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Page 9
The King also appears to have a keen sense of humor.
He was invited by one of the scientific societies of Rome to attend a
lecture on some very deep subject, in which he was not at all
interested.
He did not want to attend, but confided to King Humbert that he feared
the professors would call him a barbarian if he stayed away. So to the
lecture he went.
On his return King Humbert asked him how he had enjoyed it.
"To be frank with you," he replied, "it is even stronger at putting you
to sleep than our opium."
When the news of the trouble in Siam was telegraphed, the King declared
that he knew nothing of the affair. If he is as clever as they say, he
probably keeps himself thoroughly acquainted with everything that is
happening in his kingdom.
The chances are that he knows all about the matter, but does not want it
mentioned until his pleasure trip is over.
* * * * *
A sad story of a wrecked steamer has just reached us.
The vessel, the _Aden_, was one of the steamers which carry passengers
from Europe to India, passing through the Suez Canal.
Heavy winds and storms have been raging in the Indian Ocean for some
weeks past; in fact, the storms and the earthquake about which we told
you came at the same time.
The unfortunate steamer was caught in one of these tempests, and driven
on a reef off Socotra Island.
Socotra is at the mouth of the Gulf of Aden. It is into this gulf that
the Red Sea flows.
As soon as the accident occurred the life-boats were launched, and some
of the passengers and crew were put aboard them.
Unhappily the sea was running so high that the boats could not live in
it. They were soon overturned and their occupants drowned.
Two other boats were smashed to pieces in the effort to launch them, and
finally seven persons found themselves forced to stay by the wreck.
The accident happened in the dead of night, and until the daylight came
they were clinging together, expecting that the vessel would go down at
any moment.
When morning came they found that the ship was so tightly wedged on the
rocks that she was not likely to sink, but they were out of sight of
land, and had no chance of rescue unless some passing vessel happened to
see them.
To add to their misery, great waves were constantly washing over the
wreck. They had taken refuge in one of the deck cabins, and here they
were forced to stay for three or four days until the waters became
calmer.
They were at first afraid that they would be starved, but a few biscuits
were found in the cabin, and on these they subsisted until it was safe
to cross the deck to the cook's galley without danger of being washed
overboard. Here they found provisions.
Two women were of the party, and they appear to have behaved very well,
doing their share toward making their comrades comfortable, and
preparing the best meals they could under the circumstances.
When the storm was so far abated that they dared to go on deck, they set
signals, in the hopes of attracting some passing vessel.
Two vessels, however, passed without noticing them, but at last, after
fourteen days of anxiety and fear, help came to them.
They were taken off the vessel and brought safely to land.
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