The Mena weekly star., 1898-01-12
sALuTING THE DEAD
An Unusual Naval Expedition to q.
 Island of Ushant

 there is region of wild waters. do, ted here and there with islands <. grim aspect and tragic history, abon which cling more legends and sune, stitions than are found, perhaps h any similar spot in the world. From the earliest times it has been pla0s of shipwreck ard death. One of fl, bays is believed by many of the peopls who live on the mainland of Brittan, and upon the islands 10 mark the sits of the sunken city of Is, whose ghost. ly church bells the mariner, if he bn, listen intently enough, may still hear ringing from the depths far beneath his keel as he passes above the spot at the hour of the angelus.
 Standing upon the summit of the headland of Cornouaille, which iuts far out into the Atlantic, one is, though 262 feet above the water. not beyond the reach of its spray, and the ground is felt to shake as the mighty waves dash against the promonotory. Into the Enfer. a great hollow at the foot of the cliff, the waves dash with a sound like thunder, and at the bay of Trepasses, not far away, the people fancy that they perpetually hear the cries of the drowned rising above the tumult of the waters.
 This sound was familiar to the pagan inhabitants of Brittany. They be- lieved 1t to be the voice of god, and sent nine Druid maidens to propitiate the divinity by life devotion on the stormy island of Sein. near by.
 To the neighboring island of Ushant, treeless and shrubless, and scarcely less desolate than Sein. there recently came an English naval party on a TO- mantle and picturesque errand.
 In June. 1896. the British packet Drummond Castle. returning from the cape of Good Hope with a large num- Der of passengers. struck rock off the island of Molene, and in few minutes went to the bottom. Two hundred and fifty lives were lost. and but a single passenger was saved.
 The calamity was so sudden that the hardy people of Molene and Ushant could do nothing to save life; but they turned out en masse to rescue the bod ies of the dead from the "eater of men," as they call the sea, and performed acts of great bravery in this work.
 In recognition of the service the Eng fish queen ordered that medals should be struck and given to the people of Ushant and Molene who had a part in it; and lately the British man-of-war n frai ita f.ar jed Ia1 ts1T the nearest large port. From there the officers and men charged with the duty of distributing the medals were taken 10 Ushant by the French gunboat. Epervier.
 On the way, not far from the lower ing shores of Molene, the Epervier's pace was slackened, while the officers of the gunboat regarded with interest a space al sea. The French admiral, Barrera, who was in command, ad- vanced on the bridge and gave the or der; "All hands on deckl" Instantly every man was at his post. the guard of marines under arms. the gunners at their pieces. The English officers. grouped together, could be seen to look with moistened eyes at the preparations for what they knew was coming. and their breasts heaved visibly.
 The admiral took off his hat and all the rest of the officers followed his ex- ample.
 My friends" he said. addressing the men of the Epervier. Hast year. in the month of June, great British ship. re- turning from a long voyage, almost at home, was lost at this spot. Thesailors of all nations are brothers. To honor those who died here we shall salute them and say prayer"
 The officer of the watch commanded: "To prayer!" Every sailor uncovered and bowed his head. A simple helms man repeated impressively the Lords Prayer and the Ave Maria.
 Then three times the gunners of the Epervier boomed out in salute of the dead and the gunboat moved on.
 Al Ushant all the population of the island had come out 10 meet the expe- dition. The simple ceremony of the. presentation of the medals was soon over. The village priest and his two assistants, all of whom were among those who received medals, chanted the De Profunds at the church. and the graves of the victims of the wreck in the churchyard were strewn with howers.-Youth's Companion.