EDITORIAL.

The oacred t r a d i t i o n s of Jo u rn a lism p re s c r ib e th e s e r io u s n o te o f m oral c r i t i c i s m and w ise counse l f o r th e e d i t o r i a l column. We d a re no t t r a n s g r e s s l e s t a l l th e f u r i e s o f H e ll be poured ev e r u© by ..' „ ' o u trag ed pressm en . A ccord ing to tim ehonoured u sag e , ;/e p roeeed th e r e fo re to c o n s id e r men and ev e n ts f re a th e n ig h van tage ground o f ou r anonymous p l u r a l i t y .

The N.Z. T ra n sp o r t No. 66, by name th e W illo c h ra , i s f i l l e d w it men a l l good and tru e - and women b e t t e r and t r u e r , The l a d i e s , two in number, a re lilce o ases in th e d e s e r t of k h a k i. We - c u rs e lv e th e w r i t e r - a re o ld , seasoned and h e a r t hardened th ro u g h m a r r ia g e , b u t g r i z z le d and b a ld though we b e , we fo llo w th e d i r e c t i o n o f a l l eyes when th e r e d , g ray and w h ite f l i t abou t th e decks* God b le s s th e s i s t e r s t h a t g race our sh ip by t h e i r p resence and ennoble ou r th o u g h ts as v/e r e f l e c t upon t h e i r e r ra n d of m e rc ifu l s e r v ic e . They rem ind us o f th e w ives and sw e e th e a r ts th e boys have l e f t , and , e x cep t in th e te n d e rn e ss o f t h e i r y e a r s , o f th e m others whose h e a r t s a re sw o llen w ith te n d e r re g a rd f o r u s .

S u re ly nev er was such a good humoured company o f men g a th e re d on on a tro o p sh ip b e fo re I We, had no t been a f o r tn ig h t a t sea v/hen th e O .C ., overcome w ith th e v i r t u e o f h is men, p u b lic ly commended i t by p l a s t e r i n g a l l n o tic e b oards w ith the e x p re s s io n of h i s a p p re c ia t io n There were a few so re heads th e morning we l e f t A lbany b u t th e number cou ld be ocunted cn th e f in g e r s o f a man’s hands and we p rp h esy th a t th e number w i l l be le s s on th e morning of our d e p a r tu re '' from th e nex t p o r t o f c a l l . I t i s p le a s in g to be a b le to re c o rd th e h ig h sen© o f honour t h a t d ls t i n u is h e s th e l 8th N.Z. R e in fo rc e menty.

The a c t i v i t i e s o f d a i l y , l i f e ab o ard a re numerous and d iv e r s i f i e d The d i s c ip l in e o f p h y s ic a l d r i l l and semaphore s i g n a l l in g , m usketry e t c . i s seasoned w ith th e r e l a x a t io n o f games and s p o r ts and re a d in g and f r ie n d ly co n v e rse . Among those who a d m in is te r to our e n te r - ta in m en t must be s ig n a l l e d o u t th e b ra s s band . We have s u r p r is e d young unm arried men and m a rr ie d ones too f o r s o o th , - w ith t h e i r coun tenances H sick lted o ’e r w ith th e p a le c a s t H of th a t w orld o ld s e n tim e n t which f i r s t s t i r r e d i n th e bosom of ^dam when he b e h e ld th e beau teous Eve ( our em otions have c a r r ie d us in to a se n te n c e o f unmangeable le n g th ) » we have s u rp is e d such men w ith such an eye** w a te ry lo o k , a s th e s t r a i n s o f th e b an d m as te r’s m usio were w afted by th e even ing b re e z e o ’e r th e decks and txa> th e moon b e s p r in k le d h e r shim m ering s i l v e r d u s t upon th e fa c e o f th e w a te rs l i t Y/e h a s te n to a s s u re our r e a d e rs t h a t th e above d e l i c a te e f f u s io n i s no t th e o u tp o u r in g s of pad re B a r r a ’s h e a r t , a l b e i t th e resem blance to th e Rev. f a t h e r ’s c o n tin u ed d a i ly u t te r a n c e s may be too c lo s e f o r d i s t i n c t i o n .

The r e l ig i o u s w e lfa re o f ou r t r a n s p o r t i s am plt p ro v id ed f o r by s in c e re and e a rn e s t p a d re s a id e d by th e esteem ed sk ip p e r o f th e sh ip and a r e p r e s e n ta t iv e o f th e Y.M.C.A. There i s a h e a r t in e s s , and deep volume o f sound in th e s in g in g on th e Sunday and th e V ev en in g v o lu n ta ry S e rv ic e s w hich p u t th e s in g in g o f an o rd in a ry > Church c o n g re g a tio n to sham e. May th e s p i r i t o f re v e re n c e , say v/e, ^ f o r e t e r n a l th in g s abound more and m ore, as th e l 8th R e in fo rc e - sment moves on to th e f i e l d o f b a t t l e to champion th e g rand cause o f r ig h te o u s n e s s and freedom .

m us & co.

3. Were members of H Coy,And v/e are a jolly set,At teaching anything at all,V/e are the best you* 11 get.

2 Out O.C. is a little man,At shouting Stan’s'. a pet,And when he orders "Stand at A isc”We all do it you bet,

3 T#en Mr. Dick he!s rather small,At Gym hefs very good,And when his back is to the wall,Por wFritzw it bodes no good.

4 Then ’’Den11 and ”Charlie” best of chaps,They’re on another ship,

At lazy stick they both are good,"Good luck0 and pleasant trip.

