A British Man-o'-War.

Thames Star, Volume XI, Issue 3648, 4 September 1880, Page 1

A British Man-o'-War.

Marryatt has familiarised the routine of a man-of-war by several popular novels to the reading public; A description of a frigate of the line will noti however, be uninteresting to young colonials. A frigate generally carries about ninety guns on the upper and middle decks, the ships company, about 1000, hare their allotted stations, to work the ship and her guns simultaneously. The officers of a ship of this class are:—The captain* commanding, taking rank with a colonel in the army ; a commander, ranking as lieutenant-colonel; four lieutenants rank-_ ink as captains in the army; from efgM to ten sub-lieutenants who rank as army lieutenants; some eighteen mid* shipmen boisterous jovial young men who rank as army sub ieutenants, besides these there are a navigating lieutenant, or sailing master, a gunnery-lieutenant,, a chief engineer, with three or four assistants of commissioned rank, a surgeon and assistant surgeon, familiarly styled " saw> bones;" a chaplain, familiarly but not irreverently styled " Holy Joe $ " a pay* master or purser,;" with from two to three assistants, a captain of royal marines and two subalterns; a master-gunner, master carpenter, and master-boatswain, comprise the complement of commissioned and warrant officers. The petty officers are a maitter-at-arms, a chief-boatswain's mate, a chief gunner's mate, a sergeant-major of marines and a chief stoker, who rank as army staff-sergeants. Then comes the next rank, Ist class petty officers, equivalent in military parlance to coloursergeants, consisting of three quarter masters or helmsmen, three ship's constables, three boatswain's mates, one gunner's mate, one armourer, one sailmaker, one cooper (called " bungs '•), one painter (styled "putty"), -one carpenter's mate (known as " chips " or " olct chalkline") the ship's cook, and captain's coxswain. The next rack of 2nd class petty officers are—An assistant armourer, iditto sailma^er, cooper's mate, painter's mate, three, or four artizans termed the carpenter's ereny a caulker, a plumber, a barber, a tailor, captain of the foretop,' captain of the maintop, captain of the forecastle, captain of the afterguard, ship's steward, ward-room steward, gunroom stewards and three or four marine sergeants—these all rank.as sergeants jn the army. Next in rotation ore leading seamen, leading stokers, stewards, corporal of marines, "and seamen gunners—all taking rank as corporals in (he army. The remainder of the ship's company are seamen (termed "bluejackets " by their officers), stokers, marines, officers' servants- (often called loblolly boys), and artificers (who are, strange enough, termed "idlers"). Waistcrs or afterguard men are those •members of the crew whose duties do not require them to go aloft. Under, this ■category come the marines, the artificers, stokers, and officers' servants. Ths captain of « British frigate is a monarch on his own quarterdeck: when at sea bis will is absolute, against which there is no appeal. Naval officer* of the present day are thorough English gentlemen, and therefore we hear of but little tyranny afloat, as was too often the case in the "good old times" of Nelson. The Captain is responsive to the Lords of the Admiralty (the "rulers of tlie Queen* naree") for the discipline J»f the Bhip> company, and the order, eleanlirrj"'s»..a!Ml orthodox routine of the ship and *.'•* appurtenances. The commander is the one who personally attends to the executive * detail. The Captain is a< sort of a denii god, who settles with culprits of too heavy a calibre " for the commander or lieutenant of the watch ; he emerges from his state cabin daily to attend prayers under the chaplain, and »t general quarters. The commander is what in Marrjratt's time was the " first N lieutenant," a ljnx eyed individual who

