Two days later the "Yankee" parted from her consort and proceeded to the Isle of Pines.
It was here one of the most laughable incidents of the cruise occurred.
While steaming past one of the outlying islands, a small fleet of fishing sloops was discovered at anchor inshore.

Under ordinary circumstances such unimportant craft would not have been molested, but in the present case it was suspected that they formed part of the fleet supplying fish to the Havana market.

To destroy them was our bounden duty.
"Man the starboard fo'c'sle six-pounder and fire a shell in their direction," ordered the captain from the bridge.
The gun was loaded in short order, and presently a projectile went screeching across the water, dropping with a splash near the largest sloop.

Several small rowboats were seen to pull away from the smacks, and it was evident the crews had fled in terror.

Directly after dinner, the "Yankee's" first cutter and the second whaleboat were ordered away, manned and armed.