CHRISTMAS DAY ON BOARD THE GALATEA.

Lyttelton Times, Volume XXIX, Issue 2208, 18 January 1868, Page 3

CHRISTMAS DAY ON BOARD THE GALATEA.

. ♦ (From the Argus)

Ohrißtmas Day in port on board a frigate like the Galatea, where there is a complement of-well nigh five hundred men, so many thousand miles awaj from that " tight little island," where Christmas is an institution interwoven with the national life, is" the " day of -all days in the year, and by no means to he observed lightly, or celebrated with indifference. The continuous discipline and strict attention to duty ever sternly maintained on board a British man-of-war, are on this day carefully laid aside—not altogether ignored, only most materially relaxed, or not at all rigidly enforced. To the men and boys on board, it is the one day of all the three hundred and sixty-five which is. fairly given up to complete social enjoyment and unrestricted mirth and revelry. The boatswain's whistle, and the " black-hole," with it's very nnfeative adjuncts of bread and water, are altogether unheeded; and holystones are relegated, (metaphorically of course) to that sap-tropical region alleged to be pared with good intentions, and the chief labour of love which is undertaken with anything like alacrity and zest is the "splicingthe mainbrace." The time-honoured usages and customs in force on board a large man-of-war in port on this annual festive occasion were fully observed on the Galatea, and no one thing was wanting to render the day enjoyable to all hands, and to the friends and acquaintances who were invited to partake of the hospitality offered with genuine sailor frankness, and in true man-of-war fashion. On the day preceding Christmas, numbers of men and boys were actively engaged with flowers and fruit and evergreens, and paper of many tints, decorating the. whole of the mess tables on the lower deck; and the dexterity of the manipulation no leEB than the exceeding tastefulness exhibited in the ornamentation, was something marvellous. Each side of the lower deck shewed a series of bowers of luxuriantfoliage, prettily interspersed with oranges; but the effectiveness of the scene was not apparent until noon on Christmas Day. The proceedings were appropriately begun by the celebration of the religious services peculiar to the day; and these over, the tables were lighted up with a lavish display of wax lights arranged in pretty little chandeliers, and the leafy avenues were rendered brilliant by many lamps. This annual fete is looked forward to with absorbing interest by all, and the expenditure is borneby the various messes. Although the expenses of the entertainment, thus come out of the wellearned pay of all hands—sailors and marines alike—the amount is most ungrudgingly accorded, and it is bestowed with that reckless liberality so characteristic of men-of-war's men. The fare which figures on the messtable on ordinary occasions was on Christmas Day nowhere visible, but had given place to such a variety of viands on tables so handsomely laid out that caterers for entertainments to royalty, had they but witnessed the sight, would have greatly envied the tact and genius which combined so much luxury and display with such absolute comfort and enjoyableness. During the time of dinner, visitors—and especially ladies—were besought in the most winning and persuasive manner to partake of the good things provided, and were enjoined to eat, drink, and he merry, and make themselves thoroughly at home. Compliance witli the earnest and pressing invitations could scarcely be avoided,and great was the delight of" Jack" to see his guests enjoy themselvei. The substantial portion of the spread was well sustained by a plentiful supply of diluents, ranging, from champagne and various wines" to " four-water" grog and colonial ale. Feasting, so far, was the order of the day, and dinner and dessert were followed by dancing on the gun-deck, and fiddles, flutes, concertinas, and accordions were kept going at a rapid rate • Sailors dearly love a dance, and during the afternoon and evening they enjoyed themselves in this respect to the utmost. -The most amusing portion by far, however, of the day's entertainment, was undoubtedly the chairing of the officers. After dinner the men, as a matter of course, were in a Btate of high good humour and hilarity, and officer after officer, from the commander down to the tiniest " middy" was seized, placed on a chair lashed with handspikes, and duly hoisted and carried round the decks in triumph. The ludicrous procession was accompanied by vocal and instrumental music, distinguished more by strengthof sound than harmony of execution, the chief burthen of which was a repeated and prolonged outburst of "Hes a lollr eood fellow," sung to the usual popular tune, and followed, as the delighted occupant of the chair was shot out at his cabin, with three times three rattling British cheers. This privilege of chairing the officer is highly Sd S the men,and isonly liable to objecSon when the head of the cha re may happen-accidentally of course-dunng the S of his ovation, to come in contact Sth some bard unyielding beam or wretched S which was hung scarcely high enough. HStsSntilwellonin the afternoon, T SJii he list of officers, had been exf d 7Jr t he ti tty officers were also treated * aUS iS of the triumphal entertainment but wifh muchlesßdelicacy of handling; and out witn muuw"» * .j e when the spree had wel nghrunus the dogs elonging P.^ ties on d im Sent the chairing ribbons, .and under went process in »»»•*;", on which the ment, and with countenances o Mt comic constemat n^J^ mi> After tea, singing wd dancmg we J r < c and set-dances, circle-dances, and I J» were carried •■MftfKftaK in the carrying out of the day ««» that the'boys onboard are fortjeojvi nioted to the rank of men and petty w»* >

and these m turn take the place of the boys. Ureat scope is thus afforded to the youngsters to have some playful retaliation. The propeedwgs throughout the day were marked by the purest fun and good-humoured praotical joking, auch as only the British sailor mind could conceive, and, having devised, carry out with telling effeot. To those who were privileged to be present, Christmas-day,on board the Galatea Will not soon bo forgotten.