Last Night's Cables.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume XXVIII, Issue 7845, 10 September 1904, Page 5

Last Night's Cables.

The Volunteer Fleet.

Message to the Smolensk and

St. Petersburg.

Interview Between the Captains

{Received Last Night, at 10.41 p.m.) London, Yesterday.

When the Smolensk and St. Petersburg were lying in Monai Bay, in the south ot Zanzibar, and they saw the Forte approaching, they weighed anchors. The Forte signalled, " Have important despatches." The cruisers then dropped their anchors, and the Forte's boat carried the cypher message and the British agents' protest embodying Britain's demand.

Captain Skalsky, of the St. Petersburg, then went aboard the Forte. He was received by a guard of honour. He stated that he had put in the previous day owing to stress of weather. He had not taken coal aboard nor had he communicated with anybody. Only one steamer had been searched owing to stress of weather. The Smolensk had only three hundred tons of coal aboard, haying cruised off the Cape for a month, meeting continuous bad weather.

Captain Dundas. coirnnanding the Forte, replying, impressed Captain Skalsky with the necessity of prompt departure.

Captain Skalsky was most courteous, and announced that he was leaving forthwith.

The St, Petersburg saluted with 21 guns, and the salute was returned.

Captain Dundas paid a return visit to the Si - . Petersburg, which was full of coal. She carried 7 sin and a few smaller guns. The Smolensk nas. 11 more or less obsolete guns.

After Captain Dundas' departure, the St. Petersburg and Smolensk proceeded South. The Forte remained watching, and when the cruisers were seven miles away a steamer was sighted approaching their anchorage. She proved to be their collier, and is believed to be the Hamburg-American steamer Holsatia. She altered her course, and the cruisers did likewise; and the three wore last seen 15 miles west of the southern point of Zajzibar.

Tho Eussians would gladly, if possible, have stopped the collier being sighted, as but for the Forte's visit the Smolensk would have coaled at Zanzibar.

Captain Skalsky, in bis interview, asked permission to coal, but Captain Dundas replied that he must enquire of the British Government if this were permissible.

A second German vessel wes seen bringing provisions from Daressalam.

The Japanese repaired the Russian dry dock at Dalny, and are now repairing a Japanese destroyer there.

A Japanese transport sent some officers and men to inspect the Novik, which was driven ashore at Korsakovsk, on the island of Saghalien, but the Russian fire compelled them to witndraw. General Liapounow, Governor, has telegraphed to the Czar that an examination showed that the Japanese had placed mines in different parts of the Novik, leaving some electrical conductors connected with the mines. The Russians removed the conductors from nine mines.