ANECDOTES OF SAILORS.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXVI, Issue 16, 19 January 1905, Page 2

ANECDOTES OF SAILORS.

CRUSHING KINDNESS. Ship's Cook: "Captain, the men for'ard are growlin" about the beef. , Tney say it is only fit to carve figureheads with." Captain: "How much are you giving them now?" Ship's Cook: "A pound each per day, sir.'' Captain; "Give 'ear half a pound from this time, Jones. I should be sorry to force 'em to eat what isn't to their taste!" DARING RAID. Several interesting stories of the battle of the Glorious First of June U794)' are preserved by Sir John Barrow in his "Life of Admiral Lord Howe." While the Kugllsh liner Marlborough was hotly engaged with the Impetueuz, one of her seamen boldly leaped on board the French ship to, as he said, "pay the Mounseers a visit." When asked to take a cutlass for his defence, the gallant tar replied, "I'll And one where I'm going!" He fulfilled his promise uud before the two ships parted returned in safety with two French cutlasses in his hands. TRUE BLUE. A young midshipman serving on board the Queen Chariot.c, Lord Howe's flagship, in the same battle, was placed In a position of so much danger that the admiral, out of compassion for his extreme youth, commanded him to descend between decks. The young hero looked up In the veteran chief's face, with all the modesty of true courage, and respectfully replied: "What, my lord, would my father say were I not on deck during the action?" The appeal had its effect. BY SPECIAL REQUEST. The Naval Brigade took part in the battle of Kaliee-Nudee, 1858, during the Indian Mutiny, and a rather amusing incident occurred. Lieut. Vaughan was firing one of his guns at a cannon belonging to the enemy, and he destroyed the weapon at his third shot. His superior, Capt. Peel, who was standing uear, then said: — "Thank you, Mr Vaughan. Perhaps you will now be so good as to blow up the tumbril?" Lieut. Vaughan fired his fourth shot, which passed near it, and a fifth, which blew the tumbril up and killed several of the enemy. "TUauk you," said Captain Peel, in his blandest tones. "I will now go and report to Sir Colin Campbell." MIDDIES' rET. 11.M.5. Trafalgar was going through a heavy sea off Malta ou the afternoon ot February 5, 1552, when a young mtddy named Sheepshanks fell overboard. The quartermaster promptly jumped after hiih, and then followed Mr Lambe, midshipman, who leaped from the poop, a height of more than forty feet. Mr Lambe saved both his messmate and the quartermaster, who had got into difficulties. Ou being asked by his captain why he had taken such a risk, Lambe gallantly replied: "Oh, sir! young Sheepshanks is the pet of the mess. We could not afford to lose him, at any rate!" NAVAL MANOEUVRE. Two naval officers of the sister countries of Ireland and Scotland were once passing along Piccadilly, London, wheu their attention was arrested by a pretty girl at work with her needle, behind the counter of a dressmaking establishment. The Irishman instantly proposed to go into the shop and purchase some trifle, as an excuse for obtaining a nearer Inspection of the fair damsel. "Hoot, awa' mon," said the Scotsman, equally curious but more economical. "There's na occasion ta throw awa' siller. Let's gang ln and ask change o' twa saxpenees for a shilling!" DRESS DECEPTIVE. A seaman somewhat badly dressed once applied to an officer of the Superb to be entered on the ship's books. Observing his ragged appearance, the lieutenant said that he would not do for the Navy. "I hope," returned Jack, promptly, "that your honour will not condemn the hull for the sake of the rigging!" This reply caused the officer to change his mind, and the weather beaten tar was sent below for a good meal and a new rig out. He turned out to be one of the best seamen in the ship. WORTH SIXPENCE! Admiral Sir William Kennedy, In his book, "Spoit in the Navy." tells a story of a. visit be paid to an old boatswain of his who was living iv dignified retirement ou a pension. "Well, Pipes," said the admiral, "you seem comfortable here. Ail night in, and uo cares." "Yes, sir," said the old sailor; "I'm quite happy. I pays a boy sixpence a week to call mc every morning at daylight, and say, 'Please, sir, the captain wants you.' " "Whatever do you do that for?" asked the surprised admiral. "Well, sir. it's fbls way. Having been sent for by the captain every morning all my life, it is some satisfaction to be able to say to the boy, "Tell the captain to go to ' and then I turn round and goes to sleep again."