New-York tribune., 1909-05-23
THE HORSE MARINES. -
Speculation as to Origin Of Popular English
Term


There few terms in the English language
which admit OF so many varied interpretations as
that which forms the heading Of this article SAYS
The London Globe" The majority will probably
protest that it IS merely the ordinary jocuar term
applied 10 those whose duty requires them TO serve
on and Iand-the royal marines-fn much
the same sense that the term Naval Mounted
Horse applied 10 the bIuejackets employed at
the royal military tournament at Islington few
years back. when they took on the cavalry at
wrestling on horseback
II would be absurd TO urge that there is no
reasonable foundation for this OF the term
In ordinary nautical significance doubt II does
imply awkward person. a marine ahoat. a ma
rine mounted horseback. or a cavaIrvrnau per-
forming mariners work. one more awkward. per-
haps. than the ordinary soldier ahoat may reasona-
bly, he imagined to have Ieen in the eyes OF jack
in the days OF masts and sails In Farmer &
Henley's Slang and It's MoEOIogues' the explana-
ton Is "a mythical corps very commonly cited in
jokes and Quizzed the innocent" The late Ad-
miral Srnyth. in his Sailors Handbook" explains
the term implying awkward. lubberly per
son. out Of place. Iandsman afoat- Dr.
OgiIvie in his Imperial Dictionary adopts the
same meaning. adding las cavalry force would
be in a fight; and in Nlurrays New English
Dictionary" similar Interpretation Is given The
term has. of for years past been jOculary-
applied the field. mounted. officers Of the
corps of royal marnes. but It is feeble effort ae
fun The Royal Marine Artillery and the Royal
Marine Light Infantry boast and with good res son,
that their proud motto, per mare per terrain
implies they serve both sea and on land when
duty calls; and when on shore their field officers
mounted. in every regiment in the service,
as also the senior officers in the royal navy
for the matter OF that. so that horse marine
is TO more Of a rara avis on SOuthsea Common or
At Walmer than a mounted Life Guardsnan is
whitehall
The royal marines at all events in good
company, and have by means the monopoly or
the sObriquet. 1t may not be generally known
that the 18th Lancers We're for many years known
as the horse Marines in consequence OF two
troops of that distinguished cavalry regiment hav-
ing been employed as acting Marines board the
frigate HermiOne during some severe sighting -oTi
the West Indian station in l795- And logically, II
distinction should equally be shared bv ne ci,sS
tROyaI West Surrey and the DevOnshire reslments.
yictory Of june 4 fI94 by the sI Rtti r. io 10 ,
Welsh Regiment. which distinguished itself at ST.
Vincent ~ l4sl and Gears ne ulstnCUou ~ rs
service. for they at time or another in their
career have been either marine corps. sea service
embarked FOR service atloat- There is most sig
marne JS his school, h n 9 d % typical ~ soFs
United Service Club, in Pail Mall. IL depicts
Sir George Cockburn. 6. G. b. in the naval uni
form Of rear admiral In cavalry Hessian boots
and spurs the latter In virtue of the honorary 9es
Of major general Of marines. which he held az the
a very early mention of this interesting arm OF
The seryce-the horse @Parinss-is @ found in Mo
- lie VicOmte de JOdelet says Mile. NIadel0n
and Mile Cathos. who are listening auribus ar
rectiS: 'NOtre cOnnaisSance s'est faite q Tarnse.
ct la premiere fois que nous nous Wines COM
mandait regiment de cavalerie les galeres
de Malte." To which lie Marquis de MascarilIe re-
plies: III est vrai; mais ettaz pourtant dams
Templo avant que jy fusse; ct je me sOuviens que
te Metals que petit officer encore que vOlIs COM
mandlez deux mile chevaux." One would suppose
that the chief instrument OF the band Of JOdeets
horse marines must have been Ia trOmpette ma
rne." also mentioned by Moliere in lie Bourgeois
5entilhOmme- There musical instrument
of that In the seventeenth century. a sort OF
large voIOnceo with string. which Case in
his French dictionary, explains as AN Obsolete
musical Instrument again a term OF
derisIon!
Some one has suggested the origin OF -tha sobri-
quet in the word ''hawser By sailors called a
''haWse." Marines TO the hawse-blueta etaCkafs
aioftr would sound strange 70 the nautical ear
1t suggested that when marines first manned this
hawse il would entail any great energy OF Wit
TO play upon the word and give these hrie fellows
a name which seems 10 puzzle the learned in these
DAYS. Others recall the horse. and the hOrse~
hsh hippocampuS. that odd little fish with a
head like that OF horse Then there are the horse
marines. marine horse. the fabulous an1rla@n
constituting Neptunes team