"Romance and Reality."

Wanganui Herald, Volume XXXX, Issue 11922, 19 July 1906, Page 2

"Romance and Reality."

(By Mr Frank Bullen).

TO TH> S&ITOB.

Sir, — I notice that Mr Bullen ia to give a lecture on the 19th inst., entitled 'Tloiinance and Reality of the Sea." Now, tbero appears no much of both in his books and gtlso in his reported lectures and sermons that one would like to know whether he deals with both promiscuously, or if he takes them separately, at his lectures. For instance, he tells us how he once was ordered aloft to furl — as an old sailor he might have said "stow" — the topsail, and that getting giddy and flick ho wa>* iv dan. ger of falling to the deck, which was, by he is reported to have said. r> 'li'-tanc<» of 150 feet beneath him, but ho < ailed on tluLord to help him and soon the fail wnn furled and he was safe on dock again. Now, a topsail on a big ship tocj mic? a few men to manage it, at 1 know t:om hard experience, and he does not *ay Avhothci he got the other fellows lo pray with him and how much was due to the prayers and how much to the power of muscular fibre. Then, for a topeail yard, when lowered down on the cap ready for stowing, to be 150 feet from -the deck sugpcete something romnatic in iho way of jigging. Will he tell us what was the height of that chip's royal truck, from her deck. I ask these questions in order to get some measure of the reality and a correct perspective of the romance of this narrative. Having shinned up to a fore- truck more than vucv in days of yore, and on one ©ccasio ■ tr, rt->»ve 6ignal halliards at the fore (sig:. , or pilot) when the chip vrd6 rolling 1 , r o.V under. I can quite sympathise wi'i. Mr Bullen in the particular incident ir- ■'. i.ned above, but the oilier parts aro uvoud the yard arm.— l cju. etc.,

OLD SALT.