A BLUEJACKET'S LETTER. [To THE EDITOR Olt THE "SPECTATOR."' SIR,—You
might like to print the enclosed letter, which was written from New Caledonia by an Australian bluejacket to his mother in England. The writer's sister, who allows me to send the letter to you, is housemaid in the service of a friend of mine in London. I think you will agree with me that it is a very moving letter. "Money would never be able
to buy the pride of that Lady." How good !—I am, Sir, &c., A.
"DEAR Murrrsa,—Just a few lines to you to let you know that we are alright, although we have not got much news, as we are at sea all our time now, else coaling at some island uninhabited from our colliers, but we go into this French place to-morrow for coal
nd contingent to Samoa to annex
and escort some of our New Zes.l.
it, for it is a German place; of course we don't get any news, but just what ships can give us as we search them, for we let nothing pass, but we are on the unused water way now, but I expect we shall have a change later on. You will have to excuse pencil, Mother, as we are in the S.E. trade winds, and we are moving a bit as we are light now. We have only 150 ton of coal left, and we take in 1,100 to-morrow, but we have 600 ton of oil, so we can go a bit yet if we want to, and there is not a ship of any description who could catch us, so the only hardships we have is sea time, and that will enable us to save a few pounds for some leave when we get back, so I shall leave that money you sent for another time, it will come in nicely to get an engage- ment ring on Christmas if the war is finished, which I hope it will soon be, but the poor old lion had roared long enough, and I don't think anybody will begrudge the millions the Navy has cost, for they will find that the courage of the people serving under the glorious white ensign is as good as it was in the days of those gallant men who made us the first nation in the world. This is the times, Mother, that they don't sneer at men in uniform. They little think that everyone is voluntary. I believe, Mother, I should have had a go in if I had stopped at home, although it is an awful thing, but wd have five men on here who had deserted came and gave themselves up when war was declared, that's the spirit to win the day, and a chum of mine has four brothers in the North Sea fleet. What pride and worry his mother must watch for news, money would never be ablo to buy the pride of that Lady even if only one came back when she knows they went at the call of duty, and if you only knew how proud I am that my dear mother and father often denied themselves so as to enable me to grow up a stalwart man, able to perform the duty of one little cog wheel in our glorious Empire in the service of our King. God bless him, but I must get along, dear, as we have to commence to watch for and keep our trade routes open, which we are endeavouring to do. Please give my best respects to them all and fondest love, and it is just nine years since I was here before, doesn't time fly ? But I must not forget to give you my young lady's love, as I had a letter the other day as one of our ships had been down escorting our colliers for coal, so I was lucky. But I don't think that I have any more news this time, Mother dear, so I will now say good-bye for the present, and don't you worry your- self, Mother, there's a dear, and I'll send you a nice piece of cake ohm, it oomes off, not just yet, so with fondest love and God bless
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