captured several spanish war and other vessels in January 13, 179S, the two frigates passed Gorregidor Island in the evening with the French flag flying; Next day the ships Spanish officials hurried to do honors to their French allies and the guard boat With the second captain of a frigate pV1iu iueu Ld oy Diie Next came the Span ish adm1rals barge with the governor S nephew, followed by felucca with the admiraIS aideS-de-camp extending con gratulationS and offering hospitality and boats with anchors and cables to assist the frlgates into port. The Spanish of hcers were completely deceived and en- tertained for an hour and half In the cabin, and while they were opening their hearts freely to their supposed French friends the crews of the boats were fn- Vlted on board and a number of British sailors exchanged clothes with the boat men. The next performance was a row up the bay in the Spanish boats which were accompanied by British boats Three gunooats lying at anchor were carried by boarding.
 These proceedings were witnessed from the shore and mystifled the captain of the port. who came on board La SvbiIle for a categorical answer why the other boats were detained. He also was temporarily IloiilIeo ana handed down into the caDin ana al! were entertained at dinner, while the British blue jackets prowled about the pay. and 1t was not until nearly 4 o'clock Tn the afternoon-the farce having begun at II o'clock in the forenoon-that the Spanish discovered their grievous bllnder They were sent ashore in three of their own boats and an inventory was taken of the captured floating property which con sisted or three gunboats, a lot of guns and some small arms and ship arnmuni- tion. The expedition was only partly suc- cessful for the plan had been to capture or destroy the larger Spanish ships lying at Cavite arsenal. The wind, however. became unfavorable and the two intrepid Brltish captains after stay of four days in the bay left their work unfinished and departed with their three captured gun boats without having lost a man or a rope-yarn, for the Spanish fleet was un prepared then as 1t had been before and as Spanish fleets seemingly always will be.