Page:Tolstoy - Christianity and Patriotism.djvu/16

 Last October these feelings were expressed in France in the most extraordinary fashion.

Here is the description of the reception of the Russian sailors given in the Selsky Vyestnik (Rural News), a newspaper which collects its information from all the other papers:

At the meeting of the Russian and French fleets, in addition to the cannon-shots, the sailors welcomed each other with ardent and enthusiastic shouts of "Hurrah!" "Vive la Russie!" "Vive la France!"

There were, in addition, bands of music (on many private steamers) playing the Russian national hymn, "God save the Tsar," and the French "Marseillaise." The spectators in private boats waved hats, flags, handkerchiefs, and bouquets of flowers; on many vessels there were none but peasants, men and women with their children, and all had bouquets of flowers in their hands, and even the children, as they waved their flowers, shouted as loud as they could: "Vive la Russie!" Our sailors could not restrain their tears at the sight of the popular enthusiasm.

All the French vessels of war at Toulon were drawn up in two lines in the harbour, and our squadron passed between them, the Admiral's ironclad leading the way and the other vessels following it. It was an extremely impressive moment.

Fifteen cannon-shots followed from the Russian Admiral's ship in honour of the French squadron, and in reply the French Admiral's ship fired double the number—thirty shots. The strains of the Russian hymn thundered from the French ships. The French sailors clambered on to the masts and riggings; loud shouts of welcome came in an unbroken stream from