DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.11636#0063
AND LOWER EGYPT. 37
the furniture only of narrow minds, but totally un-
worthy of the military character, to whose talents
and intrepidity were confided the floating batteries
destined to waft along the ocean terror to the ene-
mies of the state, and protection to commerce ; as
if a simple omission in a point of civility, which
ought to be carefully distinguished from an insult,
did not rather degrade the person guilty of it, than
him who had a right to expect it. Many will re-
collect the phlegm of a Dutch officer's reply, in
the East Indies, to Bougainville, who put the
question to him, What form of salute he was to
receive, in case his ship should render the proper
honours to the Dutch fort ? " When I pull off
" my hat to any one," answered the Dutchman,
it is on my part a mark of politeness which I
<c think, due to him ; but I do not wait to inform
" myself beforehand whether he is, in return, to
" uncover his head."
Be this as it may, we were obliged to comply
■With the custom ; and as soon as the Atalanla had
cast anchor in the port ot Palermo, an officer was
dispatched with compliments to the Sicilian vice-
roy, and to settle with him the grand question of
salutes. It was agreed that the frigate should salute
by firing fifteen guns, and that the citadel should
return it by the like number. This arrangement
being made, we fired our salute ; but two hours
d 3 elapsed
the furniture only of narrow minds, but totally un-
worthy of the military character, to whose talents
and intrepidity were confided the floating batteries
destined to waft along the ocean terror to the ene-
mies of the state, and protection to commerce ; as
if a simple omission in a point of civility, which
ought to be carefully distinguished from an insult,
did not rather degrade the person guilty of it, than
him who had a right to expect it. Many will re-
collect the phlegm of a Dutch officer's reply, in
the East Indies, to Bougainville, who put the
question to him, What form of salute he was to
receive, in case his ship should render the proper
honours to the Dutch fort ? " When I pull off
" my hat to any one," answered the Dutchman,
it is on my part a mark of politeness which I
<c think, due to him ; but I do not wait to inform
" myself beforehand whether he is, in return, to
" uncover his head."
Be this as it may, we were obliged to comply
■With the custom ; and as soon as the Atalanla had
cast anchor in the port ot Palermo, an officer was
dispatched with compliments to the Sicilian vice-
roy, and to settle with him the grand question of
salutes. It was agreed that the frigate should salute
by firing fifteen guns, and that the citadel should
return it by the like number. This arrangement
being made, we fired our salute ; but two hours
d 3 elapsed