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Updated: May 16, 2025
The first shell passed close ahead of the gunboat, but it was aimed much too high, and struck the cliffs on the Covadonga's port beam, exploding with a brilliant flash of light and a roaring concussion that sent ton after ton of rock hurtling down into the sea.
The execution on board was terrible; and Jim had an exceedingly narrow escape, for at the moment when the Union fired he was just entering the little conning-tower with a communication for Captain Condell, and a 100-pounder shell struck full upon one of the Covadonga's 70-pounder gun-shields, tearing a portion of it away.
Both of the Covadonga's shells at this moment burst on board the monitor, one of them blowing her short squat funnel clean over the side, while the other, by one of the strange happenings of war, entered her hull through the same gun-port as the previous shell, working still further havoc in the Huascar's engine-room.
The Union lost her captain and first lieutenant during the first few minutes of the renewed encounter, her mainmast came down by the board, having been struck, fair and square, by one of the Covadonga's 70-pounder shells, and all her small boats were in a few minutes utterly destroyed by the storm of shot from the gunboat's gatling-guns.
Jim was not long in making his report to Captain Condell, and with a glance at the Independencia, which was hard upon the Covadonga's heels, firing as she came, he now ran down below to change into dry clothes and equip himself with another sword and revolver; having, of course, lost his own when he jumped into the sea.
The old Moorish leader Mousa had spoken well when he told the kalif at Damascus that the Christians of Spain were lions in their castles, and the Moors were repeatedly given ample proof of the wisdom of his observation. "Covadonga's conquering site Cradle was of Spanish might," so says the old ballad. And what and where was Covadonga?
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