was on its way.  A somewhat roundabout route was taken in order to avoid any possible overhauling by naval or revenue ships.  The point selected for the landing was a little harbor on the north coast about thirty miles from the eastern end of the island.  The party included two Cuban pilots, supposed to know the coast where they were to land.  One of them proved to be a traitor and the other, O’Brien says, “was at best an ignoramus.”  The traitor, who, after the landing, paid for his offence with his life, tried to take them into the harbor of Baracoa, where lay five Spanish warships.  But O’Brien knew the difference, as shown by his official charts, between the Cape Maisi light, visible for eighteen miles, and the Baracoa light, visible for only eight miles, and kicked the pilot off the bridge.  The landing was begun at half-past ten at night, and completed about three o’clock in the morning, with five Spanish warships barely more than five miles away.  The United States Treasury Department reported this expedition as “successful.”  The vessel then proceeded to Honduras, where it took on a cargo of bananas, and returned, under orders, to Philadelphia, the home city of its owner, Mr. John D. Hart.  Arrests were made soon after the arrival, including Hart, the owner of the vessel, O’Brien, and his mate, and General Emilio Nunez who accompanied the expedition as the representative of the junta.  The case was transferred from the courts in Philadelphia to New York, and there duly heard.  The alleged offenders were defended by Horatio Rubens, Esq., of New York, the official counsel of the junta.  One of the grounds of the defence was that the defendants might be guilty of smuggling arms into Cuba, but with that offence the courts of the United States had nothing to do.  The jury disagreed.  The indictments were held over the heads of the members of the group, but no further action was taken, and two or three years later the case was dismissed by order of the Attorney General of the United States.

This expedition fairly illustrates the science of filibustering in its elementary form, a clearance with some attendant risk; a voyage with possibility of interference at any time; and a landing made with still greater risk and danger of capture.  The trip had been made so successfully and with such full satisfaction to the promoters that the junta urged O’Brien to remain with them as long as there should be need for his services, and he agreed to do so.  A department of expeditions was organized under the general control of Emilio Nunez, with O’Brien as navigator.  Credit for the numerous successful expeditions that followed lies in differing degrees with Nunez, Palma, Rubens, O’Brien, Hart, Cartaya, and others less well known in connection with the enterprises.  But for the work they did, the risks they ran, Cuba’s revolution must have failed.  All of them risked jail sentences, and some of them risked their lives in ways perhaps even more dangerous