Both Mr. and Mrs. Youmans were much respected and loved, their goodness and charity were unbounded, and much sorrow was felt when the news of their dreadful end was cabled to this country.

King Oscar not only expressed his sorrow for the accident, but ordered that a marble monument should be placed on the spot where they had met their death.

During the twenty-seven years that Oscar has been on the throne, his country has been peaceful and prosperous.

* * * * *

From Cuba, the news comes that another gunboat has been captured.

The story of the capture is that the boat, the Cometa, had been sent to a certain post on the coast to prevent the landing of any filibustering parties.

The Cubans found that the vessel anchored at night, at a spot from which she could easily be attacked from the shore.

[Illustration:  Attack on Spanish Gunboat.]

One night they opened fire on the vessel, struck her in several places, and damaged her.  During the confusion on the ship, several boat-loads of Cubans put off from the shore and boarded the Cometa.

A terrible fight took place.  The commander and half the sailors were killed, and the rest surrendered.  The Cubans then burned the vessel.

This news comes from the Cuban side.

The Spaniards deny that any such fight took place, and the Admiral of the fleet declares that he will have the Cometa come into Havana harbor, with all her flags flying, to show that she has not been burned.

It is so difficult to get at the truth of these reports.

The news of General Weyler is, that he has left Havana once more, and is marching through the western end of the island, to convince himself, and the authorities in Spain, that the rebellion is over, and the island has been pacified.

He declares that he has not met a single Cuban in all his marches, that there are no insurgents round Havana, and that sugar-grinding will be begun very shortly.

This is what General Weyler says of himself.

The Cubans, on their side, say that it is true that Weyler never sees any of the rebels, for the simple reason that he knows perfectly well where they are, and carefully avoids going anywhere near them.

They had a great plot laid to make him aware of their presence.

They prepared an ambush for him—­which means that they set a trap for him.  Weyler was walking into it, and in a few minutes would have been surrounded by the Cubans, who had planned to take him prisoner, when unfortunately one of the Cuban guns went off.  The Spaniards were instantly warned that they were in danger, made a hasty retreat, and the Cubans lost their prize.

The Cubans are in strong force round Havana; they are further than ever from being pacified; the rebellion is by no means over, and Weyler’s telegrams are not deceiving any one any more.