seen so many instances in these pages. The principal magazine, supposed to contain some thousands of barrels of powder, exploded, it was believed by a shell from one of the steamships, which for the first time in naval warfare had an opportunity of showing the great utility of this new means of propulsion. The explosion was received with cheers by the fleet, and after a short cessation the cannonading was resumed with renewed vigor, until not more than twenty of the guns ashore were in a condition to reply, when about dusk the admiral made the signal to cease firing. Before daybreak deserters came off to the fleet, announcing that the garrison, disheartened by the events of the preceding day, were deserting; and in the morning all the troops were landed under command of Sir Charles Smith, and took up their quarters in the town. The effect of the fire upon the defenses of the town in some places was astounding; two embrasures had been knocked into one, parapets had been torn up and guns hurled out of their carriages, and in some instances split from breech to muzzle. The devastation caused by the explosion was even more appalling. Sir Charles Smith, in his dispatch, wrote, "Two entire regiments, formed in position in the ramparts, were annihilated, and every living creature within the area of six thousand yards ceased to exist, the loss of life being variously computed from one thousand two hundred to two thousand persons.

The casualties in the fleet were singularly small, only amounting to twelve killed and thirty-two wounded in the British portion, the Austrian and Turkish ships losing six killed and nineteen wounded. This almost perfect immunity from the liabilities of warfare was due to the fact that the Egyptian gunners, believing that the buoys laid down by the masters of the "Talbot" and "Pique" to mark the shoals were intended to denote the positions the ships of the fleet were to take up, leveled their guns for these marks, and then wedged them into the embrasures. It was stated that the water a few yards outside the ships was lashed into foam by the storm of projectiles showered innocuously into the sea.

The capture of Acre virtually put an end to the war; for though Ibrahim Pasha, evacuating the northern strongholds of Aleppo and Scanderoon, concentrated his army near Baalbec, yet the fall of a

fortress mounting one hundred and forty-seven guns, which it had taken him ten months to reduce with forty thousand men, and which had foiled the mighty Napoleon himself, was regarded as irremediable. Sir Robert Stopford withdrew the fleet to Marmorice, and reported to his government that nothing more remained to be done. Napier, who had been sent to Alexandria, took upon himself to conclude a convention with the viceroy, agreeing to recognize his hereditary claim to the sovereignty of Egypt on payment of an annual tribute of two millions sterling, and even placing his quasi-independence under the guarantee of the four powers. The British Foreign Minister, Lord Palmerston, overlooking the presumption of the gallant commodore, accepted this convention, but disowned the guarantee; and thus matters have stood ever since between the Porte and its powerful vassal, though it scarcely requires a prophetic vision to predict that the arrangement, like other later expedients to bolster up the Ottoman empire, appears to be of a temporary character. The Turkish ships which had deserted to Mehemet Alix six months before were delivered up to Admiral Walker on the 11th of January, 1841, and thus closed this episode in European history. Rewards were showered upon the victorious fleet. Sir Robert Stopford, Commodore Napier, and the officers and men were thanked by both Houses of Parliament; and the admiral received the freedom of the city, also a splendid sword from the sultan, and orders from the sovereigns of the allied powers. Commodore Napier and Admiral Walker, of the Turkish fleet, received the ribbon of the Bath, and all the captains not previously so distinguished were nominated to be companions of the order. Ten commanders were posted, and twentythree lieutenants and fifty mates were promoted.

THE FALL OF THE CITY OF MEXICO

EVENTS WHICH LED TO THE MEXICAN WAR-THE INVASIONBATTLE OF CHURUBUSCO - STORMING OF CHAPULTEPEC -THE FALL OF MONTEZUMA'S CAPITAL

A

A. D. 1847

FTER the War of 1812 this country remained at peace with

the world for three decades. At the close of that period a more serious quarrel arose. It concerned Texas, which was formerly a Mexican province. In 1827, and again in 1829, attempts were made by our government to purchase it; Mexico, however, refusing. Soon afterward a number of emigrants from the Southern States moved into Texas. In 1835 the inhabitants of Texas, headed by Houston, a Virginian, rose against the Mexican government. They defeated the forces sent against them, captured Santa Anna, the President of Mexico, and forced from him an acknowledgment of their independence. They then formed Texas into a republic, with a constitution modeled on that of the United States, and made Houston President. In less than a year the people of Texas asked to be joined to the United States. Indeed it was generally believed that from the outset this had been the object of the Southern adventurers who went thither. The South was extremely anxious for their admission. The soil and climate of Texas fitted it for slave labor, and thus it was sure, if it were admitted and slavery allowed there, to swell the strength of the slave States. All the ablest statesmen in the North were strongly opposed to its admission. They pointed out that it would involve the nation in a war with Mexico, that it would strengthen the South unduly, and lead to disputes which might rend the Union asunder.

