SEA-COOKS IN THE MAKING.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2005, 12 March 1914, Page 6

SEA-COOKS IN THE MAKING.

-HOW THE SECRET OF BOWLINE " ' HASH IS LEARNED. To have called a respectable man a "sea cook" at ono time might have had unhappy results. Ships' cooks then mostly deserved the whole vocabulary of slang abuse which they created. As a class they were an overworked, incompetent crowd, handling inferior materials. But all that is changed. No one can bo shipped as a cook now just because ho is too obviously useless as a sailor. He must produco his certificate of competency, like an officer, or ho cannot bo signed on. The classes for sea cooks—they are called the London School of Nautical Cookery—are at tho famous hostelry for sailora at Well Street, East London. Hero Mr. T. Adkins, M.C.A., has set the seal of proficiency as to cracker and bowline hash and lobscouse on many thousands who have aspired to tho charge of the galley. Mr. Adkins has had 25 years'' experience as ft ship's cook in every class of vessel, and, knowing what happens to a cook at sea when the steward sends for him because tho captain wants him in a hurry, ho walks round tho budding chefs, as ono who must bo severe for tho good of their souls.

"Did I see you blowing on that?" ho asked firmly, indicating a dish to a startled youth who knew that somehow ho had "gono and dono it." "Do you know what would happen to anybody who blew on something I was going to cat?" The curriculum of the school ranges from a preliminary course arranged to train boys who aro going to sea for the first time as messroom stewards or cabin boys up to an advanced course for cooks seeking bertliß in passenger vessels.

In Ifr. Adkins's opinion the tables of ships arc far better served sinco tlio cook's certificate was made complusory. Yet sometimes even a man with a certificate forgets why ho got it. "A captain complained to mo." ho said, "because his cook was positive that I had never told him to put barley in Scotch broth. Think of that! And there was another chap—lio was taught hero—who never understood why his captain got so wild at dinner. 'Did you boil the duff in cold water?' I risked tlint cook, and ho told me ho did, you know. 'No wonder his skipper got wild."