ADMIRAL SCOTT.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXIX, Issue 3777, 21 November 1907, Page 4

ADMIRAL SCOTT.

That sturdy sailorman, RearAdmiral Sir Perry M. Scott, who has committed a breach of discipline by his facetious signal about painting ships, has never been noted for paint-work,” says an exchange. Daring the South African war he (when Captain Scott) greatly distinguished himself with the 47in guns, made mobile by means of carriages invented by him, but his brilliant work in this direction is perhaps less interesting to New T Zealanders than his gallant efforts while with a body of New' Zealand troops on a forced march to Barberton. The march was over w T hat it appeared to be an inaccessible mountain known as ‘‘The Devil’s Kantoo ” (The Devil’s Office), and the kind of hill it is may be gauged by the fact that it took six mules several hours to pull an empty cart to the top. All the bullocks in the convoy were requisitioned by Captain Scott, and spans extending for several hundreds of yards were yoked to a gun. When the gun stuck fast within 50 -yards of the crest Captain Scott himself worked a jack, forgetting paint, rank, etiquette, and everything else —except that his target was within easy range from the top of the rise. All efforts of men, mules, oxen, horses, and jacks failed to get that gun to the top before the target had disappeared —and Scott, dishevelled and ragged, sat on a rock and wept with rage.