STARBOARD AND PORT

Evening Post, Volume CVII, Issue 23, 28 January 1924, Page 3

STARBOARD AND PORT

to tbi ibiios.. .... ;;, r ' ■. Sir,—Your leading article in to-night's issue of your generally well-informed.and instructive newspaper 6eems to me to have missed the point at issue; -I am persuaded^that there is no controversy as to the nomenclature of. the terms, ..used on board ship in regard to the 'side? of tho vessel. "Starboard'! and "port" are /words that cannot be mistaken, and W their distinctive Bounds are far-less liable to misinterpretation than the vocal sounds' of single syllable, words such:as bright" or "left." But, there does ■• existj aa anomaly,; and. a very; grievous one; in the^way jn which these terms of ''Starboard" or "porv,"' when" issued as an order_ to a helmsman, are required'to. be carried out. / If a steersman, quarter-master, or,man at the wheel receives tie order.''.port the helm" one would naturally infer that \he was being instiWted to turn Hh» wheel around in. the direction of port (or left) side of ih» vessel, whereas th» direct opposite is iHiat ,is,^ reqiift-ed" of him. ; Vice-versa, to "starboard'-'y order he must put the wheel'over. Uo^porE. ■ In olden, times, when, ships ;were'anall and before a wheel and ' chains v "were used to control the rudder, steering was effected by means ; of a tiller, inset into the rudder-head on its after" side. The helmsman then, receiving the order to "starboard," pushed the till er to starboard, and' the rjidderj -thus acted on took the required angle to-•" starboard.' Later on, tha tiller was .inset. ,into th« foreside of the rudder, and thereby created the anomaly that has been handed down through ffie generations,'by thW conservative instinct of tne British nation, to seamen of the present day Foreign nations, French, German, itc.. have long since recognised and abolished the procedure. With them their equivalents for our.terms mean what they say and "tribord" given as an order to a, French man-at-the-wheel means "tribord", (starboard)', or .putting the wheel to {starboard.. ' ■' -•••■■ > This, I opine, is the real eubiecfofthe | controversy mooted,.'and if it will lead to the altering of. the present obsolete- | and, to a young seaman, confusing custom, it should be of very' real Bervice to humanity for, writing with ialf, a century s experience, I know that the present British rule has led to • innumerable collisions, disasters, and loss-of l:fe—l am, etc.,, ' <%,■ ■■ '• ■■ ■■• • .... . ■ WiLCOZENS. ' 2prd January. # . ' . .

.<n i,> W!V anno«ncei in *. Saturday's Post' that the Wellington Citadel: Silver Band (Salvation Army) would yesterday eveninp:"play two special' band-s««----lections—"Hallelujah .Chorus" ' and. Heavenly Treasure." This was Sa " error caused through an oversight'in the composing room. ' One of the lecturers at National Portrait Gallorv, Mr. Bertram, has been talking about the first printing of Shakespeare, It is believed that there are nowabout 140 copies of the First' Folio'ih. existence, but only about 20 are in perfect condition. The original edition was supposed to consist of 250 copies, sold at £1 apiece—equal to, £8 now. Shakeipearc > became a. comparatively rich man. in his later years as his income 1 was equal to quite £5000 a/year to-day. °