Training Young New Zealand for the Sea Snapshots on the Amokura.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XL, Issue 19, 6 May 1908, Page 22

Training Young New Zealand for the Sea Snapshots on the Amokura.

SIXTY boys. ouch rigged out as a miniature man -o’-warsnian. sling their hammocks aboard the Amokura. the New Zealand naval training ship, which, for the past three months has been cruising in Northern waters, and is now on her way to headquarters at Wellington. It is an experiment of the Government in a systematic training of young New Zealand for the sea. and it promises to be not the least successful of the schemes for which that far-seeing statesman, the late Mr. Scddon. was responsible. W hen the gunboat Sparrow, which cost something like £50.000 when launched, was purchased by the Government for a paltry £SOO (thanks to the generosity of the Admiralty), there were many people only 100 ready to poopooh the idea, and 'poke sarcastically about New Zealand’s one ship navy. If some of those good people could now see these sixty lads

at work on the tidy little Amokura, they would admit that once again the remarkable accuracy of Mr. Seddon’s judgment has been proved; that the scheme has now passtai beyond the experimental stage, and that Young Xew Zea la ml is a true descendant of a people whose love of the sea is second only to their love of their native land—those

people tor whom Xewbolt’s stirring lines were written; “Admirals all. they said their say 1 The echoes are ringing still). Admirals all. they went their way To the haven under the hill. But they left us a kingdom none can take -— 'l'hc realm of the circling sea— To be ruled bv the rightfill sons of Blake. And the Rodneys yet to be." In selecting sixty boys out of some thing like ten times that number of applications. (»ne would expert a promising lot. and a week’s knowledge of the crew leaves one with a frank admiration for the grit and capabilities of tin* rising general ion of the Dominion. They are a tine, willing lot. and the progress they have made in the short time the

Amokura has been in commission is ample proof of their intelligence. Th.? lads do everything about the ship except stoking, which would be too severe on growing youths, and would, as the chief remarked, “turn out weeds bv the

dozen.” There are. however, several boys on duty in the engine-room to enter in a book every order received from the bridge, to watch the gauge on the water tank, and so on, whenever the ship is under way. Boat pulling and sailing is particularly popular, and the different crews handle the ship’s lifeboats, heavy

cutter, and whaler with uncommon skill in rough as well as fine weather. The work calls for considerable nerve, and, in spite of the youth ot the boys, it is carried out with coolness and skill that would do credit to hardened sailors. The colonial youth is proverbially quick at learning. and the Amokura lads pick up the instruction in a remarkably short space of time. They seem to have a natural liking for a life on the ocean wave, and when one quetsions them he can see that they have not merely learned their lessons by rote, but can explain their work and duties with an intelligence that augurs well for their future success in a career which is destined to play a prominent part in our island history.

Owing to her geographical position. New Zealand will always have a large percentage of sailors among her people, and as the importance of the Dominion increases with the coming years, the importance of this interesting class of her population will be more fully recognised. Life on board the training-ship is modelled on naval lines, or, to quote the regulations, “The King’s Regulations and Admiralty’s Instructions may be taken as a guide and as forming a part of these regulations in so far as th? maintenance of discipline on the training ship

is concerned.” Judging from the class of bovs on the ship, and from their remarks when questioned on the subject, it does not seem likely that the recruiting officers of the Royal Navy will pass many Amokurait.?s through their

hands. A career in the Navy would be the natural corollary of tfie training the lads receive, but, at the same time, it would serve them just as well in the mercantile marine, and here there is an increasing demand for sailors. The manager of the Union Company has said that he will take as many boys as the ship can turn out. In fact, the demand for men in the mercantile marine is unlimited. As mentioned previously, all the duties are carried out by the boys with the exception of feeding the furnaces. they set and furl sails, work the anchor, steer the ship (two boys being at the wheel at once), keep regular watches, and, in addition to genuine sailorising they take it in turns to help in the cook and steward’s departments. Nothing comes amiss to them. Our photographs explain pretty fully the duties carried out by the boys, and it speaks well for the training they have received when they can work a ship the size of the Amokura in the manner they do. Life on board is strongly tinctured by the naval element, and it is amusing to notice bow rapidly our small sailors have acquired the shibboleth. Every day conversation smacks of “Tom Cringle’s Log, or one of Marryatt s yarns, till one would imagine everybody had been fed on sea air and tarry ropes all his life. A naval aphorism w.hieh is very popular just now is “If yon don’t do no dooty you don't get no stool” And “old Peter s stoo is so good that it would be a pity to miss it. It is probable that the pic-

turesqueness of the language has more to do with the popularity of the saying than the sentiment. There is, however, undoubtedly sound logic in this pithy-

sea reference to duty and stew —it is the whole of Emerson’s essay on “Compensation” boiled down and expressed in the vernacular of the region of Bow Bells. With three or four phrases of this nature. the Dan Leno of the ship can keep a boat’s crew amused for an hour at a time, and the aptness with which the youngsters apply them is really very amusing. The Amokura youth has a strong sense of humour. Another great saying in the navy is “carry on.”

