28 APRIL 1950, Page 18

SIR,—Can it be that Mr. H F. Blair, writing from

H.M.S. ' New- foundland,' does so with his tongue in his cheek? Wilfred Granville, in his recently published Sea Slang of the Twentieth Century, defines a " King's 'aard bargain " as: " A bird; a naval nuisance. A habitual leave-breaker and skulker. One whom the Service could well do without."

" Taffraii," in Off Shore (1917) has a story called The K.H.B., which ends: "' And what are you doing ashore here at this time of night? ' his C.O. wanted to know. • Breakin' leaf, sir,' answered the K.H.B."—Yours faithfully, J. H. WATTS. Restelbergstrasae 94, Zurich 44, Switzerland.