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SPAIN. 



The aggregate length of the railroads in op- 

 eration amounted, on January 1, 1876, to 5,796 

 kilometres (1 kilometre = 0.62 mile); the ag- 

 gregate length of the telegraph-lines, on Jan- 

 uary 1, 1874, to 12,020 kilometres; that of the 

 wires to 27,114 kilometres. Cuba has about 

 640 kilometres. 



The campaign against the Carlist insurrec- 

 tion was carried on with incessant activity 

 during the first two months of the year. In 

 the first days of January, the Council of Minis- 

 ters, under the presidency of the King, settled 

 the plans for a general movement against the 

 Carlist posts, which were at once carried into 

 execution. On the 7th of January a notifica- 

 tion was given to masters of British vessels, 

 warning them to keep away from the whole 

 Spanish coast east of Bilbao, as Carlist bat- 

 teries were stationed at intervals all along the 

 shore, and fired at everything that approached. 



This action excited unfavorable comment in 

 the English papers, which insisted that the 

 Spanish Government should be held responsi- 

 ble for all damage to the shipping or property 

 of other nations, by whomsoever inflicted. 

 The siege of Hernani by the Carlists was raised 

 about the beginning of January. On the 25th 

 of January the royalists made a movement as 

 if toward Vera. They were met by the Car- 

 lists, and a sharp engagement took place. This 

 movement, however, it afterward appeared, 

 was only a feint, to cover a real attack on 

 Guetaria, the only point which the Carlists had 

 held on the Cantabrian coast, west of St. Se- 

 bastian, since the beginning of the war. Gen- 

 eral Moriones, of the Government troops, re- 

 turning to St. Sebastian, embarked two bat- 

 talions, which landed at Guetaria on the 26th, 

 and captured the height of Garatemondi, com- 

 manding the town of Guetaria. The Carlists 



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TUB ESCUIUAL. 



fled without firing a shot. This was a very 

 important capture, and gave many strategical 

 advantages to the troops of the Government in 

 their operations in Biscay. On the 1st of Feb- 

 ruary General Quesada reached Bilbao, having 

 marched through Biscay without meeting se- 

 rious resistance, and having on his march de- 

 stroyed powder and cartridge manufactories, 

 and occupied Dima, Arteage, and Cenauri. At 

 about the same time Durango was captured by 

 General Loma. The Alfonsist forces had now 

 almost entirely gained the provinces of Biscay 

 and Alava, while General Martinez occupied 

 the whole valley of the Bistan, intercepting 

 the communication of the Carlists with France. 

 The Carlists endeavored to concentrate their 

 troops in Navarre and Guipuzcoa. On the 1 3th 

 of February, General Quesada, of the royalist 

 forces, advanced from Durango and found the 



Carlists strongly intrenched at Elgueta. After 

 five hours' hard fighting the Carlist positions 

 were carried, and the Carlists retreated upon 

 Azpeytia. General Quesada pursued them as 

 far as Vergara, which he occupied in force. 

 Simultaneously with these operations, General 

 Loma moved from Marquina, breaking the Car- 

 list lines on the river Deva, and General Mori- 

 ones, advancing from the north, entered Zu- 

 marraga, and occupied the heights commanding 

 Aya and Cestona. General Moriones effected 

 a junction with General Loma, and captured 

 Azpeytia, driving the Carlists toward Tolosa. 

 On the 17th of February the Carlists were 

 quite encircled by the royalists; the forces of 

 General Campos were concentrated between 

 Elizondo and the valley of the Oyarzun ; the 

 brigade of General Navazcues was at Irun; 

 another brigade was concentrated between 



