Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Christmas Day On Board Her Majesty's Ship "Nonsuch."
5 . 14—Idea proves good ! It has cleared up ! Stars are peeping out . _ 5 . 15—Now or never ! Yes— -there ' s a step—only a couple of celestials . Chin Ohm !! Early birds catch the worm ! Serve the worm right for getting up so early I'll wait another quarter . 5 . 17—How comfortable I should be on board . Another hour-ancl-a-half before turning out . Shall I give it up ? Away base thought ! Never !!
5 . 20—Suppose they don't come ! Start for the Peak by myself hi the dark ! Don't like it ! Have heard horrible stories of prowling Chinamen up that way ! W onder if they cany lanterns ! Guess not I 5 . 22—Yes ! I'll give it up—I'll take a walk round Happy Valley instead . Good idea ! Get out there just by daylight . 5 . 24—Unhappy thought ! Prowling Chinamen are more likely to be met with out
there than up Topside . 5 . 25—Pipe out ! Between two opinions . Victim of misplaced confidence . By Jove !!! I'll not be baulked—Prowling Chinamen be hanged . Stand clear . ' I'll do the Peak alone . Happy thought ! start at once before courage evaporates . 5 . 2 H—Started .
5 . 29—Lamp-posts getting few ancl far between . 5 . 30—Heard clock chime far below . Nearing the open country beyond the settlement . 5 . 33—Passed the last lamp-post and lost all note of time . Later—Onward and upward ! Closer and closer !! Warmer and warmer !!! Look in vain for daylight . Reveille sounds from the camp ancl shipping now far beneath me . Look for eastbut can't settle its whereabouts .
, Time further on—Lighting up away to right . East , of course ! Begin to take it easier , as fair light of morn chases away the shadows of night—prowling Chinamen included—ancl shows things in their proper colours . Take heart accordingly , even whistle for a couple of yards , but find it awfully trying . About 6 . 0—Light insufficient to distinguish minute hand of my watch . Passed the Police station in the Gap—all quiet .
Sea-view ancl sea-breeze come together—delightful ! 6 . 23—Reach the summit and wish the signal-man his first "Merry "Christmas . " He teds me he has been up some time looking for the mail . Glad to have some one to chat to on this festive morn . Must join him in a cup of coffee . He hopes to sight mail soon , for as soon as the gun is fired , he will be able to get below . Remembers more than one Christmas Day on which the mail has kept him alone at the summit
throughout the clay . 7 . 0—Fog has suddenly enveloped the Peak . Signal-man comes clown to his gardengate . Tells me to keep to left side ' while fog lasts . Good-bye , ancl I ' m fairly started . 7 . 30—At the G-. P . O . in Victoria . Decide that walking down , if quicker , is more trying than going up .
8 . 0—On board to a Christmas breakfast , after which the hands were piped to " rig church" on the main deck , between the heavy guns with their muzzles " run out " through . the portholes , looking anything but emblems of that "Peace and goodwiU " which should be preached on this festive morn , more than any other throughout the year . When all is ready the ship's bed is tolled—the sailors and marines come tumbling up from below—the master-at-arms reports to the commander " all aft "—the chaplain takes his place at a reading-desk amidships , and the Christmas service is begun by
singing the grand old anthem , " Hark ! the herald-angels sing . " But it is not to hear a grand Christmas service that so many visitors have gathered together ; save a bit of evergreen stuck round , the breach of the guns , there is no attempt at decoration , neither are there altars , lights , or processions ; the service is of the simplest , and the sermon wonderfully short . It is not for this that over half-a-hundred followers of St . John ' s ancl St . Peter ' s have forsaken their own churches ashore on this Christmas morn . No ! The sailors' Christmas-tide does not commence tdl the bell strikes ei ght ( noon ) , and it is for that we are now waiting . Ding ' . Dong ! Ding
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Christmas Day On Board Her Majesty's Ship "Nonsuch."
5 . 14—Idea proves good ! It has cleared up ! Stars are peeping out . _ 5 . 15—Now or never ! Yes— -there ' s a step—only a couple of celestials . Chin Ohm !! Early birds catch the worm ! Serve the worm right for getting up so early I'll wait another quarter . 5 . 17—How comfortable I should be on board . Another hour-ancl-a-half before turning out . Shall I give it up ? Away base thought ! Never !!
5 . 20—Suppose they don't come ! Start for the Peak by myself hi the dark ! Don't like it ! Have heard horrible stories of prowling Chinamen up that way ! W onder if they cany lanterns ! Guess not I 5 . 22—Yes ! I'll give it up—I'll take a walk round Happy Valley instead . Good idea ! Get out there just by daylight . 5 . 24—Unhappy thought ! Prowling Chinamen are more likely to be met with out
there than up Topside . 5 . 25—Pipe out ! Between two opinions . Victim of misplaced confidence . By Jove !!! I'll not be baulked—Prowling Chinamen be hanged . Stand clear . ' I'll do the Peak alone . Happy thought ! start at once before courage evaporates . 5 . 2 H—Started .
5 . 29—Lamp-posts getting few ancl far between . 5 . 30—Heard clock chime far below . Nearing the open country beyond the settlement . 5 . 33—Passed the last lamp-post and lost all note of time . Later—Onward and upward ! Closer and closer !! Warmer and warmer !!! Look in vain for daylight . Reveille sounds from the camp ancl shipping now far beneath me . Look for eastbut can't settle its whereabouts .
, Time further on—Lighting up away to right . East , of course ! Begin to take it easier , as fair light of morn chases away the shadows of night—prowling Chinamen included—ancl shows things in their proper colours . Take heart accordingly , even whistle for a couple of yards , but find it awfully trying . About 6 . 0—Light insufficient to distinguish minute hand of my watch . Passed the Police station in the Gap—all quiet .
Sea-view ancl sea-breeze come together—delightful ! 6 . 23—Reach the summit and wish the signal-man his first "Merry "Christmas . " He teds me he has been up some time looking for the mail . Glad to have some one to chat to on this festive morn . Must join him in a cup of coffee . He hopes to sight mail soon , for as soon as the gun is fired , he will be able to get below . Remembers more than one Christmas Day on which the mail has kept him alone at the summit
throughout the clay . 7 . 0—Fog has suddenly enveloped the Peak . Signal-man comes clown to his gardengate . Tells me to keep to left side ' while fog lasts . Good-bye , ancl I ' m fairly started . 7 . 30—At the G-. P . O . in Victoria . Decide that walking down , if quicker , is more trying than going up .
8 . 0—On board to a Christmas breakfast , after which the hands were piped to " rig church" on the main deck , between the heavy guns with their muzzles " run out " through . the portholes , looking anything but emblems of that "Peace and goodwiU " which should be preached on this festive morn , more than any other throughout the year . When all is ready the ship's bed is tolled—the sailors and marines come tumbling up from below—the master-at-arms reports to the commander " all aft "—the chaplain takes his place at a reading-desk amidships , and the Christmas service is begun by
singing the grand old anthem , " Hark ! the herald-angels sing . " But it is not to hear a grand Christmas service that so many visitors have gathered together ; save a bit of evergreen stuck round , the breach of the guns , there is no attempt at decoration , neither are there altars , lights , or processions ; the service is of the simplest , and the sermon wonderfully short . It is not for this that over half-a-hundred followers of St . John ' s ancl St . Peter ' s have forsaken their own churches ashore on this Christmas morn . No ! The sailors' Christmas-tide does not commence tdl the bell strikes ei ght ( noon ) , and it is for that we are now waiting . Ding ' . Dong ! Ding