General quarters again at two bells (9 p.m.)." Under date of July 19th, one of the crew states in his private diary: "Clear ship for action again.

This is a very pretty drill, and is much liked by the boys, as it includes sending all the mess gear and provisions below, where most of them are usually 'pinched.' Clear ship for action always means an exchange of undesirable mess gear, such as broken benches, tables, etc.

General quarters at 1:30; fired two shots at an invisible target with smokeless powder.

Great success, this new powder.

If we had only been provided with it before, every living Spaniard would have trembled at the word 'Yankee'!" "What are we doing all this clear ship, general quarters, fire drill, and such business for ?" said a forecastle man to Craven, who, besides being on a deck gun, from which all that was occurring on the bridge could be seen, was a messenger.
"Why, don't you know ?" said the latter.