ellion, which began in 1868, occasioned activity on the
part of some of the cruisers to prevent violations of the neutrality
law and to protect the interests of American citizens. A company of
Cuban filibusters, encamped on Gardiner's Island, near the eastern end
of Long Island, were captured by Lieutenant Breese, in command of the
revenue cutter "Mahoning," and fifty marines. The prisoners, to the
number of one hundred and twenty-five, were taken to New York. On the
island of Cuba some outrages were perpetrated upon American citizens
by the Spanish authorities. Rear-Admiral Hoff, in command of the North
Atlantic squadron, was ordered to Santiago de Cuba for the better
protection of American interests, and no further aggressions occurred.

Two disasters in the navy ushered in the year 1870. In the Bay of
Yeddo, on January 24th, the steam-sloop "Oneida," just after leaving
Yokohama for Hong Kong, was run into and sunk by the English steamer
"Bombay," with the loss of twenty officers and ninety-six men. The tug
"Marie" was sunk in the same month, with a loss of four men, in Long
Island Sound. In October of the same year, Commander Sicard of the
"Saginaw" determined to run to Ocean Island, a small island about a
hundred miles west of the Midways, to rescue any sailors who might
have been shipwrecked there. The "Saginaw" was herself wrecked on a
reef off the perilous coast, but her men, after extreme exertions,
landed safely on the shores of the uninhabited island. Here they lived
for some months. They were rescued by a steamer from the Sandwich
Islands, sent to their aid by the authorities of the islands, who had
been informed of the accident by William Halford, one of the crew,
who, with Lieutenant Talbot and three others, had volunteered to make
the trip from Ocean Island to Honolulu, a distance of 1,500 miles, in
an open boat. After thirty-one days of great danger and hardship, they
arrived off one of the Hawaiian group of islands. In attempting to
land, the boat was upset in the surf, and all but Halford were
drowned.

At various times during the years 1871 and 1872, the marines of the
Brooklyn Navy Yard rendered very efficient aid to the revenue officers
in quelling riots in Brooklyn which grew out of the raiding of illicit
distilleries. In July, 1871, Captain Gilbert was killed and several
men wounded by the rioters.

[Illustration: Attack on a Corean Fort.]

The steamer "Forward," bearing the San Salvador flag,