The Russian fleet here at this time consisted of seven battleships, five cruisers, three auxiliary cruisers, and seven torpedo boats. On January 27 it went out to sea for manceuvres.
Russian sailors were sent on board the Esperance one night to help to empty the No. 1 hold of its reeking cargo. The shore of the island became strewn with pieces of bad meat, and a cor plaint was made against the steamer captain for not going out further to sea to discharge it. The last lot of meat was got rid of on February 1, and four days Inter the Esperance was again sent to Majunga with some Russian officers who had to dispatch telegrams, purchase stores ete. She returned to Nossi Be with the Administrator of Majunga on February 10. Another trip was made to the same place a few days later to buy flour, rice and other stores for the fleet. March 4 saw the Esperance back at Nossi Be. The Russian Admiral now refused to allow the Esperance to accompany the fleet any further owing to the state of her machinery. Her owners' re sentatives, therefore, left her to await the arrival of another steamer that was on her way out from the same firm, Visits to Hellville, the town on the island of Nossi Be, account for an entry in the diary that the town is rightly named. References to the Esperance now become few and far between, and would cease altogether, but for a mishap that occurred to her successor. On March 15, 1905, the steamer Regina Roslin Castle) steamed into Nossi She had been fitted out at Til-bary, after being rushed round from Southampton, and before she left England it was rumoured that she was destined for the Russian fleet, with provisions. The Baltic Fleet left Nossi Be at 2 p.m. on March 16, Its departure resulted in an extraordinary fall in the prices at the cafe at Heliville. Beer, which during its stay had been sold st Frs. 4 per bottle, The M-C. thered and S. C. & C. Gazette, Fes 21 1908 could now be obtained at Fre, 2.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.