KNIGHTS AS DECK HANDS.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXV, Issue 5, 7 January 1915, Page 7

KNIGHTS AS DECK HANDS.

SCIENTISTS WITH BROOM AND POLISH. With knights, professors, and colonels as deck hands, the Peninsular and Orient mail boat Morea sailed from Bombay for England on September 27. On the arrival of the Morea, at Bombay from Australia with somo of the members of the British Association as passengers, there was trouble with the ship's crew of Lascars, and the men left the vessel. The ship had to sail without the 70 or so Lascars. A few military men offered to help the ship's officers out of their difficulty. Stirred by this example, most.of the saloon passengers volunteered to do the Lascars' work.

On Sunday, September 27, at 5.45 a.m." (states the "Englishman," of India) "the call went round, and within a few minutes the deck was taken up by a large party of grey-headed, grey-bearded'professors, knights, colonels, and others, young and old, with brooms, buckets, cloths, and other cleaning utensils. Everyone was soon hard at it. Some were in pyjamas tucked up to the knees and others in shorts. Aged, distinguish ed scientists were either swabbing witli a broom or busily polishing rails and paint work with a rag and bucket of water, while colonels presented a scene fit for a "Punch" cartoon.

Among the distinguished passengers doing Lascar work were Sir Oliver Lodge, Professor Kirkaldy, Pro fessor Sollas, Professor E. Cokes, Dr. E. Fraser, Sir Edward Thurn, Professor Green, Professor Patten, Professor Morgan, Professor Herdman, Professor Meredith, Professor Luiggi, Sir Thomas Holland, Professor Hicks, Professor Duffield, Dr. Macfarlane, Professor Howe, and the Hon. T. Keonan.