On the Desert
By the Sea
12/2/17
Dear Jack
Having a few spare moments I thought I could drop you a few lines as it is a long time since I wrote you but I hope you have had all I have so far sent home to read. We are still having a so called spell close to the sea but now we have to put in a few hours training each day in fact the work for this week is all drill & you can imagine out here how monotonous that will become but it helps to pass the hours more speedily. We had the severest thunder storm I have ever experienced out here last night just before dark it was raging away out to sea but as the night wore on it closed it in on the coast & we had our full share. Great flames of fire light up the heavens making things around easily seen, after an hour or so of this a gale commenced to blow off the sea bringing along with it the rain. However the wind soon went down again & left the rain to it & it poured for some little space & then everything was calm again but the lightening still gleamed and a few hours after another such burst came along. I thought our bivvy was going to come down but it stood the test & only for a little water that dripped through & wet the blankets a little our nights rest was for the remainder undisturbed. To show you how bright the lightening was, although you may find it hard
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to believe, I will tell you of what happened with me during the first heavy shower. A corner of the bivvy blew down & I was searching for a safety pin which I knew hung on the roof but could not put my fingers on it in the dark when a flash did the trick I was enabled to see it as plain as if I had a candle lit. Storms of this sort are frequent at this time of year but I hope we do not have any more of them. A good thing for us is the fact that the next day is usually fine & our things can all get dry before night comes on again. Enough of weather. At last I have got into communication with Kate & Ernie both seem to be getting on well. I had a letter from Ern from France the other day informing me of his promotion my word he is getting on fine is he not evidentally he has moved in the right direction getting out of O.M.R.
You will know as much about him by this time as I do so anything I write would be old news ere this reaches N.Z. Jean’s parcel of Oct 26th arrived a few days ago & was tip-top, & in good condition considering the time it has been floating around some of the parcels arriving out here are far beyond recognition. A mail came for me, just a small one, seventeen letters all from Thornbury, Dunedin, & Auckland, they had nearly all been to sling & were dated from Oct up till 14th Dec however they arrived and all in order. I expect business in your line will be very slack now-a-days what with shortage of men & no sale for what you are turning out things must just be anyhow. A W. Smith that used be round about Orepuki somewhere is out here
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and says he knows you reckons he managed a sawmill round there for some time. He used to be in the cottage at Fairfax but I cannot remember when it was evidentally he knows nearly every around that district. He was asking after you the other day. I expect Jean will have had her trip to Rothie that the girls were writing about but that will have been before Xmas. Have not yet heard of the NY meeting at In’gill I expect to hear of “Buller” annexing the Southland Cup, “do you think I am right”? Any day may see us moving out of this place but which way remains to be seen may be forward may be backwards. Ern said from reports he had heard of as that we may be (in pastures new) for the summer but that can be read two way can it not. Any all are ready to be out of this now instead of having to go on with this abominable training. Cannot think of anything fresh to write about news is a scarce commodity here unless just after a scrap. Ernie & Jack will be quite big boys now hope they are keeping well also Jean & yourself. For my part I am doing fine in fact I feel as fit as ever I did. Must stop & get to work again for a while.
Your Affect. Brother
Charlie