5 Our S.&. is a genial bloke,His hair is rather thin0 His language sometimes it doth smoke, "Hulme" is his cognomen.

6 Our Quarter he is tall and bent,Slim Hollis is his nmt®1.He looks just like a question mark At marbles he is game.

7 Next - Joe Lenanne, a blacksmith he, ■And a hard case you can bet He’ll drink a pint with any man,And twelve wont get him Wwet‘',

8 Then Chalmer's he’s a funny youth,And rarely does he snort,A real hard case among the girls,Whs like our good old port.

9 How V7anklyn he’s the very best,Or so his ’’boys1' allow A popular good fellow he,Who Neer looks for a row.

10 Then Willie Grieve a teacher isA good square headed man,’’Records” jobs he seems to like,And does the besy he can.

11 Next Paton of the quiet smile,' An inoffensive chap,He is much liked by every man,And never gives back chat. \ .

(2)(J2 Then Patrick he’s from Arthurs Pass

A big fat chap is he,Weighs fouir&ecm st?ne - A ’’jumbo11 class, Vfoo never misses tea,

13 Then next the 11 Colonel” surnamed Reece,Who looks straight down his nose,A straight chap is, who hateth Greece, Likewise all Btirainvs foes.

14- Next Adlam of Samoan fame,He’s now on the ’'Tofua5*"Who knows tricks in this fighting gam©,A good pal - No one truer0

Stace comes - a Sergeant he Of thirthtwo Platoon,He gets quite lovesick every day,And hopes to get home soon.

l6 *' Then last, Not least is; ’’DaiSy BeyM ,And mitchell is his name ,He is the ladies pride and joy,I tell it to his skame.

Epilogue.My task is done. I write in fun,And spite and malico there is none, and if this ryme doth you enrage.Please shut you if eyes and turn this page

YOU.For me, the sunshine ceases, winter falls,As I’m farther from you daily borne away,

And nothing in God’s world is real to me Save you And you I cannot find in all the empty

day •D ear heart, I v/as a poet - But not now,So far from you to sing would "be to weep,

And there is nothing in this mad world to sing v Save you And you come to me only in my hauntedGieep.

Yet should I fear, because the winters coining? And silence falls, where singing once has been,

Hath not my soul a dream of happy bliss With you And the future calls, with promises

unseen^

i S (The Mate*s Soliloquy) ,vMY CROSS.

What* is it that spoils my sleep, And makes my very flesh to creep, And bitter tears of pain to weep?

'Overtime.Pull half the night I lie awake And scheme until my eyelids ache, For fear.the blighted sailors make,

Some Overtime.OFatherl grant me this I pray,That neither this nor any day, may the crew augment their pay,

With OvertimeAnd the Band played ,fThe Rosary”

“The Lament of William the Fourth” or ”The Dirge of the Four to Eight”,Scene The Bridge. Time 4 a.m. on a dirty night.Haszard the Second to the Bridge Messenger©-

"Haste thee’. Hermes I ere I foam at the mouth,”For the wind blows cold from the ice-bound South.“Got call the Fourth; I fain would sleep;”Tis wearying work keeping watch o’er the deep”,

Hermes to theFo’urth®-”Sleeper, Arise I the night grov/s old,”Tis wet on deck, and piercing cold;”iviake haste, make haste! for the windis high,”And the weary Second is like to die”,

William soliloquises:-11 Lord I I have sinned against thee, but have starved on thy

Seven Seas;“Others have lived and. loved, but naught have X known of these.”It seems but one short moment since I closed these heavy eyes”-\ But the v©ice spake back - “Enough I..,. !Tis time*,,,,. Arise;”

Our C ap ta in had been i n th e Boy S cou ts and wore th a A a ta rc r tic B it S u b s f were new to th e game, th e r e fo re wore n o t p r e ju d ic e d by m iU rtaxy

m an u a ls . They d id no t c la im to know t h e i r In f a n try T ra in in g 19JA from A t b a t had a l l re a d th e F i r s t Hundred Thousand and B a irn s f a t h e r ’ s S k e tch es f ro the T ren ch es, so were th e r e f o r e , i n a way, e x p e r ie n c e d . The le a d in g platcc- was le d by "L ive W ire” a newly m arrie d p r i n t e r who i s due to g e t th e D.C.G* f o r th e number o f fa g s he can consume; he won h is p o p u la r i ty by th e number le n g th o f th e "sm okaho’s ” he u sed to g iv e u s . The n ex t p la to o n d id a t one tim e have an c f f i c e r , b u t he went back to sh o o l, and th e p la to o n was th e re f- o v e rlo o k e d . . T h e ir p la t - on s e rg e a n t anyway never g o t p a s t a p o in t 6 m ile s from V /e llin g to n when he went down on w eek-end le a v e . He i s a g r e a t b e l i e '<i n a d v e r t i s i n g . The o r ig in a to r o f th e s ta n d a rd e x p re s s io n "What th e h----a re you doing Ho.6” had a d ink£ l i t t l e "Mo", which gave him an a i r of a u th o r i t y . He sk ip p ed th e se v e n th P la to o n . The r e a r p la to o n was le d b / a bo rn o f f i c e r , a r e g u la r Jack Johnson , who was very p o p u la r w ith h ia G r d e . J Th$ H.C.O’s - w e ll more of them anon.

