CHANGING SHIP.

Auckland Star, Volume LX, Issue 227, 25 September 1929, Page 8

CHANGING SHIP.

DUNEDIN MEN FOR HOWIE.

NOW ON BOARD DIOMEDE.

A RAPID FLITTING.

Jack Tar is very nearly as compact a traveller as the snail which carries its house with it. He is only a little more bother to himself than MarkTwain. One day a lady saw him walking down the street with a cigar-box under his arm. "Ah, Mr. Clemens," said she with concern, "I'm afraid your smoking too much." "No, ma'am," replied Mark, "simply shifting by diggings again." Jack gave an exhiblton of his handiness this morning over at the Navai Dockyard. The Dioincde is homewardbound on Tuesday next, for refit, but as she lias been only 15 months on the station her people have another year and nine months to serve. The Dunedin's men, however, are due for discharge, and they arc to take the Diomede Home. The companies of both ships this morning paraded under their officers on the quay, and after the rolls had been called, it was a case of "I moved to Jack's shop and Jack moved to mine." In other words, tho Duncdin men marched aboard the Diomede and the Diomede men took up the vacant quarters on the Duncdin. The flitting was facilitated by the vessels being moored alongside one another. Jack Tar needed no spocial conveyance to help him with his belongings. Each man had his own kit, which contained all his worldly goods and chattels. One great tiling about the Nav , is that there is never any heart-burning as to the sunny side of the house, or the comfortable corner. The Navy is built on the Euclidian plan. Everything in one ship in the Navy is equal to everything in any other ship, and all things being equal there is no need to hurry up for the early doors. Jack from the Duncdin would know that his hammock on the Diomede would hang from exactly the same sort of hook, the same number of inches from another Jack on either side of him, that his kit bag would occupy a similar spot, and that his new locker would be neither bigger nor larger than his late locker. There is no going to the purser aboard a man-o'-war if you are not satisfied with your berth.

With the officers it is just the same, only on not quite such a cramped scale. Their quarters arc identical on all ships of the same class, the only difference being the photographs, which may be ranged on the wall instead of, as with the- Jack Tar, reposing in a kit-bag. The most striking thing about the quarters of the after-guard on the Dunedin and Diomede is the amazing amount of gear and fixings that have been crammed into such a small space. Alleways are lined with rifles, bayonets and other killing things, fire-fighting apparatus, and the million and one things that ships carry. Offices are stowed away in corners where you would expect nothing moro roomy than a cupboard, and a landsman wandering about for the first time would most certainly stub his toes, bump his head, and fall over things at every two steps.

The Diomede, looking spic and span, is practically all ready for sea. She is to come alongside tho Central wharf on Friday so that the friends of the men will have an opportuntiy of saying farewell.