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Bosun whistle phone10/29/2022 This convoluted system was tolerated but generally disliked. The carrying of any firearm was strictly forbidden. Merchants were allowed to stay within their enclosure, while any women that accompanied them had to stay in Macao. Each approved trading country had its own trading enclosure in a complex of long, low storage buildings that collectively were known as The Thirteen Hongs or Co-hong. An area at the mouth of the Pearl River was designated as foreign quarters significantly this was just outside of the city wall around Canton, but the ships themselves were not allowed to sail beyond Macao. What we know as the China Trade began in 1757 when, by Imperial edict, a set of stringent regulations were implemented in order to try to control the non-Chinese merchant sea traders trying to set anchor in Chinese ports. Today it would be worth considerably more, especially since it is decorated in the high Chinese style. This particular item was sold at Christie’s, New York, for $813 in 2008. But the Bosun''s Pipe continues to remain in service, and its nautical notes are still to be heard.Here we have a late 19th-century Chinese Export Silver bosun’s whistle that is similar to one that was featured and written of in the famous Chait Collection in 1985 by John Devereux Kernan. Capable of launching sophisticated weapons and all kinds of aeroplanes, and networking with other units, in the air, on water, below water, and on land, they represent a capability Nelson could not even have imagined. Navies have come a long way since French and British ships-of-the-line faced one another at the Battle of Trafalgar. There is no evidence this led to their rise to high rank in later years, but certainly, at that time, those who could not ''pipe'', felt inferior and were viewed as such. Those who could master the difficult hands call and pipe down notes, were special. We had to learn the several notes that needed to be made and, often, even go round the ship making them. As cadets, we had to do everything which sailors did, including use of the pipe. Now that intercoms are available, piping still continues to retain its hold though the quartermaster simply pipes into the microphones and does not have to move around. It was only the pipe which made that possible. Even in the days of sail, warships were quite large and to manage the ship''s routine was not easy. For specific pipes such as hands call, no accompanying announcement was needed. ''''Captain will be visiting the dining hall''''. In most cases, attention of the people was first drawn through a general pipe followed by a verbal announcement e.g. Sailors, called quartermasters, went around the ship whistling on their pipes. There was a general pipe to call attention as also specific pipes to wake the crew (hands call) or for ceremonial occasions or to announce that it was time to sleep, appropriately called, pipe down. Different notes could be produced on this pipe. A small and thin metal tube, some four inches in length and with a perforated head containing a ball at one end, it was used much as a whistle. In the days when there were no intercom or public address systems, this was done through a thing called the Bosun''s Pipe. To be able to communicate with them is essential if the ship is to function effectively. But ships are also about men who are spread across their length and breadth, and up and down several decks, in working and living spaces. Bristling with sophisti- cated weapons and sensors and powered by modern machinery, warships of today carry fewer people than their predecessors did. Naval ships, nowadays, are all about high technology.
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