BORN AT SEA.

Hokitika Guardian, 3 April 1924, Page 4

BORN AT SEA.

LONDON, Feb. I, .Most people regard it as a remarkable occurrence for a child to be horn at sea. As a matter of fact, the Census (now nearing its final volume) shows it to be comparatively common. There are no fewer than 5,-500 persons in England to-day who were horn on board ship, and of these 3,350 are of British nationality. The big seaports, of course, have the largest number of inhabitants who were horn at sea. In London there are 1,1.14 persons whose birthplace was upon the ocean, expressed in noble terms of latitude and longitude and not in mean details of street and parish.

Of these London inhabitants 270 males and 380 females are of British birth—-that is to say, the children of British parents, though not necessarily born on board British ships or within British waters'. All ships carrying passengers to or from a port in the United Kingdom must keep a record of births at sea and make a return of the facts to the Registrar-General of Shipping. It is only when a birth occurs on one of the big Atlantic liners that the pub- , lie ever hears of it, for then it is made the occasion of a celebration by the passengers, and a handsome sum is generally subscribed with which to endow- the lucky water baby. Children born at sea, especially the girls, are often christened with nanti- j cal names or the names of ships. This accounts for the Anehorias, Oceanias, and Arethusas, for example, that occasionally emerge into prominence out of the common crowd of Ethels, Mabels and Ediths. Next to London in the number of inhabitants born at sea comes Liverpool with 182, Manchester 121. Birmingham 103, Bristol 63, Cardiff 50, and Hull 47. The county with the smallest number is Rutland, which has only four; and Chester is the one county town where there arc none at all.