Our boat had picked up three or four half-drowned men and was just about to return to the ship when we espied a fat sailor bobbing about with his arms around a plank. We pulled up close to him and the bow-man leaned out with a boat-hook and drew him alongside. [Illustration: "Wot d'yer fink I am--a blinkin' tiddler?"] He seemed to have just strength enough left to grasp the gunwale, when we were surprised to hear him shout, in an unmistakable Cockney voice: "All right, Cockey, un'itch that boat 'ook. Wot d'yer fink I am--a blinkin' tiddler?"--_Leslie E. Austin, 6 Northumberland Avenue, Squirrels Heath, Romford, Essex._ The "Arethusa" Touch During the action off Heligoland in August 1914 the light cruiser _Arethusa_ came under a hot fire. A shell penetrated the chief stoker's mess, knocked a drawer full of flour all over the deck, but luckily failed to explode. A Cockney stoker standing in the mess had a narrow escape, but after surveying the wreckage and flour-covered deck all he said was: "Blowed if they ain't trying to make a blinkin' duff in our mess!"--_C. H. Cook (Lieut., R.N.V.R.), 91 Great Russell Street, W.C.1._ His Chance to Dive During the early part of 1917, whilst I was serving with one of H.M. transports, we had occasion to call at Panama for coaling purposes before proceeding to England via New York. One of our many Cockney sailors was a fine swimmer and diver. He took every opportunity to have what he termed "a couple of dives." Owing to the water being rather shallow immediately along the quay, his diving exhibitions were limited to nothing higher than the forecastle, which was some 30 ft. His one desire, however, was to dive from the boat-deck, which was about 60 ft. Whilst steaming later in the front line of our convoy, which numbered about forty-two ships, we became the direct target of a deadly torpedo. Every soul dashed for the lifeboats. After things had somewhat subsided I found our Cockney friend--disregarding the fact that our ship was badly damaged and was now listing at an almost impossible angle--posing rather gracefully for a dive. He shouted, "Hi! hi! Wot abaht this 'un? I told yer I could do it easy!" He then dived gracefully and swam to a lifeboat.--_Bobbie George Bull (late Mercantile Marine), 40 Warren Road, Leyton, E.10._ Wot Abaht Wot? In 1917 our job on an armed merchantman, H.M.A.S. _Marmora_, was to escort food ships through the danger zone. One trip we were going to Sierra Leone, but in the middle of the afternoon, when about two days out from Cardiff, we were torpedoed. The old ship came to a standstill and we all proceeded to action stations. Just as we were training our guns in the direction of the submarine another torpedo struck us amidships and smashed practically all the boats on the port side.