Savannah courier. (Savannah, Tenn.) 1885-1979, 1898-02-11
SAlUTING THE DEAD.
AN Unusual Naval Expedition to the
Island of Ushant.

Island of Ushant.
or the northwest coast OF France |
there is region of wild waters, dot
ted here and there with islands of
grim aspect and tragic history, ABOUT
which cling more legends and super
stitions than are found, perhaps, in
any similar spot In the world. From
the earliest times it has been place
of shipwreck aud death, One of It's
bays is believed by many of the people
who live on the mainland of Brittany
and upon the islands TO mark the site
of the sunken city Of Is, whose ghost
~ church bells the mariner, il he but
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 juts 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, 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-
leved It to be the voice of god, and
sent nine Druid maidens to propltiate
the divinity by life devotion on the
stormy island of Seln, 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 ro-
mantle and picturesque errand.
In June, 1896, the British packet,
Drummond Castle, returning from the
cape of Good Hope with 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 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
les 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
lish 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
Australia carried these medals TO Brest,
the nearest large port. From there the
officers and men charged with the duty
of distributing the medals were taken
TO Ushant by the French gunboat,
Epervier
On the way, not far from the lower.
ing shores Of Moene, the Eperver's
pace was slackened, while the officers
of the gunboat regarded with interest
space at sea. The French admiral
Barrera, who was in command adj
vanced on the bridge and gave the or
der: "All hands on deck!" 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.
any friends" he said, addressing the
men of the Epervier, "last year, in the
month of June, a great British ship, re.
turning from a long voyage, almost at
home, was lost at this spot. The sailors
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 doomed out in salute Of the
dead and the gunboat moved on.
At Ushant all the population Of the
island had come out to meet the expe
dition. The simple ceremony Of the
presentation OF the medals was soor
over. The village priest and his two
assistants, all of whom were among
those WIN received medals chantpd tht
De Profundis at the church, and The
graves of the victims of the wreck II
the churchyard were strewn with
fowers.-Youth's Companion.