We have had a h a rd t r a in i n g , in o lu d in g a sermon by our l a t e Serge; m a jo r, and were p e r f e c t i n fo rm ing fo u rs (on w hich, I u n d e rs ta n d , v ic to ry ir th e f i e l d so much depends) and were now read y to go in to a c t io n a g a in s t oui c o n tem p tib le n e ig h b o u rs , th e 18th .D unedin . Coy. They, o f c o u rse , a re not a v /ell t r a in e d as we a r e . We have two L an ce-S e rg ean ts - th ey have o n ly ore; our Q .k .S .d id n ’ t go in to H o sp ita l - th e i r * s d id ; we m arch to a drum - th ey don’t ; we can aim and g ive f i r e o rd e rs a t houses - th ey a re s t i l l on th e w a te r- to w e r , I in tro d u c e th e s e t r i v i a l s u b je c ts because th ey were to a t t a c us a t M o rriso n ’s B ush , X w i l l no t a ttem p t to c r i t i c i s e t h e i r m anoeuvres as th ey were a c tu a l ly u n p r in ta b le , and would n o t be b e l ie v e d ; how ever, I w i l l g iv e you a resume of our m ain p o in t s .

We had been soap ing ou r f e e t and c u t t in g ou r to e n a i l s f o r th re d da when a t l a s t th e o rd e r to s t a r t on cu r fo u r m ile march came from H eadquarte r P ro u d ly headed by our g a l l a n t C ap ta in on h i s o ld c ro ck , and le d by our one a only drummer we p a sse d th e p o rk p ie shop a t 8.30 gee bung . To m a in ta in th e men’s s p i r i t was an arduous jo b , b u t th e S e rg ean t-M ajo r sang l u s t i l y th e f i r l i n e o f ’’Where my C aravan has r e s te d * ', th e whole company jo in in g i n th e l a s t two w ords. T h is was re p e a te d s e v e ra l tim es and c a r r ie d us a long to th e Q u a rte r Guard, th e n a f t e r vthe u s u a l s a l u t a t i o n s , "Eyes sidew ays - p l a c e " , - - - ’’Eyes - back1' , we a g a in co n tin u ed our m arch, b u t by t h i s tim e th e s te p v/as bdg-inning to la g , b u t a f t e r No. 6 had had t h e i r u su a l shak ing up by -he of th e "Dinky k o " , we a g a in go t th a t m a r t i a l s p i r i t and th e drummer was to l d to s to ; u n t i l th e men g o t in to s te p once m ore. O rders were now re c e iv e d t h a t we we: to m arch on the P ig Farm . Maps were p ro d u ced , b u t th e p ig cou ld no t *be lo c a te d . We reach ed th e T auheren ikau P ub . and of cou rse h a l te d f o r Smoke-ol cn th e adv ice o f L ive W ire. E x p e rts were drawn up to th e head of th e colum- fo r a con fab , and Pte.Sim m onds o f f e re d to go on ahead to sm e ll o u t th e P ig Farm, As a p r o t e c t io n to him , P te s Holm and D onaldson, b e in g th e two b e s t dodgers we had i n th e Company, were s e n t o u t as f l a n k e r s .

A f t e r w a itin g an h o u r f o r th e o f f ic e r s * o r d e r l i e s to c a tc h up , wo a g a in p roceeded c a u tio u s ly ; drum b e a tin g ; th r e e men s in g in g ; two w h is t l in g ; rem ainder th in k in g h a rd . The d i s c ip l in e o f th e Company a t t h i s p o in t was e x c e l le n t ; Ho,6. b e in g very w e l l , c o n s id e r in g Dinky-mo was s in g in g "Good Old Mary A nn". I t was about h e re t h a t Ho,5 P la to o n S e rg ean t handed i n a f i e l d message from th e advanced s c o u t , w hich re a d H23r d . 0c t r , Trentham S ta k e s ,1 D ese rt Gold 5 / - S a u c i, and Hew Y ork. A lso 25 to I 1*, Ho 8 P la to o n Sergeant who had navy e x p e r ie n c e , h av in g seen a l l ov e r H,M,S,Hew Z ea land , was c a l le d up to d e c ip h e r t h i s m essage. On th e ad v ic e o f L ive Wire we had a n o th e r Smoke-oh. A f te r th e h a lf -h o u r b re a k , S c o tty d is c o v e re d th a t he had handed in h is Trentham t i p s in s te a d o f th e f i e l d m essage. We s t a r t e d o f f once m.re A f te r a w h ile th e men seemed to g e t t h e i r second w ind, and th e pace increaocc a p p re c ia b ly ; a f t e r f i v e m in u tes o f t h i s a n o th e r sm oke-oh was c a l l e d on th e adv ice of L ive W ire , E n q u ir ie s s e t on fo o t to d is c o v e r th e cause o f th i s h a s te r e s u l t e d in th e f in d in g t h a t i t was caused by th e sm ell

S cou ts were s e n t ou t t* sco u t f o r th e s c o u ts who se re sc o u tin g f* th e p ig - fa rn u They were found a t th e pub, hav ing been jo in e d by Ho .8 p l a + whom we d is c o v e re d we had l e f t beh ind a t th e f i r s t sm oke-oh, h u t as we had f o r g o t t e n to g iv e them o rd e rs to a c t as r e a r guard i t was dec id ed to c a l l them our a r t i l l e r y (who a re u s u a l ly fo u r hours in r e a r of th e I n f a n t r y ) . C were a b le to w alk , th e rem ainder coming on by m otor c a r . When th e y jo in c us we haa lu n c h . The o f f i c e r s and, s e rg e a n ts had l a i d ou t fior a gorgeous lu n c h , th r e e b o t t l e s of p ic k l e s , one of sau ce , k n iv e s , f o r k s , e t c . b u t the Q.McSergeVnt had f o r g o t te n to o rd e r t h e i r e a ta b le s , so th ey lunched w ith t ' men to show t h e i r s o ld ie r ly s p i r i t , and backed i t up w ith a l e c tu r e on E s p i r i t de\ c o rp s .

