The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1905-11-20
MYSTERY STILL
BROODS OVER
CRUISER LENA
Sailors Mostly with the People, "-.-Msiority of
Officers "Wth the Czar"--Reasons
for GIadness to Be in Port.

/ petty officers, were decidedly with
the people This the captain well
| knew, SO he puts for Honolulu to see
whether 1.-The people or the Czar were
| on top. AS to where the captain
stands, not a soul seems to know. He
may be with the people or he may
be for the Car. His men do not
know which he favors and his officers
either know little more or else refuse
to say what they know. 1t may well
be imagined that under such conditions
prevailing on board ship. the officer
of the deck was eminently correct,
as the diplomats say, in remarking, 1--WE
are all very glad indeed to be in port. -
1t seems that some forty of her crew
Or company deserted in San Francisco
just before the cruiser sailed. Whether
or not there was anything in the San
/ Francisco story about it being the in
! tention of the Captain to hang a couple
of the men to the yardarm as soon as
he was on the high seas, all the sail
ors are emphatic in saying that no
such thing did happen. 1t is even said
by them that there is not a single
man lin jail' on board the ship, that
all have the liberty of the ship. But
as to what would have happened if the
captain had attempted to execute two
men or even one, there is not the
slightest doubt. The expression on the
faces of the men when they said that
such an attempt would mean that the
, captain himself would have followed,
that they would have risen and
overpowered the captain, leaves little
doubt as to how they feel. They even
say that if the captain dared to come
/ right out and say that he was in favor
of the Czar and against "the people, -
they would have attended to his case
without further ceremony. If this is
true, doubtless land does look pretty
good to the captain and his officers.
The men have the notion that the
Czar either has fed or is about to flee
from Russia and go to Germany. They
say that De Witte is demanding the
rights of the people and the Czar is
refusing. De Witte is lace high with
the crew of the Lena and no mistake
Every man has his little ikon attached
to a string or chain around his neck
under his shirt, but that does not
mean that they love the church over
much. Even the priest on board is
said by them to have been happy to
hear of the overthrow of the Procura-
tor of the Holy Synod. and he is with
the people" the sailors say
There may not be any men allowed
on shore today, although it was prom
ised that, if these men behaved them
selves, there would be fifty more al
lowed ashore next time. But it is ex-
pected that all hands will be employed
in coaling the vessel this morning and
afternoon, but tomorrow will be st.
Nicholas Day and not stroke of work
will be done aboard. If conditions
were normal, the ship would keep
open house on st. Nicholas Day, but
whether anyone will be allowed aboard
not is a moot question as yet. ST.
Nicholas is particularly the patron
saint of the sailors and a very popular
saint of the Greek faith, and the OBJ
servance of the day, which the Ency-
c1opedia Britannica puts as December
6, corresponds somewhat with the Ro-
man and Protestant Christmas.