her whaler. Often her band assembled on
the upper deck: the favourite selections were 'Auld Lang Syne' and 'Will
ye no' come back again'--as she swung off on her weary patrol.

Submarine activities put an end to these meetings on the sea. Except
while under ocean escort of a cruiser--when our relations by flag signal
are studied and impersonal--we have now little acquaintance with
vessels of that class. Counter-measures of the new warfare demand the
service of smaller vessels. Destroyers and sloops are now our protectors
and co-workers. With them, we are drawn to a familiar intimacy; we are,
perhaps, more at ease in their company, dreading no formal routine.
Admirals are, to us, awesome beings who seclude themselves behind
gold-corded secretaries: commodores (except those who control our
convoys) are rarely sea-going, and we come to regard them as
schoolmasters, tutors who may not be argued with; post-captains in
command of the larger escorts have the brusque assumption of a
super-seamanship that takes no note of a limit in manning. The
commanders and lieutenants of the destroyers and sloops that work with
us are different; they are more to our mind--we look upon them as
brother seamen. Like ourselves, they are 'single-ship' men. They are
neither concerned with serious plans of naval strategy nor overbalanced
by the forms and usages of great ship routine. While 'the bridge' of a
cruiser may be mildly scornful upon receipt of an objection to her
signalled noon position, the destroyer captain is less assured: he is
more likely to request our estimate of the course and speed. His
seamanship is comparable to our own. The relatively small crew he
musters has taught him to be tolerant of an apparent delay in carrying
out certain operations. In harbour he is frequently berthed among the
merchantmen, and has opportunity to visit the ships and acquire more
than a casual knowledge of our gear and appliances. He is ever a welcome
visitor, frank and manly and candid. Even if there is a dispute as to
why we turned north instead of south-east 'when that Fritz came up,' and
we blanked the destroyer's range, there is not the air of superior
reproof that rankles.

In all our relations with the Navy at sea there was ever little, if any,
friction. We saw no empty plumed bonnet in the White Ensign. We were
proud of the companionship and protection of the King's ships. Our ready
service was never grudged or stinted to the men behind the g