ADMIRALTY VAGARIES.

New Zealand Herald, Volume II, Issue 324, 25 November 1864, Page 5

ADMIRALTY VAGARIES.

Tnn I?cd White and Blue, onco famous in fact, find inspiring in song, have ceased to exist it-; , "aval distinctions. Commodore Wiseman hoisted 1 Ins broad blue pennant, at. the main, for the la ;t i time on Tuesday. Oil Wednesday morning li > ; hung out white—with the St. George's Cro. at tlie lore—the St. George's, < Into ensign, replacing the blue at t!. > taflrail. White-—and white only—is henr •- torward to be the standard of our national shi Commodores of the first-class living th.-'r pennants at the main ; of the second-class at t; e lore; and in the absence ot a commodore, but where two or more ships are assembled, the senior oilicer will hoist a diminished white pennant. at the niizen, Blue ensigns and pennants are the exclusive property of the naval reserve, while the red has been allotted to the mercantile service. But if red white and blue have been expelled from naval bunting, they have with corresponding propriety been cuffed into naval uniform—surgeons, paymasters, and engineers being cuff-branded with one or other of these badges, somewhat after the fashion of the new police. Poor Briiannia ! Your Admiralty, never over-wise, must be sinking into dotage when month by month they manifest their energetic j skill in lace-trimming and tailoring. In(hose^lays,when wowcrcsniall boys.brimfuli of martial ardour a book was phu-ed before us which treated of the expedition from India to the conquest of .lava. The writer, albeit a soldier. had a spice of the " old salt" in his composition. and on his passage down he acquaints his reader of his communications with the ship's l»ia»swnin--n se-i-cub of the thorough Benbow breed. Their talk was " tall" and stiff, ;:ud naturally fell upon our frigate reverse.; sustained in unequal encounter with Am;--ca:i razees. Like the knife-grinder, we have uj storv to teb—nothing more than Il'><ri/'s clincher to record. It was this :—" Dash mv eyes, sir! what else could you expect? There has been neither luck nor grace in the sarvice since the button, under which Nelson fought and fell, has been shifted for their shore-going whigmaleerics !" Bosey, we incline to think, was right. The Admiralty have not improved or benefitted the service. There are more weighty matters than cull's and collars to be considered. The naval service, which as far as the pre-eminence or salvation of (.ireat Britain is concerned, ought to be made the most popular, is very much the reverse, and 110 effort should be spared to commend it to seamen as a service in which they may hope to rise, and in which they may likewise count, upon all those rent and histimj advantages which cannot be secured to the hardworking slaves of (lie mercantile marine. But. avast, we must not presume to to touch a subject 011 which a Codrington. a iS'apier. a Duudonahl. a Cardon. and a host of enthusiasts have spoken and written in vain. .Flags having been doomed to '' pale their ineffectual fires." the next Admiralty innovation is to expunge the name of "master" from the Navy List. This, possibly, may be an improvement . but when we call to mind the Bowens. I'rivers, ami the lons line of " matter!// " seamen who hive uphold our naval renown wecauliot but heave a sigh over departed glory. But if masters are to go by the Board what is to become of aspiring young " Bungstarters ! J " We are all at sea, and the Admiralty appears to be equally adrift. One word,.—to which, however, they never have and never will pay atten(iiiii. Let (hem think more of men than of lace or red white and blue velvet; more of the seaman than the sprig of aristocracy. Let them only do this and the Nelsons of the navy will again reappear.