Evening star., 1897-05-08
Graphic Picture Of the Big Fleet An
chored OF Crete.
TO MAINTAIN THE PEACE OF EUROPE
A Deadly Squadron, but Peaceful
Looking Isle.
SOME REMARKABLE SIGHTS
Copyright. 1857, by g. s. Mcclure Coz


Special Correspondence of The Evening Star.
On board French steamer Guadixna.
Leaving Marseilles, the passengers of this
ship had no Intention of anything more
than tedious voyage to Athens without
pause. but circumstances furnished US with
mild depression. In the early morning
OF the fourth day ponderous headland
appeared to the north and we knew 1t to
be the expected glimpse Of Greece. Never
theless some hours later another ponder
GUS headland appeared to the southwark
and we could not arrange our geographi-
cal prejudices to suit this phenomenon
until man excitedly told every one tina;
we had changed our course, that we were
not bound for the Piraeus, but for the Bay
Of Suda, in Crete. He told US of mail bags
for the fleet OF the powers and pointed to
the headland and called it Crete. All this
increased our Importance vastly.
The Guadiana turned toward faint indi
cation among the hills, a little cleft. The
passengers had become excited and we're
for the most part grouped forward. Some
Greeks from the steerage were grooming.
incomprehensibly. but in a way that We
hoped supported war and glory and gem
eral uproar for the sake OF ones country.
Their small black and rather shifty eyes
shone like buttons
But this strange island pres santed moth
ing to their gaze. 1t still gave no hint of
house, man nor cattle. IL was like one of
those half-named countries of the remote
north. If this was the island upon which
the attention of Europe was fixed il was
certainly preserving an Interior tranquility
at any rate. Surely little decent excite
ment could be expected. Surely few men
in white kits could have turned out and
chased few men in red fez up and down
the hillsides. One wondered where the
chanting Greeks in tn. bow got their i'm
petus. This great high sun burned island
was simply thrilling as a bit of good
pasturage for goats.
The Mailed Hand.
Gradually the hills slid aside and impress
sively like the scenes in a melodrama be-
fore the final tableau. The water way
widered 10 an inner bay. Then finally
there were some faint etchings on the dis
tances. They might have hsen like masts,
but they were more like twigs. And before
the steady DlouShing advance of the steam
er these twigs grew into the top gear of
WarshipS, stacks of tan. of white. of black
and fighting masts and the blaze OF signal
flags.
1t was the feet Of the powers; the Con-
cert-the Concert-mind you, this most ter
rible crea ture. which the world has known,
constructed out Of the air and perhaps in
night. This fleet was the living arm and
the mailed hand Of the Concert 1t was
limb of Europe displayed, actual, ami
mate.
Here they were, English, Russian, Ger
mans. French. Italians. Turks and Aus
trians all living peacefully in the same
cage.
These great steel animals sat in a little
bay menacing with their terrible glances a
village of three rows of houses and a dock
and vast stretches Of hillsides whereon
there was no. even a tree to shoot at for
fun. group Of vicious little torpedo boats
also waited impatiently. To one who did
not care to feel thas.there was sonnet hing
in this affair. which weighed as much as
planet. 1t would be joke of q kind
But 1t was the Concert Of Europe. Coiossi
never smile.
A Stirring Spectacle.
Launches and gigs innumerable played
around the Guadiana and officers of all
kinds came up the side. The play of the
launches and gigs absorbed the attention
Of the passengers because a strong wind
was blowing down the harbor and it made
management Of the small craft enough of
trick. The French made the most uproar
and they were the authors of whatever
bungling was done. They were at the
conscious. TIE eyes of the world were
upon them, surely, and they wanted to do
everything with such heaven-born accu-
racy that they lost their minds at times.
Once q launch from the Russian flagship
lay on the water waiting for her officer
who was on board the Guadiana, to signal
to come for him. Her crew lounged under
the weather bulwark and she swung slow
~ and peacefully over the little waves. 1t
was great then to see a French launch
come lying down the harbor. turn to pass
on the lee of the Russian launch and final
ly bat into her and Scrape three yards of
paint from her side. The Russian seamen
looked at the Franchmen and the French