The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1909-04-06
MARINE

Yesterday, as well as Sunday, was
visiting day on board the Aso and the
Soya, the japanese battleships now in
port, and there was one steady string
| of people, full of all sorts of ques-
/ tions, boarding and leaving the ships
| during the entire allotted time. At
/ o clock, when the vessels were opened
II to inspection, there was a long line
! of people-not half of whom were Jap
| anese-ourside the gates. After that
| there was a steady string of visitors
| until evening.
Many peculiar features on the boats
were noticed and commented on by
those to whom japanese man-o war
| was unfamiliar. Everything on board
| the ships is svstematized to a degree
greater than the casual observer thinks.
For instance, there was one gangplank
over which it said, "Entrance. To
attempt to leave the warship from this
gangway was simply to invite tap
on the shoulder from one of the white
clad officers stationed there and po-
lite indication that the Exit ladder
was on fhe other end of the ship. No
one was allowed to board the vessel
on the exit ladder.
1t was not the upper part of the
ship that attracted so much attention
as it was the lower decks. To be sure,
there We're polite officers always ready
to explain The intricacies of the big
gun IS mechanism, upstairs, but the gen
eral public was more interested in the
personal side of the sailors life on
board ship It looked rather odd to
some to see the white-suted sailors
eating in the messrooms all day. mat
is, there was always number OF the
men eating their rice, with little
meat on top, no matter what time
visitor went below.
nDon't you have regular hours for
eating9,s asked a visitor of one of the
men who spoke English.
He answered in the affirmative, but
did not give any further lnformatloh'
There are number of the sailors on
the boat who are only part-Japanese.
One of these, whose father was
Seotchman, speaks excellent Engilsn.
He is a graduate Of the japanese Naval
Academy. and has only few more
months of his conseription to serve. lie
was asked what the japanese sailors
did in the way Of amusements at sea.
q Amusements! We have no amuse-
merits. II YOU call work amusement,
then we have it; but as for any sort
of plav. there is none of it. The lie
of a sailor in the japanese Navy IS
not a fascinating one by any means.
But we all, no matter of what rank,
have to serve our five years IN the
navy. when we are placed on the re-
serve list.
LurIine Has Rough Time.
According to a wireless message re-
ceived yesterday from the Matson
steamer Lurline, that boat IS not nav
ing very pleasant trip OF 1t TO the
mainland. She reported at clock
Sunday night that she was III south
east gale. with very heavy seas. She
was then go miles from this port.
The Oceanic steamer Alameda. hound
for this port. reported by wireless Sun
dav night. At $3.50 o clock she was
$40 miles from San Francisco, or 1000
miles from Honolulu. She will arrive
here Friday, as usual.
Rosecrans Gets Away.
Towing the barge monterey anu the
little tug Rover. the Associated Oh
steamer Roseerans sailed yesterday
morning for Gaviota. According to
all the reports that have come in from
the outside. she is bound to have
hard time in handling the Rover in the
rough weather which is undoubtedly
prevailing at sea.
Foofng Suey for Kahului
Captain Willett was all ready yes
terday morning to sail away for Ka-