VOLUNTEER AND SERVICE NOTES.

Press, Volume XLVI, Issue 7252, 7 March 1889, Page 2

VOLUNTEER AND SERVICE NOTES.

'■ • LBy an Ex-Naval Officer in the " Weekly Press."] The recent visit of H.M. ships to our port reminds us that New Zealand is regarded by Admiral Fairfax as a part of the station under his command. Of late years the Australian station's comraan" ders appeared to have forgotten our exis* tance altogether. The present Admira* has, since his term commenced, been continually going the rounds. The sight of bluejackets and marines parading our streets is certainly a cheering o ne, and more cheering still is it to notice their orderly behaviour. Among the crowds of Tars end Joes I did not notice or hear of one with too much liquor aboard. And at Portsmouth, and Plymouth too, the same good conduct is noticeable, men hurry down to the boats at the appointed hour without the necessity of what were known as liberty parties being sent to coax the men to the water's edge. How of tenhave I, as a middy, been sent ashore with a liberty party for this purpose, the first public house was a safe port to make for, and many were the curious scenes enacted on these occasions, once I was literally seised by those whom I went to capture and perched upon the counter nor was I allowed to move until I had taken a sip out of the glass of every man present. I forged what followed. These things seldom happen now-a-days, yet one instance was related recently of. a man straightening himself before proceeding to his boat, he had a good allowance of grog aboard, and would not go into the boat, but lingered on the landtug place surveying his ship in the distance with an air of drunken gravity highly edifying. He had no bootsoofn f having pawned them to eke out the day's spree, and he was wondering how he should get on board without the deficiency being noticed. At last a bright idea struck him. and calling to him a couple of the youthful shoeblacks who hang about, he set them to work to polish his bare feet, so that he might thus evade the watchful eyes of whoever might receive him on board. There he stood balancing himself between these two little shoeblacks with a look of intense satisfaction at his own sagacity, and encouraging them to brush away as hard as they could. " Tha'sh th*wwary r my lade, polish 'em up, make 'em bright," and finally he stepped into the boat with many chuckles. " Whether he got on board all right," added the captain who related the above incident, ''I never knew; but he deserved to." What would be thought to-day of an order like the following issued in 1796 by Lord St. Vincent. Victory, 30th December, 1796. — "A boat captain is. to visit the hospital (at Lisbon), every morning, taking it by seniority, Captain Frederick to begin to-morrow. They are to cause strict regularity to be observed in the hospital, and If they find the patients not to conduct themselves properly and orderly, theyare to punieh them according ta the rules of the na7y, taking a boatswain's mate, with them for the purpose, if they should find it necessary. - Or this memorandum, —"Victory" at sea 11th. July, 1796. There being reason to apprehend, that a number of women have been clandestinely brought from England in several ships, more particularly so in those which have arrived in the Mediterranean in the last and the present year, the respective captains are required by the Admiral to admonish these ladies upon the waste of water, and other disorders committed by them, and to make known to all that on the first proof of water being obtained for washing from the scuttle-butt or otherwise under false pretences in any ship, every woman in the fleet who has not been admitted under the authority of the Admiralty or the i Commander-in-chief, will be shipped to England by the first convoy, and the officers are strictly - enjoined to watch vigilantly their behaviour, and see that po waste or improper consumption of water happens in future.— J. Jervts. •,'Wapping Old Stairs," "Billy Taylor,"and the rest probably were written by some one who had a knowledge of these things. Most people who have heard the songs of Dibdin and others, where mention is made of sweethearts following their men, disguised as sailors, have put it down" to the license of the composers, yet these things actually happened, and when we sing of the " spirits of our fathers," some of us might also say of " on? mothers." Admiral Jervls evidently appreciated the value of the ladies as top-gallant yard men, forecastle men. Sec, and doubtless they hopped nimbly round the guns, doing their duty as well as any Jack pf the crew, but he drew a line at the waste of water frpm. the scuttle-butt. These women did not wait for legislative power to give them their rights, they considered they had a right to follow their sweethearts and husbands, and they did as ladies in private life alway» have done sioce the days of Eve, they helped themselves, possibly it the Admiral had attempted to enforce his threat to expel.the ladies frbni the 'fleet, they would have pointed the guns aft and irefused to budge, Admiral Jervis knew exactly how far to go, and only intended to let the ladies know that he was aware of their presence on, board the ships, that he valued their services, and he wished them to be careful in the matter of water. All of which goes to show that the clamour for women's rights Iβ a hollow sound. All the world over women assert their great power and help themselves. Legislative ppwertK?. vote, tor instance, is a mere form. They regulate matters as it is, and obedient man always votes exactly as ordered. ~ . . & = .