From Libau to Tsushima: A narrative of the voyage of Admiral Rojdestvensky's fleet to eastern seas, including a detailed account of the Dogger Bank incidentPolitovskii, Evgenii Sigizmundovich
History
From Libau to Tsushima: A narrative of the voyage of Admiral Rojdestvensky's fleet to eastern seas, including a detailed account of the Dogger Bank incident
Politovskii, Evgenii Sigizmundovich
Russo-Japanese War, 1904-1905
The officers paid another visit to the king. He received them in
an English naval uniform and cocked hat. They were photographed
with him and his wives. One of them was taken arm-in-arm with the
queen-dowager, who begged for money. Some of the court ladies were
drunk. It is two days since the king, who is seventy-two, succeeded
his brother on the throne. Margarita, the eldest lady-in-waiting and
a most energetic old negress, runs about naked. For that matter, the
inhabitants in general do not trouble about completeness of costume.
The natives respectfully greet all Europeans. It is a curious monarchy,
under the protection of France; more truly it is her colony.
To-morrow there will be something in the nature of a coronation on
shore. The dead king is at present lying in a box under lock and key.
One of the officers sat on this box, to the consternation of the
present king and his court minister. The latter was dressed in a cocked
hat, a necktie round his bare neck, cuffs, sword, and frock-coat, but
without linen or trousers--a beautiful figure, thus attired, at the
reception of the guests.
_November 15th._--You can imagine what sort of a town is Libreville.
The Governor sent the admiral the latest news from the papers. They are
dated October 2nd--the day of our departure from Libau.
_November 16th._--I did not succeed in finishing my last letter, as the
boat left for the shore. In it went the last post which can go by the
steamer leaving for Europe to-morrow morning.
From sunset to dawn the admiral has forbidden communication between the
ships and the shore. Yesterday at 10 p.m. a cutter from the _Donskoi_,
in the harbour without special leave from the admiral, was detained.
The officer of the watch was put under arrest for this for three days.
This evening a boat from the same ship with three officers, also in the
harbour without special leave from the admiral, was likewise detained.
In to-day's orders the captain of the _Donskoi_ is reprimanded, and the
three officers who were in the boat are to be tried. They are to be
dismissed to the steamer leaving here for Europe to-morrow and will go
to Russia. As you see, disobedience is severely punished on board.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account