We hardly remember an incident in modern history stranger than
the bombardment of Sagan°. The Panslavists, anxious to put a spoke in the wheel of Italy, sent an expedition to Obock, on the coast of the Red Sea, with the object of enter- ing Abyssinia and inducing King John to attack the Italians at Massowah. The expedition was led by one Atchinoff, and consisted of one hundred and sixty well-armed Cossacks, with more to follow, and of a few priests, who were to conciliate the Abyssinian priesthood by pointing out the similarity between their Church and the Russian Orthodox. Atchinoff landed at Obock, on the Red Sea, on French territory, and hoisted the Russian flag on an old fort called Sagallo ; but instead of con- ciliating the French, declared himself a subject only of the Czar. The French commandant could not stand this. Every argument of policy bound him to be civil to Russians, and especially to Russians obnoxious to Italy ; but to tolerate armed foreigners on French soil was more than he could endure. He ordered Atchinoff's party to surrender, and on their refusal, bombarded the fort, producing an imme- diate submission. A good many of the Cossacks, who believed
doubtless that the French would not fire, have been killed, and the remainder sent home to Odessa as prisoners of war. The Russian Government, true to its policy, disclaims all resent- ment, asserting that Atchinoff had no orders—which is doubt- less true, a wink not being an order—but the Panslavists are furious. They do not understand, they say. the kind of friendship for Russia which induces Frenchmen to slaughter Russians for Italian advantage.
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