One old Field-Marshal, whose name is familiar
to the whole world, said that he had served in many places with your
father, who was a very valiant soldier, and that he was glad that Great
Britain was to have in the future the benefit of your father's son in a
friendly land now beyond the outposts of our Empire, but which had been
one with her in the past, and might be again. "So much for the Privy Council. We can do no more at present until you
sign and have attested the documents which I have brought with me. "We can now formally complete the settlement of the Vissarion estates,
which must be done whilst you are a British citizen. So, too, with the
Will, the more formal and complete document, which is to take the place
of that short one which you forwarded to me the day after your marriage. It may be, perhaps, necessary or advisable that, later on, when you are
naturalized here, you shall make a new Will in strictest accordance with
local law." TEUTA SENT LEGER'S DIARY. _August_ 19, 1907. We had a journey to-day that was simply glorious. We had been waiting to
take it for more than a week. Rupert not only wanted the weather
suitable, but he had to wait till the new aeroplane came home. It is
more than twice as big as our biggest up to now. None of the others
could take all the party which Rupert wanted to go. When he heard that
the aero was coming from Whitby, where it was sent from Leeds, he
directed by cable that it should be unshipped at Otranto, whence he took
it here all by himself. I wanted to come with him, but he thought it
better not. He says that Brindisi is too busy a place to keep anything
quiet--if not secret--and he wants to be very dark indeed about this, as
it is worked by the new radium engine. Ever since they found radium in
our own hills he has been obsessed by the idea of an aerial navy for our
protection. And after to-day's experiences I think he is right. As he
wanted to survey the whole country at a glimpse, so that the general
scheme of defence might be put in hand, we had to have an aero big enough
to take the party as well as fast enough to do it rapidly, and all at
once. We had, in addition to Rupert, my father, and myself, Sir Colin
and Lord High Admiral Rooke (I do like to give that splendid old fellow
his full title!). The military and naval experts had with them
scientific apparatus of various kinds, also cameras and range-finders, so
that they could mark their maps as they required. Rupert, of course,
drove, and I acted as his assistant. Father, who has not yet become
accustomed to aerial travel, took a seat in the centre (which Rupert had
thoughtfully prepared for him), where there is very little motion. I
must say I was amazed to see the way that splendid old soldier Sir Colin
bore himself. He had never been on an aeroplane before, but, all the
same, he was as calm as if he was on a rock. Height or motion did not
trouble him. Indeed, he seemed to _enjoy_ himself all the time. The
Admiral is himself almost an expert, but in any case I am sure he would
have been unconcerned, just as he was in the _Crab_ as Rupert has told
me. We left just after daylight, and ran down south. When we got to the east
of Ilsin, we kept slightly within the border-line, and went north or east
as it ran, making occasional loops inland over the mountains and back
again. When we got up to our farthest point north, we began to go much
slower. Sir Colin explained that for the rest all would be comparatively
plain-sailing in the way of defence; but that as any foreign Power other
than the Turk must attack from seaward, he would like to examine the
seaboard very carefully in conjunction with the Admiral, whose advice as
to sea defence would be invaluable. Rupert was fine. No one could help admiring him as he sat working his
lever and making the great machine obey every touch. He was wrapped up
in his work. I don't believe that whilst he was working he ever thought
of even me. He _is_ splendid! We got back just as the sun was dropping down over the Calabrian
Mountains. It is quite wonderful how the horizon changes when you are
sailing away up high on an aeroplane. Rupert is going to teach me how to
manage one all by myself, and when I am fit he will give me one, which he
is to have specially built for me. I think I, too, have done some good work--at least, I have got some good
ideas--from our journey to-day. Mine are not of war, but of peace, and I
think I see a way by which we shall be able to develop our country in a
wonderful way. I shall talk the idea over with Rupert to-night, when we
are alone. In the meantime Sir Colin and Admiral Rooke will think their
plans over individually, and to-morrow morning together. Then the next
day they, too, are to go over their idea with Rupert and my father, and
something may be decided then. RUPERT'S JOURNAL--_Continued_. _August_ 21, 1907. Our meeting on the subject of National Defence, held this afternoon, went
off well. We were five in all, for with permission of the Voivode and
the two fighting-men, naval and military, I brought Teuta with me. She
sat beside me quite quietly, and never made a remark of any kind till the
Defence business had been gone through. Both Sir Colin and Admiral Rooke
were in perfect agreement as to the immediate steps to be taken for
defence. In the first instance, the seaboard was to be properly
fortified in the necessary places, and the navy largely strengthened. When we had got thus far I asked Rooke to tell of the navy increase
already in hand. Whereupon he explained that, as we had found the small
battleship _The Lady_ of an excellent type for coast defence, acting only
in home waters, and of a size to take cover where necessary at many
places on our own shores, we had ordered nine others of the same pattern. Of these the first four were already in hand, and were proceeding with
the greatest expedition. The General then supplemented this by saying
that big guns could be used from points judiciously chosen on the
seaboard, which was in all so short a length that no very great quantity
of armament would be required. "We can have," he said, "the biggest guns of the most perfect kind yet
accomplished, and use them from land batteries of the most up-to-date
pattern. The one serious proposition we have to deal with is the defence
of the harbour--as yet quite undeveloped--which is known as the 'Blue
Mouth.' Since our aerial journey I have been to it by sea with Admiral
Rooke in _The Lady_, and then on land with the Vladika, who was born on
its shores, and who knows every inch of it. "It is worth fortifying--and fortifying well, for as a port it is
peerless in Mediterranean seas. The navies of the world might ride in
it, land-locked, and even hidden from view seawards. The mountains which
enclose it are in themselves absolute protection. In addition, these can
only be assailed from our own territory.