The first news of the nearness of the insurgents was brought by a few Spaniards who formed part of a garrison at Bermeja, a small town on the borders of Havana Province.

These men straggled into the city with the information that the Cubans had seized the town and their little fort.  They had all been captured, and had been brought before the general in command, who proved to be Gomez himself.  All but ten of the prisoners were Cubans who had enlisted in the Spanish service.

General Gomez freed the Spaniards, but ordered the Cubans to be hanged on the spot, as traitors to their country.

The Spaniards reported that Gomez had a force of 2,000 men with him, and that General Carillo was following him with another party of 3,000 more.  In Havana it is expected that an attempt to capture the city will be made within a few days.

It is said that the Cubans have been concentrating their forces in and around Havana Province for some time past, and that the troops who served under General Rivera, some 7,000 men in all, are waiting in Pinar del Rio until Gomez gives them the signal to join him.

Pinar del Rio is at the west of Havana Province.  In Matanzas, at the east of Havana, more insurgents are said to be gathered.  It looks as if the Cubans were really closing in on Havana for a definite purpose.

Spain is trying to raise a new loan to meet the cost of the wars in Cuba and the Philippine Islands.

There is a report that the health of General Rivera is failing.  It is said that, for want of proper care, his wounds are not healing, and that he is suffering a great deal from them.

Senator Morgan’s bill for recognizing the belligerency of Cuba has been debated in the Senate.

No progress has been made with it, however.

Some of the Senators spoke very warmly in its favor, and reminded the Senate of the time when we, too, were struggling for our liberty, and needed and obtained the support of other countries.

Other Senators tried to get rid of the bill by sending it to the Committee on Foreign Relations, which would mean a long delay before it could be brought to a vote.

The chances are that nothing definite will be done for the present, and that the Cubans will not receive any help from the United States.

The Navy Department has refused to send any more vessels to patrol the seas for filibusters.

There are now three ships detailed for that duty, and more have been asked for.

Mr. Long, the Secretary of the Navy, says that he thinks three are plenty, that the rainy season is at hand, and very little fighting will be done in Cuba after it once sets in.

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The death of the Duke d’Aumale has just been announced.

This gentleman was a personage of very great interest to Europeans.

He was the fourth son of Louis Philippe—­the King of France who was deposed in 1848.  The Duke d’Aumale was trained to be a soldier.  He loved his profession, and made great progress in it, winning honors for himself when but a lad of nineteen.