Nuhou, Volume I, Number 11, 1 April 1873 — "Clear the Ship for Action!" [ARTICLE]

"Clear the Ship for Action!"

| Tim order was given bj Reai- Admiral Pennoek op board the Califbmia } on last Monday, the 24t)b Marcb, whieh was the eeini-annual inspecfcion day, and iu the «paee of fivc.miriuteß the noble ship was put in fighting trim, and reauy to do battle. Laiids men muy not elear!y undcrstand |ow mueh that means, t!ic Etatement of sueh a ship for aetion in sueh a'time. But obfecrve thoße twenty-onc huge guns, whieh dozen men to handle eaeh one ; notice you who have been on hoard, the awiungs, and various contrivanees and gear and tackle whieh encumber the deck, look at all that top hampcr of and consider that gunB have to bc cast j loose aM' run out, epars fo be lowered, and all | obstructions fco be clearcd aud Btowcd a\vay ; tlien j every officer to be at his post, cven the surgeon at his dissecting table, inetruments in hand, and you ean understand that it must be a lively time on boa,rd a ship-of-war when clearing the ship for action. and especially when doing it up iu thc short epaee of time t accomplished on board the €aUfornia. Let ūs imagine a real aetion. Be Uvely°therc boys ! See yon fellow eoming down upon us out of the fog, and he will give us a broad-side in ten minutes ! Silently eaeh man rushes to his work; there is no outciy, and no conrusioh. I7e--Btructiōn is to be done bj s\ stem. See the human j beings swarm on the yards, and the timbers lower and slide into position ; see the ciuster of ncrved hands aroand eaeh gun, whieh quiekly moves aud thrusts out from tlic port its murderous throat; every obstruction vanishes from the deek; it is sanded down and rcady for tlie danee of battle in thc time that« you, fair lady, were avranging a bow of ribbon in your bright hair. The encmy, espeetmg to fmd in this early grey j of mom an unprepared fl>e, reecives an unexpected ; breakfast of iron hail. But he has tho «omaeh ; fbr it, and sendsyou red hot fare for your iron j checr. Bang—eras!i—stand to your guna— j ah, poor Jim is down, his warm hiood spurted | over my leg, and there is a red pool around me, | but the sanded deek will keep me from slipping 'in it. Fire again—as I sight my gun, that !in my eye; some brains of poor Ben. elean seooped hy that pieee of sfieli. And now the sMp that was so si!enr ? is a helL w|t{i uni* aiul era§!u and hurrylng foot, grimed in hh»\d and srmd % and stepping over gv>ry and torn brothei> but tho ga!lant eraft has won thb vietory, on neomnt of having eleared fbr īu>tioivm ?ke mihnU>\ Mr. Walter llill V leetuiv ou " Sīgns and Mamfotations of C!>araeter " willhe a treat, 110 wiehK i heile pen in wr|ting for Ameriean journale f and hf\s wou suoo<\<* ; \s a lecturov in thc Colonies, Thc leetuiv ta kos plaee next Friday t Aprlt L in the nohool roo«i the Vort strct v t C!nu\h aiul the pt\Kvedsare to he devotcd ns a benefit to th* v temi>eratKV oause. Tickct*s one dol!ar ; ehihWn» ha!f yricr. To olUaiuai fi\>m Mr Fxde. ut Cl£gnorn Co.V stoi\\orat Whitncy*(i aiud ThrumV bookstorc?*. Upn*t lail lo ] i i

Her Eritannic Majesty's S S. "Scout " Madcafinc display in 6|tcaming out of thc Lar bor last Saturday aftcrnyon. &hc iicarcd ihu her fiag wa<>j jlipped t sjm<jwLiit ul usu<jd for a ship of wai\ and with tln- d«;!leat'j and|Courteouis salutc, a ujiark of iu->*t kindiy iuA cluvp,lroufc> rclations bctwcen two e!jips of war thepLliant warrior bid adicu toW in ofir pleasant harbur. | Aftcr pāH r 6ing thc of the Amenean thc $coiil ran up thc tric<j»lor to her peak oqt of eomplimeni to thc Frcnch CommiBsioncr who etood on the quarit s of thc CaUfonūa; and thcn /afterwarus running up thc rcu cr4,ss of St. George tu ht plaee of honoi', g3Jded along the ehimhel. put into the decp blijic e?ea, about thrcc mile* fchoro, w.hen shc bcgan to roar wHh hei gun|3 firiug shclls at a targct, whieh ehe coiitiiiuo<l till |lātc in Mie aftermxfn ; and it was not till cvcijing shadcs *et in, tl|iat thc &.out wa- lost U cur vicw. j Cp.ptain Cator, a mopt courtcuus geuticman. and| liis bravc ufficcrs hajve icft nune but plcasani imp|rcssions behiud thcm ia Iluuululu. Thcy havji evcn hcightened tjic intercst thcy erciiLtu dur|ng a prior visit, Thej leavc behind men.oriep whieh are a pleas|ire; and they must bc:..r thosc whieh they; wili ever chcrish. Tiic ridcj, and tnc dancc, and the plcasant tctc a ictc keep grcen, and wa,rm thc hc*irt far iiuo ihi y ale of ycars. llow tlup littie trophics w ill L<ie cherishcd on thc ship ; the broken faū with love'is lcgcnds; tfic cschangod ring , thr purioined bit of wilh a name , thc prcesed roee bud ; the sprig of constant myrtle. n I iheLiioie; the sun picture, anu ail the tcndcr littlc ple|gesof young souls., Thesc are thc I for. |thc grceu and vcars. fl»r thosc" \vhorv ,l>atUes are vct hcfoi'c them. Y f m Uixr v r MuUy i we |saw that squcczc 01,01(0 pretty iianu, anu l' < I hasty, furtive, V»lushing iip print upon it> pearh\ s skia. Wcshall|not rcprimand yuu hai • j foi |this, bccausc vvc thjfnk that one wno shou^4 | ncgloet a fair and rcspcctrul ehanee tc kks a kul I iiand, would not have i|iueh stufT in liim for Uie i making of a good officer| Farcwcll t j the "v -• , I j Se*mu wha Ia j\vi 1 j wh:\m C;ilorN ofteu Icd, ! | Weleome 10 yef t»rci\.l, ! Wvc p j >!!>■ ; ; Now sj[ian itie oe^an I Now in auM Xej>tut o% wcr. I But Ihiuk o* f)ahu*s ?>hv c ;, I And thoy wha Ihmk o" y o.

Thc Shcphcrtl of Lanai dcpartcd yotc: u v at%noon on board the Kiuiuo.i hi oidcr to \i-ii iiis| shcarere, and cxpcc;ts to rctuvn on Ttmn».ta\ - —4- — not Yovr Ur.r frien l CoI. Kalakaua $ay?s in thc Kno'wa, 11 C;u? n v t yoiir pearls heforc— thc| Auicrican Congrc<^,^