Fisherman & farmer. [volume] (Edenton, N.C.) 1887-19??, 1890-01-10
SALUTES on A MAN0F.WAR.
MORE PUECTuIoUS POIITENESS
THERE THAN ELSEwEERE.
Statutes With Big and Little Guns
Cheering the Ship-ManninS the
1ards-Othcr Observance.

Cheering the Shtp-MannInS thc
1ards-Other Obseryanccs.
Most visitors TO man-Of-war are
struck by the cleanneSs, order and com
pactness of everything on board, where
so many men live so close together, and
yet perfect discipline is prcserved-even
greater than the same number IN regl-
ment OF soldiers. But few moments
consideration will show that, in such
confined space and with constant inter
course, great attention to forms and To
the eXactions of respect must be shown,
to prevent such a mass OF men, crowded
close together, from dcgeneratlng into a
mob. So We see at every moment sa-
lutes by touching and raising the cap,
first by the inferior in rank, but always
scrupulously returned by the superior,
while all the scntries salute passing off,
cers-the juniors by raising the hanC to
the rifle, while the latter is at the
carry" and senior officers by present
ing" arms. And this is done whenever
they pass, if it be ten times in an hour.
1t is quite an art to fire what is called
a good salute when the guns 90 of
quickly, but at perfectly regular inter
vals-and nothing jars more upon the
naval ear than a salute in which guns
hang fire and the interval is not pre-
served.
In times as late as our war, salutes
were commonly fired from the battery"
or broadsidc guns OF any man-Of-War. If
she was a tifty-gun frigate, but few Of
her guns were used, and none Of those
fired requiring rcIoading, because no
salute that could be fired required more
than twenty-one guns. But, in these
days Of few and heavy guns, salutes are
much less frequent, as such vessels are,
by common consent, not required to 90
through the ceremony.
Sometimes brass howitZcrs, which are
carried as bOat-gUnS, are used in such
vessels for saluting purposes, and 1t is
most astonishing to see how rapidly a
Nell-drillcd howitzer crew can fire.
The number Of guns allowed to officials
is rs low as tivc-fOr a COnsul-but it IS
always an uneven number, for ever since
gunpOWder was used an even number Of
guns was considered urlucky and the
odd number observed.
The writer we'll remembers the start
given by the firing of three guns in a
Yamen, or official residence of high
Chinese official, as a party Of Americans
were making an official visit. The Chi
nese salute is three guns-and these three
were almost buried in the earth Of a
courtyard through which the party had
to pass, and were fired almost under
their feet as they passed, causing very
natural start in persons unused to that
way of showing respect.
Statutes with great guns occur more fire.
quently in foreign ports than in our own.
as guns are fired upon the visit Of foreign
officers to our men wal, and also when
ours are returned. Then, on national
holidays or anniversaries, foreign mcn-of-
war who happened to be in port with the
vessel celebrating are all notified and re
qucsted to Join in a salute, and probably
in dressing the ship with flags.
For instance, in Rio .Janciro, a great
naval stopping place, there will often be
Brazilian, French, Spanish, Portuguese,
English, American and other mcn-Of-War.
Now, if the Fourth Of July IS at hand,
the American Admiral sends an officer
and to say that on that day he Will dress
his ship with flags and fire a national sa-
lutte at noon; and each of the foreign
Captains sends back his compliments and
will be happy to follow his motions. SO,
on the Fourth of July, in addition to the
dressing of the ship, each one fires twenty
one guns.
If a national salute is fired the flag Of
the country saluted is hOisted at the
fore and hauled down at the last gun. If
1t is personal salute the jib is hQisted
with the first gun and hauled down with
the last.
Often with very exalted persons, such
as Kings or Emperors, or the President
of the United States, the yards are ''maE-
ned" that is, Iife-lincs are rove from the
the riffs of the yards to the masts, and
the men stand upon the yards close to
each other.
Sometimes the crews are ordered into
the lower rigging and three cheers are
given, the time being marked by the roll
ling of drums. This is called ''chccring
Ship" and is often done when another
ship of the squadron, which has COM
pleted her service, sails ''homeward
bound"
In ships carrying bands, it is custom
airy for them to play their national airs
when foreign man-of-war arrives or de
parts, and the ensign or national flag IS
dipped in response to similar courtesy
from foreign ship or forts, or in answer
to the national air, played by foreign
band.