SCENES ON A TROOPER

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2885, 25 September 1916, Page 4

SCENES ON A TROOPER

THE DAILY ROUND AT SEA (By "Boat 'Arbour Bill.!') Ono is forced to the conolusion on board our troopship that the- tradi-tion-of the Englishman and his daily tub is a livo one. Iteveillo goes at 5.30 o'clock each morning, but long before thou a steadily-growing stream of towel-clad forms emerges from - the darkness of the holds* and siloutly makes its way to the salt-water shower baths aft, and here such a splashing and spraying takes place as'to be absolutely bewildering in the semi-ilark-uess.-' 4 In the hot Weather the skewer bath.is popular, and always begius the day. » t A little later, about ten minutes to six, tho' roll-call takes place on deck-, and then the hose is manned by the sergeant or sergeant-major, and" oacn man hi turn goes under tlio hose. On a rough day, the scene is often a lively one, as tho bare wet deck sways to and fro in au ocean swell. Groups of warriors bare their manly forms to tho breeze, laughing heartily every tiino. a roller sends half a dozen of them running to the rail—hoso iind all. • _ earlier than anyone else on Troopship , tlio deck swabbers arise. Numbering about a dozen, they commence at 4.30 a.m. When in the tropics tho decks aro fully occupied as' closely as can be all night, but at a quarter to five, puntually, all sleepers must get up to mako way for' tlio deck fatigue washing down, decks It starts from the bridge, where the tlrst job is to wash the bridge-down. As the sound of water falling on tho deck commenoeß tho officer on watch comes on to. tho boat-deck, and with a quiet, "Come on, you fellow's," calls the deck to life again. .< .. In the wind-jammers of our schoolboy days it was always, "Come on there; show a leg! "Show a log! Rise and shine! Turn out, starbowlines." But w© must not forget we> aro only oh a transport, and not on a sailing ship of the old school. By moonlight it is a picturesque scene, especially as tlio awnings overhead caußO deep shadows, showing up tho sleeping soldiers more clearly still. Up they rise at once, perhaps the fear of tho hose playing on'their blankets assisting them in departing below. Tho deck fatigue brooms, then follow the' hose, and boat-deck, fore-deck, pionicnade, and af t-<leck are in turn sluiced down, tho latter deck being just over' the shower bath,'causing an,overflow on to tho unwary ones, who. are standing below—another littlo reminderthat We are at sea, and sea customs still hold sway iu 6pite of khaki predominance on board. Last of all, tha main deck is washed down. On our ship the old well-deck forward is converted into a- mess-room, and tho |, alleyways, eaoh side of the old saloon,' •are now also converted into a mess, room. i ■ • At 6.45 a.m. the first company falls in for half an hour or so for exercise, and commence tho day, by running round the promenade deck in 6inglo file. Tlie bugler sounds the "Cook, houso Door," and another two companrcs'go to breakfast. At 7.30 the. second relay goes to breakfast, and the. first meal is done' with. Now'for those wlro are not exorcising or on fatigue of somo kind comes, a rather trying time. _It is to fill in the moming. Travelling as we do v/o pass no other ships or laud "even beyond oui two ports of call. ■: Cards become very popular, and little circles are formed on the decks and in the moss-rooms. Deck quoits. have,,._ also, their v yogli.o with 'officers and .nioii!-''' 'A' number play draughts or read ; ancient books or magazines of, say, twenty years ago, placed on board by thoughtful friends. Of coursd, we are leaving out tho regular fatigues, whoso work-goes on just tli3 same. Theso aro generally appointed for the voyage. For example, the "dormitory fatigue" scrub out every morning the holds where tho men sleep. Tho mess orderlies clean up after meals,'and the cook's fatiguo got under way again. Ten-thirty comes and tho procession, headed by tho provost sergeant and the captain of the ship and military officers, inspect the ship from stem to stem. ' Everywhere they go the soldiers spring to attention till they aro past, when work and play are resumed. It is only a littlo ceremony like standing to attention when tho "retreat" is sounded *at sunset, but it reminds ns we are soldiers—-a fact we are somo of us apt to forget occasionally '• when sprawling about in scanty attire and intent on other things. Dinner is merely a- repetition, of tho matutinal meal, and the afternoon parade comos in hot latitudes filled in by a lecture or semaphore practice. As one company only can hold tho deck at once, the length is usually 6hort. Tea is at 4.30 and 5 p.m., and the is practically over. In a. fewshort hours all are at fest, "as "Lights out" is sounded at 9 p.m. The only variation in the monotony of life at sea is the rough Weather, when the mess orderlies have a strenuous timo in tlio narrow alleyways', audthe.contents of tho tnbles slide backwards and forwards, and occasionally forms cap. size, and a row of diners disappear amid shouts of laughter. For the average soldier various expedients are adopted to kill timo. Somo' like tho stokehold's blazing fires, and keep fit bv hard work. Others promote* raffles of rare objects, and shoiit their wares through the ship. Sonio iugenious chaps mako mats from canvas or model sailing ships to go into empty bottles, rind thoro rest on a sea\of coloured white lead. Many otheV expedients are adopted, oven to the tattooing artist, who adorns thn arms of his comrades with crests and regimental numbers, or elso clasped hands and Jiearts, girls and anchor, or tho many fashionable devices. As red-letter- days wo the concerts on deck, or sports or boxing tournaments. They break the monotony of things and gladden tha heart of tho soldier.