legislature. The Cubans therefore feel that the Home Rule offered is not a genuine reform which will bring them relief from the abuses from which they rebelled against Spain, but a sort of game, invented to keep them good tempered, which is as unlike real Home Rule as playing with a doll is unlike nursing a real baby.

It is stated that the Cuban people in the field and in the cities do not believe in the offered Home Rule, and are determined not to accept it.

A proclamation to that effect has come from Cuba. It is signed by Calixto Garcia, Maximo Gomez, and Domingo Mendez Capote,—which, by the way, looks as if the report was true that Garcia had been elected commander-in-chief of the army, Gomez, minister of war, and Capote, president of Cuba; else why should they sign the proclamation, which is an official document?

General Gomez has also issued another statement in which he says that the change in the Spanish Government will not affect the Cuban plans in the least. The Cubans, he says, are fighting for liberty, and liberty they will have. They scornfully refuse the Spanish offers of Home Rule, believing them to be insincere and misleading.

Gomez further declares that the army has been making great preparations for the coming winter campaign, and expects to show the mother-country, by force of arms, that Cuba will have nothing from her but freedom.

General Weyler has left Cuba, and General Ramon Blanco has taken command in his place.

The demonstrations so much feared by the Americans and Cubans in Havana occurred in spite of all the efforts to prevent them, but, happily such excellent precautions were taken that no rioting ensued.

There were a few cries of "Death to the Americans," but a strong guard had been placed over our consulate, and so no attack was made on it.

A report was circulated that the American cruiser Montgomery was outside the harbor, and so the Americans were not interfered with. They wisely kept within doors during the whole day, and everything passed off peaceably.

The city itself went wild over its beloved General. The stores were closed, the streets decorated, rockets were fired, and immense crowds gathered round the palace to bid Weyler farewell. The General went from the palace to the wharf on foot, the crowds pressing round him, shaking his hand, and even kissing him, cheering him to the echo as he embarked.

The Government in Spain sincerely wished to prevent the demonstration. The ministry desired to give the impression that Weyler had been recalled from Cuba because his rule had not been satisfactory to Spain. The Prime Minister therefore feared that if the Spaniards in Cuba gathered round Weyler and praised his rule—which had been so bloodthirsty and savage,—the Cubans would be still more enraged against Spain, and less inclined to believe that she really meant to give them the promised reforms.

To prevent any show of feeling, word was cabled from Spain that Weyler was on no account to leave the island until General Blanco arrived.

Weyler must have thought this to mean that Blanco had orders to forbid any demonstration, and so, in direct defiance to the orders he had received, he decided to embark the day that Blanco was expected.

By this means he was able to permit the demonstration which was so pleasing to his vanity, and also to make trouble for his successor.

The Cubans, as Spain feared, were shocked that the Spaniards should make an idol of their bitterest enemy, and immediately began to doubt the truth of the Home Rule stories.

Weyler went aboard his ship in great state on Friday afternoon, but by Saturday the fickle people of Havana were laughing at the man whom they had praised and embraced the day before.

Weyler had expected that Blanco would arrive an hour or two after his departure, but, unfortunately, soon after he had embarked he learned that Blanco's ship could not reach Cuba till Sunday morning, and as the Montserrat, on which Weyler had taken passage, had orders not to leave Havana till Blanco arrived, the great Weyler was cooped up on board ship the whole of Saturday, waiting with what patience he might for the arrival of General Blanco.

At about six o'clock on Sunday morning, October 31st, Blanco reached the port of Havana. Almost immediately Weyler visited him on board his ship, turned over his command, and in the afternoon sailed away from the shores of the beautiful little island which he has laid waste and ravaged with fire and sword.

Now that he has gone, the Spanish papers are beginning to condemn him and examine a little more closely into his accounts.

It is possible that trouble may await him when he reaches Spain.

One paper asks that he explain a problem in mathematics which you young folks should find interesting.

On May 18th, 1897, General Weyler announced that there were only 1,300 insurgents in Cuba, and that these were mostly unarmed.

On September 16th, 1897, he stated that of these (1,300) insurgents (mostly unarmed), 1,716 had surrendered with arms in their hands, 4,619 had surrendered without arms, 1,007 had been killed in Pinar del Rio, 536 in Havana, 430 in Matanzas, and 966 in Las Villas.

Out of 1,300 insurgents, 6,335 had surrendered and 2,942 had been killed.

Any one who can make these statements agree will receive a handsome prize from The Great Round World.

It is said that one of the first measures to be taken by General Blanco will be to suppress the barbarous decree made by Weyler which drove the country people away from their homes, and forced them to herd and starve in the cities.

These unfortunate people are now to be turned loose again, and given the right to go back to their homes and their farms.

This seems a very humane thing to do, but it will hardly bring the Spaniards the popularity they expect.

Since Weyler drove the peasants into the cities their lands and farms have been laid waste, their houses burned, their cattle stolen. They will be turned out of the cities penniless and homeless, and exchange the certainty of dying of hunger in the crowded city for the equal certainty of dying of hunger in the desolate wasted country.

Added to this, it is uncertain whether General Blanco can induce the country folks to leave the cities unless he drives them out at the point of the bayonet.

You probably remember our telling you that when first these people were forced into the cities, and began to feel the pangs of hunger, they begged the authorities to give them permission to go back to their farms, and gather in the crops that were rotting in the fields, that they might have food to save themselves from starving.

You will also remember that permission was given some of these poor fellows, and that they started out full of energy and hope, only to be shot down and killed by the Spanish soldiers as soon as they were outside the city limits.

The country people have not forgotten this, and it will be hard to make them believe that this order to leave the city is intended for anything else than a general massacre. Blanco will find it no easy task to make the people believe he means well by them.

Immediately on taking charge of affairs, the new Captain-General issued a proclamation to the people, in which he said that Spain had sent him to bring peace and prosperity to Cuba, and to extend her forgiveness to those who were willing to seek the protection of her flag.

He stated that he had been ordered by the Queen to govern the island with kindness and generosity, but added that the rebellion must be brought to an end. He declared that while Spain would show mercy to all who submitted to her rule, she would punish with the utmost severity those who still remained in arms against her.

In the mean while the Cubans are going right