Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-04-18
THE ENGLISH TARTAR,

French when one is not used to it even when
ore Is talking to naval officer and has the
calm satisfaction of knowing that every one in
the immediate neighborhood is listening and
wondering at the ability Of the linguist
The dark-haired Italians from the Giovanni
Rausan had fatal charm about them. and for
awhile gave quite En- italian opera air to the
place as soon as they came ashore yesterday.
But there is only one Italian ship and there is
only one French ship.
Bat now there are five English ships in the
roads with the great Blake in the van and the
Others drawn up in line just Oh the line made
by the white squadron. Their position would
probably be called the one Of honor Their
arrival was watched by big crowd who filed
every point OF vantage from which q good view
could be had.
The ships moved along 80 close to the shore
that one could easily distinguish the strains of
the British national hymn and could easily see
with the naked eye the long lines OF relocated
marines drawn up on deck. 1t was an impos-
ing sight and what with tine booming Of cannon
in salute and flags and pennants flying from
every point the whole scene was one that those
who saw it will never forget. The other ships
at anchor took up the salute and for half an
hour or more there was a continual firing of
big guns from the men-of-war and from the
battery at the fort.
THE ROADS ALIVE WITH CRAFT.
The roads are now fairly alive with craft of
all sizes and sorts from the huge black hulk OF
the Jean Bart down to the dapper little private
yacht that has brought the owners and their
friends down to see the great gathering. The
big ships are drawn up i'll a double line and are
anchored only far enough apart from each
other to allow them to swing around at their
moorings freely with the changes in the tide.
Already they extend up and down the shore
for distance of nearly two miles. There are
still nearly a score Of foreign ships expected to
and ha,, 49,, Ill l.
it will make a most wonderful array and one
the like OF which has probably never been seen
in this country before.
Some idea of the remarkable nature of this
great gathering may be had when it Is stated
that the officers and crews of all these ships that
now lie of shore would number in the neigh
borhood Of six or seven thousand men. The
average family in this country is said to num-
Der something over five individuals, 80 that on
these great men-of-war there is q male populs-
tion sufficient to stock q city Of upward Of
forty thousand people. 1t would make q true
American city, too; or rather it would when the
German ships shall have put in an appearance,
for what would true American town be with
out large quota of German inhabitants? The
German ships are expected later in the week
and then some agent OF q boom town that lacks
only population to be q success can come
| along and put in his bid for the whole lot
II the choice were left to the ladies here ct
| the hotel and around the fort and they were
| given the freedom OF the ballot OK it would be
| dollars to doughnuts in q bet that the English
men would be elected to all the town ofices
ON SHORE LEAVE.
! This afternoon, after all their duties ON board
ship in connection with their coming to anchor
had been performed, most Of the officers on
board the visiting ships were given shore leave
after their long confinement on board and they
hurried ashore in the launches and spent the
/ rest OF the day wandering around thu old fort
and about the hotel Office and corridors, getting
their bearings as il were. In The evening they
made the ball room gay with their presence and
the hearts Of the fair sex happy With thar