THE LAST NIGHT ASHORE.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XLI, Issue 8, 19 August 1908, Page 41

THE LAST NIGHT ASHORE.

SCENES OF REVELRY AND LINGERING FAREWELLS. THE PATROL IN TROUBLE. .. Taking them for-all in all, and considering that they are some 12.000 men of all soits and conditions,, the American sailors have behaved in a model- manner during their stay in Auekland. How much is due to -the effectiveness of-, the vigilant and stern patrols is hardly calculable, but .the number of sober sailors was, . so. far -as. could be casually 'observed, very much larger than tho?e who drank heavily. _ The sqber sailor,-is unnoticed—the- intoxicated man fakes the public eye. But the patrol methods are not quite satisfactory fo (lie colonial; If the New Zealander- gets’ hit bra constable lie feels justified in hitting back; the constable; indeed, is liable for prosecution if he does hit unnecessarily. It, therefore, horrified the average colonial to see the apparently rec-k-loss and callous way in which the patrol smote the obstreperous sailormen wi.tli their batons. This is quite the normal way in the States for the “ofil.eei.-s 1 ' of the police force to- deal With difficult cases, and the American sailors are quite used to it, and know what risk they are running. They do not like it—they hate it, and they hate the patrol:—but they have to bear it. Without doubt, in such a time as we have passed through, the salutary influence of the wooden baton has been great. A MELEE THREATENED, Oh Friday night the crowd were inclined to resent the summary methods of thg patrol, and a serious riot was .very narrowly averted near tlie Wellesley ; stfeeti corner. The patrol had removed with some difficulty a man who had made himself a nuisance in the United Service Hotel, and they were escorting him,dow4i the footpath when, opposite the place known US “The Pike,” j,he man gave further trouble. A patrolman . drew his baton and jiit the man on the head, with the result that he was slightly,stunned but. rendered more obstreperous than gver The crowd observed.-the blow, and .with shouts of execration closed round the patrol, who, about a dozen in force under a big:officer, closed round; their man. Things looked very ugly for,’the moment with the jeering, angry -crowd bustling round the Americans, and it is stated that the officer commanded the men. to draw their revolvers? against any possible emergency. Possibly the order was -given, if at all, irr ignorance of the local customs, but it is in lurriiiony with police methods in the States. However, a posse of the local police, under Inspector Culleir ahd the Sub-InSpe&tor’, arrived on the scene in 'time to' bring ■local methods of persuasion to bear? on tne crowd, who, however, kept densely packed together across the street, and cn the other side of the narrow channel pre-’ served on the footpath by th, police. The patrol retired into the amusement, place with their prisoner, while the local police did duty outside. The Inspector and SubInspector mounting guard over the open door way. The.man was. taken into the “laughing gallery,” where the owner of the mirrors, had ait anxious time for some moments, while the patrol worded the inebriate into comparative sobriety. When he was restored they took hint betwen two patrols, one of whom nonchalantly smoked a cigarette as he took his now peaceable prisoner down- the street. At a brisk pace the patrol in full strength marched town the footpath on the B.N.Z. side, with two or three policemen in front, two behind, and some more alongside. The crowd, excited yet not “looking for trouble,” but now merely curious to see what would happen, followed in an ever thickening throng, till all Queen-street seemed to be following. The local police hustled the foremost out of the way, and they succeeded in reaching the fleet’s shore

