"SOLDIER AND SAILOR TOO."

New Zealand Illustrated Magazine, Volume 1, Issue 6, 1 March 1900, Page 33

"SOLDIER AND SAILOR TOO."

Like many another good soldier, Hill began his fighting career in the Navy. Kirst of all, by way of getting oar " subject " into this world, it must be explained that ho was born in Devonshire, about two years before Victoria became Queen. He was not allowed to waste his time on shore very long, for at the age of fourteen he was packed off to sea, and served an arduous apprenticeship in the hardest of maritime callings— the "North Country " coal trade. He was two years in this trade, much of the time in a collier-brig trading between Shields and Newcastle, and Littlehampton, in Sussex. In the- old brig he learned to " reef, hand, and steer," and got accustomed to short commons and plenty of coal-dust. Then he was persuaded that

glory and an Admiral's cocked-hat awaited him if he would but enter Her Majesty's Navy ; so in August, 1851, he joined the Naval schoolship " Britannia," preparatory to becoming a Government Jack-tar. After four months he was transferred to the schoolship " Neptune," and when he had completed his course of instruction he was sent on board H.M.S. "Termagant," which during a voyage to Lisbon, soon afterwards, nearly foundered in a gale in the Bay of Biscay.

She was sent back to Portsmouth, and her crew wei'e transferred to H. M.S. "Leopard." The " Leopard " was one of the old-style frigates, belonging to the early era of steam in the Navy. She was a ship-rigged paddlewheel frigate, carrying a great spread of canvas, and also steaming well. By this time the Russian War had broken out, and the Flying Squadron, consisting of four paddle-wheel frigates, including the " Leopard," was ordered to the Baltic, under Admiral Plumridge, in order to bombard forts there.

The Flying Squadron sailed into the Baltic *Sea, and up to the Gulf of Bothnia, where four Russian forts were bombarded ami destroyed. The capture of Bomarsund fort was the most important result of the expedition. After a sharp engagement, the fort was taken, together with a large number of prisoners. Young Hill, as a seaman-gunner, was engaged with his fellow-sailors in working the six 68-pouuder and twelve 32---pounder muzzle-loading guns which formed the " Leopard's " armament.