A f te r a good s le e p , we s t a r t e d o u t i n column o f f*=ur th i c k , to f i n i s h ou r t r e k . Wedid no t send o u t an advance p a r ty , as be ing covered i a c lo u d o f d u s t , we d is g u is e d o u rs e lv e s as a Ford ca r on the W a ita ra Road; by so do ing v/e re ach ed our rendezvous u n seen , except by the peop le w ith in o r a d iu s o f p m i le s , in c lu d in g th e app le haw kers w ith t h e i r c a r t s .

we r e c e iv e d a no te from th e enemy to say jn a t th ey would a t t a c k us a t d a y lig h t th e nex t m orn ing . S e rg ean t Mac w ouldn’t b e lie v e them and d ec id e d to be p re p a re d . \

We r e t i r e d to a co o l sp o t under some shady t r e e s f o r a smoke-oh w h ile th e o f f i c e r s dec id ed abou t th e P iq u e t L in e . \

There was a b lu f f h i l l which commanded a view »f th e whole p la in where th e a t t a c k was to be d e l iv e re d from . A ll t e x t books ru le d th a t w«V sh o u ld tak e up our d e fe n s iv e l i n e on th e brow o f th e h i l l , bu t we knew \ too much fo r th a t and on th e adv ice o f Pte.Tongm an v/e p la c e d th e P iq u e t l i n e w e l l out from th e h i l l n ea r th e p u b . The P iq u e t under “Dinky Mow \ took over th e ground and p o s te d h is s e n t ry g ro u p s . I t v/as r a t h e r u n fo r tu n a te th a t he in c lu d ed in h is S e n try group some cow spankers a s th e enemy c o l l a r e d the s a id group m ilk in g "S tra w b e rry ’' one m ile i n advance o f our l i n e . D uring th e n ig h t L ive Wire g o t busy , found one S e n try group a s le e p , c o l l a r s d t h e i r b o o ts and h a ts , th e n sen t o u t a m essage w ithdraw ing th e S e n t ry g roup . Words cou ld n o t ex p ress th e f e e l in g s o f C orp*G i lp i n and h is men on t h e i r b a re - fo o te d r e t u r n .

The r e s u l t o f th e a t ta c k ? Oh! th e y were supposed to have won; b u t th e bloom ing enemy d id n ; t p la y th e game. Why? W ell I ’ l l t e l l you .

The re a s o n g iv en by th e S t a f f was th a t we had ta k e n up £he wrong d e fe n s iv e p o s i t i o n , b u t t h a t v/as j u s t b l u f f . The r e a l cause was t h i s l - The D u n e d in ite s were supposed to a t t a c k a t d a y l ig h t which was J.O a.m . b u t th e y d id n ’t tu r n up t i l l $V30a frn. “Dinky Mo" though t h is \ b lu f f had come o f f and s t a r t e d g iv in g h i s P la to o n P h y s i c a l E x e r c i s e .I t war- o n ly when Smoke-oh s t a r t e d fchat th e enemy, who (u n lik e our fe l lo w s ) hadn ’t had a smoke f o r two h o u rs , sm elt th e W ild Woodbines and came to borrow a f a g . One cf€ our fe l lo w s t r i e d to s e l l him some and th i s d is c lo s e d o u r p o s i t i o n . Never mind we w i l l a t t a c k them n ex t tim e ,

th e n we*11 show them how a n - a t ta c k ought to be done.

ARTILLERY.Artillery ia an auxiliary arm of the Service, the sole reason

for its existence being "to help tho Infantry to maintain its mobility and <ffensive power by all the means at its disposal”. .

How in a short article like this, it is quite impossible to treat such a subject in all its variety. If anybody is sceptical, let him consider quietly that at the present time there is in use by our Army in France every type of gun from those less than 3 up to thosp12 inches in calibre; every type of howitzer - quite different from a gun - from 4ir up to umpteen inches, besides a host of trench mortars,And as yet we've net said a wcrd about ammunition, rr training, or gunnery•

But with a little patienoe on the part of the reader it nay be possible to learn a little about some of the weapons used by the Gunners ttto help the Infantry”•

First let us have a lo^k at some of the guns in use .Starting near the bottom of the scale we come to the anti-aircraft weapon* This fires a comparitively small shell, probably shrapnel exclusively, with a high muzzle velocity, and being mounted on a fast-moving motor lorry, is extremely mobile. s

The Koyal Horse Artillery vrith their guns take precedence in the British Army and their weapon is a miniature 18 pr. and fires a 12^1b. shell. Mobility is the characteristic of the R.H.A. as they move if necessary at the gallop. Fifc&d Artillery, KpusastxAxii - theoretically - never move faster than a trot.

The next gun is that used by the Field Artillery « the l8pr* of 3.3 torches calibre. This fires a shell weighing l8ilbs. with a muzzle velocity of 1600 feet per second. This weapon is horse drawn andean move about very quickly though somewhat slower than the R.H.A.The field gun of practically all nations is about a 3 inch weapon, and generally fires both shrapnel and H.E. (high explosive).

