Vietnam or Thailand ? Vote for the TOP Country of the Week !
Updated: May 4, 2025
Then suddenly it seemed as though the end had come, for a particularly well-aimed shell came hurtling into the Covadonga, close to her rudder-post, almost entirely destroying the rudder, and smashing one of the blades clean off the propeller. As a consequence, her speed immediately dropped to about five knots, and Condell ground his teeth with rage.
The Peruvians, which had been heading off the land, had now turned slightly, and were pointing about north-north-west, directly for the spot where the Covadonga was creeping along under the land, and Jim could see the dull red glare above their funnels which showed that the stokers were coaling up vigorously.
But as she herself would be at the mercy of almost any hostile ship that might happen to heave in sight while the main body of the fleet was absent, it was decided to leave with her the gunboat Covadonga; and these two vessels were ordered to continue the blockade of the port to the best of their ability.
He gradually edged closer and closer to the Covadonga continually firing his heavy guns, to which the Chilian replied with a withering small-arm fire until he was separated by only about a cable's-length from the gunboat.
As the Covadonga herself was obliged, by reason of shoals and sunken reefs, to keep at a distance of quite half a mile from the beach, this left her an avenue of escape just about half a mile in width.
The Peruvian was going away fast enough, however, to take her soon out of range of the Covadonga. But the Magellanes and Chacabuco, as they rushed past the gunboat cheering, now began to fire at the flying ship, and several of their shells burst aboard her. As the Chacabuco passed she made the signal "Proceed forthwith to Valparaiso, and report that I am chasing to the northward.
Grau is going to get us between two fires if he can. As soon as the corvette is past us she too will swing round and attack us with her bow-guns while the Huascar rakes us with her stern weapons. It looks as though the Covadonga were in for a hot time!"
To the battle of Covadonga modern Spain owes her existence, that is, if we are to believe the legends which have been handed down to us, and which rightfully or wrongfully belong to history. Under the circumstances, it is not surprising that the gratitude of later monarchs should have erected a church on the site of the famous battle, and should have raised it to a collegiate church.
At a short distance above its foot is visible the celebrated cave or grotto of Covadonga, an opening forty feet wide, twelve feet high, and extending twenty-five feet into the rock. The river sweeps out through a narrow and rocky defile, at whose narrowest part the banks rise in precipitous walls.
"Load again, men; load again!" cried Douglas, quite forgetting himself in the excitement of the moment. "Another discharge like that, and we shall have the fellow completely crippled. Hurrah for the gallant little Covadonga!"
Word Of The Day
Others Looking