ir 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. Of course, Voivode, you
understand when I say 'our' I mean the Land of the Blue Mountains, for
whose safety and well-being I am alone concerned. Any ship anchoring in
the roads of the Blue Mouth would have only one need--sufficient le