NAVAL BRIGADE YARNS.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 29, 27 February 1909, Page 3

NAVAL BRIGADE YARNS.

(By CoL Haniiltpn (".Maori") Browne, in Pearson's Weekly.) LIBERTY ASHORE IX THE SIXTIES. I am given to understand that tlie conduct of the, bluejackets on liberty ashore is now much' better than it was some forty yeari ago.

Well) of course, there was room lor improvement, and tike men drunk far too much, and played some very mad pranks, but yet I have had many a hearty laugh at the good-natured sport of Jack and the thorough way he enjoys himself. I was quartered in Wellington once. when two or three ships of war came into port, and, of course, in due time the men had tiheir liberty ou shore, and the fun began.

I was sitting in my club during the afternoon, when a great row of snouting and cheering was heard coming nearer and nearer, so we all went to the window to see what was up. Presently there came along an old London omnibus, one of the ancient sort, fitted up with knife-board seats, and this was crowded on bop with sailors, most of whom had bottles and g.asses, which they waved iu the air, and proffered to the crowds watching them. They had_ bedecked the vehicle with Hags, and fiad some fiddles aud other musical instruments with thaiu. There was nothing in this, but what struck us most was Hie fact tlbat at the rear end of the 'bus, over the door, thoy had rigged out two poles; to these" was slung a wheelbarrow, aud what this was for we could not divine.

Wo were not to be leit long in ignorance, for, as the old 'bus turned a corner, one of the men was shot off the top, and fell on to the roadway. Immediately rang out the shout, 'Alan overboard. Heave to. Pipe away the jolly boat," and the caravan being 'ihove to" in proper style, down was lowered the barrow, two men slid smartly after it, manned the "jolly boat," ran liack to the "drowning'' man, picked him up, put him into the barrow, and back' to the 'bus, where they were received with cheers. !n was deposited in the ivas the inside of the endants with bottles ing him round, e barrow, ignoring the up the side, tie "jolly [ up to the davits, the vung, »nd away they no, where they wanted •stores and to "wood arrow was again lowand conveyed the crew by one, and you could would be more in de;ater use as the day such time as the crew use of it themselves. OWN LAWYER.

occurrence I am going to describe Bud not see myself, but the yarn was ■lll me by a brother officer who was an lye-witness of the facts. The disastrous [engagement at the Gate Pth had been ■ought, and an Auckland newspaper had post severely and unjustly criticised the Naval Brigade that had taken part in Ihat unfortunate action.

J Now, I had never read a good account of the tight, although I lave heard many . narratives from men who had belonged "to the 43rd and other regiments who had fought there. I have also heard the full particulars from Maoris who had defended the pah, and in none of these yarns have I ever heard a bad word against Jack, and certainly the Navy suffered heavy loss. This being the case, it is only fair to come to the conclusion that the bluejackets had behaved, as they altfays have done, with great courage and devotion.

Now, no one likes to have this actions Adversely criticised, much less if he is proud of his service, has done his duty, lost a lot of messmates, and knows that these criticisms are unjust. The whole of the ships' companies, therefore, smarted under the charges tsserted against them, and determined to right themselves in their own way. }ertainly the editor of that paper little thought what a lot of trouble be was >rewing when he printed that libel, or le would have reconsidered it and made mre of the facts.

A short thne after, the ships arrived it Auckland, and the crews were / gii'en iieir liberty on shore. ' I They landed, bringing /with them a Ible and two then ntetly maTcteJ wtke street where the HjbJCgf office was located, a large house built of wood, as houses in Auckland at that

out .strong pickets to picbeing disturbed, they snatch-blocks fast to two old sunk into the ground, that as corner posts to the street. 1 Hi, 'entering the office, tliey proceed- ( ' _j)ass the hawser through the ®second-story windows, and, passing the. [ Bends through the blocks, they manned t: ■ the (hawser and dictated terms to tlie v iudignaut, but thoroughly* * /frightened editor. * £ He mutt at oiH*e withdraw hi* abomm- J able and untruthful assertions in print, and also add a complete apology, or else s down came his house. f

