Page 9 - Wonder Book Of Ships - Life Of An Officer On A Liner

THE SHIP'S OT'FICER,S pleasant. I knew one captain at the other extreme, who used to writo himself and the chiefs of departments, especially the cook and tho chiof steward,-dowrr as " very good," while all the rest rvere only " good " or "'fair." So far as their duties permit, tho officers associate with the saloon passengers; they mostly havo their meals in the saloon, and frequently join in any arnusements that are got up. They are also sadly pestered with questions, and if a passenger begins to catechise an ollicer who is -,,{,'.fl, - l* j, \l Twsnty.two.trains, or thirty ,-"i,Ti:il1'1.,*,i|:"'^l*, ,." ncoossmy ior ono trip betrim -. Livorpool ud Now York. busy, a favourite reply is, " Would you mind'asking the clerk in chargo of the information bureau ? " Presently the passenger learns (unless he is on one of the very largest liners) that the information bureau is ashore ! There is a true story that a former master of a steamer in theTrans- atlantic trad.e had a speech prepared, which he used to deliver whon questioning began. Taking a d.eep breath, hs "vould say, without a pause something like this : " I have crossed the Atlantic 422 times this will be the 42hd I havo not bcren shipwrecked or cast away on a desert island or been burnt at ll?