The San Francisco call., 1899-02-05

vessels were pressed INTO service as
transports, and an eager eye was kept
open for such American vessels of the
marine class as could be captured and
fitted up for the same purpose. Several
gunboats were dispatched to overhaul
the American pleasure craft then sail
ing the Mediterranean, but l ferreted
out the news in time, and Washington
was posted before any of the privatee"s
left port. The yachts were notified with
admirable skill in transmission, and
they smartly avoided the darts made at
them by the slower steaming Spanish
gunboats.
1t was with reference to my expert
ence in the navy that I offered my
services as junior officer to complete
the personnel of the craft commanded
by my friend, Lieutenant Correa, who
was in charge of this privateer flotilla.
but my application was refused with
the same answer of excuse l received
from the Ministerio de Guerra, to. which
/ applied for a commission in the army
namely that men and officers were
plentiful but transportation facilities
and the quota of engineers were lack
ing. This was as good a piece of news
as / might ever have got If had
joined a more promising adventure In
the cruise of the privateer f1otilla, and
l made quick use of it.
Our Government already knew that
L
Rico stronghold, and the news that
they were without the necessary means
to carry out their plan was welcome,
and l was ordered to keep a keen eye
on subsequent moves in Spain tending
to betterment of these means. l knew
CamaraS fleet left for Suez with but
partly completed staff of engineers and
without being at all properly provis-
ioned with stores and ammunition such
as would be required for the trip to
Manila, for which point the admiral
was reported to be headin" There were
also other cleWs that tended to substan-
tiate my belief that the trip was a mere
bluff" and l communicated every cir
cumStance of the case to my SuperiorS.
The Navy Department of the crown
detailed several special agents to Eng
land to secure not only engineering eX-
perts, but also to make bids for such
fighting vessels and material as could
be quickly secured. / was among the
first of the several spies who detected
this move. and through Scandinavian
channels highly in sympathy with
British feeling, 1 noised it abroad in
Europe simultaneously with forward
ing the message to this country. AS is
known, Spain failed in her attempts to
purchase British material, and do not
know of a case where an English engi-
neer accepted a Spanish naval commits
NOTED rumor about several enlistments
While l cannot say / was under ac-
tual suspicion in Spain. there were
times when I had apDrehensions that
was being keenly watched. On one oc-
casion l barely escaped imprisonment,
if nothing worse. II was during my
first visit, early in spring. at Cadiz
where everybody, low and high, Joined
In the great religious festival Ell San
tisimo Cuerpo Cristi with a spirit as if
victory and not defeat had followed the
Spanish arms.
A NARROW ESCAPE.
This pompous feast and procession is
of far more Importance in Spain than
Derby day in Britain and Easter here.
1t is a mixture of Papal, municipal and
military elements, and it's massive and
imposing splendors are closed In a
grand finale-the indispensable bull
fight at Plaza de Toros. 1t was here
that l, in trying to extricate some
American tourists from difficulty with
the police. incautiously laid myself
open to suspicion by revealing a knowl-
edge of English, and l was instantly
'shadowed' as dangerous man to the
house where / was to spend the even
ing. / had vital work before me in
Madrid, and it was absolutely neces-
sary that should leave Cadiz without
a trace of suspicion clinging to my per-
son.
There was a large party, and to get
out of the difficulty l proposed a sport
the origin of which 1 claimed for do
mestic Germany. The wine had flowed
in plenty. The Spanish blood was up,