the terms of which compelled Dewey to
leave the British port of Hong Kong within twenty-four hours. He did so,
steaming to Mirs Bay, a Chinese port near at hand, where he completed
his preparations for battle, and on the 27th of April steamed out of the
harbor on his way to Manila.

The city of Manila, with a population numbering about a quarter of a
million, lies on the western side of Luzon, the principal island, with a
magnificent bay in front, extensive enough to permit all the navies of
the world to manoeuvre with plenty of elbow room. The entrance to the
immense bay is seven miles wide and contains two islands, Corregidor and
Caballo, both of which were powerfully fortified, the works containing a
number of modern guns. Torpedoes were stretched across the channel and
the bay abounded with enough mines and torpedoes, it would seem, to blow
any fleet of ironclads to atoms as soon as it dared to try to force an
entrance into the waters. Some twenty miles beyond lay the city of
Manila, and about ten miles to the south was Cavite, constituting the
strongly fortified part of the city proper.

Of course the Spanish spies were on the watch in Hong Kong, and while
the American squadron was steaming out of the bay the news was
telegraphed to the authorities at Manila, who knew that the real
destination of the enemy was that city. Every effort was made to keep
the matter a secret, but it was impossible, and it soon became known to
everybody that the American "pigs" were coming, and that Manila must
fall, if the Spanish fleet were unable to beat off the enemy.

The Spaniards proclaimed that they would send every one of the American
vessels to the bottom; but they had made similar boasts before, and
their bombast did not quiet the fears of the people, among whom a panic
quickly spread. Those who were able to do so gathered their valuables
and took refuge on the merchant ships in the harbor and thanked heaven
when they bore them away. Many others fled from the city, but the
majority stayed, grimly determined to be in at the death and accept
whatever fate was in store for them.

The distance between Hong Kong and Manila is 630 miles, and it needed
only a little figuring on the part of the inhabitants to decide that the
dreaded squadron would be due on the following Saturday evening or early
the next morning, which would be the first of May. The self-confidence
of Admiral Montojo and his officers was almost sublime. All they