H.M.S. GIBRALTAR.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXIX, Issue 237, 3 October 1908, Page 7

H.M.S. GIBRALTAR.

ALLEBED DISAFFECnOD-. fM GUN SlGffiS THROW-J 6vS____b___SM| SFDNI-Y, September 24. ft H_M.S. Gibraltar, having on board reM lief crews for the Australian Station, arrived'in the harbour lata last night, England, and took up moorings off Gar-Sl den Island. •"■ 7" m More than ordinary interest attached!) to the arrival of the cruiser, from therlj fact that cables from London recentlyff stated that disaffection was reported toll have existed among the ship's company. _\ Officers of the- cruiser explain that thai; trouble was the result of a malicious ac_p on the part of one of the seamen. Tho 7 Gibraltar had left Aden, and was steaming down tfie Arabian Sea in a strong*,; monsoon, 'when one night the gun-sights * (or the gun gear; as the officers put it) 7 disappeared. The loss of the sights was *j presently discovered, and reported to the | captain. There was" an | and the usual-penalties were enforced until the matter was cleared up. It was ' after leaving Colombo that the culprit j was traced, and he now awaits trial bjj; court-martial- Arrangements have b< made to- hold the court-martial in Sy__|| ney, and, pending the inquiry, 'the offi-' cers were not inclined to discuss theft trouWe'_nrther. The matter did not 'rtrM fleet on other'members of the ship's con__,y, pany, it was explained,'and ait officer cMk the Gibraltar said, "1 never sailed witljt.': a better lot 1 of'men'.**' |i AMONGST THE S____LORS. 1 The breach of discipline is not seriously by'the rank and file of thai! ship. When informed yesterday that;;! cable information had been received re- | garding the incident, the story was un-l folded from their point of view. - '*7 "Well" rejoined one/"the whole ea was caused through exaggeration on them part of the Colombo papers, in wh graphic stories about general -disa_ tion were'printed. You can take it fro_ii(| mc, and ask anyone else on the ship, thawi ! it was purely the act of one man, committed, np doubt, out of sheer bravado. *_Sll was when we were between Aden and Colombo that the.mischief was wrought.- -\ The boys' first intimation was at t__ay« mess, when someone,.who is now in thei.l •cool chamber,' casually remarked that? 'There Will be-some-sport-in the mom- | ing,' meaning thereby that trouble waa 1 brewing. Next day, we learned that the guns had been tampered with, tbe sights having ; been removed. The damage amounted approximately to ££00. The captain immediately had the company placed under surveillance* and it was not' long before the supposed culprit was in irons'. He was, lam told, 7put away* by one Of the ttien who beard the remark " passed at the mess the previous day. Tha ' accused sailor turned out to be the. speaker on that occasion, and be made a full confession. "The- captain, who evidently was not satisfied with his explanation, had all of us deprived of usual privileges. At Colombo no leave, from the captain down, was allowed, and the canteen was at once closed. So, you see, we are jolly thirsty,' all through the act of one dissatisfied man. "Harking back to the subject of general disaffection on the ship, you can rest assured that we are a happy family. I don't say we're not annoyed abont losing our privileges, because we are, but those thrags will happen. These trips With relief crews in any circumstances are not pleasure cruises." ■ y'm—.—^————i————————m Perhaps she'B ( _»: the nOwa*. j Perhaps shtfs on the seat. Perhaps she'll go " ' —Jj To Jericho,. ■*~. „ ..'l7. Perhaps she will! Perhaps she Won't, Bat if she does or if she don. t,' ■'7 I'm glad that-1 yumiiit-d to be* A. bottle.«_ yfooOsf <__eat -_emtee_B-_- Cwf