The next weapon to consider is the light field howitzer.This chap is 4. J inches in calibro and sends his greetings in the form of a 3?^* shell, sometimes containing H.23., at other times shrapnel. Here it might be worth while to distinguish between a gun and a howitzer. The former introduces himself by sending his missle through the door or window which is not so bad, but the latter has the very unpleasant habit of dropping his little*pill, through the roof cr the chimney. To look at, the gun has a fairly long business-like barrel, and looks a thoroughbred. On the other hand,the howitzer is a short, squat, pugnaceous-looking chap, with his ugly,threatening snout usually pushed skywards.

The heavy fie^d weapon is the 60 pounder of 5 inches calibre* This a heavy weapon fairly cumbersome and so is not very mobile*Shrapnel and H.E. are both employed in his arguments.

Y/e now come to a varied assortment of guns and howitzers knqsvto as Siege Ordinance, These vary from 6 to 1 {J inches in calibre and fire shells, nearly always H.E,, from 100 to nearly 2000 lbs in weight* The muzzle velocity of some of the big shells is greater that that of our rifle bullet and comparing our rifle of about one third of an inch calible with a 15 inch howitzer it will probably be conceded that the latter is”some” weapon.

Shrapnel shells are simply steel cases containing a large y number of spherical hardsned-lead pellets, with some means for opening the case and liberating the pellets :£±k which then spread over a

WONDERFUL ADVANCE OF AEROPLANES AND EXISTING TYPES OF TO-DAY .

Wo havo o n ly to look back to th e y e a r 1909 when th e w orld - famed B lo r io t c ro s se d th o i in g l is h Channel by means o f a em ail 2? H .P , M onoplane. T h is was tjie lo n g e s t f l i g h t t h a t had over been accom plished by any man b e fo re t h a t n o v e r- to -b e - fo rg - t t e n d ay , 1Hhen we compare th e m achines o f to -d a y we can r e a l i e e th e m arv e llo u s developm ent o f a i r c r a f t s

A erop lanes can be d iv id e d in to two c l a s s e s , v i z ♦Land M achines Hydro A e ro p la n e s ,

There a re many d i f f e r e n t ty r e s o f la n d m ach ines. The c h i e f - d is tin c tio n © a re betw een Monoplanes and E i- p la n e s .

A Monoplane i s a m achine w ith a s in g le p a i r of w ings o r m ain p la in s , w h i ls t a B i-p la n e aa&te name im p lie s has two superposed pair.s. o f w ings, M u ltip la n e d m achines have been c o n s tru c te d , a lth o u g h the.; s u c c e s s fu l developm ent o f th e s e maohines p ro b ab ly b e longs to the- f u t u r e ,

The A eroplane i s a h e a v ie r - th a n - a i r machine and a p ro longed s u s te n a t io n i n th e a i r o f such a m achine i s on ly p o s s ib le by v i r tu e of. th e l i f t on th e w in g s. The l i f t depending on th e c o n f ig u ra t io n and speed o f th e machine r e l a t i v e l y to th e a i r .

The b i - p la n e w ith i t s e la b o r a te system of w in g -b rac in g i s u s u a l ly more s t ro n g ly c o n s tru c te d th a n th e monoplane and th e a d d i t io n a l wing a re a i s in fa v o u r o f a much la r g e r c a r ry in g c a p a c i ty . B i-p la n e s a re as a r u le slow er th a n monoplanes a lth o u g h a slow speed i s not e s s e n t i a l l y a c h a r a c t e r i s t i c o f a b i$L ane.

A h y d ro -p lan e i s an a i r borne c r a f t capable o f f l o a t i n g on w a te r , Such a m achine must be made s u f f i c i e n t l y s tro n g to r e s i s t th e sev e re b u f f e t in g o f a rough s e a , a lth o u g h i t s f ly in g c a p a c i ty i s a f f e c te d a d v e rs e ly by an underw eigh t and r e s i s t a n c e . The double f l o a t machine i s p ro b ab ly th e more sea -w o rth y c la s s o f h y d ro -a e ro p la n e and i s f a i r l y e f f i c i e n t i n rough w a te r ,

Some of th e famous h y d ro -a e ro p la n e s i n use i n th e Koyal Kaval A ir S e rv ic e a r e : -

The Sopw ith H ydro -A erop lane .Y/eight 2200 pounds.U sual lo a d 1000 p runds ,Speed r/0 m ile s p e r h o u r.

The Avro H ydro-A eroi'lane,100 h o rse p o u r.Speed 80 m ile s p e r h o u r .

The C u r t is P ly in g B o at,Twin Screw ,32O h o rse pow er, vSpeed 100 m ile s p e r h o u r , x

The C u r tis A eroplane Coy, have b u i l t a machine o f t h i s ty p e f i t t e d w ith 6 eng ines and d ev e lo p in g 1000 h o rse pow er. The en g in es are s t a r t e d vtik by a s e p a ra te 40 h o rse pov/er eng ine and t h i s sm all engine i s e l e c t r i c a l l y s t a r t e d ,

The p r i n c ip a l la n d m aohines i n use a r e j - VSpad, 300 H ,P , Speed 130 m ile s p e r h o u r, c lim bs over 1000 f e e t a A

m inute and i s used as a very f a s t s c o u t f o r s p e c ia l p u rp o s e s , \The Scpw ith B ip lan e , B ,E ,2 # 100 m ile s p e r h o u r, c lim bs 1000 f e e t \

a m in u te , xThe Avro B ip lan e ) i 00 m iio s p e r hour o r o v e r .The B r i s t o l B ip la n e )The C u r t is s B ip la n e , 120 m ile s p e r h o u r . Climbs ov e r 1000 f e e t a m in u te .