lock-up on the wharf without further molestation. AN impression; •: - Jack ashore was an tater<-siyjg p •» -. sonality last night. His mon-v. mostly spent, he nevertheless had a "good Tiuie’ in the right-merry sense of tin- Xavi Whatever fun there nas, Jack wa-i in u The Pressman strolling about - Queei; street, oil the look-out for “Copy'' h.i-l to admit to himself that there was .littie ’sensational in t Ije wind. Uerlaiuly' th. r - were one or (wo incidents, but these were few and far between, and ihu )i less than might have been expected. Taken all through it was a happy crowd which ' paraded Queen-street last nigh l .. Jack was determined to make the uiosl of. the last few hours at his disposal in "God’s Own Country,” and drinking Tull deep or sparingly, perhaps not. a all, lie had a good time everywhere. Between eight and ten o’clock scores o, his kind were to be seen among tiy >. three, or four civilians making for t i, landing stages, and most, of them were loaded with parcels\of drapery, post cards, etc.—curious trophies of Now Zea land many, but most curious of all y waste-paper basket! WHEN THE HOTELS CLOSED. When the hotels closed at ten o’clock .there were many .-civilians, and doubled posts of policemen, hunting in couples, in anticipation of sensation,.! developments, assembled at various places, but .they, wen- -on the whole disappointed. Jack, although looking for fun. was not out for trouble, and the “scenes” ■were few.-Outside the Metropolitan Hotel an-aauusing incident occurred. The sailors • assembled here fortuitously, ami a sort of -opeir-jiir -concert was- startedIt did not last long, however, as the •patrols -from .-the ships; were quickly at the spot, and, the jovial sailors evidently considered discretion th better part of valour, for they decamped. One, however, remained. He was not altogether inebriated, but was in that state when lie could “see things.” lie imagined he could see somebody in danger of falling over the balcony, and shouted out in persistent warning to the imaginary and totally invisible person. An officer hop ping along, said with’ a. smile, “Come along,. old man, let’s _go down jt.o the dock.”- And the tar quietly obeyed, and escorted hV at least thirty patrol men, proceeded to the landing stage, where he was placed in the police Toom possibly with th§ idea of giving him a chance, to recover his sense- of proportions. Certainly he could not be put ijbw.i as a “drunk,” and one was inclined to think -that-it was-a clever ruse on the part of the patrols. About 11 o’clock a, party of men fathered outside the “Star” Office in ‘the darkness, and took sorrowful farewell pf each oilier. It was interesting to note that-amongst them were British sailors, as Well as civilians fraternising with the Amcyieans, and with many dolorous noises they swore eternal fidelity tq each oilier till death did them part. Speeches,- impromptu and broken anddisjointed - with—-well, epiotion, were piade in loud tones reaching Jinto'.lhe sky, while ■ Yankee and Britisher, sailor ami civilian, .wept on each other’s shoulder in a parting embrace. With many a repetition of “Auld Lang Syne,” “God Save the Kiflg,.’’ “Rule Britannia,” ond ’• The, StaTrSpangled-'Banner,'.’ the mingled crqwd c<> lehr a toil each - other until thC?» ended up with’a more sober and earnest ’“God Ini with you till we meet again.” EARLY ABOARD. “Liberty” expired at the half hour after midnight, but it was safe to say that .few- of the men availed themselves of the full time; most of them Were aboard n.nd in hammocks by midnight. Tim scene at the landing stages brought forcibly into prominence the good feeling existing between tho American and English nations. The victors were reluctant to leave Jfpw Zealand soil, and many .Wefe the expressions of regret that Ute stay eould not be prolonged. Wit U the strains of the popular music hall song, .“Wo Farted on the Rhore” ringing in one’s ears, the Ne_w Zealander watched the Yankee tenders glide away across the harbour to the Great White Fleet anchored in the gathering mist, and asked himself, “ When shall we meet again—• in peace or enmity t” RECEPTION ON THE LOUISIANA Tho American fleet en Friday entertained a huge nirol-i r of gii.-sts on tho battleship I Hi- doe-

orated with Oriental magnificence, peculiar to naval* the world over. The American officer*, anxious to return the hospitality which had been extended them on shore, invited about 2000 guests to tire great ship, which very early became crowded with the visitors. Launch after launch went busily to and fro, till the battleship decks were alive with a picturesepu- throng of gailydressed people. The lipper deck had been covered m with a series of great flags, which in the soft light gave a beautiful -<>t't background of colour to the scene. Every thing was decorated which suitably might be adorned, while the great engines of death stood grimly mantleless. dominating the happy. peaceful multitude, which inspected them with a marvelling curiosity. There were many interesting sights to be seen on the great warship, besides sjuch of the vast armament as the public were permitted to sec. In the wardroom, for instance, there were the twelve or thirteen cups and trophies won by the Louisiana crew the great Battenberg Cup. presented to the navy by the Prince on his visit to America, ami other cups won by the unconquerable prowess of Ihe Louisiana’s' crew in various directions. There arc two shovels there also—quaint ornaments for a ward-room, Iml justified by their having l>een used <>n Ihe occasion of the visit of the Presidvnt; to the warship, when Mr Roosevelt shovelled coal into the furnaces of Ihe great battleship down in the blistering stokehole. Refreshments were provided by the el.ip’s company of officers in lavish style, am’ Ihe characteristic American afternoon daintiv were relished immensely by the guests, both for their novelty anti 1 heir intrinsic excellence. . Everything that could be done for the comfort of tll< guest* wis more than well done by the host-, and the result was a reception of singular interest, freshness and charm, of uiieonv on tional freedom from stillness or monotony .and yet permeated with the stately grace of the majestic surrounding of ocean might. it was a wholly magnificent spectacle, and a fitting conclusion to a round of enter ta inane i its the like of which has never been experienced in Auckland.