The sun., 1897-05-09
HALF A DAY IN SUDA BAY.
a MERCHANT SHIPS VISIT TO THE
EUROPEAN FLEET.

a Hedge OF Battle ships About which Crnwied
Bettie-Grecn Ecerpion-iiko Torpedo Boats-
Activity the Freight and Mail Car
ryIpE Northumberland seamnnship.
COPYRIGHT. 1897. bv the s. S. Mcclure Company.
ON BOARD FRENCH STEAMER GUADiANA.
April 22.-Leaving Marseiles, tho passengers
o, this ship had no expectation of anything more
than n tedious voyage to Athens without pause,
but circumstances furnished us with mild di-
gression. In tho early morning Of the fourth
day ponderous hcadland appeared to tho
north, and wo knew it to bo tho expected
glimpse OF Greece. Nevertheless. somo hours
later another pondorous headlnnd appeared to
the southwark and we could not arrange our
geographical prejudces to suit this phonome-
non until n man cxcitedly told every ono that
we had changed our course that We were not
bound for the Pirmus. but for the Bay of Suda, In
Crete. Ho told us Of mail bags for tho fcct OF
the powers and pointed to tho hoadland and
called 1t Crete. AL this increased our impor-
tance vastly.
This hcadland was rough and gaunt, pro-
montory that ono would expect in Iceland. It
was OF warm color resembling rusted iron. 1t
lowered grandly until one found in the sky
above II some faint crystalline markings which
later turned into range Of exalted snow.drapod
mountains. The blue sen glimmered to the foot
OF the rusty cape and the sun shone full on the
silver peaks. Tho English commercial traveller
who was cocksure by education, decided that
with those mountains for their final stand the
Cretans could never be conquered.
scouting torpedo boat, small as gnat
crawling on an enormous decorated wall, camc
from the obscurity of the shore. Apparently 1t
looked us over and was satisfied, for in few
moments it returned to tho obscurity. Crete
spread high and wide. precisely like painting
from that absurd period when the painters each
tried to reproduce the universe on one canvas.
II merely lacked the boat with triangular sail
and pie-faced crew occupying the attention in
the foreground. II was lonely and desolate. like
q land Of despair. IL 1t were not for the glory OF
the hills above oil. Nothing lived there save the
venomous torpedo boat. which, after all, had
been little more than shadow on the water
Tho Guadana turned toward faint little
cleft among tho hills. The passengers had be-
come excited. and were for the most part
grouped forward. Some Greeks from the steer
age were grooming. incomprehonsibly, but in
way that we hoped supported war and glory
and general uproar for the sake Of ones coun-
try Their small black and rather shifty eyes
shone like buttons.
But this strange island presented nothing to
their gaze 1t still gave no hint Of house. man.
or cattle. It was like one of those halfnamed
countries Of the remote north If this was the
fixed. 1t was certainly preserving an ulterior
tranquility at any rate. Surely little decent
excitement could be expected. A few men in
white kits could have turned out and chased q
few men in red fez up and down the hisides.
One wondered where the chanting Greeks in the
bow got their impetus. This great. high. sun
burned island was simply as thrilling as bit Of
good pasturage for goats.
The steamer churncd through the shimmering
sea. and at times from the cabin arose the thin
wall OF a baby that had objected to the roll and
heavc Of the ship without pause from Marseilles.
A man with glass discovered tan crease on
one of the steep hillsides. and afterward IL could
be seen to be an earthwork. Below 1t the hills
had parted and exhibited steel-colored water
way. The scene was always wide and fine with
its great stretches Of blue bay and the towering
heights silent in the sunshine. At last genius
found that tho flag over the redoubt was Turk
ish. and the passengers stared at the tiny blood
red banner.
Gradually the hills slid aside. impressive
ly, like the scenes in a nelodrama before the
final tableau. The waterway widened to an inner
bay. Then finally there were some faint etch.
ings on the distances. They might have been
masts. but they were more like twigs. And be-
fore the steady ploughng advance Of the
steamer these twigs grew into the top gear Of
warshlps. stacks of tan. Of white. Of black, and
fighting masts and the blaze of signal flags.
1t was the fleet of the powers; the concert
this most terrible creature which the world
has known, constructed out OF the air, and per-
haps In a night. This fleet was the living
arm and the mailed hand Of the concert. 1t
"' 80 ~ " .I
was limb OF Europe displayed, actual. AMI
mate The babe who disliked the motion Of the
,,oomer continued N CRY in tbe cabin Al
s'euet " -: tH 'Ao 49,.
nrst the vessels In the distance wcrc piended
into a sort OF prickly hedge. 1t was very unlike
tho ,ietnroS IN tbe ;Ilnstr,ted nanors wb;cb an.
tne pic,uies II. INC ,.p.s s. ap
pear always to have been sEetchcd from bal
looms. AS the Guadiana steamed forward. ship
,,,or shin ho.on,o detotobed from rho bedge
atter snip became aelateneu rom the hease'
and powerful ram.oows were drawn IN iormida'
an, had como into tbe middle of the company
I rS, Aaa s - -, 49, -, uaauos
she paused, ana her anchor cnaih roared.
Here they were, English. Russian, German,
Erencb ITALIAN Turk and Austrian nil living
N-',,'" =. ~ nj .,.an.,on =,
peacefully IN the same cage. Inc attehtlon Oh
the Guadiana was Immediately divided The
',-r..-. a, -,