The Cruise of the Calgaric

02 SOUTHAMPTON

II
SOUTHAMPTON
As OUR TRAIN drew into Southampton Docks, we caught sight of our ship, flying the Scout flag, and the World flag of the Guides, both of which had been specially made for this occasion.
On the wharf were assembled several hundred Scouts and Guides from Southampton and the neighbouring parts of Hampshire; there was also a party of campers from Warren Beach, and another of Guiders from Foxlease.
The Chiefs inspected the assembled multitude, and a large box of chocolates was presented to Lady Baden-Powell by the Southampton Guides.
Some visitors came on board the ship, but in a short time the gong sounded to warn them off, and very soon we were waving good-bye to our friends on the jetty as the ship moved slowly off.
We must now say something about the ship herself, in which we spent seventeen happy days. The official description says: "Built by Messrs. Harland and Wolff, of Belfast, the Calgaric is a triple screw steamer of 16,063 tons register; is 575 feet long, 67 feet beam; she is engaged in the White Star Line service between Liverpool and Canadian ports."
These words give, however, no idea of the comfortable cabins, of the pleasant saloons, nor of the labyrinth of passages which bewildered many of the travellers: even up till the last day there were few who could make their way with unerring steps to the "Cruise Office" or to the "Social Hall." The only place of assignation which could be given without fear of any mistake was "Under the Buffalo," which meant the Smoking Room, where hung a magnificent buffalo's head, presented to the ship by the town of Calgary, to which she owes her name.
There was a good deal of confusion among the passengers during their first afternoon on board. Indeed, this day might well have been termed a "sorting out day," not only because of the huge pile of luggage which accumulated on the afterdeck and which had to be transferred to the cabins, but also because of the sorting out of Scouters and Guiders into groups, for purposes of organisation.
The party consisted (approximately) of 100 Scouters (including lady Cub-masters); 475 Guiders; and 8o non-Scouts or Guides.

Photo] Bull
THE "CALGARIC" ALONGSIDE AT SOUTHAMPTON

Photo] [M. Crowdy
GUIDES AT SOUTHAMPTON

Photo] [Walshams, Ltd.
THE SEND-OFF

Photo] [M. Crowdy
THE BADEN-POWELL FAMILY AND THE CAPTAIN

Photo] [Walshams, Ltd.
THE CRUISE PHOTOGRAPHER

Photo] B. A. Bull
"BON VOYAGE!"

Divided into sexes, there were 85 men and 570 women.
The reason for the scarcity of Scouters was the recent Jamboree in Hungary, which every Scouter who could spare the time and money had done his best to attend.
The party was a very representative one, nearly every county in England being represented. The largest contingents were from London, Lancashire, Yorkshire, Cheshire and Surrey. There were a considerable number from Scotland, Wales and Ireland (both from Ulster and from the Free State); and several from Guernsey; India, South Africa, New Zealand and Barbados were also represented.
We had the pleasure of having three Swiss Guiders, with the husband (an ex-Scoutmaster) of one of them, and one American, the leader of the Girl Scout troop in Paris.
As regards rank, there was a sprinkling of County Commissioners, and a sprinkling of Guides and Scouts; between these two extremes there was every variety of Scouter and Guider, the largest number being Guide Captains.
At the head of this huge family were the Chief Scout and Chief Guide themselves, and they had with them their own son, their two daughters and a niece. Mrs. Kerr, nominally in charge of the Guiders, delegated her duties to Mrs. Janson Potts, whose abundant energy made light work of the task. She divided the Guiders into groups of about thirty, under leaders chosen by herself and Mrs. Kerr; each leader was given a red armlet with a different letter on it, and was asked to get into touch with the people who had their meals at the tables nearest to her own.
Colonel Murray divided the Scoutmasters into patrols, and the Cubmasters into sixes. The leaders of all the groups did valiant work, both in seeing that nobody was lonely and in shepherding their flocks on shore excursions.
We sailed from Southampton at 5.0 p.m. on Saturday, August i2th, and steamed along the coast of Sussex and Kent in ideal weather.
No account of the cruise would be complete without some mention of Miss Crowdy, our invaluable staff photographer, publicity agent and press correspondent. She is a Guide Commissioner and had never done this sort of thing before, but.she coped with everything as to the manner born, contrived to be always on the spot without getting in anybody's way, and made friends with all the photographers and newspaper men of every country.