Capt. " James Gibbs Leaving After Forty-one, Years During the Jast few years China Goast shipping circles have lost, through retirement and in some cases through death, many shipmasters who have played a great and direct share in building up the enormous shipping business which them remembered for years now exists on the Coast. Many of
4o come with honour and respect, as having upheld in the highest degree ihe traditions and reputation of the British Merchant Navy particularly and of the sea generally, and of having'been, in every way, "gentlemen of the sea."
"Answering this description Captain James Gibbs, formerly of the China Navigation Ca., who, after Just over 41 years' direct association {with Shanghai and the China Coast, wails in the Siberia Maru to-day for Vitoria, on a retirement 40 which no man in China is: more entitled. Captain Gibbs, however, has one great fault, not. uncommon shipping men—he will not talk about himself, and to get him - to give any details of what must have Been a wonderfully interesting life is almost impossible. After a lot of persuasion, one did induce him to} part with' the brief outline of his, activities which appears below, but} of details, which have thrilled countless listeners who have been, fortunate enough to catch him in a. reminiscent mood, he would say nothing.
He' sailed in sailing ships when' the sailing ship was in the heyday of its glory, and one has had to go to other sailorman than himself to hear that James Gibbs was a more than worthy member of that great brotherhood of "'shellbacks' " who navigated all routes in all weathers} in the class of vessel which, though no longer a power in the transporta. tion of the world's ocean-borne commerce, has a great and an abiding' place in the history of the sea—and no literature is wealthier in. the record of human endeavour and accomplishment than the literature of] the sea.
On April 19, Captain Gibbs was the central figure at a pleasant yet sad function at the Mercantile Marine Officers Club, of which he has been a member for more than 35 years, The occasion the presentation to him, from is fellow members, of a beautiful silver tea set, There was a_big gathering of members present, some them having known Captain Gibbs for the better part of half a century. Captain HI. J. West, who delivered. the speech' accompanying the pre~ sentation, said that they were gathered' there that morning—for something which could only give! them pleasure and regret—pleasure at asking their old friend and shipmate Captain Gibbs. to accept, on behalf of himself and Mrs. Gibbs, a. small memento of his Jong associa. tion with the Club and its members, an association which all of them would remember with the best feelings, and regret that in two or three days Captain Gibbs would be ina for good, to settle in 'Victoria on what he knew everyone there, and a great many people who were' not there, hoped would be a happy and long retirement. It was always sad to part with an old friend, but in the case of Capt Gibbs it was especially s0, as he was one of the Club's oldest members, and one who had done much for the: Club and deserved the great popularity and esteem in which he was held, Captain Gibbs, in reply, said he was very touched, He was going to "cut the cackle," as though he deeply appreciated what Captain, West had said, it was not the ocean sion for a long speech. If "his fellow-members of the Club regretted his departure, he himself regretted it perhaps even more, he had to go. He was not a aman, and when he left the sea five years ago it was his intention to remain in Shanghai. till he was finally "packed away." During the last two years, however, he had found himself unable to stand the economic pace, and he had decided to go where living was cheaper and moxo pleasant. He must say that ho was leaving Shanghai itself, without any regrets, but he had many regrets at' leaving the "mighty good fellows" who were amaining here; and he could assure his hearers that when, "on "the other side," he drank of the "beauti-
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.