to secure their independence, that he wished to embark without any
force, and throw himself among them. It was this confidence that led him
to embark with only four hundred ill-armed men on board the little
steamer Pampero, on the 2d of August, 1851. This force consisted mostly
of Americans, but embraced forty-nine Cubans in its ranks, with several
German and Hungarian officers; among the latter, General Pragay, one of
the heroes of the Hungarian revolution, who was second in command to
General Lopez on this occasion.

Many of the foreign officers spoke little, if any, English, and mutual
jealousies and insubordinations soon manifested themselves in the little
band. They were composed of fierce spirits, and had come together
without any previous drilling or knowledge of each other. It was not the
intention of the commander-in-chief to sail direct for Cuba, but to go
to the neighborhood of St. John's river, Florida, and get a supply of
artillery, ammunition, extra arms, etc. He then proposed to land
somewhere in the central department, where he thought he could get a
footing, and rally a formidable force, before the government troops
could reach him. But, when five days out, Lopez discovered that the
Pampero was short of coal; as no time could be spared to remedy this
deficiency, he resolved to effect a landing at once, and send back the
Pampero for reinforcements and supplies. At Key West he obtained
favorable intelligence from Cuba, which confirmed his previous plans. He
learned that a large portion of the troops had been sent to the eastern
department; and he accordingly steered for Bahia Honda (deep bay). The
current of the gulf, acting while the machinery of the boat was
temporarily stopped for repairs, and the variation of the compass in the
neighborhood of so many arms, caused the steamer to run out of her
course on the night of the 10th; and when the morning broke, the
invaders found themselves heading for the narrow entrance of the harbor
of Havana!

The course of the steamer was instantly altered; but all on board
momentarily expected the apparition of a war steamer from the channel
between the Moro and the Punta. It appeared, afterwards, that the
Pampero was signalized as a strange steamer, but not reported as
suspicious until evening. The Pampero then made for the bay of Cabanas;
but, just as she was turning into the entrance, a Spanish frigate and
sloop-of-war were seen at anchor, the first of which immedia