Primary tabs
Transcription
[page 67]
131
(9).
regards this war the Prince maintains a strict neutrality with an eye to business after the war of course. His neutrality however is not so strict as to intern British Officers who wander about his domain in uniform and as a matter of fact at his invitation we visit his palace and gardens at will and attend his theatres free of charge. His Palace on the Promintary at Monarco simply bristles with guns which point out over the sea in most menacing fashion. I was however, unable to find one dated later than 1770. His army which wartime economy has reduced to three men is dressed up after the style of the announcers outside picture shows and it solemnly walks up and down in front of the Palace to the awe of the inhabitants. The Museum and Aguarium which are housed in a magnificent building right on the sea front are well worth a visit. The Aquarium contains an extraordinary collection of weird sea animals all kept at a temperature to suit them. An octopus with a spread of about four feet occupies one tank, a turtle three feet across flounders about and seems to enjoy life, sharks, live sponges, star fish,cuttles and fearsome looking deep sea cretaures all find a tank and settle down to be fed at stated intervals, although at any time half a franc given to the attendant to tickle the octopus' appetite is money well spent. One deep sea genius who apparently inhabited the darkest depths of the ocean had a headlight arrangement rigged high up on his "hump" (the hump being after the style of a schnapper) and when he was hungry he had merely xxxx to turn this thing on and wait. Small fish coming along would see the light and to avoid it would dive - right into the ingenious gentleman's mouth which was situated fully 6 inches under his headlight.
The Museum is stocked with remains of more strange fish also whales, seals, sea lion and various whaling gear and articles collected by the Prince during his whaling cruises in his yacht, the "Princess Alice"
The Golf Links are at Mont Argel about 2,000 feet above Monte Carlo and a great deal of work must have been put in to make them