HOBART PASHA: SOME INCIDENTS IN LIFE.

Waikato Times, Volume XXIII, Issue 2271, 29 January 1887, Page 2 (Supplement)

HOBART PASHA: SOME INCIDENTS IN LIFE.

There is a most entertaining paper in Longman's Magazine for the current month, compiled from " Sketches from my Life," by the late gallant Admiral Hobart Pasha. The following are a few extracts from the paper in question :—

Augustus Charles Hobart-Hampden, third son of the late Earl of Buckinghamshire, a lineal descendant of John Hampden, whose name he assumed, was born on April 1, 1822. He entered the navy at an early age, and his first experiences were of the rudest. The description of the midshipmen's berth to which he was introduced might be compared with those of " Midshipman Easy" or " Peter Simple;" and his captain, though his cousin, is represented as an odious tyrant. Some of the stories told of this man are well nigh incredible: —"I have seen, says Hobart, "a captain order his steward to be flogged to death because his pea-soup was not hot. I have seen an officer from twenty to twenty-five years of age made to stand between two guns, and a sentry over him, for hours, because he had neglected to see andsalute the tyrant who had come on deck in the dark." Such tyranny is by no means without a parallel; and, as Hobart says he saw it, there is no reason to doubt the correctness of tho story. One more extraordinary is this "On ' one occasion the captain of whom I have been writing invited a friend to breakfast with him, and there being, I suppose, a slight monotony in the conversation, he asked his guest whether he would like by way of diversion, to see a man flogged. The amusement was accepted and the man was flogged." That the man was flogged may, of course be admitted ; but it is impossible to avoid asking what proof the writer had of the previous circumstances. He does not say that he was not, and that the breakfast was a tete-a-tete. The story, though told in evident good faith, appears to be founded on hearsay— possibly on the report of the steward who had neglected to serve the pea-soup hot.

On leaving this ship Hobart was appointed to one of the squadron on the coast of Spain, under Lord John Hay, and was landed with the naval brigade in support of Queen Christiana. It was at the defence of San Sebastian that he received his "baptism of fire" —with no great credit, if we are to take his confession aupied de la lettre : —" The fire," he says, " was ,hot and furious. I candidly admit I was in mortal fear, and when a shell dropped right in the middle of us, and was, I thought, going to burst (as it did), I fell down on my face. Lord John, who was close to me , and looking as cool as a cucumber, gave me a severe kick saying get up you cowardly young rascal; are you not ashamed of yourself ?' I did get up, and was ashamed of myself. . . . My pride helped me out of the difficulty, and I flinched no more. . . . By degrees all fear leff

ne ; I felt only excitement and anger ; and when we (the lot-1 had to do with it;) drove the enemy back in the utmost confusion, I felt proud!"

From the Baltic Hobart was sent towards the close of the war, to the Mediteranean in command of a gun-vessel, and he seeems to have continued on that station for several years, his stay extending into the reign of the admiral whom he here denotes as Sir W. M. Sir W. M. had the reputation of being the smartest officer in the navy. We would go farther, and say that he was the smartest officer.who had held high command in the navy since the days of Lord St. Vincent, to whom he had many points of resemblance. As his rule was an iron one, and the stress of it fell principally on commanding officers, it is not to be wondered at that there were many who were by no means enthusiastic in his praises; but unim passioned lookers-on were even then aware of the extent and importance of the reforms which he instituted, could admire and appreciate the manner in which he enforced cleanliness and order in the ships aud among the ships' companies, and rendered it possible to walk in the streets of Malta even -when the squadron was giving leave." Still, his methods were exact or even peculiar, and few days pavsed by without giving currency to some new story, real or imagined, of which the commander-in-chief was the hero. Hobart's little misadventure has merely the exceptional merit of being told and guaranteed by one of the principals. The admiral had given orders for all gunvessels, such as Hobart commanded, to carry on deck a number of water-casks, which ho conceived might be used to float a ship off if she got aground. Hobart having sorely against his will, lumbered his upper deck in this way, had utilised the casks for his own convenience, and quartered his dogs in them, pending the necessity of turning them to account in the way the anmiral proposed; and this was the state of things on board the "F." when Sir W. M. determined to inspect the ship. Hobart m ust tell the rest: —'' The day of my ship's inspection was evidently not one of my lucky days. To begin with, a horrid little monkey belonging to the crew—amusing himself by running about in the hammock-nettings near to the gangway over which the great man had to pass—seeing something he thought unusual, made a rush as the com-mander-in-chief was stepping on board, stooped down, and deliberately took the cocked hat off his head, dropped it into the sea, and then started up the rigging chatteiing with delight at the mischief he had done. The cocked hat was at once recovered; wiped dry, and placed in its proper place. The admiral, always stern as a matter of principle, looked, after this incident, sterner than usual, hardly recognised me except by a formal bow, then proceeded to muster the officers and crew. This over, he commenced to walk round the deck. I remarked with pleasure his countenance change when he saw how neatly his pet water-casks were painted and lashed to the inner gunnel of the ship. He said quite graciously, ' I am glad to see, Captain Hobart, that you pay such attention to my orders.' I began to think I was mistaken in my idea of the man ; but alas for my exuberance of spirits and satisfaction! while the admiral was closely examining one of his pet casks his face came almost in contact with the opening of 'the barrel, when, to his and my horror, a pretty little spaniel put out his head and licked him on the nose ! I shall never forget the admiral's countenance ;he turned blue with drew himself up ordered his boat to be manned, and walked over the side, not saying a word to anyone.

The admiral hated dogs, hated sport of all kind, and, after what occurred, I fancy hated me. The very next day I was ordered to the coast of Syria ; just what I wanted—to he out of the couimanderiiieliit'f's way, and to have some good shooting."