The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1896-06-03
STANLEY ISLAND.

s'Glvs way, ladsl'' said Captain Preston
OF the Australian governments brig-of-
war. Black Swan, stepping into his gig.
The Black Swan lay near she mouth Of
tho harbor, and between her and the shore
a beautiful French corvette was anchored,
the sun glistoning on her bright guns and
on the golden letters Of her names the Pc
trolsuss.
s'Sir, " said the midshipman in Captain
Preston boat, after they had passed the
French ship, g have learned some impor-
tant news"
Have you, WHIP asked the captain,
smiling at his brother, for this relationship
existed between them. And what is itg''
s'The French are going to annex Stanley
island. y answered viii in a low voice.
Nonsense, Will 1t was specially agreed
in the treaty that they were not to touch
Dc. What makes you imagine such a
thing7"
when you went on shore to see the
French commandant, sir, I staid in the
boat, as you told me. Presently a boat
from the PetrOleuse came to the steps, and
an officer landed The maid left in the
boat could speak a little English, so he and
j began to talk After awhile he said:
" How you ike to see tricolor float on
peak Of Stanley islandT
81 said, I shouldn't like it at ALL and
asked him If they we're going to annex it,
D4u a BGAeN GLLD1A IA -AA1 D0eAS AA0ffA4o az
him, and he said no more"
Arrived on board the Black Swan, Cap
tain Preston requested the presence Of his
second in command, Lieutenant Graham,
in his cabin To this officer he communi-
Gated what be had heard.
Mr.. Graham went on deck to give or
ders, for it now wanted only an hour to
sunset.
I'VE are ready to sail, sir, % said Lieu
tenant Graham, entering Captain Pres
toms cabin, about an hour after sunset,
% and the land breeze has just sprung up.
The crew OF the PetrOleuss seem to have
observed our preparations, for they are
signaling to the shore not being quite ready
to sail themselves.
And how began g keenly contested race.
The Petroleuse was a faster sailer, but
the Black Swan had the start and kept it
nearly all through.
At last, the wind having increased al
most to a storm, Captain Preston ordered
sail to be reduced, while the RetrOleuse,
sailing boldly on, carried away one of her
spars the want of which soon made her
drop behind. In consequence when the
Black Swan reached Stanley island early
one morning the Petroleuse was still some
miles from the land.
Captain Preston had settled that it was
necessary to take possession Of the island
tvgice-that is. first to annex Mata' king
dom on the shore, and then to climb the
high mountain peak, which was the strong
hold Of the insurgents, and take possession
of that
This he had determined to do himself,
as the chief naval officer on the station, SO,
leaving MI. Graham in charge of the ship,
he chose 90 Of his best men, ordered them
to be armed with cutlasses, and ten with
nuskets in addition, and all to take pro
visions for two days. Then, looking round
to soc what officer he should take, he spied
VIII and said to him, walking the deck
close to him:
II suppose you think no one can look
after the honor Of the flag but yOurselfP
I'll take you, as you discovered the plot.
The expedition was rowed ashore and
was met on tho beach with every demon
stration Of JOY By the chief, Malta, and one
of the English missionaries. who informed
Captain Preston that things were even
worse than on has former visit for the
rebels in the interior, led by the escaped
French convicts had determined that
France and France alone, should annex
the island ana were ready to support this
demonstration BY force of arms.
Captain Preston at once took Mata's
kingdom under British protection, and
the expedition left Mata's village, with its
church and schools and tidy street, for the
wild and uneXplored interior.
A look toward the shore revealed the
fact that the PetrOleuse was now anchored
there as we'll as the Black Swan, so that
their opponents could not be far behind
them.
Presently their way was barred by a
band Of natives, led by three men, who,
though tattooed like the islanders and
wearing, like them, only waistclOths of
plated grass, we're evidently Europeans.
A parley ensued by means of one of the
sailors who had lived among the natives
and knew their language, but no satisfac-
tory result had been arrived at when VIII,
who had been chatting at the loss of so
much precious time, whispered to his cap
tain:
They have sent of two messengers
since we have been here, sir. I'm sure
they arc telling the French TO hurry on and
reach the peak while they keep US palaYer-
ing here"
Fix bayonetsl'' said Captain Preston,
in a loud, sharp tone to his men. Then in
a lower voice: But don't hurt any Of
them unless they fight. Ready, charged
The Englishmen rushed forward, and
tho natives, afteE digoharging 8 flight of
arrows turned and fed.
The expedition now pursued their way
up the mountain still faster than before
and about 5 o'clock IN the afternoon ar
rived at a point where vegetation almost
ceased and only the peak itself with its
steep, gravelly sides stood before them,
crowned by a single bauyan tree.
When they arrived there, the men, under
the direction of Captain Preston, cut down
a tall, slender young tree, smoOthed it and
attached pulley and cord to the top, that
it might serve as flagstaff. This had just
been finished when Will who had been ex-
ploring the jungle, came rushing up to
say:
The French are just on the other side
Of the peak, sir. They will be up first If
we are not quick.
"Quick, iadsr' cried Captain Preston
as the sounds OF the French advance on
tho other side Of the peak became audible.
" Up into that tree, some Of you, and lash
the flagstaff to the top Of the strongest