BOARDED BY RUSSIAN WATCHDOGS.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XXXI, Issue 10137, 25 August 1904, Page 4

BOARDED BY RUSSIAN WATCHDOGS.

THE PRINZ HEINRICH INCIDENT.

DETAILS OF THE CAPTURE OF HER MALLS.

The German steamer Prinz Heinrich, which was detained by the Russians m the Red Sea and had her Japanese mails rifled, subsequently called at Colombo. Captain Rudnieyer, when interviewed, said that, at about 1 o'clock on the afternoon, of the 19th ult., liis ship was near Perim when she sighted tho Smolensk, which a little later signalled to the Prinz Heinrich to slop. The latter hove to and then the Russian vessel sent out a boat to her, and a lieutenant and a midshipman of tlie Smolensk boarded her, and. asked to see the ship's papers. Captain Rudnieyer readily showed tliem the papers, which the Russians scrutinised and then demanded the whole of the Prinz Heinrich's Japanese mails. The passengers m tlie meanwhile were very keenly interested l m tbe proceedings, especially two Japanese passengers who were going home by the German boat. The captain answered the demand for the mails by remonstrating tliat it was unusual, but said that if the Russians would assure him that they were acting within their rights and would take tlie necessary measures to exonerate him from any responsibility, he had no power to resist tliem. The Russian lieutenant, who spoke German fluently, assumed the entire responsibility and insisted upon having the mails delivered up to him for search. It is understood that he disclaimed 1 any intention of tampering with the private mails, but claimed his right to search and detain any official correspondence or despatches to the Japanese authorities from; their Ambassadors and from, anybody else. The captain requested the Russian officer to make an entry m the ship's logbook of his visit and of the steps he was about to take, stating his right aud his responsibility to act as he did. The Russian lieutenant nwdte no demur to this request, and accordingly wrote down the object and the result of his visit to the ship. Tlie captain tlien escorted his uninvited i guests down to tho place where the mails were lodged. The whole budget of mails was brought up. and the Japanese bags — 55 m number, 34 of them containing letters and the rest parcels and tlie like — were sorted out. The Russians took charge of these, explaining that they had no desire to stop the lot, but that they must examine them all, and that, as they did not want to detain a mail steamer longer than was absolutely necessary, they would take the whole of the 55 bags to the Smolensk, see for themselves what they contained, detain whatever was liable to detention, and forward the rest of the mails by the very next opportunity available for the purpose. Captain Rudmeyer, perforce acquiesced, and the bags were quickly transferred to the Smolensk's boat. The German captain requested the Russians to give him a receipt for the bags taken and to sign his log-book. The two Russians readily did as was requested, and left the ship, taking their leave with the utmost grace and courtesy. The little Doat then rejoined the Smolensk, which was lying still on the water, Watched by every eye on the Prinz Heinrich. Just then a British steamer, a tramp, came quietly along, steaming within 20ft of the Russian auxiliary cruiser, but showing no flag or any sign of her identity. Her uaino was undecipherable from the German steamer. The Russian ship ran up a signal asking the tramp to show her colors, but there was no answer, and tho ship kept, calmly on her course. There Mas a stir on the Smolensk, and 1 30 seconds later a puff of smoke was seen, a shot being tired across the recalcitrant ship's bows. Hardly had , the sound of the report time to reach

tlie Prinz Heimich when up went tho scared ship's colors, showing she was a British steamer. The Russians were evidently satisfied, and took no further notice of her. , A little ktor m the day the Prinz Hcin-ric-li, which was only detained two hours, saw the Petersburg iv the Red Sea gding m tlie same direction as her consort, but the latter showed no desire to interfere with tlto mail steamer. The Queensland steamer Waipava, outward bound from London, was detained m the Red Sea by the Russian auxiliary cruisers. on July 15. The Petersburg fired a blank shot at her by way of signal to show her colors. She hove to, and a Russian lieutenant boarded her and asked to see her papers. He did not seem to be satisfied, and l took the captain to his ship to consult with tlie commander. Captain Rose says the Russian cruiser was just a merchant ship with a lot of guns and sailors aboard. He saw some machine guns, but from a casual glance he could not say what their calibre and carrying power might be. "And what was the result of the consultation?'' he was asked. "Tliey seemed to be m two minds about it for a while, but eventually the lieutenant toldi me that I migh/t proceed." "What roused their suspicions?" "I am sure I don't know. My cargo contained a lot of cases which hadn't tlveiv contents specified, aud that was what troubled! them, I fancy." "What cases are they, really?" "I couldn't tell you. I don't know myseir. They are just ordinary cases of general merchandise for Colomobo and Java and Australia, but what they exactly contain I have no idea." "Did they want to examine the cargo?" "They didn't' offer to do it. They only dealt with my papers, and eventually let me go." "Any apology?" "No apology, but the lieutenant explained that it was war-time, and the thing was to be expected, and that sort of thing. We were kept waiting about two hours and a-hnlf altogether." "How about the Malacca?" "I see from the telegrams that you have had all the information that tliere is to be had about her seizure." "What did the Russians tell you?" "Merely that they had seized her the day before, because her cargo was not m order. They seemed to think she was carrying something suspicious. But I didn't believe lialf they said." • "How mnnv Russian cruisers were there m the Red Sea?" "Three, I heard, but we only saw -two. The Petersburg was the cruiser which stopped us. An hour after we were allowed to proceed wo saw the Smolensk, at least I believe it was she. The Smolensk is a three-funnelled .ship, and the Petersburg tMo-fuunelled." "Were you surprised wlwn you were boarded ?" "Hardly surprised!. I liad seen tho Smolensk at Port Said. She passed the Canal before us." "Did the Smolensk trouble you m the Red Sea?" "Not at all. She met us an hour after we were out of sight of the Petersburg, but made no signal. She just passed us like any other steamer without noticing us m any way."