THE PRINCE OF MONACO 131 



possession of the rock, which he named Monaco (from his own 

 title Monoechos), and dedicated it to the advancement of 

 knowledge — all very appropriate to the Prince's new 

 institution. The whole story was represented in that evening 

 fete by brilliant illuminations on the dark waters of the bay. 

 First, huge brightly- coloured monsters of the deep, Behe- 

 moths and Chimaeras (I suppose really motor-boats with 

 erections of lath and canvas painted and illuminated inside), 

 were seen approaching the mouth of the harbour, followed by 

 three gorgeous barges, on the foremost of which stood 

 Hercules, played by a gigantic Italian singer, Titta Ruffo, 

 whose magnificent baritone voice filled the huge natural 

 amphitheatre, extending from the rock of Monaco to the 

 casino of Monte Carlo, as he chanted his hymn of dedication. 

 The primitive inhabitants were there in numerous boats filled 

 with coloured lanterns. The fierce battle was represented 

 by volleys of rockets and other fireworks, and by explosions 

 of coloured fire. Finally, the triumph of Hercules was 

 celebrated by the bursting into light in the centre of the bay 

 of three large set-pieces, showing in the centre the arms of the 

 Grimaldi (the Monaco family, said to be the most ancient in 

 Europe), supported on the one side by Art and on the other 

 by Science — all three with mottoes and appropriate devices. 



" The Prince's yacht and other visiting yachts, and the 

 three or four French and Italian gunboats and torpedo- 

 destroyers that had been sent in honour of the occasion, 

 were also illuminated at night, and the latter gave searchlight 

 displays, and were open for inspection during the day. A 

 reception at the palace, various other entertainments and 

 scientific meetings in the museum, a visit to the prehistoric 

 caves of Grimaldi (where the remains of early Mediterranean 

 man have been found), and other interesting excursions in the 

 neighbourhood filled up the rest of what was certainly a most 

 notable occasion in the history both of the principality of 

 Monaco and of the science of the sea." 



That is what I wrote at the time. On reading it over now, 



