The Express.
London, England, 1868-07-09 00:00:00

THE CHICHESTER TRAINING SHIP.

A party of between throe and four hundred
ladies and gentlemen, who were conveyed by rail and boat,
assisted yesterday at the annual file and distribution of
prizes on board the Chichester training ship, lying off
Greenhithe, Kent. They were received by the interesting
crew in true naval style, and after due justice had been
done to an elegant luncheon, served up between decks,
both the boys, to the number of over one hundred and
sixty, and their visitors assembled on the quarter deck,
and proceeded, under the presidency of the Earl of
Shaftesbury, to enlighten themselves upon the
history and prospects of the embryo sailors. Captain
Alston, R.N., their commander, made a highly satisfac-
tory report of their discipline and conduct, and then Mr.
William Williams, the energetic secretary of the Refuges
for Homeless and Destitute Boys and Girls, of which the
Chichester is a branch, related how the ship was inau-
gurated at theclose of 1866, and that since then 250 boys
Led been received on board, of whom over 100 had been
successfully engrafted on the naval and mercantile ser-
vices. These boys had a thorough affection for their
training ship, and the accounts received of their
showed that they are jealous of her reputatiortUat
year 139 ladies contributed 151. each for the maintenance
of as many boys ; a gentleman had in like manner sup-
ported six others ; while the cadets of the neighbouring
ship, Worcester, had made up 151. out of their pocket
money for another. The pnzes, consisting of writing
desks, knives, bronze medals, and money rewards, the latter
given by Mr. T. Macgregor, of the Rob Roy, having been
distributed, the noble chairman spoke in warm terms of
the great good the ship was effecting. It was
draining our streets of a degraded and dan-
gerous class, and converting them into honourable
and useful members of society The ship in fact
was a nursery for supplying the navy and merchantmen
with boys who could not be surpassed for steadiness and
good conduct. Its usefulness was only limited by its
means, and, with sufficient funds, from 10,000 to 20,000
homeless and destitute lads could be rescued from the
grasp of the policeman, and not a few probably from the
grip of the hangman. Mr. Williams said his lordship in-
dulged in no exaggeration. The society, however.
could do no more at present than place out
about three a week, or 150 a year, the calculation
for 1868. One of the lads named Oostigan recited some
verses of his own composition in honour of the occasion,
and the boys, besides going through • variety of evolu-
tion', ears g sea ballads, danced hornpipes, and did every-
thing to show the efficiency of their training and general
contentment. At the conclusion of these proceedings the
company returned to their steamboat, and for some
minutes after she had got under way, the voices of the
lads, who had again manned the yards of their ship, came
wafted over the stream in the words of the familiar song,
" Should auld acquaintance be forgot P" There was one
drawback to the pleasure of the trip, but that was
only temporary—it was the horrid stench of the Southern
outfall.