NAVAL LANGUAGE.
THIS may sound like the heading of a tract, but I can assure you it isn't. It's just the result of reading an account in the paper of an incident that happened on board lately, described by the correspondent of a well-known and justly famed newspaper. We knew he was on board for the purpose, as a gentleman in a Burberry and a Homburg hat is not generally seen on the Quarter-Deck when the Admiral is about. I think I had better mention the incident first as described by one of our Watchkeepers to a pal in hospital. " Hell of a flap yester- day. The Admiral hauled down his flag in the forenoon as he
is going to the ' We cleared Lower Deck and he gave us a chin-wag. Bong. We're going on leave next week. Do you remember that little girl. . . ? " Perhaps that is enough quotation for our purpose.
It seems simple, but imagine our surprise next morning when, grouped round the stove, we read the account. Don't think for a moment that I am trying to crab the writing of the account. I am really envious of the power that could make a full column out of the facts. It ought to be worth a thundering good wage, and if I had the gift I'd desert the sea, buy a typewriter, and smoke Coronas.
The Pilot, who, with his usual innate politeness, had snatched the paper before any one else could get a smell at it, saw the article first, and began to rock himself gently backwards and forwards, a sign of intense pleasure and amusement. In answer to repeated cries of " Cough it up, Old Dear. What's the news ? Get it off your chest, Pilot, it's hurting you," the Pilot began to speak in a strangled voice. "Padre, dear lad, step forward and listen. ' A quiet surpliced figure walked slowly forward.' " I wasn't quiet and I didn't walk slowly," quoth the enraged Padre. "I was a bit late, as I didn't hear the Bugler sound off Divisions, and I also stubbed my toe on a ring-bolt. Besides, the man must be blind. I didn't come forward, I came aft."
The reader took no further notice of the reverend gentleman. His face had a drawn look. It was the face of an old man who hears ill news. He just muttered to himself: "'Perky little Pickets with a lather of foam astern.' Oh dear !" We soothed him as well as we could, and under cover of this solicitude took the paper from him. Guns being the larger man, retained it, and took on the duties of reader, but unfortunately, like all Gunnery birds, he had eyes only for what concerned his branch, and discovered the following : " From the shadow of the grim Barbette." So pleased was the entire company -with this swinging line that our musician, an R.N.V.R. Lieutenant, was forced to go to the piano and make an accompaniment to it which was roared by all present. When quiet was restored the article was again searched for telling phrases. " This'll please the Quartermasters," said the reader. I doubt if their piping has ever received such a favourable notice. `It was a clarion of magic, and at once conjured new figures from the vasty deep of the ship.' " The Commander roused himself at last, and was heard to say that he really didn't realize when he gave the order to clear Lower Deck that it could be described in those words by. any one.
So the readink proceeded, and as it came to an end I began to have a dim realization that perhaps that language which amused us so much was the language understood of the people, and that our language would be just as much laughed at by them. Our expressions are chosen, not for the purpose of
interesting a great number of readers of all classes, but for the purpose of expressing in the smallest number of words a big quantity of fact. If a word does not exist to suit the case, then what is easier than to claim freedom of speech and coin one ? The journalist, writing of a meeting with some man, would take some time to say that he had discovered that the man was a fellow-townsman, but a Matelot would sum the whole thing up in a phrase : " Why, e's a Townie ! " Some of our Public Schools have a language of their own in which the neo- phytes have to pass an exam. after their first few weeks, but at any rate they do have a glossary and do not add much to their language, whereas we have no glossary and are also continually adding words.
It's not very long ago that a newly joined Surgeon was told by the P.M.O. to go and have a look at the heads. Now " the heads" in sea language are the lavatory accommodation of the ship, and of course the doctors, being responsible for the hygiene, of the ship, often inspect them. Of this the Surgeon was completely ignorant, but, being unwilling to acknowledge it. he proceeded to the Sick Bay, where, to the annoyance of the patients and the bewilderment of the Sick Bay staff, he began to examine the heads of them all. Now if we had a glossary for newcomers that would not have happened.
Most of the words, I will say, have something approaching a reason for them. For instance, to sleep is " to git your 'cad down," "'ave a shut-eye," "'ave a caulk." The first two are apparent, but the derivation of the last is rather interesting. In the old days—as sometimes now in a decent climate—the Blue lay down on deck for his "shut-eye." If it was very hot, the caulking of the deck got soft, and the marks of the caulking were impressed on the. clothes of the sleeper. When he got up it was easy to see he had been lying on the deck, and so he would be greeted with the remark from a pal that any one could see that he'd been doing a bit of caulking and thus the phrase survived. To hear one Blue say to another that he had just seen the Bloke, who had given him ten of the best., might suggest to the uninitiated a piece of kindness on the part of some unknown man towards the Bluejacket. I should not advise him to go to the length of congratulating the aforesaid Blue on his good fortune, as it merely means that the Commander has given him ten days of No. 10 punishment.
Of the ordinary words in everyday use one could make a list as long as one's arm, but it is quite enough if one quotes a few, most of which explain themselves. A Bundleman is a married man, and being married is getting bundled. A Chippy Chap is one of the Carpenter's party. Jimmy Bungs is the Cooper (sounds like the game of Happy Family). A Flunkey is a Ward-Room servant. Jaunty and Crusher are members of the Ship's Police.
In describing his food the Blue really lets himself go, and his names for it are legion. Ship-on-the-rocks and Fanny Adams are two that come to my mind, while a further selection was given to me the other day when I asked one of the Boys what was the best kind of supper to order for the winning Boy's cutter crew. His answer was: "Oh, just a tin o' sharks, a couple of bangers, and a bit of 'ymn-book." It sounds an indigestible meal, but it was only Navy for a tin of sardines, a couple of sausages, and a bit of cheese.
A word that is used in rather curious circumstances some- times is " rescrub," meaning repeat. It comes from the fact that when clean hammocks are being inspected by the Officers of Divisions, if one hammock does not look above sus- picion as to its cleanliness, the officer just points to the hammock and says one word : " Rescrub." The weirdest way in which this word has occurred in my experience was at one of the depots where a new Padre, who was very keen on the men joining in the responses at Morning Prayers, asked the men to say the Lord's Prayer again, as they had not joined in the first time. One Blue was heard to say to another after Prayers : " Rum bird, that Parson. What did 'e give, us a rescrub ' of the Lord's Prayer for ?" This was said perfectly simply, and could not have given offence to any one. Mat.
[The performance of _Marriage a la Mode by the Phoenix, of - which we promised a notice for this week, has been postponed, but our notice will appear in due course.—En. Spectator.]
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