Once more the of events is compelling the attention of all and to the fact, hardly realised by the great majority of people, that in the personnel of the Navy we have a force of that on land as well as at sea have not their equals in the world. The overwhelming preponderance of our power deprives these magnificent men of the opportunity to show an world what they are capable of on their own element; how they can handle the terrible engines of war with which modern engineering science has equipped them; but in spite of the fact that as a nation we know little of the doings of our new Navy upon the sea, there is a solid simple faith in its absolute pre-eminence. Like the deeds of all true heroes, the work of our sailors is done out of sight; there are no applauding crowds to witness the striving after perfection that goes on in our ships of war. We rarely see a company of bluejackets unless we have the good fortune to live at some of the ports favoured by men-o’-war. There, if we feel interested, we may occasionally get a glimpse of a drill-party landed, and watch the way in which handles himself and his weapons freed from the environment of his ship’s decks. And[382] to those who enjoy the spectacle of a body of men at the highest pitch of physical development, clothed in garments that permit the utmost freedom of limb, and actuated every one by an intelligent desire after perfection, the sight is worth any trouble to obtain. Really, it is “heady” as strong wine. To the dash and enthusiasm of public-school boys the men unite an intense pride in their profession and an intellectual that is amazing to the .  
Yet it should be remembered that shore-drill is for them only a small interlude, an occasional break in the constant stream of duties that claims every unit on board of a man-o’-war throughout each working day. There is so very much to do in the keeping up to perfect fitness of the vast complication of a modern ship of war that only the most careful and apportionment of duties makes the performance possible. But sandwiched in between such routine work comes so great a variety of evolutions that the mind is staggered to them. It would be well for all landsmen reading of the doings of a Naval Brigade ashore to remember this—to bear in mind that if Jack excels as a soldier, preparation for which duty is made in the merest fag-ends and of his time, he is superexcellent in the performance of his main business, which he does in the privacy of the sea, with only the approval of his superior officers—and his pride in the British Navy—to encourage him. How would it be possible to convey to the lay mind the significance of even[383] one of these complicated evolutions that are sprung upon Jack at all sorts of times without a moment’s warning? How reveal the significance of such a of readiness for all emergencies as is shown by, say, the bugle-call “Prepare for action”? The ship is in a state of normal peace. Every member of the crew is engaged either upon such private matters as making or mending clothes, school-room duties, or other domestic to a watch below; or on the never-ending work of cleaning steel and , &c., that must be done whatever goes . At the first note of alarm every one springs to attention, before half the has vibrated they are like bees round an overturned hive, and by the time that any ordinary individual would have realised the import of the command the whole interior of the ship is transformed. Great masses of iron that look immovable as if built into the have disappeared, every whereby water could gain access below is hermetically sealed, each subdivision of the ship is by water-tight doors, and from hidden depths with clangour is rising the food for the shining monsters above. The racks are stripped of revolvers and cutlasses, the mess-traps and tables have disappeared from the lower deck, and, showing all her teeth, the weapon of war is ready for the . If the head of affairs has with satisfaction the number of minutes absorbed in this general of things, his word or two of approval circulates with electric swiftness from fighting-top[384] to torpedo-flat; should he frown darkly upon a few seconds’ delay, there is gloom on all faces and searching of heart among those who may be held responsible therefor.
 
For be it noted that the perfunctory performance of any duty is unthinkable in the Navy. The Scriptural injunction, “Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might,” is acted upon there, not only by command, but with the gleeful co-operation of those commanded. And hence it is that whenever a Naval Brigade is called upon for service ashore, their behaviour is such as to call for wonder and even from those who know least about the difficulties they overcome. Their high spirits, the way in which they attack the most tremendous tasks, compel even their bitterest enemies to bear witness in their favour, while hardships that would disable or dishearten landsmen only seem to heighten their . It has often been said that during one of our West African campaigns the conduct of the Naval Brigade in one peculiar direction was unique. Orders had been given that in consequence of the danger of lying on the ground every man should collect a sufficient pile of brushwood upon which to raise his body while he slept. To the rank-and-file of the Army this duty, coming at the end of a day’s march, was a terrible one, although it was practically their only safeguard against disease. They wandered wearily about in the darkness seeking sticks for their couch, and trying all kinds of to the salutary regulation. But Johnny Haul-taut thought it fine fun. Not only was his pile of sticks collected in double-quick time, but he was noways backward in lending a hand to his less march-mates of the Army, and after that he had still so much energy to spare that he must needs dance a great deal before retiring to rest, flinging himself about in uproarious merriment while tired soldiers were still seeking material for their couches.
 
Amid all the revenges that time affords the sons of men, could there............