Bees a rope uncoiled, a speck of dirt in the rematfsfc corners, and generally directs the duties of all and every one of the ship's company. Naval time is devoted by bells—z. c, so many strokes on the enormous bell carried between decks. The morning or first watch is set at four o'clock am., at half past four one bell is struck, and so on every half hour until eight o'clock when eight bells is struck ; the forenoon watch then is set, half-past eight being again one bell, or one bell of the forenoon watch; 12 noon completes this watch, when the afternoon watch commences, and ends at 4 p.m. At 4 p.m. the first dog-watch is set, at 6 p.m. the second. These two short watches of two hours serve a necessary purpose, viz., that of changing the turns of men at the same watch or guard, as a "sojer" would call it. At 8 p.m. the middle watch of four hours' duration is set.' Thus there are five four hour watches, and two dog-watches, or watches of four hours' duration. The crew is also divided into watches, what a "marine" calls reliefs, viz., the port watch and the starboard watch. At 6 a.m., that is four bells in the morning watch, the shrill pipe of the bo'san's mate is heard, followed by the voice of that hearty seaman. "D'ye hear there, lash up hammocks " ' ; "Shew a leg, shew a leg." In two minutes another pipe shrilly sounds, and the order "Up all hammocks." Hammocks are what long-shore men call beds or couches, and these beds are all stowed neatly on the bulwarks of the upper deck and covered by tarpaulins in stormy weather. If any Johnny Raw comes on deck with his hammock late be suffers some slight punishment; the last man invariably gets served with watered grog. No wonder then that the hammocks are soon up and stowed, the great difficulty being to see who is the last man up, all being so smart; the marines, who are divided into three "reliefs," and are later with their hammocks, being given until seven bells to stow their, hammocks. To return to the blue-jackets, who have stowed their hammocks, they hasten to to the " cook's galley" and get'a cup of cocoa, which they dispose of with a munch of biscuit— fifteen minutes only are allowed to dress, lash up and stow hammocks, and to make this preliminary breakfast, ere the bo'suri again is heard shrieking "All hands, scrub decks with holy-stones and sand," '-Idlers, to the pumps," and other subsequent orders. At seven bells (7.30 a m.) The guards' hammocks are piped up, and "all hands are piped down to breakfast. At eight bells (8 am.) the watch is set, that is to say, the port watch relieve the starboard, and the starboard watch remain below for the forenoon, and mend their clothes, write their letters, or play draughts, occasionally interrupted by the cry of " All hands, make sail," or "All hands reef sails." In calm weather the watch below are but seldom disturbed, sometimes in the trade winds, one watch only at a time is called upon for several weeks. At noon, the " sun being taken " by the officer of the watch, eight bells is struck, the next watch is set, and all hands are piped to dine. At (12.30) one bell the bosuns mate on duty pipes" Messmen, lay aft for your grog," when a-rattling of bright utensils is heard as the tars lay aft and receive from the grog tub the measured quantity for their respective messes. The marines of frigate generally consist of a company 100 strong of all ranks. They assist in the working of the. ship, act as guards or sentries, &c; they are not as a body very popular with the bluejackets, the nature of their duties often rendering them obnoxious'to the sailors. The officers of the marines have but little to do on ship board; they inspect their detachment daily at (10 a.m.) four bells in the forenoon watch, and one of the subalterns visits, the sentries once in each watch. The detachment is frequently landed to keep up their proficiency in infantry drill. The messes allotted to the marines on the lower deck are termed the '• barracks," and are situated just forward of the officers quarters. There is good reason! for this, the jolly marines are not only royal by designation, but have ever maintained (heir characters as loyal, and in any mutiny the officers have always been able to calculate on the staunchness of their amphibious soldiers. I had almost forgotten the bandsmen, some fifteen or twenty of the ship's company, who are usually costumed in a splendid uniform chosen at the fancy of the captain and officers of the ship. They discourse sweet music daily, or rather nightly during the progress of the officers' mess dinner. The jovial tavs and marines dance quadrilles, lancers, and mazurkas 'tween decks 'to this music in calm weather. The ship's fiddler is not an unimportant personage either, the anchor is never brought up to the cathead without the aid of his invigorating strains. His rating is that of second class petty-officei 1. The loss of the unfortunate Atalanta may perhaps be ascribed to the weight and loftiness of her masts and yards, which were of sufficient magnitude for a ship of twice her burthen. Added to this, the calling of "all hands" on deck in a gale may have conduced to her loss. I have noticed a perceptible difference in the rolling of several ships in severe weather when the lower deck has been cleared of all hands, including the idlers. The cry of " all bands " is understood to apply to •■ both ■ watches, when " clear lower deck " is added, the idlers, i.e. bandsmen, marines, and artificers, are also required, and the ship is denuded internally of every man, a great weight being on the upper deck, rendering the rolling of the ship more laboured, than when the hands are dispersed in the several parts of the ship. In very severe weather the main deck guns are sometimes dismounted and sent below to ease the roll of the vessel. I saw a gun, a 32 pounder, once break from its lashing, and dance in a frantic manner about the main deck, injuring several men before it was again secured. Night quarters, or the alarm for clearing for action is often made in a man of-war without any previous notice. The drum sounds to to quarters, and in five minntes every sleeper is out of his hammock, dressed; his hammock lashed, and stowed in the nettirifis, and at his station, his gun cast loose and ready for action. Then comes a turmoil, the order is given to give three broadsides (with blank) from the starboard guns, which is no sooner done than the order is given to "wear ship," and the watch on duty desert their guns, and hurry on deck ; the firing is again taken up with renewed vigor and the hoarse order is bellowed down the hatchway "port watch, and marines, repel -boarders." Small arms and pikes are seized, and the boarders are in a twinkling ready to repel the enemy or to board her grappled bulwarks. After an hour's practice, hammooks are piped

down and the men resume their slumbers as they best may. A few months' cruise in a smart frigate would gi?e our Thames Naval Brigade different ideas of discipline than any they can acquire by being inspected by stern old army officers. Bare feet, and the activity of squirrels is demanded from British tars while starched shirts and polished shoes are only seen on Sundays at " divisions" (parade) in a regular old service frigate. Old Salt.