“What are you doing, Transom?” “Stowing tubs on the boat booms, sir. “Right you are, carry on. then.” This sounds illogical to the landsman, who wonders why young Transom should “carry on,” but the deep sea significance of the term is “Right you are, go ahead.” "Carry on” is a standing dish on board, and you will hear it on an average about twice every five minutes. The steward is endeavouring to initial * his lads into the mysteries of the art of waiting at table, and you hear something like this — “Don’t pass across the gen’leman s bows, there,” as a khaki-clad arm shoots in front of you for the butter, and when your cup of tea is put down on the wrong side the little steward, pro tern, is reminded “Now then, drink on the starboard hand.” Steward also attends to the sick, or, rather, the so-called sick. After divisions the port and starboard watches are. dismissed, and the order given “sick, fall out!” Tn response about a score of absurdly healthy-looking little sailormen tumble down the companion >. •■y. and “the doctor’s” room was soon in a stage of siege. It seems that he had a particularly palatable brand of cough mixture on tap, and everybody developed a cold. There was enough coughing to fill the main trysail. “Cold, sir; bad cold,” was the invariable reply to the enquiry, “Well, what’s wrong with you?” And the brown liquid began to fall like a thermometer before frost. No. 49 had taken his half-tumblerful with evident relish, and had just reached the foot of the companion-way when the medico suddenly remembered something. “Here 49, wasn’t you on mother's milk yesterday?" “Don’t think so, sir,” “Yes you was. Come back here and take it!”

So No. 49 came back reluctantly and had to swallow half a glass of the white stuff, and he “didn't make a face neither,” as one of the boys remarked “Mother’s milk” is a sea euphemism for a mixture in which a prominent part

is ployed by a very homely remedy, a saline substance which comes from a place called Epsom. No. 49 didn’t seem to know what complaint he had when he emerged from the dispensary the second time.

As so much interest is taken in the boys, a few particulars about their entry, pay, etc., will be appreciated. Application for admission must be made to the

Minister of Marine, whose Department controls the ship. The minimum age at entry is thirteen and a-half years and the maximum fourteen and a-half, and the period of service is eighteen months or two years, at the discretion of the Minister of Marine. Each boy receives pay at the rate of one penny per day, which is increased to twopence at the end of six months, if the lad is ranked

"first class.” On receipt of a good conduct stripe another penny is added, and on being promoted to the rank of petty officer a boy receives four pence per diem. While the ship was in Northern waters eleven boys had good conduct stripes awarded them —this being the first batch to be so rewarded. Thirtyfive days’ leave—twenty-one at mid-

summer, and fourteen in mid-winter—-are granted in the year, and each boy has a holiday allowance ranging from 5/after six months’ service to 15/- after eighteen months. Three half-holidays are allowed each week. It is compulsory for the boys to wear uniform whether on duty or on leave. The. instruction embraces seamanship. gunnery, squad drill, rille exercises, and bugle calls, company formation and marching, exercises, rudiments of navigation and engine-room duties.

'1 he experiment is an undoubted success, and must of necessity go further. I'he Amokura has proved the possibilities of doing the work, but she is too small, and if the Dominion carries ti’.'c scheme to its logical conclusion the Home

system of one big training ship at fixed headquarters, with a smaller sailing tender in which the boys can make sea cruises, is the system that will have to

be adopted. The Amokura has served her purpose, and considering the paltry sum for which she was obtained the experiment is anything but costly. In the year 1906-7. the ship cost £2736, in which sum there were such items as purchase money £BOO, ropes, flags, etc., £426, overhauling and re-fitting £544. Salaries of officers came to £lllB. When cruising, the stall consists of the commander, first and second officers, first ami second engineers, engine room hand, four stokers, four instructors. two stewards, and cook.

Commander Hooper, who was formerly in the Government steamer Hinemoa. and belongs to the Royal Naval Reserve, is in command, and has with him the following officers:—First, Mr. W. Wileox; second, Mr. Millman; chief engineer. Mr. J. McPherson; second, Mr. H. Scott. The instructors from the Royal Navy are Messrs. Penman. Power. Morris, and Upton. and Mr. W. Trimblett is ship’s steward.