SAILORS AND SOLDIERS

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXII, Issue 7021, 8 January 1910, Page 9

SAILORS AND SOLDIERS

(By 149.) Ono of the points . about tho navy man is that, he is not entirely wedded' to the sea. He has to he physically! strong to he admitted *bo the great eer-i vice and his physical capabilities are as useful on land as ! they, are on Boa.. English history is bright with tho heroism of sailors both on sea and land. The sailor is not excelled by the best soldiers in storming parties or shore fighting. iThe magnificent work of “Jack” in the South African war reminds me of many thingsi but most of all of the devoted service;of the_great guns mounted,on land carriages hy that fine sailor. RearAdmiral Scott. The guns that fired “three-quarters of an hour on horseback” naturally struck terror into the enemy, but the admiration for the man who conducted the, guns and worked them .is more to the purpose, than the range or effectiveness of his weapons. A HIT OF HISTORY. Anyone who has seen Jack Tars with fillips’ guns on shore is Jack Tar’s friend for life. I remember very-well the great thirteen . inch “cow-gun” which tlie naval officer mentioned above took to reduce. Barberton in the Transvaal. The moral effect of .big ’gun fire is greater than- its destructive effect,, and "it was more as an object lesson than anything . else that Scott was permitted to; take one of his thunderers on the great.! march to Barberton over the “Devil’s Kanter. The passage of this hill occupied three days and nights, and the gnu X mention was in the picture. , To drag an empty cape-cart up that, lull required six mules. To give the gun a start required 140 bullocks. The bullocks dragged the gun, persuaded by many dozen Kaffirs with whips, halfway up the hill and then stuck. Many of the beasts went down, with their hoofs pulled quite off their toes. They- ivero shot and rolled over the cliffs. Half a regiment of infantry shoved behind. A squadron of Canadian cavalry, all “armed” with lassoes hitched their ropes to the guns and twisting them round the horns of the saddles “stood’ up” their horses and hauled desrierately.. ■ Scott himself cheered, the mob and 1 swore and foamed and pushed himself. The enemy-was a black massy-a. great target on the side of a red hill a .mile away when the big gun. jammed. Nothing would shift it and it blocked up the march of the army, for Devil’s Kanter is narrow and there is no other way to Barberton. Scott walked desperately to tho top of the hill and saav the target. Then he Came down to his useless gun and pushed im-

potently. H© sat down on the side of the road and cried with rage. It was, perhaps, Iris only set-back. “Cheer rip, sir,” said an ordinary seaman who was trying to jack a wheel out of a rut. “Oh, damn!” said Scott. “ tVo’.ro doing our best, sir 1” said the man. “ I know; I know, old chap!” said the officer, and wrung his hand. But in the meantime the target had vanished, and the great gun was .never brought into action at Barberton. JACK OF ALL TRADES. Many sailors were taken prisoners in the South African war, mainly, I feel, because they absolutely refused to leave stuck-iip guns. Although their, guns were a potent factor in the making of peace . their immense weight and the difficulty of' taking them to points of vantage made their service infinitely hard. The individualism of tho sailor was patent'' in 'VVaterval, where the great prison compound was. The sailors camped in tents sewn and erected by themselves. Soldiers went into quarter's erected by the enemy. Jack is rather commercial in his_ instincts, and ran many undertakings wlrilo lie was a prisoner of war. One might get tattooed all over in Jack’s tent. Oho might lose all one’s money at “ Crown and Anchor,” cards or dice in Jack’s tent. On© might get a haircut, learn to play the cornet, obtain fire-tongs, knitted belts, singlets, socks, ,or carved pipes in Jack’s tent. There were no razors there, hut Jack had put an edge on Ilia knife, and used to shave with that. There ivero no matches, so Jack made fire-tongs \yitb. fencing wire, and sold them at a shilling a pair. Jack sewed the shrouds for the dead and made pants for the. living. One of him preached the gospel in the “gospel mill,” and another conducted ffmeral services every day—for there were many funerals. The Jacks had the champion fighting man, and the Army supplied his victims. Tho Dutchmen, came to Jack’s tent to have a ‘ ‘ musical evening ’’ and to sing Sankey’s hymns. Two or ■ three Jacks escaped through tire barbed wire, and either got" clear away, or were shot, or returned to camp laughing. One Jack was an acrobat, and there was.a small theatrical troupe living in Jack’s tent. ■ Jack was very much to the fore when the general release, or escape happened. One clever Jack had made a pair of wire-cutters .from two jackknives, and this was the. tool that cut the first opening in the Wateryal wire fence. One or two of the sailors, on escape, caught stray horses, knowing nothing about riding, and got clear away to Pretoria. I tell you, the spirit.of the . navy is a spirit worth cultivating. '