The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1910-05-05
A BIT OF DIPLOMACY
An English Official Who Outwit-
ted a French Admiral.
HOW PERRIN ISLAND WAS WON
The Interesting Story That Is Told BY
White House on the Foreshore Of
the Arabian Coast at the Southern
Entrance to the Red Sea.

= + y r. .
White House on the Foreshore Of
the Arabian Coast at the Southern
Entrance to the Red Sea.
On the foreshore of the Arabian
coast in the strait Of Bab-el-Mandeb.
at the southern entrance to the Red
sea, stands a large white house con
corning which the travellers to the far
east may hear curious story. In the
middle Of the nineteenth century.
when M. de Lesseps after many diff
culties had successfully foated the
Suez Canal company, the governor of
the British port Of Alden, about 100
miles distant, was surprised one morn
Ing by the visit of a French squadron
Of very unusual size for that part of
the orient, which, having encountered
terrific storm off Solotra had put
In for repairs.
In the mind of the governor curiosity
was at once aroused as to the destina-
ton of so large command, curiosity
which increased as he found it impos-
sible to extract any further informa-
ton from the French admiral or his
officers beyond the statement that
they were upon an ordinary cruise, an
explanation which the former was not
the least inclined to believe.
Firm in the belief, therefore, that
some political move Of great impOr-
| lance was afloat, if not afoot, the gov
ernor, in order first Of all to gain time,
| gave orders to go very tortoise-like on
| the repairs and then set to work to
take the Frenchmen off their guard by
| giving a succession Of such entertain
| ments as both his slender means and
| the awful barrenness of the place
would afford.
| But, though at the end of two weeks
the French and British officers had got
upon the best of terms, the immediate
destination of the French squadron
remained as much of a mystery to
the governor Of Alden as before, and
in spite Of all possible delay the re-
pairs were nearly completed.
Now, it happened that the wife of
the governor possessed an Irish maid,
who had been receiving attentions
from one of the French petty officers
attentions which the girl did not re-
gard seriously. It occurred to the gov
ernor that by such means something
might be learned of his unexpected
visitors plans, and a private CONVEX
sation between the governors wife
and her maid resulted in another be-
tween the latter and her French adj
mirer, by which it was discovered
that Perrin island was the objective
point
At this information the governor
opened his eyes wide indeed, for, if
the Suez canal were cut through, Pc
| rim, as commanding the southern en-
trance to the Red sea, in the middle
of the strait of Bab-el-Mandeb, would
be a place Of great strategic impor-
lance, over which, without doubt, it
was the intention of the French adj
miral to hoist the tricolor.
Secretly giving orders, therefore, for
gunboat to Immediately embark a
detachment of soldiers and steal away
in the night for Perrin island, the gov
ernor then announced a farewell ban
quet and ball for the day but one fol
lowing, a final act. Of courtesy with
which the French admiral would will
ingly have dispensed, for he was anX-
ious to sail, but which he could not
well refuse on account Of the use he
had made of the British supplies and
machinery at Alden.
So the dinner and party in due
course came off, the governor being in
high spirits, because in the meantime
he had received the news Of the occu-
patton of Perrin, which under the cir
cumstances would surely be followed
by the longed for promotion, and the
French admiral was equally happy,
for he hoped on the morrow to add
the same important little speck of land
to the dominion of his own country,
thereby covering his breast with the
stars and himself with maritime glory.
Next day, after an interchange of
cordial farewells, the French squadron
sailed away to an apparently unknown
destination, until, when clear of the
land, the course was laid full speed di-
rect for Perrin island
Then what were the dismay and dis
appointment of the French admiral
and his officers when, on coming in
sight Of their destination, they beheld
the British flag flying and company
of soldiers drawn up to give them a
proper salute. It is said the French
admiral was so mortified at being thus
'outwitted that he first flung his cock
ed hat overheard and then followed it
himself into the sea.
Be this as it may, as Perrin was
clearly already occupied by the Brit
ish, the only counter move which the
French could make was to take pos
session Of strip Of the foreshore on
the opposite Arabian coast, where
they built the fortified white house in
question, but as the place was entirely
at the mercy Of the guns on Perrin is
land it was shortly abandoned, to re-
i main to this day as a monument of a