compliance with General Benavides' stipulation. Lieutenant Moore was furthermore instructed by his commanding officer to consult with the American officer, and profit by his advice in the matter of bringing off refugees. There were as usual quite a number of applicants for assistance on the beach, and soon after hauling the boat up a gentleman introduced himself as General Joe Shelby, stating that he and five others—colonels—whom he presented, were anxious to get to Vera Cruz, so as to return to the United States. Lieutenant Moore cheerfully acquiesced in McGowan's proposal to take them off Later in the day, an Englishman, with his wife, child, and maid, appeared and asked to be taken off too. The cutter could not hold all, and yet it would have been rather hard to say no, particularly as six Americans had been told that they could go. So after a consultation, it was decided that the passengers should charter a large sail-boat, that McGowan should hoist the United States ensign over her, and that he, with General Shelby and friends, should go in her, while the English officer would take his party in the cutter. They got across the bar all right, and started for the ships, but soon saw the "Tabasco" steaming towards them. The cutter was about a mile ahead, and to windward of the sail-boat, and the Mexicans in the latter, seeing the actions of the steamer, crawled under the tarpaulins, and could not be in-
