HIGH SUMMER IN CAMP

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2641, 11 December 1915, Page 3

HIGH SUMMER IN CAMP

BATHING IN THE RIVER

A GREAT SCENE

In addition-to one hot shower-bath every week, the soldiers in Trentham Camp have bathing parade in thfe Hutt • ltiver-on Wednesday and Saturday afternoons,. when over; 2000 men enjoy a bathe.- . Shortly -before three o dock men are marched in from the.parade ground to their . various hutments, where they discard their rifles and accoutrements,and take up -their towels. Mese are placod about their necks with the .ends either tucked inside the tunic or allowed to blow in the breeze. The platoons aro . mustered into eaoh>in chargo of the , company commander and an n.c.o. Usually a drummer marches in the lead with a side-drum , to set 1 the step. There is one company . at Trentham which marches to bathing parade to the skirl of the bagpipes, others have buglers with them. ;, . . A Four-track Road. The bathing place is more than- a mile away,' across the railway, and the main north road. On the' far side of the road an old dray track winds down to a stagnant creek and crosses it by a ford,. The soldiers' road swings to the left,' and crosses on a bridge that is only a skeleton. Four planks, about eighteen inches apart, "are all the decking it .boasts. . ;But that is all'tluit is required by soldiers marching in fours. On the other side of the crcek a way Was been fenced" off , through grazing paddocks.' Here,, too,: instead of the .usual -three tracks found ;in roads,, there/, are Jour, ;for the marching" men'always keep their formation, and they;have worn four clear paths. So it is at , another bridge on': the -borders', of.; a heavily-bushed, portion , of the land;' thei four' tracks are clearly defined:; Then they; merge with one'wide path which dives into the gloom of bush, whioh shuts; out all ,but tiny glimpses sf the sky. More .bridges are crossed. , And the soldiors' >rnad' loses itself in a grassy; open 'ipaddock. >From this point 1 there are two ways 4d the river. It is not advisable that all the men should congregate at one point, for, with 2500 men in the water, a considerable stretch of river is required. Beyond tho grass paddock the river rushes along.: It is rather narrow in its shingle; bed, for on the opposite side the hills rise almost precipitously with bush, broom, and tree-ferns growing in profusion to. the highest ridge. Birds flit about, and tho river chatters and sings on its way. In the open paddock thrushes and starlings run hither and thither. -. v Through Bushland Aisles. Butiii tW dim aisles. of the thick bush all ; is quiet; ' ■ If one goes there before the marching troops pass, small wrons and robins' and wagtails! may be eeen flitting noiselessly about. A rabbit will hop quietly out-of oover, to stare at the intruder, and move 6lowly away again.: For; a time the stillness .is remarkable;. _ But, in the distance, the whirr of, a side-drum is heard, and the voices of men singing, as they pass along' the, four-way road, while tho grazing cattle in'the paddocks watch with curious. eyes."Tney are crossing the. bridge; the leaders darken tho glare,of the sky, .in the opening which barely- admits the path.,' At once the quiet bush echoes' and. throbs and reechoes to the drum arid the voices and the tramping feet. The wrens and nobins. have gone-; after-a 'terrified backward look, the; rabbits have fled, too. The company: is just. finishing a cliorns: . . - . '.; "Who-who-who-who's your lady friend ?" • i There's a muddy place to be passed, and each strives to dodge, it, aVid push someone else in. The officer marching briskly in tlo lead, says:— "Left 1— L'eftl" and the drum emphasises tho step—"B-r-r-r-m I B-r-r-r-m!' it throbs,; its clamour suddenly becoming less, as the drummer passes out into the', open again. ,; So 'down to the river 1 they go, happy as skylarking boys. Company after ; company follows, > the bagpipes sounding ' weirdly in the bush colonnades, and the bugles splitting the sombre; silence. '.An Animated Soena, Thebank of the rive l - is goon a scene of animation. ■ Alost of the, men are out of their clothos and into the water in'abrai® of shakes/ others are slower and some don't bathe at all; they do a little washing instead, this being allowed. ..Even so; many of, the washers are chaffed, and some hurry through the .work and tave time for a hasty, dip ere

1 the company resumes its clothes and sets off again" for the camp. With tho majority of tlio men in tho water the river looks like a surf beach in summer, and the noise is astonishing, though when it is analysed it is found to •bo great in volume by reason of the multiplication .of many individual noises, and not by any special individual effort, There is a great commotion near a rock whioh overlooks a deep pool. This is a favourite diving place; In fact, diving places aro so few that it is regarded as the only satisfactory one. A largo. soldier is poised in readiness to dive, but lingers in tho warm sunshine. "Hurry up, Constantiue! .Make up jour mind," shouts a man in the water. Constantino goes in with a fine splash. Ho comes up with streaming face, brushes the water out of "his eyes, and is'after the man who chaffed him. But that nimble one is already in the shallows, splashing vigorously to cover his retreat. In quick succession, men climb the rock and dive in. Tho rock is a favourite spot,_ undoubtedly, '• but as it is on the far aide of the river the initial plunge of tho dip cannot bo taken from it. Those who are not so keen in diving to await tc<;ir turn in the queue, splash in the shallows or swim nrffl float contentedly; Bomo only paddle; every man, ihcluding the washermen, must, bathe their feet, for" the feet are important attributes in marching, and must be kept fit-and clean. How Things are Ordered, v To the civilian, the ,bathing parades in tho river seem a mighty confusion of men, long arrays of clothes and much upheaval of waters. Yet thero is order all the time. Not a man could disappear without his disappearance being noted.. At every bathing parade, each company baa four life-savers on duty. They stand, ready for action, at points along the portion of the river occupied by the company. Usually they are men who were members of surf rescue clubs in their civilian days. Their presence gives the timorous ones confidence. " It seems that the fun is still at its height whon a whistle blows, the signal for dressing. Out of the water the wimmors «|Vne like seals, dripping and breathless from their'play. Towels are b#-sy, and the men get into their clothes in' quiok time, while tho four life-savers splash _ across to the rock and enjoy tern minutes' diving and swimming, amid the banter of the men. "How'd you like that handsome bloke to rescue your best girl ?" a soldier asks; his friend. • "He'd have to black his face first," is the reply. "I'm the only handsome bloke'ehe'.ll look'at." - " : "Hi; Napoleon," to a posing diver, "get off ; the rook." "That's one for little Mary I" as the diver, strikes the water heavily. The company does not wait for the four.to dress. They will follow on later. Tlie drum stutters and falls into its rhythmic clatter. " Soon it is muffled bjr the buah.' So, out again, and by tho four-track way to the main road to the camp. • Approaohing the guard, the officer smartens the men up in their marching, and 300 odd clean, shinjnp faces salute the guard with half-tunicd glances., as they pass. . ,