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SCENES IN THE PACIFIC 
pletely at his mercy ; and like all other great men, being 
shocked at the idea of shedding blood so profusely as he must 
do, if he opened upon the Mission the terrors of his cannon, 
he sent in a flag and demanded a surrender. But, strange to 
say, the Don, not having before his eyes the fear of Castro’s 
ammunition, refused obedience to this reasonable request, and 
commenced a brisk discharge of musketry from the walls. 
This w 7 as answered by those outside with both muskets and 
cannon. The w T ork of death thus commenced w r ent on until 
the shutting in of night on the fourth day ! How grateful were 
the shadows of that night to the besieged ! The lighted taper 
that burned at the altar of the Chapel, sent a straggling ray 
over the area within the walls, and glimmered faintly on the 
arms of the Don’s soldiery ! But neither that light from the 
altar of hope, nor the beaming bayonets of the besieged vete¬ 
rans, could inspire their hearts with the firmness required to 
prolong so terrific and destructive a conflict. In the silent 
moment of midnight, therefore, more than half of the Don’s 
remaining troops made a desperate sally from the gate, and 
not being opposed for awhile, believed that their intrepidity 
had saved them ! But they were unfortunately mistaken ! 
The Captain’s sentinels had noticed their operations, and 
sounded the alarm so bravely that they surrendered them¬ 
selves at discretion, without waiting for the unnecessary cere¬ 
mony of being captured, or in anywise endangered. 
After these men had thus daringly given themselves up to 
their foes, their companions, the glorious old Don and all, 
@apitulated. And now came the calling of the rolls and the 
burial of the dead ! Sad rites to those w T ho survive such days 
of carnage ! Forty-eight hours of cannonading on the one 
side, and of busy musket-shots on the other !! How many 
had ceased to breathe, w r as the anxious inquiry! The offi¬ 
cial returns read thus, “ Of the army of the South one man 
killed. Of the army of the North one man w 7 ounded.—God 
and Liberty.” It is proper to observe in this place, that it 
was afterwards a question often raised between the soldiers 
