as many troops
as could be safely spared from the garrison at Santiago. Meanwhile, he
himself dispatched a battalion of tried warriors from the capital.

'Before our apathetic governor had had time to obey the orders of his
chief, an encounter had already taken place at Yara, in the district of
Manzanillo, between some of the rebels and a column of the Crown
regiment who were quartered at the town of Bayamo.

'Our governor was now alive to the gravity of the situation, and in due
course began to take what he called "active measures." Following the
example set by the governor of Manzanillo, he declared our town in a
state of siege; and you will now have an opportunity of judging for
yourself what a siege in Cuba is like.'

The usual military precautions against assault on an unfortified place
have been taken. The entrances to the streets have been barricaded with
huge hogsheads containing sand and stones; small cannon stand in the
plaza and principal thoroughfares. At every corner that we turn, we are
accosted by a sentry, who challenges us three times over: 'Who goes
there?' 'Spain.' 'What kind of people?' 'Inoffensive.' And so forth. The
theatre, the bull-ring, the promenade, are all closed for the season.
The masquerading and carnival amusements are at an end. Payments have
been suspended, and provisions have become scarce and dear. The people
whom we meet have grown low-spirited, and the sunny streets look gloomy
and deserted. We glance in at the warehouses and manufactories, and find
everybody within attired in military costume; for many of the
inhabitants have enrolled themselves as volunteers for the pleasure of
wearing a uniform at their own expense, and of sporting a rifle provided
by the government. The names of those who object to play at soldiers
have been noted down, and their proceedings are narrowly watched.

The Plaza de Armas is crowded with volunteers; their uniform consists of
a blue and white striped blouse, white drill trousers, and a Panama hat,
to the band of which is attached a vermilion-coloured cockade
embellished with silver lace. The majority of these amateur warriors are
Catalan shopkeepers, and clerks from Spanish warehouses.

Don Javier tells me that these gentlemen, together with the Havana
volunteers, represent a very formidable army; and that in the event of
affairs taking a more serious turn, the volunteers would take an active
part in the hostilities.

'The Catalan shopkeepers,'