forces of the insurgents.

The _Leyden_ lay to outside the harbour until five o'clock in the morning,
when, observing a troop of Spanish infantry approaching, she put to sea
and got safely away.

[Illustration: U. S. S. TERROR.]

She proceeded to Matanzas, and on the afternoon of the third landed
another small party near there.

Fearing attack by the Spaniards, she looked for the monitors _Terror_ and
_Amphitrite_, which were on the blockade in that vicinity, but being
unable to locate them the _Leyden_ returned to the original landing-place,
reaching there early on the morning of the fourth.

There she was met by Acosta and about two hundred Cubans, half of whom
were armed with rifles. They united with the men on the tug, and an
attempt was made to land the remaining arms and men, when two hundred of
the Villa Viscosa cavalry swooped down on them, and an engagement of a
half hour's duration followed.

The Cubans finally repulsed the enemy, driving them into the woods. The
Spanish carried with them many wounded and left sixteen dead on the field.

During the engagement the bullets went through the _Leyden's_ smoke-stack,
but no one was injured.

The little tug then went in search of the flag-ship, found her lying near
Havana, and reported the facts.

Rear-Admiral Sampson sent the gunboat _Wilmington_ back with the _Leyden_.

The two vessels reached the scene of the landing on the afternoon of the
fourth, and found the Spanish cavalry in waiting to welcome another
attempted invasion.

The _Wilmington_ promptly opened fire on a number of small houses marking
the entrance to the place.

The gunboat fired four shots, which drove back the Spaniards, and Captain
Dorst, with the ammunition, landed safely, the _Leyden_ returning to Key
West.

_May 6._ Orders were given from Washington to release the French mail
steamer, _Lafayette_, and to send her to Havana under escort. The capture
of the Frenchman by the gunboat _Annapolis_ was an unfortunate incident,
resulting from a mistake, but no protest was made by the representatives
of the French government in the United States. It appeared that, before
the _Lafayette_ sailed for Havana, the French legation in Washington was
instructed to communicate with the State Department. This was done and
permission was granted to the steamer to enter and discharge her
passengers and cargo, with the understanding that she would take on
nothing there. Instructions for the ful