MINE-SWEEPING.

Hokitika Guardian, 18 January 1917, Page 3

MINE-SWEEPING.

Wellington Captain’s Experiences. Captain E. J. Hales, formerly master of tli3 Union Company’s Wellington tug Terawhiti. writes from Home ou November 19th, as follows

“You will see by this letter that I am at geo, actually sweeping up Hun mines. The weather is shocking, nothing but gales of wind. Tba Admiralty has givea ms command of an armed patrol beat and'mine sweeper. 1 am a L'eutenant R.N 8.., and what they call a divisional leader, that means that I have a number of ships in my nnit, and 1 can tell you that they take some looking after. These trawler men - are the very deuce ; they are the finest set of sailormen it has ever been my. good fortune to meet, brave as lions, with the most aetoniehiog faith in their ships, which, as you know, are only cockle-shells at the best. But when they g“t a gun on board they immediately think it is a 15-inch and their ship a -Quean D'zzis, and they will go anywhere and tackle anything, and it is ;hs very devil of a job to keep them in bounds.

As our old commander remarked one day at a court-martial, “ vVe can tame lions and Germans; but damn me if I cau lame a Scotch Herman,’ and he just about bit the ma r k, too.

This is an anxious work cruising over areas where we know the enemy has laid mines. Of course our object is to sweep them up, but you Dever oan tell the minute you will bump into one and go up yourself. It is strange though, how you get quite accustomed to it, and after a time think no more of it than you would of taking a trip across to PictJn and Nelson in the old Arahura.

By the way, I have often wished I waß back in tba Terawhiti and could get my nights ashore, for I can assure you there is little comfort on board these hookers. It is astoaiehing how they can knock about, do anything but turn right, over, aud their decks are always fall of water; it makes one feel like a dog chained to a kaDnel. I have to stay up in the wheelhouse, which is a box about eight fast square. The greatest drawback I find in this job is that I can get no exerciseOoe can's walk round ths decks when they are up to vour middle in water, and I find it tells on my health. However, I shall probably get over that, and no doubt go through worse some day. But at the same time I shall be glad wbeu we have licked th 3 old Kaiser, and can ell go back to oar own line of business again.

About a week ago a big steamer ran ashore in a dense fog just outside our base, aud it made me wish for the Terawhiti and some of the company’s mushrooms aud big wires. I believe we could have got liar off at the next high water. As it was we had no gear fit for the job, and could only hook the trawlers on to her. We might as well have tried to shift a mountain, and, of course, you can’t afford to waste even an hour of fine weather in this part of the world.”