Amongst tho f a s t m onoplanes a re th e H o ra n e -S a u lu ie r .H ie u p o r t and B le r i o t . P robab ly th e b ig g e s t w eigh t c a rry in g la n d m aohines a re S ik o rsk y and Ilandley Page B ip la n e s w hich can c a r ry over 20 p a ssen g e rs and a re f i t t e d w ith ab u t A eng ines d ev e lo p in g 600 H .P , ________

* ART Xconsiderable area* Shrapjael iff-'the. majvJdLJJ r H.E. isused for"breaking up” the happy home”, especially if it is in the shape of a gun belonging to the enemy. H.S. is some powerful explosive encased in a steel shell v/hich is shattered into small fragments on detonation. This shell is about a quarter as gentle as dynamite in its effect* There are other shells - also a censcasshtjf.

But to complete the tally of v/eapons we must include the Trench Mortars <> The Mortar is one of the oarliest forms of Artillery9 and has been resuscitated Sxesz for trench warefare. Very accurate fire can be obtained from them, and they fire large shells for short ranges. UHow for a glance at the functions of the various types.

The anti-aircraft is self-explanatory.The Mortar is an abomination especially if he belongs to

the other side. This chap delights in blowing trenches to bits and cutting barbed wire into small pieces. Some of his missiles have playful little tricks, suoh as failure to explode on arrival ® for several seconds* So to stroll up casually to examine such an one might have very disagreeable consequences for the would-be inspector

Field guns and Hov/itzers have a more dignified procedure, and start arguing from a distance preferably from li to 3 miles*Hostile Infantry have a rooted dislike to these especially if they «* the Infantry - are out in the open. They then find shrapnel . bursting in the air above, and High Explosive either at their feet or on rebound in their faces. Y/hat is a man to do in such a case?

Heavy Artillery carries a thumping big punch and can stir quickly resting troops six miles distant, into sudden agitation.A shorter range is preferablec Also, while the field guns take on an object frontally, these bigger brothers will have a few shy dig® at the flanks, thanks to his great range.

After that there is the "Big Stuff* at present almost monopolising attention: because siege warefare they look upon as their forte. At the present time they do their best to make lif© as miserable as possible for the other side, and will blow up his depots, Railway Stations, roads, bridges, Headquarters, troops; in fact anything they can reach - and there range is enormous - without compunction and on the slightest provocation •

So it is not very difficult to see why superiority in Artillery is considered essential for success. At some future data we may be able to have a lock at a battery in action and see how it manages to hit the target and generally "strafe11 the opponent.

—— — — ■ ._r

At Boap 8th. November 1916*

My Dear Isabel,The waek ha# rolled by

so here X am again, First of all I must tell you of the ripping day we ha* at Albany and the doings of some of the £oy« there. Arriving at the Wharf about midday all hand© went ashore and had an enjoyable few Sours on terra firma. Australia, of course, as you know abounds in snakes and Kangaroos, and although we did not see ar$ of the latter, a number of the Boys, on their return to the Ship at a very late hour assured us that they had seen large numbers sof Snakes of all sizes and shapes, and amongst them was one should know, a snake MARCHAKT, and it is freely stated that he was endeavouring to SPEAR them. No doubt he would have been successful but the creeks were yery deep and he was unable to FORDHAM, Ohlmy dear Isabel, some of the Sergeants were screamingly funny and became/ quite frisky • Hone were MOODY so they paraded the streets at KNIGHT headed by DAY, singing with great gusto "There1® a Leng Long Trail" and other sacred @©ngs. The Dancing Halls were well patron­ised but the evening was so warm that the Boys were done BROW and all said it felt like HELLXGAN* Those who did not visit the Social Halls uiade merry at the different Inns and indulged in Gin Flipps specially prescribed by one £SAN MAC, A number of the Knobs, accompanied by ©om© of the local Belles, supported taxis, preferring, to the bustle of the Town such secluded nooks as Middleton Beach and King River could offer*It's hardly right te POTTER but I know at least four who were on a GODWIN All hands returned to the vessel none the worse for their outing with the exception of one with a BALD-TROP who had a tell-tale mark on his face, which like SDMOKD‘ 8 Baking Powder is sure to risee We left Albany on y r i % morning and as m have been steaming ever since I can only give you Ship's SGANNELL, as this is all we have to talk about now, vEvidently the Sergeant’s messing arrangements are not quite all the S.M's require a® the old HUMS is broken and seme of the old FRIENDS have deserted their comrades, It is said that they will shortly be feeling the pinch cf poverty as the tariff has been raised 100$ so w@ girls have been strongly advised to avoid this small PARTY and stick to those who are BOYD up with FLASH delicacies such as pickles, sauce, RICE, and a STRINGER other things.

Well,Dearest, 1 really must close, as X am sure the Censors ar© always anxious to see WATSON my cards. Good Bye, with much love from ever

Your loving pal,PEG#

ISSJ&vs.Th©y sat in a haromock, "built for two,And they talked and — well, what they always do, And he held her hand in a throbbing hold And told her a story never old*And a skecter oat on his leg and ..toung,And he never moved, though it stung and stung.

