1922-05-04 — Page 6

NAPIER JOHNSTONE'S

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A

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"AN ADMIRAL'S YARNS,"

THE NAVY FIFTY YEARS AGO.

#An Admiral's Yarna"" by Admiral

Bir Charles Dundas of Dundas

bare

bara

a map and savour which would appealed to Captain Marrayat himself. The author's first day is naturally unfor gottable:

*I will never forget that day. It was pouring with rain, and for hours we naval cadets stood in the, wet, waiting while the ship's company were being told off to their various duties. The older mid- shipmen were running about making themselves useful; but we youngsters hadn't an idea what we ought to do, so we were miserable. At last we were told to go below and see our hammocks alung. and it was a comfort to get down out of the rain. Our gun-room was on the starboard after-end of the main deck, and had a long table running fore and aft where we had dinner. What's meal that wat. As far as I remember the senior members of the mess amused themselves the whole of dinner by bombarding the cadets logs with empty beer bottles under the table."

In those days the cry of "Man overboard!" was almost a commonplace. Officers and men alike responded immediately On one occasion there were so many helpers in the sea that the captain and first lieutenant had to threaten anyone else who went overboard with dire punishment. Often officers would go straight out of the nearest port without knowing the whereabouts of the man they were hoping to rescue.

Pirates with junks, “just like volturaa,“ executions varying in horror, innumer able accidents, every sort and kind of sport, find their way into these breezy pages, But through them all the reader is always concióta of the iron discipline of the old Navy. How necessary that was may be judged from the following paragraph:

I remember one case of a cutter's crew being annoyed with their midship-. man, so they just chucked him over- board, and be would have been drowned if he hadn't been picked up by a passing sboro-boat There used to be many cases of sailors, when drunk on shore, committing all TearDer of diabolical imes, which are unheurd-of in the Nary of to-day. Striking superior officers was a common complaint, and there was no way of checking it except by violent measures. Flogging was à ter- rible punishment, and it was a great mercy when it was abolished, but this only became possible when education brought a more refined class of blue- juoket into the Navy. I only saw one flogging, but that was quite enough for me, and the memory of it I will carry to my grave."

The presence of women on board ship was, in the author's opinion, bad for discipline, but several of his anecdotes deal with the fair sex on shore. One of these refera' to a naval officer's wife whose maid was keeping company with the coxawain. This man met with an accident, being cat in two by asteam- boat. The maid'e inistress was doing ber best to break the news as gently as possible, when she was suddenly interrupted by, "Oh, it don't matter to me, mum, P'd gived him up," a little story which leads on to another:

"A naval captain of some distinction' was cruising about London one day when be ran alongside a nice-looking little craft, whose taut and spruce appearance attract- ed his attention. Sailing up under her lee-quarter, be dipped his colours, and receiving a gracious reply they bore along in company. During the course of the afternoon which they spent together, he took her to the theatre, where they sat in the stalls. At the end of the second act a rate was handed to the captain, which he opened and read as follows:

Dear Captain-When you have quite finished with my maid, my dress, and my best hat perhaps you will return them all to No. 127, Park-Jane.-Yours truly," The lady who had written the letter was the wife of his own admiral-

There are many old sen dogs who live again in these pages, and among them the captain of the Shannon in 1878 has the distinction of being the most astonishing of all. This amazing skipper placed his staff commaader ander arrest fifty-six times on his way out to his station in China. His language was considered notable even by the least squeamish. On one occasion when infuriated by the ship's company he in- formed them that they were all going to hell, "And,” he added, "I'm going there too, and I'll make it damned hot for wome of you."

A special chapter is devoted to the Channel Fleet controversy between the then Lord Charles Beresford and Sir Percy Scott. In this chapter there are some interesting notes on rudeness on the semaphore: To be called a damned fool was like being offered Government àle; it was so mild." And souming up the ordinary state of things in those days "the author writes: Supposing a general officer was inspecting a division, and he suddenly called for a megaphone and announced down it to the whole body of troops that the colonel of the Blankshires was the biggest idiot be had ever seen in his life; it would be just on a' par with what I have often seen done by ignal in the Navy". The controversy was most distasteful to Sir Charles Dands, and hearing that a Captain was wanted to go out äa Naval Attaché to Japan - he volun- teered for the appointment and received it.

There are many anecdotes about the Japanese; one of them relates to that distinguished Ambassador, Sir Claud Mac Donald, who was invited to a banquet in Tozio, the dress being evening clothes and not uniform:

AFTERNOON & EVENING

GOWNS

A gorgeous array of Fashion's lateat decrées.

-now being displayed by

MADELINE PEARSON

1st FLOOR, UNION BUILDINGS

Entrance Opposite G.P.O.

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in transit owing to the Shipping Striko,

+

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IT'S

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Taking : advantage of the first oppor- tunity be alipped out of the room, and quickly taking off all his stars dropped them into the pocket of his overcoat in the cloak-room. On his return to the reception hall he found that during his absence from the room every one of the Japanese officials had put on his stars and medals. There was a momentary silence of astonishment on all sides, when the humour of the situation appealed to every." one, and there was a good hearty laugh over the incident.”

Of Admiral Togo the author observes that he was perhaps the most modest and unassuming here that he had ever met.

"He was not certain as to whether he Once when the admiral was dining with him in Tokio Sir Charles asked' him to write a ought to wear his orders or not. Knowing few words in Japanse that he could have how particular the Japanese were about these matters, he decided to wear thom, framed and hang up as a guide for his sona Arriving a few minutes late, he found the through life. The words he wrote were, "The utmost truth." That, concludes the room full of Japanese officials, but none author, describes the great Japanions better. of them wore any decorations.

than any eulogy. (Continued at foot of next column,)

MARTIN'S SAPIOLASTEEL PILLS

Spin the hauta, on twit on the Sest sign at any Lof the Byytens a fanely done my be

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