deck of a frigate.) We saw the
eye-disturbing value of a bold criss-cross, and those of us who had
paint to spare made a 'Hobson-jobson' of awning spars and transverse
bulkheads.

These were our sea-efforts--rude trials effected with great difficulty
in the stress of the new sea-warfare. We could only see ourselves from a
surface point of view, and, in our empirics, we had no official
assistance. During our brief stay in port it was impossible to procure
day-labouring gangs--even the 'gulls' of the dockside were busy at sea.
On a voyage, gun crews and extra look-outs left few hands of the watch
available for experiments; in any case, our rationed paint covered
little more than would keep the rust in check. We were relieved when new
stars of marine coloration arose, competent shore concerns that, on
Government instruction, arrayed us in a novel war paint. Our rough and
amateurish tricks gave way to the ordered schemes of the dockyard; our
ships were armed for us in a protective coat of many colours.

Upon us like an avalanche came this real camouflage. Somewhere behind it
all a genius of pantomimic transformation blazed his rainbow wand and
fixed us. As we came in from sea, dazzle-painters swarmed on us,
bespattered creatures with no bowels of compassion, who painted over our
cherished glass and teakwood and brass port-rims--the last lingering
evidences of our gentility. Hourly we watched our trim ships take on the
hues of a swingman's roundabouts. We learned of fancy colours known only
in high art--alizarin and grey-pink, purple-lake and Hooker's green. The
designs of our mantling held us in a maze of expectation. Bends and
ecarteles, indents and rayons, gyrony and counter-flory, appeared on our
topsides; curves and arrow-heads were figured on boats and davits and
deck fittings; apparently senseless dabs and patches were measured and
imprinted on funnel curve and rounding of the ventilators; inboard and
outboard we were streaked and crossed and curved.

With our arming of guns there was need for instruction in their service
and maintenance; artificial smoke-screens required that we should be
efficient in their use; our Otters called for some measure of seamanship
in adjustment and control. So far all governmental appliances for our
defence relied on our understanding and operation, but this new
protective coloration, held aloof from our confidence, it was quite
self-contained, there was no rule to be learnt; we were t