she has been engaged in. And the chief officer—a very pleasant fellow—was like his ship. Unshaved and unshorn, and in a suit that had once been white, he received his visitor with an unwelcome shrug. This attitude quickly gave place alittle pleasant banter, and, the ico once broken, he became quite commit tive. It was soon discernible, how ever, that on one or two vital points he had @ reserve of information that neither persuasion nor point-blank questioning could broach.
When the Neumuehlen left Hon Kobe on the 5th there were in the Bay altogether forty-five ships, of which about twenty were warships. He was unable to name or to specify definitely what the fleet comprised, but it was clear that all the warships were fully loaded with coal and provisions and ready for immediate departure, Leaving Cardiff early in February the Neumueblen came out by way of Suez to "somewhere," but where that somewhere was or our representative could not" ascertain. She had her cargo of coal partly in bags for convenience in traushipping. This took place mostly in Hou Kobe Bay, the vessel going alongside the different warships, discharging several hundreds of tons into each until nothing was left but suficieut bunker coal to take her to Hongkong.
Asked his opinion about the Fleet the: otlicer said the ships looked up-to-into and smart, Having been out so long, they wore a little dirty, but not much, and y painting and cleaning up every day. good ships and might give: th than they were bargaining for. Very fow of the Russians were able to apeak German and he was, therefore, unable to converse with them to any extent. Ho learned, however, that the Third Squadron was daily expected and would bly by now be in Camrauh Bay.
old of the report of seaweed a foot Jong being on the hulls, the officer of the Neumuehien said it was "all rot." here was only A LITTLE BIT OF GREEN STUFF, but none to speak of, and as for barnacles thera were practically none, There were no divers engaged in the cleaning. up operations as far ashe saw, and it seemed to hit that none were necessary.
It might have been the 3rd of May, though Lo was not snee of the date, that he saw one of the French warships—a eruiser—come out of the bay. He had not secu her go.in, but, in any case, she had not stayed long. In happened on one of the days when the Russians were outside at They went outenly afew times for shooting practice. The few men-of the fleet with whom he came in contact. struck him as being " very sober and capable lot, with their leads screwed on the right way. He hoped they would succeed in their errand, because, if Japan were to have a " walk over" as hitherto, there would be no holding in of the Japanese, nnd the Far Kast would no longer be available for Europeans.
Before parting, the chief officer recounted.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.