JACK'S LIFE AT SEA.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 12067, 24 July 1917, Page 7

JACK'S LIFE AT SEA.

"I THOUGHT IT WAS MY JOB." At the best of times Jack's floating "home" consists of 21 in of wooden mess stool facing 21in 01 one side of a bare wooden mess table 2ft wide. His bedroom consists of two hammock hooks lift apart, between which is the hammock- His day clothing is stowed in the hammock beside him. For recreation on some ships a small room about 20ft by 12ft is provided, fitted with the usual mess tables and stools. His worldly possessions are stowed in an iron locker about 20in cube. exercise he has the upper" deck, absolutely unsheltered in any way, and the last place on earth one 'would choose in North Sea weather. To smoke lie gets under the shelter of a screen on the upper deck. At sea in bad weather—and bad weather is the rule in the North Sea—-his mess decks are usually covered by about an inch of water, and his air, supplied through a tube, blows with a chilly blast that arouses a curse whenever he tries to make himself comfortable. There is not a chair with a. back to it, much Jess an easy chair for him, throushout the whole length and breadth of "his ship. There is no relaxation of discipline possible, morning, noon or night, fciincs the war started he has not had an hour's freedom away from the ship in the shape of leave, except on rare occasions when he has been granted a few clays' leave, because the ship was in dock and for the time being unfit to take her place in the battle line. Landing parties, of ccurse, have been organised, and men are taken ashore for a walk and marched to and from the recreation fields, always under the supervision of an officer. On many days, on account of weather, duties, or being at sea, even this small amount of shoregoing is denied him, and it is no exaggeration to say that hundreds of men never set foot on solid earth for a year after the war started. It is impossible for a lower-deck rating to get even the smallest glass of beer, except for the one bottle that is doled out to him on the ticket system when he visits the wet canteen ashore.

Tt is almost impossible to convey to the landsman an adequate idea of' too conditions under which Jack lives. Use and wont cover a lot. and Jack is no beggar, and has not the foxiest notion of how to advertise himself. lie contents himself with saying, "Who would sell a farm and go to sea?" buckles on his wet clothing to go and keep four hours' watch in the wind and rain, and does his duty with a thinking sense of the responsibility unknown to his class in_ any other walk of life. He is keenly alive to the fact that on him depends the safety of the ship, and he considers and usually finds that the excuse, '• I thought it was my job," justifies any departure from routine he may consider necessary. Withal Jack is no .hero himself. He is a plain, simple-minded man. trained from his boyhood to know his work, and to do it .vithout any •'grousing." His language is totally inadequate to express his feelings, hence it is usually garnished, with many strange oaths, the literal meaning of which is absolutely unknown to him. Of late years there has been an improvement in this respect, but even now he will reply to a remonstrance when his language is a bit thick, ''What the do you mean by saying I'm well swearing?" Drunkenness is not his vice, although occasionally on shore it may be, for lack of other employment, his recreation. Generosity is his instinct, and children of all ages ho loves.

i Generally speaking, he has tremendous respect and confidence in his officers ; but thu trust is never given bhndlv. The error,? of the man at sea are plain for the initiated to behold, and Jack experts that his officers will know a great deal mere than the men they command. No officer can shelter his irjnr.'-ance behind the skill of his petty officers. He will be recognised at once as a fraud, and receive as "a. reward obedience, but not diligence And if the officer is not careful he will find his men taking charge of him. Ho has the deepest reverence, and admiration for Jollicno. and his love gors out wholeheartedly to Beattv.—" Fleet Surgeon," in the " Cornhill Magazine."