| Show DOVES AND AN EAGLE IN WAR from a japanese correspondent at boklo will always be remembered by those who have studied japanese history as being one ot the oldest seaports in japan with historical records in the year B C the em press jingo was wrecked oft thia port when returning from her korean expedition and later on taiko whose ambition was to become emperor of fice whole east japan Is not included attempted a similar expedition and had his headquarters here at this spot in the second halt ot the thirteenth century the fleet sent by tha mongolian invader koh pl lieh consisting 0 hundreds of men of war met with a terrible fate being annihilated during a fearful gale which arose so that only three men out 0 were rescued by the japanese who sent them back to china the gale in question was called the sacred gale since that tha chinese never again attempted to invade japan the celebrated shrine at hakomaki Ha kozaki Is one of the best known shinto temples it Is dedicated to the emperor ojen hundreds of doves are kept here as la usual in temples sacred to hachida god of war they are supposed to act as this gods mes bongers and to be a good omen in bat tie on the outbreak of the japan china war 1894 95 the birds flew away tor an unknown destination and did not return until ahe end of the war very late one night about the alma hostilities broke out between russia and japan the priests were busily ea in preparing the blips of paper to give the men when a great corn motion was heard among the doves in the root of the temple next morning it was found that only a third ot the doves came down to the sacred basin in which people wash their i hands before worshipping wor shipping at the i shrine where the remaining two thirds had gone was the subject ot much conjecture a few days later tha following facts were made known by a at sailor ot the battleship Hata usi J j during the battle off port arthur v hundreds of doves seen flying above the japanese fleet they moved continued on page ten DOVES AND AN EAGLE IN WAR continued from page 0 us the fleet moved and when cries ot triumph raised the birds flew u away in an easterly direction but three out of the number were evidently not following the others they discovered on the masts of the A sailor caught them when they were found to be badly wounded eo they were subjected to medical treatment by the ships doctors it la related by the priests that the doves that were left at the shrine did not appear to sleep inside the root as usual but to remain on the outside in this most cold season as if thinking of and watching for the return of the others from be front early one morning about a week before the outbreak 0 war as the japanese torpedo destroyer the shara toka was balling the korean eca a large eagle was seen resting on the summit ofa pointed rock A member of the crew took aim at the bird and alred but strange to say it did not move an inch A boat was and rowing to the spot the eagle was soon captured it proving to be as tame as a parrot on examination it was found to be wounded in the leg but after the destroyer arrived at aasebo naval station every attention being given to it the bird soon became bulto well and s now kept at tho boklo admiralty As tho eagle Is the emblem of russia the incident was much talked about superstitious folk regarding the capture a a sign of victory in war this story recalls the battle of the balu yalu in 1891 which decided japanese supremacy at sea in the war against china when a big hawk during the very heat of the engagement rested on the mast of the cruiser Taho chlo and allowing itself to be caught was brought to tokio where it is now at the emperors palace |
