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.
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