The Voyage Alone in the Yawl "Rob Roy" Part 18

The time will come when we shall not dare to let a man loose on the thoroughfares in native ignorance-decency forbids.

We have opened our ship-decks to foreign sailors-more proud in our boast of being an asylum for the distressed than in preventing distress among our own people. By all means give foreigners fair play, but _after_ England's boys are cared for. Charity begins at home, our home is England. English boys are far better sailors than any foreigners, who no doubt excel us in cookery and silks, and manners and despotism, but not in the hard duty bravely done, when storms lash clouds and ocean into one general foam.

To train up English sailor boys philanthropy stepped in just in time, and in the last few years it has provided more and more ships. The very boys who are worst off, and most tried by dire want and misfortune, are those who may be boldest to run aloft when well taught; and if these British hearts are won young, and tutored right, and trained loyal, and warmly clothed in true blue jackets, we shall not have so many shipwrecks where cheap foreigners skulk as the tempest roars. {296}

One day we had a grand treat for the 'Chichester' boys, who marched to a sunny mead at Greenhithe, and romped for hours and hours in hearty sailors' play. How they ran races, jumped in sacks, swarmed up the polished pole, and eyed the leg of mutton at the top, far out of reach, until sheer exhaustion with boyish laughter made them slide down! Then, gathered round cake and tea, and duly stuffed therewith to concert pitch, they sing our grand old Psalms, our free and joyous loyal ship-songs, the orchestra of young throats being directed with all gravity by an urchin-one of themselves-a miniature "Costa" full of pound-cake, and with his Jersey pockets bulged out too, but tuneful enough after his tea. The man's heart that is not softened, gladdened, and strung to effort for these little fellows by scenes like this I do not covet.

The captain of the 'Chichester' says:-

"I receive very pleasing letters from boys who have left. I send you a copy of the last, just arrived, which I think is as powerful an appeal in our behalf as any that could be penned."

"Ship '---,' off the Isle of Wight.

"PLEASE SIR,-I take the pleasure of writing these few lines to you, hoping to find you in good health, as we are. We are getting on very well, we are now off the Isle of Wight. Sir, we like our ship very well, and I hope we shall have a good character when we come home. I hope all the Instructors are well.

"Give my respects to Lady Alston, and tell her where we are. We are having very good weather, and I haven't forgot my Bible. C. D. sends his respects to you. Please sir, will you give my love to Frances.

Sir, you must excuse me for not writing more. I haven't had time.

Sir, if I don't see you any more in this world, I hope I shall Above.

Give my respects to Mr. and Mrs. Macarthy.

"No more at present from your obedient servants,

"A. B. and C. D.

"G.o.d be merciful to us as sinners."

And while we speak more of the three ships already named, because they are nearest, and so are most seen by us Londoners, remember there are other stout Britons at Hull, st.u.r.dy boys in the Mersey, sea-urchins in the Clyde, and good sailor-hearts in Ireland and in Welshmen's b.r.e.a.s.t.s, and there are training ships for boys in all these and other places, {297} so that all may join who wish to help in England's future, which will much depend on the next generation of British seamen.

It will be a happy sight, and one by no means out of our reach to witness, when the gentlemen taught on the 'Worcester,' and the mates from the 'Chichester,' and the crew from the 'Cornwall,' shall man the largest, fastest vessel on the sea.

The 'Chichester' boys make a very appreciative audience when a visitor addresses them. Then they sing their hearty thanks with steady voices, and in stanzas of original poetry spun aboard ship, and sure to mean much if you can read between the lines; for London boys are both in good things and in bad the smartest of all.

After pondering on the matter during another sail, the following letter appeared in the 'Times':-

"The training ship 'Chichester,' lately moored at Greenhithe for the reception of homeless boys, has already produced some of the antic.i.p.ated good results, and several young lads, rescued from a life of sorrow and want, have been sent out as trained sailor boys.

"But although these boys are approved by the ships' captains, it is found that until the boys can be taught how to steer a vessel, as well as the other duties of a seaman, they cannot be well received by the rest of a ship's crew.

"Steering is not to be learnt by book or precept only, or in a ship at moorings; and the suggestion is therefore made that a small vessel, say a cutter of 20 tons, should be attached to the 'Chichester,' as a 'tender.'

"The boys could then be taught to handle the tiller by voyages to the Nore. They would also learn the use of buoys, beacons, and lights.

They would have a powerful incentive to progress in their book-work, and the 'tender' would be most useful in carrying officers and boys and stores to and from London, and thus save considerable expense.

"This being a new proposal, it will be necessary to have additional contributions for the purchase of the tender, and as the funds which provided the 'Chichester' were received princ.i.p.ally from the readers of 'The Times,' perhaps we may venture to hope for the same kind aid in launching the new suggestion. Contributions may be sent to the Hon. Secretary, Mr. W. WILLIAMS, St. Giles' Refuge, Great Queen Street, Lincoln's Inn Fields.

