The San Francisco call., 1904-03-20

TOXIC, Japan. Feb. 23.-It took the
naval victories at Port Arthur TO rouse
Japan from the awesome quiet with
which she watched the fighting prepa-
rations at the outbreak of the war, but
ii was the arrival Of the two cruisers,
Nisshin and Kasuga, that really started
the cheering. In the reception of the
men who brought out the two new
fighting ships the japanese have shown
how enthusiastic they can be when
they are properly stirred up. 1t was
fine run, and no doubt about it. and
there were some exciting incidents
during 1t, but in the main it was only
plain case of good sailor work with
fortunate ending. AS Captain Lea,
who commanded the Nisshin, says,
we only did our duty"
You wouldn't exactly pick Captain
Lea out for a farmer, but he declares
he was actually following the plow
about his place in England when he
got the word that started him here.
He had only half an hour to catch his
train and as he ran for ii he shouted
to the foreman to sell the twenty-ei
heifers and the bull calf. and now,
after all this time and excitement. he
has no idea whether the man did it
or not. He is the sort of man in ap-
pearance whom you would be most
likely TO choose for such an under
taking, short and stocky. with twink
ling blue eyes and a ready smile, a
neck that rises like column out of
pair of solid shoulders and is
crowned by head half an inch longer
from the point of the lower jaw to
the back than from the top of the
forehead 10 the back. 1t is that jaw
which makes you love him on sight.
When he starts out to do anything be
careful not to get in his way if you
wish 10 avoid trouble.
OUTWITS ITALIAN OFFICIAL.
When the ships cleared from Genoa
there was a little delay before they
got away. The Italian Government re
considered it's willingness to let them
go. The Russians had been protesting
and an officer came aboard the Nisshin
to get the bill of health that had been
given TO Captain Lea. The captain
knew that without that document he
could not get by Suez. It was in his
coat pocket He buttoned up the coat
and politely assured the Italian Off
cial that he was very sorry that it
had been lost. He could not possibly
find it. The Italian was very sorry,
too, but he. went away without the
precious document. Then the Nissnin
got her anchor and started out.
II happened. however. that one of
the italian stokers had found a COM
Portable placato snooze behind one of
the condensers. The first revolution
of the engines sent jet Of steam out
of the condenser that burned the hands
of the sleeping stoker and woke him
with a yell. In a second the entire
engine-room force was piling up the
ladders and not a man was left at his
post. The captain had set his indi-
Gators on the bridge, one at full
steam ahead and the other at full
speed astern, in order to swing around
the Kasuga, which was still at anchor
But he got no response and saw his
shin drifting rapidly down on her
mate. So he had let go the anchor
again and send down to find out what
was the matter The deck force was
all English. the engine-room hands all
Italians, none of whom spoke Eng
lish. None of the Englishmen spoke
Italian. The bridge indicators were
in English. but the corresponding sig
nails in the engine-room were in Ital-
ian, It was a poor means of holding
the sort of conversation needed to ex-
plain the difficulty. In fact, the cap
tain did not get it explained until he