NOT A HAPPY SHIP.

Inangahua Times, Volume VII, Issue 1098, 9 June 1882, Page 2

NOT A HAPPY SHIP.

Regarding the disorganisation on board H.M.S. Bacchante, the Plymouth correspondent of the Pall Mail Gazette writes ft H.M.S. Bacchante, though having the young Princes on board and being engaged on a pleasure trip, does not appear to be a happy ship for the crew. A short time since one of the ratlins was maliciously cut and in spite of protestation the whole watch was made to suffer by having leave stopped and extra duty imposed. Supsequently a yard of rope was missed, and the same punishment was awarded to the whole watch ; but the men refused to submit. The result was that 10 men were tried by couii martial, and sentenced to various terms of inprisoment ranging from three to 12 months. The official reports and minutes of the affair were laid before the admiralty, together with some remarks on the whole of the circumstances by Lord Clanwilliam the vice-admiral commanding. Lord Clanwilliam states in his letter, although there could be no excuse for disobeying the orders which were given, the misconduct of the men was due very largely to the injudicious conduct of Lord Charles Scott and Commander Hill, of the Bacchante. The whole matter has been considered by the Admiralty, who went carefully into each of the cases ; and as a result, they have remitted six months of the imprisonment in six cases. The course of the Bacchante has been altered again, Instead of coming home overland via Brindisi the young Princes will cruise in the Bacchante with the Mediterranean Squadron and meet the detched squadron at Gibraltar arriving at Spithead about the second week in August"