ONE MORE TOAST—DER TAG!

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume IV, Issue 237, 21 September 1914, Page 3

ONE MORE TOAST—DER TAG!

A SHIPMASTER’* EXPERIENCE. One of tin- best-known masters in the employ <>; the Union Steam Ship Com-in-tnp. idio a couple of years ago or t:>; - reab<>uTs u;•. in charge of one of the l>ig colliers, tells a rat nor good story a- to what happened to him and a shipmate whe i or. a visit to Gorman New Guinea (which territory has just he.-n seized in the varve of King George by the Australian Expel It ionary Force). Hr had taken a fiiil load of coal up to tile (. •rmtm coaling station in the Huo:i Gu’f f which lies to the rxmtst of th.:* German territory). and th”:-:’ a quick dispat; h nas given by unloading into a German cruiser on one side and a hulk on the other. Whilst the work was proceeding the captain and the chief engineei of the Unioto Company's steamer were invited into the wardroom of the cruiser. The health el the Kaiser was drunk, and songs were sung out of pure geniality and love of music. The New Zealand skipper had a very tuneful baritone voice, and when called upon for a song by the chief engineer, responded with “A Life on the Ocean Ware.” This was so well received that the jocose engineer urged him to sing another. “Give ’em something patriotic—they to had a good go at their own Mings 1" Nothing loth the skipper of the collier turned un again, this time bawiing out “Britannia Rulerthe Waves.’’ By the time he finished the refrain of the second verse he found a couple of German marines on either side of him, standing mute, but menacingly, with “fixed havonets.” This brought him up all standing, and he intimated to the Scotch engineer that it was about time for them to retire. They hade a hasty “good-night" to the ssembled officers, and were making for the cabin door, followed by the two marines, when the Commantler said: “Before you go. gentlemen, one toast ‘Der Tag’ (the dav)!” The toast was solemnly drunk, and the* Red Funnel skipper and engineer returned to their own shin to cogitate on the sensitiveness ol the German, and to find out what “Der Tag' meant. Now we all know—so do the Germans!