Year: 1870

the French vessel was now discovered to be slightly
superior, drawing nine feet of water to The Meteors
sir, which latter consideration gave her superiority
in steadiness Of motion and accuracy OF fire. Sne
had also superiority OF ten men, or seventy to
sixty. The sky was cloudy, bat the sea was smooth,
and every other consideration favored fair test Of
naval prowess.


Meteor put ON steam and the Bouvet commenced
tacking, the latter pointing her Prov towards More
Castle. AT O'Clock the Meteor took In sail, aud
this movement was Initiated by the Boavet Ten
minutes after the Meteor passed beyond neutral
waters, and at 235 the Bouvet opened nre and
hoisted three battle. nags. The Meteor thereafter
run up cOlors to its prov and masts. Three shots
were fired by the Freedman, or, accord
last passing over the top OF the Meteor. the
latter then fired shot, which passed to the stern.
'The two vessels passing by each other an attempt
was made by the Frenchman to grapple though
without success The two monitors thereupOn
rounded to, and the same movements were repeated
without cessation OF the firing. In the second pas
sage OF the two vessels nrushed 10y each other
without scarcely stopping. the Frenchman, how
the same time throwing on board eight or nine
hand-grenades One OF these, in exploding tore OF
the top OF the head tf Prussian maine.


The Bouvet was again unable to grapple, and
failed IN doing so either owing to the speed at which
he was sailing or to the giving away OF the rigging
OF the Meteor. Be that as 1t may the masts OF the
Prussisn completely cut OFF, aud their colors
temporarily lowered. At the same moment, how
ever just as the vessels were colliding the Meteor
succeeded in INJECTING blow which more than
cOunterbalanced this disadvantage. Tnis by a
well.directed 2+pounder shot, which penetrated the
Bouvet smidships teafing hole through the steam
diBm sufficiently large to introduce mans head.
BY this accident one man was badly scalded and
two others slightly-a third being disabled by the
spinteTiDg OF a piece OF wood.


The BOuvet being thus disabled and her machinery
uselt ST. besides losing her foretOp mast by the c)
sion, gracefully abandoned the field that Is to say,
she Immediately set all sail and continued in the
direction In which IL was then moving to the port OF
Havana. Three guns were subsequently fired at the
BOuvet (Which were replied to, according to some
accOunts) though without any effect The wheel OF
the Meteor had me anwhile been so incumbered by
the rigging which went her sides, that she was
for half an hour prevented from following.


The loss to the Meteor three men killed aud
one wounded. No damage sustained in the
hull or machinery. The a. ing, which had lasted an
hour, was ended at $780, by the nring OF gun from
passed into waters subject to the jurisdiction OF
spain. The armaments OF the two monitors were
given in the morning papers OF Havana as one sixt
pouDder and two thirty thirty Founders for the
Bouvet, and one eightypounder and two. thirty
FOUNDERS for the Meteor.


1t need hardly be said that the fight was discussed
in Havana during the following evening with the
greatest excitement, and that various opinions were
expressed as to the details and actual results OF the
engagement All, however, agreed that the fight
had been conducted with great gaantry, and that
in the combat which will doubtless follow in shor
time between the two vessels, the chances are
evenly divided.


At the sailing OF the Cuba which brought the
news, the wounded had been sent to the city hospt
tails, and the two monitors were lying at different
eXtremites Of the harbor.