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Webster put forward these views strongly. Van Buren, a Democrat, and Clay, a Southerner, went with him. Calhoun, alone among statesmen of note, was in favor of annexation, avowedly as a means of strengthening the slave States. Adams and a number of members of Congress drew up a protest, pointing out that all the proceedings about Texas had for "their objects the perpetuation of slavery and the continual ascendency of the slave power," and going on to say that annexation would "not only result in a dissolution of the Union, but fully justify it." But the Democrats were bent on annexation. They refused to support Van Buren for the Presidency, and brought forward Polk, who opposed Clay, and was elected. The Whigs then, seeing that annexation was certain, tried to lessen the evil by providing that in half the newly-acquired territory slavery should be prohibited. They failed, however, to carry this. It was finally arranged that Texas should be at once admitted, and four additional States gradually formed out of the newly-acquired land. As regarded slavery, the old line of the Missouri Compromise was to be observed, but as that was two hundred miles beyond the northernmost part of Texas the concession was of no value. Under these conditions, in 1845, Texas became one of the United States.

As might have been expected, Mexico did not sit down tamely under the loss of Texas. The United States government, fearing some attempt to recover their new territory, garrisoned it with a small force. Their commander, General Taylor, was warned by the Mexican government that, if he advanced beyond a certain boundary, the Rio Nueces, it would be taken as a declaration of war. He disregarded this warning, and the war began. After some unimportant operations in the west, in which the Americans were easily victorious, Taylor took possession of the town of Matamoras. By June, 1846, his force was brought by fresh re-enforcements up to six thousand. With this he marched on Monterey, a strong place, where the Mexicans had concentrated their forces. to the number of ten thousand. After three days' hard fighting, Monterey fell. Taylor's force, however, was too much weakened for him to venture on an advance.

In February, 1847, Santa Anna, the President of Mexico,

marched against Taylor with twenty thousand men. Taylor, with five thousand men, advanced to meet him. The Mexicans made the first attack at Buena Vista. Partly through Taylor's accidental absence, the Americans were for a while thrown into confusion, but upon his return they rallied. The battle was indecisive, but next morning the Mexicans withdrew. In the meantime another army had invaded Mexico in the west, and had conquered California with scarcely any difficulty, except what arose from the nature of the country. In the spring of this year an invading force of twelve thousand men sailed under General Scott, the American commander-in-chief. On March 9th they reached Vera Cruz. This place was very strongly fortified, but in every other respect wretchedly unprovided with means of resistThe Americans were allowed to land unresisted; they threw up earthworks and opened fire on the place from sea and land. After four days' bombardment, to which the besieged made no attempt to reply, the place surrendered. Scott then marched inland and defeated Santa Anna, who had taken a strong position at Cerro Gordo. The Americans then advanced unchecked to Churubusco, a hamlet situated a few miles from the capital. Here serious operations began.

ance.

The positions of the respective armies, at this time, may be thus defined. The hamlet of Churubusco, which is intersected by the causeway which leads from San Antonio to the City of Mexico, is composed of a small cluster of adobe houses, and the massive stone convent and church, known as San Pablo, and it is situated on the south bank of the Rio de Churubusco, over which the great road is carried on a fine stone bridge. This bridge is defended by a field-work, known as a tete-de-pont; and it had been constructed with great care, with bastions, curtains, and a wet ditch-four guns, two in front and two on the left flank, having been placed in battery for its defense. The convent of San Pablo was a strong stone edifice, and had been strengthened with two walls, one within the other, and of great strength. The outer wall was a regular fieldwork, pierced with embrasures, and defended with five guns, although it was still incomplete. In these two works, behind the Rio de Churubusco-sheltered by its high banks, on the causeway still