The National tribune., 1898-06-16

fairs. She knew just as well IS Suwar-
row did what the Russian army mast do
on the land and she knew much better
than 1 did what TIE Russian feet must
do on the water. 1T the end of her dis
course she said piayfully: Now, my
good children, you see your task. If in -
months from this day one armed Turk is
20 be found this side of the mouths OF the
Danube, there will be a sIedce- party TO
the eastward tMeaning that she won d
send us all to Siberia
Twas astounGed at her freedom in dis
GUESSING these pro, ects as she did in the
presence OF Segur, the ambassador of a
power very likely to have objections to
such extension of Russian conqucsts as
she proposed. a few days aftervard /
suggested this idea to her, at which she
laughed heartily and replied: All, yes;
admiral; but | know Count de Segur,
Whatever he may be in his diplom q Ii c
capacity, he is too thorough gentleman
to think OF making official use of state
secrets he may happen to learn at the
private luncheon table of a eayrulous old
woman. There are Ambassadors of the
western powers near my Court whom !
would not trust with even such sacred
confidence as that, but Segur is not one
of them.
Il myself well knew the exquisite honor
of Segur, and her PERCEPTION of it added
much to my respect for her greatness and
quickness of mind.
Soon after this luncheon was over the
Empress said to PotemLin, Suwarrow and
me that we would oblige her by passing
the evening in conference on the BlacI,
Sea situation and prepare ourselves to set
out for the scene of operations in 10 DAYS
from that moment.
Accordingly Suwarrow and | went at
once to POtemkin's palace and we spent
the afternoon and best part of the nipht
concerning our schemes OF operation
instantly saw that Suwarrow was the
kind of man would like to co operate with.
He was man of fewer words than any
had ever before met. Bad as his French
was, it was better than my Russian So
we conferred in the former language. We
did not retire till nearly 4 O'Clock in the
morning; but when we parted the fate of
Turkish dominion north of the mouths of
the Danube was sealed"
*Jones first received overturcs tn ioin
| the Russian navy in November or Decem
| Der, 1857. Pursuant to his custom of
mastering every situation he had to deal
with, he at once began to study the Rus
sian language. At that time French was
the language of the Court and of high So
cicty in Russia, also the official language
| in all departments; but Jones knew that
| the Russian seamcn whom he was to
command could not speak French, and as
he always insisted that a commando r
SnOuIu DC dDiC W communicate persona IIV
with his men, he resolved to learn the
langu &c of his common sailors. He.
| therefore, took apartments with the inter
esting family of M. Besborodko, then
Russian Consui-GeneraI, or Charge DAT
fairs, at Copenhagen, and, notwithstand-
! ing that the Musc0vite tongue is the
| hardest Of all European languages to learn.
he was in less than four months able to
speak, read and even write it with CON
siderable fuency. On leaving Copen-
hagen for st. Petersburg he presented to
Madame Besborodko silver service cost
ing 5000, in recognition of her services as
his Russian teacher.
he ueJ