private letter from the
Philippines, dated April 10th, prior to the arising of any fear of war
with the United States, giving pessimistic accounts of the risings there,
and passengers arriving by the steamer _Leon III._ had told similar
stories. Now, he declared, the Spanish troops in the Philippines were in a
terrible condition, being between two fires, the natives and the
Americans. Senor Bores's remarks created a profound sensation.

The cruiser _Charleston_ was reported as being ready to sail from San
Francisco for Manila. Three hundred sailors and marines to reinforce
Admiral Dewey's fleet were to be sent on the cruiser.

The U. S. S. _Oregon_, _Marietta_, and _Nictheroy_ arrived at Bahia,
Brazil.

The Spanish torpedo-boat _Terror_, of the Cape Verde fleet, reported as
yet remaining at Port de France, Martinique.

A press correspondent gives the following spirited account, under the date
of May 14th, of a second attempt to entice the American blockading
squadron within range of the Santa Clara battery guns:

"Captain-General Blanco, two hours before sunset to-night, attempted to
execute a ruse, which, if successful, would have cleared the front of
Havana of six ships on that blockading station.

"Unable to come out to do battle, he adopted the tactics of the spider,
and cunningly planned to draw the prey into his net, but, though a clever
and pretty scheme as an original proposition, it was practically a
repetition of the trick by which the gunboat _Vicksburg_ and the little
converted revenue cutter _Morrill_ were last week decoyed by a
fishing-smack under the big Krupp guns of Santa Clara batteries.

"Thanks to bad gunnery, both ships on that occasion managed to get out of
range without being sunk, though some of the shells burst close aboard,
and the _Vicksburg's_ Jacob's-ladder was cut adrift.

"Late this afternoon the ships on the Havana station were dumfounded to
see two vessels steam out of Havana Harbour and head east. Dense smoke was
streaming like black ribbons from their stacks, and a glance showed that
they were under full head of steam.

"By aid of glasses Commander Lilly of the _Mayflower_, which was flying
the pennant, made out the larger vessel of the two, which was two hundred
feet long and about forty-five hundred tons displacement, to be the
cruiser _Alphonso XII._, and the small one to be the gunboat _Legaspi_,
both of which were known to be bottled up in Havana Harbour.

"At first he