There was no doubt about it, for there was the hawser manned by two or three hundred bluejackets, there were the bosuns' mates, with their pipes out ready to pipe, and, with the strain on the hawser, it would not require much piping to bring the -whole box of tricks pbout the editorial ears. Wei?, there was a rush, the type was get up in record time, and shortly copies of tnc withdrawal and apology were thrown through tihe windows and distributed. " This was all Jack required, and, the

amende honorable having been made, Jack withdrew himself, hia lawyer, and Jih blocks, leaving the editor to proceed jtvith next day's newspaper. 1 1 THE GRAND ROUNDS AND THE 1 L DOUBLE SENTRIES. ' I Now, Jack is just as useful on shore he 'is ou sea, but, although a first--class" fighting man and a most useful [ Kian under any circumstance, yet he is j Kot quite op to certain forms of miliHhry etiquette, and, with a quaint an- ' will sometimes cause a laugh. ■ I tfas at Ibeka towards the end of 8977, wliea tlie Naval Brigade of H.M.S. marched in. Many stories were Btoin" round about the natives, who were respected to attack the camp, so much it was deemed necessary by the r officer commanding to have extra strong I pickets and double sentries mounted, I white everyone was warned to bo ready to turn out at a moment's notice. I wa s field-officer of the day the first 1 -nioJit the Naval Brigade went on duty, and of course, I had to visit all tne pickets and sentric* twice during the '"f'hJ cilluP) or, rather, camps, for eocli nnit had a separate camp, covered a lot of ground, so that it was a longish ride ' to "o all round them. I started off oa niy first visit, and presently came to the sailors' camp. ' '-"Ail. who goes there'!'' rang out a fcoarse'vflice. "Grand rounds," I anehalienge went 110 further, but I a muttering between the sentries. I nS*>f ffhom, in accordance with orders, k was lying down. Then the rame voice ■Mjegaa Again. on, Mr. 'orsc officer; I knows Hvou air, hut let the other beggars stop ■where they are." These other beggars my 'two orderlies. I rode up to HL gentry, and geutly admonished lmn, Kt tihe same time telling him the proper KroTds with which to challenge the W "erami rounds," and told him that, as I L'ehould have to pass his post agam m ■ my return, I should expect to be challenged in the proper manner. he promised to do. visiting the other sentries and of tihe Navtal Brigade camp, I my friend was still on sentry, lving down, and it was his mate was" standing up, and who dial"'Alt, who goes there?" "(!r*fld rounds," I replied. V Hastily bestowing a kick on his repartner, lie howled out, Bill, Kp. yo"- ' Ere ' 6 tlmt I>,, ' nkr ; y b u calls Hwlf gra ? d round■CTagain. Wat's tie yarn I've got to him?" in Durban wlicu the Xavai 1 Boadieea was being M«'lgeneral, staff, and as imam' oould get awav port to meet tliem

Kieral stood the comnyv ntlv .Taek began to disthc .boats that had ,p to the' landina-plaee. t-load. as soon as they doved forward, so as ." the next boat-dad In trarapinff fllons Ij'e ]»J ( '' ine eumniand of a big, burlv poi..

t as tihev got opposite to wJie.e re standing, tlif pettv officer, LtWnWng l«t.W allowed wilti■to for tna iken following It?

J I'avty, gave the wurd "Halt,'' but hi-, uien paid no notice iu tin- older, ami still trumped un. Again the order was given, and again no notice was taken of it.

This was too much for the putty officer, and, regardless of all the officers standing there, lie made, a rush at tin leading tile, and, with a punch in tin nhs -timi would have stove in a rum puncheon, bellowed out, "Heave to, you bounder." Jack promptly hove to.

A mighty laugh went up from us all, and the line, old commodore, turuiu" tithe general, remarked, Wiy men d"on'l seem to be up in military tactic*, bu; you will find them all right in the field. And so we did.