ABOUm MOLLY.I’m rather anxious to make a hit

With Molly.She’s quite a flirt, and reckless a bit

And she’s jelly.She has two. lips like a crimson rose,And a freckle or two on her crimson nose,And she wears black stripes on her grey silk hose

By Geliy 1I’m rather anxious to get in strong

With Molly»With her-'the day is an endless song;

She : s olly,I like the abandon with which she sings,I like her stockings with wide black rings,Her ankle gives promise of better th&ngs,

By Golly’Daisy (locking at Staff Officer) What is the uniform with all thos# red""'

things on it? I often wonder,■Dolly I’m net quite sure, but I think it’s the Secret Service unjLfoxm.At the attestation "One grandfather living. Is he on your father’s

or your mother’s side?Recruit ”Oh, he sticks up for both of them at times*

sort of Neutral",Heard in the Mess Room, Sapper (to Corporal holding a voluminous

khaki handkerchief) ’’After you with the drying cloth. I’ve been waiting a hang of a time for it.

Corporal, This--------- (then collapses)Heard on Deck. Queerfellow asks,uIs this here latitude them that goe'C__tlTV n v-tA---- m <v» - A. ■> - ■ --—tU* “ ~

New ZeaJLand had not sent away any aviators to the Front till the first four left by the “Wiilochra" tfith the l8th.Pveinf or cement from Wellington. They are now on their way to enter the Royal Flying Corps in England.

Before leavimg the Auckland Flying School each airman qualified for his Koyal Aero Club Certificate on a 90 H.P.Curtis Biplane. This certificate, which is issued by the Koyal Aero Club of the United Kindgon is written in six languages and is recognised by the leading countries of the world. To pass the tests the airman has to accomplish the foll&wingi-

A . and B, Two distance flights consisting of at least J Kilometres (3 miles 185 yards)

C. One altitude flight during which a height of at least100 metres (328 feet) above the point of departure must be attained.In this test it is Very seldom than an airman goes much less than a thousand feet. The descent must be made with the motor cut off.The aviator must be alone in the aircraft during thetfcree tests.

The course on which the aviator accomplishes tests A and B must be marked ofcly by two posts or buoys situated not more than JOO metres (547 yards) apart. The flight round the posts or buoys must be made alternately to the left and right sc that the flight will consist of an uninterrupted series of figures of eight.

The distance flown shall be reckoned as if flown in a straight line between the two posts or buoys.

The alighting after the two distance flights in tests A and B shall be made,

(a) By Stopping the motor at or before the moment of touching the land or water .

(b) By bringing the aircraft to rest not more than 5° metres (l64 feet) from a point indicated previously by the candidate*

This takes more judgment than any of the other tests®On arrival in England the Flying Corps will undergo another

three months’ training before going to the Front.Aircraft has two distinct functions in the present war;

primarily for all branches of reconnaissance work, and secondly as a weapon itself. Compared with £e indispensable and matvellous capabilities as a scout, the latter use of the aeroplame is not at present of so much importance, and this can bo said when bearing In mind the very valuable raids which aviators have frequently carried out with conspicuous military success..

There is certainly no doubt that in time to come the aeroplane will be easily the most important and effective weapon it will be possible to use; but to-day it is the eyes of the Army rather than itsweapon. How tremendously powerful it may be when used offensively can be surmised.

THE FORWARD MESS THEATRE.Coming Coming Coming,

The German ”EMPIRE” ,From under the sea or up the Polo - Strewsee« Berlin.

Proprietor KERR WILLIAM KAISER »Phon©No.2L.Manager HERR WILLIAM KAISER J nr. " No.2L2.

Telegraphic Address "Gottelpus”Treaties not guaranteed. Children in arms not respected.

Farewell Visit before going to St .Helena,ULTIMATUM ILLIE

HERR GULLSM

COUNT BRANCHOF

BARON VON WHOLKGG

The greatest comedian the i. rld has ever jaac*. in all his latest successes Includiwgi- MMy Hopes Argonne*”My Aftsne Kind Dearie 0.””0h, L©r-Raine Again1*.MHae anybody here seen Calais”."Alsace, Yftiere Art ThouH."Don’t be H un-happy”MAs Pants My Bleedin’Eart".And his celebrated Company r s f Actora direct from the Wolf Press Bureau, in a cne act play entitled WA1-Lies”.The Diplomatic Dandy in his wolf-famous Repertoire, includingi- ”Why I left Austria Hungry”.”Ta-ta Belgrade”.”We all love Sophia”.”Servia Right, Servia Jolly Well Right”.The great illusionist and Contortionist in marvellous exposition of the ”Scrap of Paper Trick”. Supported by the renowned inventor ’’Count Ben Hardy”.

THE CROWN PINCH AMD LOOT CO,In the screaming farce ”The Sham-painShifters”. An episode in the pantechnicon of the German Army.

GENERAL VON PLUCK First time cut of Europe in the popular song Come Ising-tau-me” •

COUNT ROOffffEiLIN On a flying visit in the Great Absurdity ”Can we see-plane”, or “Berlin an the Spree” .

V vRin o .c.yRoops.

