Page:The Next Naval War - Eardley-Wilmot - 1894.djvu/22

 It being now considerably past midnight the Cabinet broke up, having arranged to meet again at ten to receive the answer of the French Government, while the naval and military forces were to be at once put on a war footing.

The next day there was an official communication in all the papers in the terms already stated, but adding that Her Majesty's Government trusted, in view of the assurance given, no rupture of our friendly relations with France would ensue. 'This however, was not to be realised, for after considerable working of the wires between London and Paris, the French Ambassador handed in a note at the Foreign Office at 2, which stated that, failing to procure any satisfactory reply to the temperate demand of his Government, he had been instructed to inform the representatives of Her Majesty that the chiefs of the naval and military forces of the Republic had been directed to carry out reprisals upon the dominions and subjects of Her Majesty.

At 3 the same day the French fleet steamed out of Toulon.