THE ROYAL INDIAN MARINE

New Zealand Times, Volume LXXI, Issue 4290, 25 February 1901, Page 5

THE ROYAL INDIAN MARINE

A UNIQUE SERVICE. WORK OP THE RAM. DALHOUSIE. Of the many great institution* which," f the famous East India Company gay* T birth to in the Indian possessions of th*. 5 Empire there is none perhaps possessmg ! a more honourable history or offering " more coveted positions than the Royal " Indian Marine, to which service belong*; > the Dalhoasie, troopship of the Indian " Contingent. The Royal Indian Marm* r sprang from tbe purely military institution, the Indian navy, which latter service was converted, at the termination of ' the Indian mutiny, into the combined i military and commercial service of th* Royal Indian Marine. The Indian navy was under the direct management of the East India Company, but was controlled to a certain extent by the Home authorities. The Royal Indian Marine, however, is entirely controlled by tha Indian Government, though the sanction of the British Admiralty is required in . regard to certain details. The principal work -of tha R I.M. (the only royal service _Hi India) is in trooping around' the Indian coast, moving troops over to Bnnnah. and other districts, and lately trooping wherever the Indian troops are ordered. Like the Bengal pilot service, the R.I.M. is recruited from the training ships Conway and Worcester,_ but with this difference—that the applicant must bo under twenty-two years of age, must have served three years in a sailing vessel, and must bold a second-mate’s cer-,' tificate. But even with these advantages the aspirant to the sendee must command another all-important consideration—interest) not so ranch tho prevailing influence of great people and mends of the Secretary of State in London (with whom the appointments rest), but the fact of haying had relations in the different public services of India. Tho plums are given to men who can. claim the longest string of relatives who have served India. When tho last va-cau'-v '-"curred in the service) there were nearly three hundred applicants for tho position. And small wonder when it i* understood that it is one of the best sea services in tho world, both for pay, pension and leave. The leave granted is on. a most liberal scale—two months in every year, six months every three years, and a year at the end of five years., , r

There are sixty river boats in the service, four defence boats (armed), eight torpedo boats and seven troopers. Those latter are all armed, but do not carry their guns, which, however, are mounted periodically, in order to be tested and for practice purposes. They are all of tho quick-firing order. One boat is stationed at Aden (for political purposes), another up the Persian Gulf, another at Burmah (serving the lighthouses, conveying relief crews, provisions, etc.). and a number of small river boats work up. and < down the Iriuada river, Brahma, steaming 3000 or 4000 miles up tbe_ river. All transport work for the Indian Government is in charge of the Royal Indian Marine, even where vessels are chartered. In this connection it will,.be remembered that the service was highly complimented by tho Home authorities on the remark-.: able expedition with which it landed the troops from India at the Cape at the beginning of the South African trouble. From the time it received orders to take 10,000 men to tho Cape it was exactly seven days to tho time the transports sailed for Capetown- Tire arrangements in regard to the transport work are so finely arranged that an officer is always waiting at tho port of destination when the men arrive, and has everything ready for disembarkation and for the immediate return cf tho transport. At the present _ moment there is an officer at each principal.port in Chinn in readiness for transports sailing under the orders of the R.I.M. _• The Royal Indian Marine is directed by a captain of the Royal Navy 6u the ■ Active List, for whoso services the Indian . Government applies to' the Horae authorities. This officer is called the Director of the Royal Indian Marine, and holds the post for five years. Captain W. S. Goodridge, R.N., A.D.C., w the present director, and he also acts as naval adviser to the Indian Government. The post of assistant director is held by an officer of the service holding a captain’s rank, and there is also a deputy • director in Calcutta, who is also a •aptain of the R.LM.. One of lieutenants is always with the East India squadron for a training in gunnery and torpedo work. Tho port officers of India (similar to our harbourmasters, in Now Zealand) are all Indian Marino commanders. ■ , The Lascars for the crows or tho R.I.M. vessels are recruited from the Ratuagari district, south of Bombay, the natives of which district are supposed to be descendants cf tho old Indian pirates. They have been found to be fine sailors, extremely willing, and give 1 practically do trouble. A small boy (from twelve years) entering tho service receives eight rufides a month and his rations. There are four different grades, arid tho pay rises up, to thirty-five rupees. ■ If the officers of the Dalhcusie are » fair sample of the men engaged in the R.1.M., then the Indian Government may well be proud:—as it undoubtedly is—of tho officers of its marine semed.