The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1911-07-29

the eastern end of the lines. She had
the Admiralty flag at the fore, the
Royal Standard at the main, and the
Jack, the flag of an Admiral of the
fleet at sea, at the mizzen She was
the only undressed' ship in the So
lent except the three torpedo boats
which preceded her, and the three
Trinity House and Admiralty yachts
that followed her. II was twenty min!
utes past two, and the Victoria and
Albert turned her gilded prov to 60
down between the rear line OF British
ships and the line of foreign war YES
sells. She was three, perhaps four,
miles away, but through our glasses
we caught the flash of the first gun
of the salute. Then gun after gun
shot flame and belched great clouds
of white smoke, but no sound reached
us against the wind, until the Spanish
cruiser, not more than twenty cables
length away, let fly with a piece in
her upper battery. Then the crash
of the great salute broke upon u.s.
the air was rent with the noise Of It,
the hills reverberated with the sound
and for the moment the vast fleet
was hidden behind reeldng veil OF
smoke.
Cheers for the King.
When we saw it again the ships
we're Manned the bluejackets lined
the decks, the bridges were picked
out in scarlet with lines of marines,
the officers in full uniform stood at
attention at their posts. AS the royal
Yacht passed each ship the crews,
officers and men, British and foreign,
took eff their headgear and gave
three cheers for the King. On came
the stately royal vessel, past the
ugly Danton,' where, our glasses tod
us, the French sailors were cheering
with will. Presently she was
abreast of us, and we could see the
King on the bridge with the brigh'
bhe sash of the Garter across his
admiral's uniform. He was at nome
there, and looked it as he had his
eve over the ships under review ami
acknowledged the cheers they gave
him. On the deck below him we
could see the Queen and brilliant
group in many uniforms. The red
fezzed Turks and white-coated Span
iards in front of us cheered, but we
could not hear them. Only the Brit
ish cheers reached us, the deep
throated, orderly volleys of hurrahs
from the Africa and the Common
wealth and the Albemarle.
The yacht passed out Of our sight
to the west, steaming out to the end
of the far-fung line then reap
peared, gliding past the fourth de
stroyer fiotilla into the avenue
formed by the first and second lines
of battleships and armored cruisers
Nearly two hours passed between the
firing of the salute and the end of the
inspection of the fleet, and it was
well after four when the Victoria and
Albert came to anchor at her berth
alongside the Danton, and swarm
of steam pinnacles brought the sen
Tor officers of the ships to pay their
respects to the King. This ceremony
occupied a considerable time, and
half-past four was striking when the
royal yacht weighed anchor to return
to Portsmouth. AS she cleared the
lines the parting salute crashed out
and the smoke of it hid the Kings
ship from our eyes.
Then the picket boat sentries were
withdrawn and the lines of the fleet
were invaded by swarms of craft
sailing and steam, big and little, but
all crowded with eager, interested
visitors, and presently the Soudar
lifted her anchor and steamed SO
, dately away for Southampton, and We
, thronged in the stern, looking bach
at the great armada. The bows q
the stately ships pointed towards tho
descending sun, which caught all the
J color in their strings of flutterinl
, bunting in a warm embrace am
| kissed every bit of polished metal il
their sunerstructures into flame TIL,