Modern Troopship and an Old One: Dilwara and Tamar Contrasted By Marine The British India Jot" 11.050 tons, was recently com-leted and designed as a. troopship, as the result of many years experience of trooping. In short this fine vessel has been built for the express purpose of carrying troops, although the non-trooping season, it is proposed that she will be used for sive Ing. a large mumber of schoolboys holiday cruises, In addition to the Boys the ship has room for 104 ars lass. and 100 second class passengers. The Dilwara is equipped with every convenience for the comfort and Safety of the 1,150 troops, which the complement the vesse!'can carry.
"Reading of this vessel recalls the mind of the writer a trip" he made from Cape Town to Portsmouth old-fashioned naval troopship 43 years ago. The ship in question wag WINS. Tamar, which, ox mat of us know, is spending her declining years, in the basin of the naval dock-Hongkong, where she acts 5 a depot ship, and fies the flag of the Commodore.
At the time of which I write there were, T think, three naval troopships: of the Tamar type, all under the control of the Admiralty. These ves-Sele were manned by naval oticers and men of the active list, and but. for the fect that they carried no armament, beyond signal guns and small arms for the crew, were to all {intents and purposes men of war. 'They were, however, designed with the view of carrying' a comparative:
large number of troops or naval tings, of a combination of both, Auniliary Engined These ships were fine looking craft, squaresrigged on the fore and main, and for that time of a fair speed, 'a5 their engines were powerful enough to drive them about 11 Knots. When I travelled inthe Tamar she was commanded by the late Capt. E™yammet, rix, and her complement consisted of a first lieutenant, navigating eutenant, four, lieuten-fants for watch-keeping duties, boat-wain, carpenter, a crow of blue Jackets and a few marines.
Compared with the modern Dilwata, the Tamar would now be Sidered in many Fespects as an uncomfortable "and unsuitable ship for] trooping, although she and her sister shivs carried out this service satisfactorily for many years. The Secommodation for officers, and men tavelling as passengers was of a type which at this time was thought to be quite good. The senior affeers and their tamiles, were berthed in cabing opening out from a large saloon, situated at, the after end of! the ship.
Single or more junior officers lived in small cabine forward of the saloon, and very junior officers, such as mid shipman, when travelling as passengers occupied avery small mers, Situated in the bowels of the ship Fight aft over the top of the propel-Ter. These quacters—considered quite ood enough for midshipmen at that, {ime—were intensely hot and stuffy, as the level of the floor was actually below the water-line, and the three small ports in the side never could bbe opened at sea, and seldom in har= Dour unless the water" was quite smooth, "The troops lived in the troop deck, where they were packed "rather closely, slept in hammocks at night, and hod meats at mess tables, which when not in use, were stowed over-
[and will enter the Gemini on the Ist fof the 4th lunar month Cour May 21). The lunar month during which the sun remains in Taurus is chosen as intereatary lunar month under the designation of "intercalary third moon. By choosing this lunar month, the conditions under (1) and above are fulfilled.
Next Year's Chinese New Year It has already been mentioned that in an intercalary lunar month there:
only one "term", a chieh chi, and never a chung chi." The chieh the "intercalary third moon® is, Li Hsia (beginning of summer") which falls onthe 16th of that moon (our May 0), whereas the preceding chung chi: Ku Vu. (grain rain") falls on the last day of the third lunar month (our April 20), white. the following chung chi: Hsia Man Cgrain Alls"), falls on the first of the fourth lunar month (our May 21).
all the other lunar months thers are two "terme': a chung chi and 3 hich chi, the intercalary Lunar month being the only one with one "term."
happens that both the first and the last "term" of the lunar year commencing on January 24, next, is Li Chun (beginning of spring"), the first Li Chun falling on our February will enter Taurus on the 23th day of! 5, 1936, and the second one on our February 4, 1937. Next year Chinese year fall on our Steam _Na- head by hooks in the"beams, Even s. Dilwara, a vessel the best of the cabins would be considered very "uncomfortable to-day, The occupants slept in bunks of the ordinary sea type of the time, the Bottoms of which were of wood planks.
Simple Furniture and Fittings The furniture and Attings were fow and simple. There were'no heat. ing arrangements, fans" or running Water, and if' 1 remember correct ho eléetrle Nant, Some of the cabins seeupied by the more senior emeers, fod the advantage of large square Darts, which could be Kept open nytiing ut very" bad. weather, Cabins on the deck below were close Sind suity in hot weather, and ven. Muon wag" not considered mutch importance as i is now, Wash Ing facies: were poor, there were of fresh water "carried was. very very few bathrooms, and the suppl
Tinted compared wits the amount carried. the modern" troopship, and both' ofoers "and "men had. 6 tov content" with a." comparatively mali amount of fresh' water, "All commissioned emeers. and. the midshipmen took their meals In the Zaloon, andthe Captain sat" at. the read of the single tong table. whicn Extended for the whole length of the mess. 'The two senior dle sat one fon each side of the Captain, The {ood we had' would be" sonsigered oer in these days, for although, we Carried fair amount of live stock, which: included "a couple of ows, there was no cold storage' of fees and tinned' food. termed a large propor= ton of the menu, 'The troops lid' to be content with very tite Tesh food, and their Tare consisted of salt beet, salt pork and certain amount of tinned' food. hot weather the. saloon was cooled a"punkah, and when it was cold wwe hada. stove, "There. were. Heating or cooling arrangements on the. troop. deck, and it must have been extremely' unpleasant. forthe men when passing through the No Modern Concessor 'The ship was cun on strict naval discipline, and' the. saloon passengers had not the' concessions. permitted the modern troopship,. Smoking. In the saloon and. cabins. was" prohibit.
and th emeers were. supposed smoke only on deck. 'The Tadies Wwere not interested, foray that time they did not smoKe, Ail lights exe cept police lights were' extingusned ati" pin. for the ofoers and for the men at 10 pan, 'Gamer such ae quoits, deck: tennis and' ball board were not indulged Ju. although boxing and sword stick Wrestling took place. "tu the. eves hing whist chess and: draughts wore played in' the saloon. Oceastonally there: was must and singing. rayfers were read every morning by the chaplain, Ht one was on board, other= wise by the Captain. 'The' troops, Specially Ifthe ship" was crowded, fod rather a dult ie, for their quar: {ers were cramped, and there' was hot _much "deck space, However, when the weather Wag Ang they Bing-tongs "on. the upper "decks and engaged. In boxing and. other forms exercise known inthe Navy Captain In Complete Control The Captain of the ship was in complete control of all on board, far as the discipline of the ship wax concerned, although the military officers took charge of their own men. Occasionally the Captain had fo setule disputes which arose amongst the military oflcers, and there was a story current in the ship when T travelled of the Captain be-Ing appealed to by the two senior military officers, who both happened to be of the same rank and senlor~ ity, the one being in the line, the their in the Royal Engineers, to de-olde which of their. wives." should make the frst move after dinner. He said to have settled the matter by ruling that either they should rise the same time or take precedence fon alternate nights.
on the trip to which this article refers, the Tamar sailed from Capetown on July 20 1803, and arrived at Portsmouth on August 15, calling fen route at the island of Ascension for 'a few hours to embark naval ratings for passage, and incidentally take on board a few turtles for pressentation to. the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty, and the Mayor and Aldermen of London, as wag the custom at that time "when" HIM, ships' visited the island, 'The passage cccupled_approximately' 25'days, which gave an average speed throughout the trip of a litre more than 10 knots, In the trade winds the square sails were constant ly in use to aid the engines, and at times the speed logged was as much, as 13 knots,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.