"J. M.

"_Margate Roads_."

We expect much from Englishmen when an appeal is made to their generous hearts, but it was certainly beyond our hopes that in a few days afterwards the following letter could be published:-

"In reply to the appeal through your columns, for means to provide a tender for the 'Chichester' school ship, the Rev. C. Harrington, Rector of Bromsgrove, has presented to the inst.i.tution the 'Dolphin,'

a strong, well-built, sea-going yacht of 20 tons, with all her stores complete.

"The committee in accepting this gift, have abundant reason to thank the kind donor, and the friends of 'Homeless Boys' owe another debt of grat.i.tude to 'The Times.'

"J. M.

"_Temple_."

By the desire of the 'Chichester' Committee I joined the 'Dolphin' at Sheerness, and with a regular salt captain, and a seaman from the Bendigo diggings, and a boy from the 'Chichester,' we weighed the cutter's anchor to bring the prize to Greenhithe.

The pier-man smiled gladly on the gift yacht. The taut Guard-ship bristling with big guns seemed to look down kindly on the little vessel, and even the grim old hulks, otherwise sulky enough, appeared to wish her well as she loosed her white sails to a gentle breeze. Yes, and the sun smiled brightly, too, with a balmy day like summer again.

Barges flocked out, cl.u.s.tering on the water as in my former visits here, yet the 'Dolphin' mingled with them not as in a mere play, but with a benign and holy purpose in her gait, for it was the gracious breath of Christian benevolence that wafted the 'Dolphin' on. She was a present to the homeless boys, and so a gift that shall be one time repaid by the Friend of the friendless with measure "running over."

Yantlet was pa.s.sed and the Blythe and Jenkin, when sunset shrouded sleeping Father Thames. Then the ship-lights sparkled numerous on the stream, and red rays from the beacons glinted athwart our sail. Swift steamers whisked by in the dark. Tall, gaunt, sailing ships rustled their dusky canvas, and struggling little tug-boats rattled with instant paddle as they pa.s.sed.

[Picture: The Gift to Boys]

Clouds withdrew from above as we neared the 'Chichester,' and the full moon came out and looked upon the "gift for boys" with her long pendant streaming in the mild and onward breeze.

Then, to me silent, lying on the deck as if in a summer eve, came many-coloured thoughts-the Rob Roy's rovings by river and sea in brightsome days and thundering nights, the good seed sown by the sh.o.r.e, the thousand incidents of a charming voyage.

But best of them all was the sail in the 'Dolphin.'

We may begin in faith, and continue in hope, but greatest of the three is charity in

THE END.

APPENDIX. BOYS' TRAINING SHIPS.

There are 18,000 seamen in our Royal Navy, and nearly a quarter of a million persons of various kinds are employed on board of British registered vessels. On the subject of training boys for sea, full and interesting information is given in 'British Seamen,' by Mr. T. Bra.s.sey, M.P. In former editions of 'The Voyage Alone,' some of the Boys'

Training Ships were briefly described, and the author's profits from the book have been distributed yearly in prizes and medals among some hundreds of lads in these ships, approved for excellence in Seamanship, Smartness, Scripture-knowledge, Swimming, and "Sums." In connection with the continuance of this pleasant work, a brief description is given here of all the Training Ships for boys, with the best wishes of the author for their prosperous sail over the sea of life, and their safe arrival on the happy sh.o.r.e above.

ROYAL NAVY TRAINING SHIPS FOR BOYS.

_There are Five regular Boys' Training Ships for the Royal Navy_, _accommodating_ 3400 _boys_.

The 'Impregnable,' and 'Implacable' (with 'Lion'), at Devonport (for 700 boys); 'Ganges,' at Falmouth (500 boys); 'St. Vincent,' at Portsmouth (700 boys); and 'Boscawen,' at Portland (500 boys). To each is attached a brig for cruising during the summer months. The boys go through a regular course of instruction at school, in seamanship and in gunnery, till they are "rated," after a year or a little more, as 1st Cla.s.s boys, when they have a cruise in the brig. With respect to the school instruction, the principle is to give the more backward boys more schooling than the more advanced, and to this end the boys are divided into Upper School and Lower School: the Upper School boys have one forenoon and one afternoon a week in school, and the Lower School boys twice that amount. The educational attainments of the Upper School correspond to Standards VI., V., IV. of the New Code, and those of the Lower School to Standards III. and II. Of course there is the division into watches, as the routine of the ships is modelled on that of a man-of-war.

With the exception of the band boys entered from industrial schools, no boys are received who have been before a magistrate. It is gratifying to find that as many good and respectable lads as are wanted can be had for this glorious patriotic service. "The expense incurred in training seamen amounts on an average to not less than 300 to 400 for every seaman in the navy:" 'British Seamen,' by T. Bra.s.sey, M.P. Longmans, 1877, page 158.