Staunton spectator and vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1896-1916, 1908-03-13
CHRISTMAS In MANY CLIMES.

FROM 1902 IN THE SHADE AT MUsCAT,
ON THE PERSIAN GULF, TO 500 BE
Low ZERO IN BERING SEA.
Few people have had the varied ex
pei fences of Capt Winston Wil!Ough
by, of the Royal Naval Reserve. who
passed through this CITY yesterday on
bis way overland via San Francisco
10 China to join his ship. During bis
35 years career at sea he has spent his
Christmases in many strange places,
With climates varying from Muscat, on
the Persian Gulf, with its heat OF 1902
in the shade, to the Bering Sea, with
the thermometer down to 500 below
zero, in company with polar bears and
the aurora bOrealis.
10 relating few of bis experiences
yesterday to Times reporter. the
Captain said that his first Christmas |
a sea was spent off Cape Horn In a |
bowling hurricane with great green
seas tumbling On board. He was a
midshipman at the time, and one of
the seniors ate bis share of ''plum
duff" which had been specially suo-
seribed for by the boys before the y
sailed from home.
when l accused bin of the cruel
outrage" said Captain Willoughby
with a merry twinkle in his steady
gray eyes. ''he laughed and replied in
languid tones, "WeI, kid, what are
you going to do about it?' There was
nothing to be done but fight, SO we
went forward at eight bells and ring
was quickly formed on the fore part of
the galley, where the officers on watch
could not see us.
I'VE fought for As minutes with the
good ship pitching and rolling so
heavily that neither of US could hit
each other, but We got terribly bruised
by hitting our knuckIes against the
bulwarks and falling over the spare
spars lashed On deck.
when We were both knocked out
for want of wind the captain came
along, stopped the fight and ordered
US to come to his cabin. After be had
inquired into the cause of the fight he
| told the steward to give me generous
slice of plum pudding to make up for
my loss. Then be gave us a glass of
port wine to drink his health in and
make friends. and mastheaded US for
an hour on the crosstrees to think 1t
over and cool down.
ION my last trip across to Hong
kong to join my ship few years ago
travelled by a Pacific Mail steamer
with CHEEKY crowd of Americans on
board. We had one chap who was
very mean and would never 60 in for
deck sports or assist in any of the en-
tertainments gotten up for the amuse-
ment of his fellow passengers. To the
surprise of all hands, be invited 10 of
us to champaign supper on Christ.
mas Day. We went to bed on Decem.
Der "a and woke up on the 26th. The
steamer had crossed the one hundred
and eightieth meridian during the
night and gained day. had forgot.
ten the fact, but the mean man had
inquired from the captain, hence his
invitation. There was no Christmas
Day, so he did not buy wine.''
Another Christmas was spent by
Captain Willoughby in a Chinese
prison near Wuchow, on the West
river, about 200 miles from Canton,
where he had been taken by pirates
after they had captured the ship that
he was on. He remarked that it was
20 years ago, but at the present time
British gunboats were patrolling the
West river to capture the pirates.
Other Christmases had been spent in
the Straits of Magellan, Samos, Suez
canal, Wellington, New Zealand. Mad
agascar, where be was attacked by
natives and wounded with spear;
Durham, South Africa, where he after
ward went to the relief of Ladysmith.
] and Vladivostok, Siberia, where he
was arrested and thrown into prison
as Japanese spy during tho recent
war.
This time the Captain will spend
Christmas Day on the Overland Limit
ed between Chicago and San Fran
cisco. He reioiced at the chance to
escape eating Christmas pudding,
which, he said, was deadly danger
to digestion. One of bis most painful
"reminiscences was eating some cold
pudding on Christmas night WREN
be came off watch, and under its des
troyiDg influences he got up in his
sleep and clim bed aloft to the roYal
yard, carefully watched by the amazed
officer On duty. He reached his berth
again safely, and never knew until he
went on deck next morning what be
had done.
No ioyal Engllshman. be said, feels
really happy away from home without
lis Christmas pudding. During the
Boer War the people spent thousands
of pounds sending canned pudding t(
the soldiers. Some of them were uset
by Kaffirs on their farms to bulle
fences. His sister once sent him {
padding to Alaska, and the freight
charges were $50
cood Err Evorvh0dv