Let our enemies know that we are a brave people, and that if we are soft
in peace days, we are also fit for war chances; that all his command,
all his pride, and all his arrogance may fall out with a wall composed
of all Porto Rican breasts."

In the light of ulterior and posterior events, this document is really
as comical as anything in opera-bouffe.

"We have no means of knowing," says the New York Sun, in commenting upon
this precious effusion, "whether Senor Jose Reyes, Senor Celestino
Dominguez and Senor Genaro Cautino actually grasped their guns and
immolated themselves upon the altar of four centuries and in the
presence of the ostentatious and vociferous invader; or whether they
prudently joined the light fishermen, merchants, lawyers, musicians and
_jibaros_ of Porto Rico, to whom they had vainly appealed in the name of
Spain in yelling themselves hoarse as the Stars and Stripes went up in
town after town. Perhaps they took the latter course. Perhaps they will
turn out good Americans. In Porto Rico, as elsewhere, times change, and
men's minds change with the changes of time and destiny."

CHAPTER VIII.

NAVAL LESSONS TAUGHT BY THE WAR.

After the remarkable victory at Santiago de Cuba, where Admiral
Cervera's fleet, which attempted to steal out of the harbor, with the
loss of but one man on the American side, Admiral Sampson, with a
portion of his fleet, proceeded to San Juan in Porto Rico. This city he
bombarded, directing his principal fire against Morro Castle.

What followed bears strong testimony to the remarkable gunnery of our
"jackies."

Morro Castle and the buildings on the high ground in its rear were
simply riddled. Great holes were in places blown out by our large shells
and the walls were pitted by the hail of the smaller ones.

There was one entire building which was blown to pieces, and a whole
section of the Cuartel was laid in ruins. To be sure, many of our shells
were wasted in the sea wall, but this is not to be wondered at, as the
parapet had embrasures for guns, and from where our ships were lying,
these would naturally be mistaken for a sea battery.

Neither in Morro Castle nor in the more pretentious fortifications known
as San Cristobal, were there any great number of modern guns. There were
a few Krupp guns, but the remainder consisted of muzzleloaders of an
ancient pattern; most of the latter were mounted upon parapets of
masonry. It may be said that the defences of