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r9n] VISIT OF THE RUSSIAN SQUADRON 35
drawn up before us, and who later on, in the evening,
sang patriotic songs reminding us of loved ones far
away.
I felt the same emotion at first when I visited our
Squadron lying off Varna. The firing of the salute, the
going on board, the cordial shaking hands with the
officers . . . but when I was face to face with the men
drawn up in battle array, when I had said " good luck,
my good fellows," and had received the usual answer
from them, I felt a sudden and painful shock. It was
twenty years since I had seen our sailors, and good
gracious! what a change! Instead of a row of open
countenances, young and happy, looking at one with
ingenuous and gay expressions, I only saw surly faces,
with dark and suspicious looks, in which one seemed to
catch glimpses of ill-concealed hatred. It even appeared
to me as if the physical aspect of the crew had changed ;
I seemed to remember them fair, with clear grey eyes,
and broad, bright faces; now they stood looking at me
with dark eyes that looked old and bilious. At first I
thought I was influenced by a preconceived idea; the
regrettable incidents of 1905 and 1906, the bloody mutiny
on board the Potemkin, the terrible insurrection at
Cronstadt had doubtless biassed my mind, and led me to
look at very ordinary faces with a prejudiced eye. But
no ; the more I observed our sailors during the few days
I was at Varna, the stronger my first impression became.
As to the officers, they had changed very little : they
seemed to have the same good qualities and the same
faults. They were the same good fellows who seemed to
answer one’s silent interrogation by : " We realise what
threatens us, but we can do nothing. When the time
comes we shall know how to die, as our friends died at
Tsushima ; if necessary we shall bare our chests to the
bayonets of our own men; but meanwhile let us lead our
ordinary daily life, come what may!"
The visit of our Squadron to Varna was marked by
official festivities which were very friendly; there was
the dinner I gave to the officers of the Squadron,
d
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