yet one more pleasure to their store. A friend had made the
expedition a present of a phonograph. Nansen had his faithful wife sing
into it all the favorite songs of the day, and so the sailors had one
more comfort for their peaceful evenings, in the singing of well-known
ballads by a well-loved voice.

* * * * *

The five _Competitor_ prisoners have been released from Cabana fortress
after an imprisonment of nearly twenty months.

The names of these five men are: Alfredo Laborde, William Gildea, Ona
Melton, William Leavitt, Charles Barnett.

By the release of these five men Spain has given us a very decided proof
of her desire to keep our friendship.

She has not done the thing by halves either, for an order has been
issued to return the prisoners any arms that had been taken from them,
and to restore the schooner _Competitor_ to its owners.

The five prisoners will sail for New York at once, and will have the
happiness of eating their Thanksgiving dinners in their own country.

Three of the five men are native-born Americans; of the other two, one
is an Englishman, and the other a naturalized American.

Spain has, however, released them all unconditionally.

* * * * *

General Weyler has just arrived in Spain, and the trouble we were
anticipating is about to begin.

As we told you, his ship had to put into a Cuban port for repairs before
he could really set sail for Europe, and at this port he received a
deputation of citizens, and repeated to them the speech which had made
the Spanish Ministers so angry.

He has been questioned as to the truth of the reports of this speech,
but so far has avoided giving a direct answer, and complains that the
reports are too long.

He arrived at Corunna, but it was expected that he might land at
Santander, and so his admirers in that city set to work to raise funds
for a big reception to him.

One of the features of the affair was to be a flight of rockets, six
thousand in number, which, upon exploding, should scatter ribbons
inscribed "Viva Weyler."

Subscriptions were immediately started to secure the funds necessary for
this magnificent display.

After two weeks of uninterrupted labor the committee had secured $7.80.

The persons in charge of the fete became a little embarrassed how to
spend this sum. As it had been collected from, and sent by, unknown
admirers, it could not be returned.

One prac