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otherwise to our case the parallel did crushing blows dealt at the British Enquire not seem to extend. The glories of the warded off and returned; but it was all com- Naval Review and the gatherings of the prehended in that saddest of expressions Sons of the lampire were still fresh in our 'might have been,' that phrases lost op- minds--yet even then was preparing that portunities, the roofing of the place paved bolt from the blue that destroyed the fair with good intentions. We have heard fabric the foundation of which our fore what the Russians have since made of fathers laid with such stern determination Hongkong,-an Impregnable City.' at cost of so much blow and treasure---- John Bull, in his lethargy, had not noted wasted, wasted all, by their degenerate the ever-increasing of the pack of enrs and emasculated descendants.
baiting and ringing him in. The John Bull had been sleeping on his French poodle continuously papping money bags for forty years, and yet be about Egypt, the Russian sleuth-hound, lieved in diplomacy, ie. backing down. with his ostentations love of peace He had no conception that blows could be and of the aforesaid poodle, the German boar- struck first and war declared afterwards--hound, with his enddenly awakened interest such a course being impossible with his in Africa, and equally rapidly evolved Parliaments of Babble and Parochial affection for the Dutchmen of the Transvaal, Squabble.' He had a nicely cut and dried and sympathy with their heroic efforts to programme, diplomacy failing; coaling shake off England's cruel yoke. The Yan- stations would be reinforced and victualled. kee mongrel, with his curious interest in The fleet in the Mediterranean augmented, the Venezuela boundary and bis perennial Coastguards and Reserves called out. love of the pelagic seal.
Militia mobilized, Subsidized cruizers All those things, I say, had conveyed taken up, etc.
No doubt it would have all į nothing to the sluggish mind of John Bull; worked well had the enemy had the gen-he had suddenly awakened for a few years, erosity to have accepted and abided by our created a great nary (not adequate for his dates, instead of aclecting their own time, noeds), had serious thoughts and even made and further omitting the formality of a so- some slight efforts at fortifying and gar- lemn declaration of war, with heralds 'cast-risoning his bases, then came the Jubilee ng the spear,' etc. It was all very informal and a burst of self-gratulation. Every- and improper, but completely successful; thing had gone well. Everything would it demonstrated our utter uureadiness and continue to go well. Truc, the Belgian incapacity for sudden action.
and the German were cutting in uncom
Had the three additional European re-fortably into his trade, but things would giments, and the 500 extra Artillerymen right themselves, and he turned over for that were talked of when you were last in what he fondly hoped would be another Hongkong been in the island, the reserve bat- forty years' snoose. It did not last four teries on the South shore been constructed, months, and the awakening was rude. the roads round the thousand-foot contours We in Hongkong got the first shake. built, the barracks overlooking landing. Tot me see you left Victoria in the places erected, the block-houses on the Petrel at the end of August, or was it in crests of the hills commanding Mirs Bay the beginning of September 1897 You been made, the five Torpado Destroyers were very near the beginning of the end. and the Harbour Defence-ship Ajax been On Thursday, the 23rd September 1897, in the port, and the Colony victualled, all the English mail left Hongkong (for the might have been different, and the first of the last time as it proved)—the Kohilla (Capt.
3-
Cole)--at noon. Everything was as usual, their respective cantonments. The evacua- business was improving consequent on altion of Thessaly was being rapidly carried slight appreciation of the now obsolete out. M. Droz, the Swiss Governor of dollar, then standing at 1/10. The weather; Creto, bad landed at Caea amidst the thun- was thick and rainy, as indeed it hadder of salutes from the floets of the Euro- been the whole year. The Rohilla must pean Concert. The Dervishes were dishear have passed within sight of the enemy's tened by numerous defections. The out- Beet about 4 p.m., but whether she did look was profoundly peaceful, H.M.S. Un- and was deliberately allowed to pass with- daunted, which had been all the summer off out molestation, or whether she slipped the Dockyard refitting, had aniled to rejoin past without being seen, was never known; the Admiral et Nagasaki on the 21st. The at any rate, the Roheln made no report of American mail, the Belgic (Capt. Rinder) an alarming nature on arrival at Singapore had been despatched on the 21st via Shang- on the 28th, Doubtless the transports hai and Japan. The only men-of-war in kept well to the westward, coming from the port were the Flower, Lt.-Com, De Saigon.
Horsey, refitting: Swift and Rattler, old-
Mr Shiverly, the British Consul at Saigon fashioned gun-boats laid up in ordinary, (where we were only represented by a and the Wivern and Tweet which it was merchant in business), had made no re-gross flattery to call harbour defence presentations of a disquieting nature. For vessels. In the depot were two first-class many weeks past our communications with and four second-class torpedo boats. The Saigon had practically ceased, having been old Victor Emanuel, flying the Com- confined to the Messageries Steamers, modore's broad pennant, and the Tumar, Marty's vessels, and two German tramps, to which it was shortly to be transferred, the Mathilde and Sabina Rickmers, both could not be reckoned as in the first line of of which vessels were commanded by defence. men of the name of Berg.
About sunset on the 23ni, after a heavy thunder-storm lasting nearly an hour, the sky had cleared over Hongkong and Lama,
The restrictions latterly enforced on for eign vessels, had resulted in the withdraw al of British shipping from the Saigon and a few stars peeped out after dark, trade, and
even with Bangkok---from though the clouds were still heavily bank- whence rumours of military preparations in ed to the south and westward. On this French possessions might have been receiv-; evening it chanced that Messrs Mengens ed. The shrinkage of and diversion to and Hazeland, two Colonial Officers, bad Singapore of the rice trade had rendered gone round in the Lum On, the Aber- communication uncertain and infrequent,, deen ferry-launch, to that place, where thus no cause for anxiety or necessity for they had hired a sampan to go fish- using the cable existed. The Danish tele- ing for rock cod off the S.E. end of graph ship the Store Nordiske had only the Aplichau Island. They had not long been month previously been in the port and anchored to the eastward of the Assistance effected some slight repairs.
Rock, when to their astonishment they The Router of the 23rd September, re- made out the loom of a large vessel coming coived at 2.40 F.,, had reported the com-up slowly from the Southward past the plete pacification of the N. W. frontier of East end of Lana Island-showing BO India after the severe defeats indicted on lights. At this time, it was about 10 p.m., the tribesmen, and that the bulk of the two other ships were observed following troops recently employed had returned to the first in line ahead. The three ships-
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