C i p t f t t W h i t e (»Ted«)/ the $ent*e and kindly officer thftt ee^nanis the Troeps en the "Wiiiochra" wae in hie pre-active M ^ « e daye a mejBbeiP ef the V,2*Peet and Telegraph Corpe, not a bedy of >e&fJEMg)t linesmen, but a company of Terri tori ale of which the eubjeet

*w* sketch wee the great usiga>i# head* On the coming inte camp I ef the l«th,Relaforeeaent he was placed in conoand of *B* Compary with

the ftteeue merchant and juggler of figures, Oeorge Booklase m eeoond in eenaan4* "Ted"White successfully piloted "B* Coy. through all the devioue makes of the geese step, extended «rder drill, and trigger pressing. and earned fc* himself Immertal glory at the battle ef the Morrison** Bueh Hotels there, in he ehill freetiness of an early dawn, he and his gallant oompajy PQDteoted the cellars from the furioue onslaughts* ef Ireddy Howard*e Ooths ahd Geerge Murch’e Huns* For this excellent piece of work he wae awarded the Tauherenikau Military tai Cross* The gallant Oaptaln in his early days wae a famous scout and wae leader of the Xilblrnls Bull Dag Patrol* He ie a pious gentleman, «ueh loTed by the ladies, eaokee nothing etrenger than oigarettes, drinks nothing stronger than ehampagns, and only wanta a pair of winge to sake hla float off into apace. He is Honorary Vice President of the Onlcnc tlub,

U 0 M A J U L 8 M LJUbMaS*Harry C,?ait ¥«B. University of Otago, Member ef the tnione

Cluk9 Captain w v Zealand Uedioal Corps, Member of the Brltieh Medigftl Association, Honorary House-Surgeon Royal Oak Home fer Incurables 9 itaquhile medioal advleer to the Auckland Society ef the Blue Ribbon X *9 •&•?«» first eaw the light in the "drouthy" district of Otago, Aff a youth he feas of a disposition somewhat retiring so his parents sent him to the Waitakl District High School where he was knocked Into shape* Prom Waitakl he filtered through to that ocystre of Medical learning* the University of Otago, whose hall mark he now bears* Miff leaving Otago the "Boo",travelled to tondon where he gained much valuable experience in more direertions than one* We understand that the whdle of his time in the great Metropolis was not spent in poriqg over*Taylor on Poisons" * "Bill Adams on Gyneoology" cr other pondroue tomes <»f a like nature, He walked the Hospitals by day and frequested musical balls, restaurants, and pork&pie shops in the dewy eve* 4« * consequence we can confidently recommend him as a guide, philespoher, and friend to anyone who wishes, when opportunity offers, to cxpioj?#’ the devious underground pa&he of London, As an authority on Mowbray pork pies, |lother Johnson*s steak puddings,* er'hdn fruitx in’* all its various stages of maturity, he is without an equal* M is an enthusiast in a somewhat esoteric eard game known as picquet, which he has been known to play in his sleep. We do not know what particular class of disease he specialises in, but he has been known to vaccinate 60 men, sign their pay-books, and polish them eff completely in as many minutes. His mouetaghe is .a fearful and wenderful thing. Hie

& smile la kindly and he wears a ■ .vvJ "*% guilelees look, but he le a - ehrewd bird nevertheless, and not to be caught with chaff*

V

2 n d .LIEUT. H H H . H A nnA. SHIP'S ADJUTA1IT.It hath been given to few r^nf«**ee»®nts to bo bl^aed (?) with

such an Adjutant a* our ■ ‘Enepy*1 as 2nd.Lieut.Herbert Henry J&Xaiy Haunna, lately a flourishing legal }.i*m4r ry of Cftriatchurch, ia familiarly knowrw Enery first saw the light of day in Christchurch aforesaid and aa a youth was of an extremely retiring disposition, particularly where the opposite sex was concerned* Enery left school with the intention of conquering

world but aa he found this career would require hard work and brains he decided to go in for Law (for other people)Aa labouring men their handst crierB their lungs,Porters their backs, lawyers hire out their tongues,A tongue to mire and gain accustomed long,Grown quite insensible to right or wrong..

At law Enery has been more than passing successful and grateful clients have been known to buy thirsty Enery sundry drinks. On the contrary, some of his client© (fees paid in advance) have been known to receive sentences of 10 years hard - but don*t blame Enery, he did hia best (friends?).

Hobbies and Clubs. like that ccf his famous namesake Henry VI11 Hobbies 7 Enery'aehief hobby, like that of hi® famous namesake .tfeiiry Vlll* happens to be chasing the fair sex. The old adge "Safety in numbers is one Enery doeenH believe ih. Instance his doings at Albany, and before that the little affair at Featherston. Enery is getting on life and hasn’t been caught yet - perhaps it isn’t his fault! Among his minor hobbies may be mentioned Hum tasting at Kaitoke, being seasick, carrying his coin in a lady’s Peggy~bag, parting his one hair in the centre, and making eyes at the ladies, and asking ladies and nurses pertinent questions.Clubs . 2nery is an esteemed member of various clubs and societies, among them may be mentioned the Canterbury Law Society, the Society for Daylight Saving, the Home for Last^’Cats (female persuasion only) the Society for the fSropogation of the doctrines of Sir Galahad, and laet but by no means least of that close and masenic-like corporation known to the initiated asf,Ye Onion Kerlub" at the daily sessions of which he manfully settles his ration of that succulent bulb together with anything else the Grand Caterer may produce,

As a soldier Enery is full of Military and other points (e.g.500) but so far no one has been able tc get much Military information from him( although he knows his IfcSafcfery Training from an A to ana 21 due no doubt to his early training as a legal adviser at 6/8d* a' time ~ he may get over this but we doubt it. He is like one of thoe© divina V men who, like a chapel in a palace, remain unpvofaned, while all the rairfc is tyranny corruption and folly.