H.M.Z.T. No. 9
23/10/14
Here we are again somewhere between Hobart & Fremantle. There is a rumor on board that we are going to Albany now, & not to Fremantle, but how much truth there is in it remains to be seen. That we are in no hurry home is quite evident, for I believe it is quite on the cards that we will disembark at either of the two ports mentioned, for a fortnight. Of course nothing is official yet, but that is the way things are shaping. The chief mate tells us that there is no hope of us being home for Christmas, hard luck for us isn’t it. There is a pretty stiff wind blowing again to day, but the sea is quite moderate; there seems as if there is always a wind blowing out at sea.
24/10/14 Sailing on under a hazy blue sky, with a head wind blowing. The average pace for the day 10 1/2 knts per hr, which is very slow for this boat, & just about as fast as two of the others can go. Although there is a head wind blowing the sea expect for a little chop, is as clam as you would wish it, hardly a motion in the boat.
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25/10/14 Sunday eve & four of us are sitting in the saloon writing, of course I can-not say that they are all writing home the same as I. We have had a real lazy day for us, all parades cancelled except stables. Revellie went at same hour, we turned out to stables, & then had nothing more untill church parade at 10 AM. Well there was a little diversion, one of our horses died & we had to send it to its last resting place, that makes a total of dead & wounded, up to date, 3, & never a shot fired. the weather to day is just perfect, a light head wind, just enough to ruffle the water. One of the ships Officer’s has just come in & he is providing us with a very pretty piece of music. Before we came down here Howie & I were wondering how we were going to put in the evening, but now we can rest easy & enjoy music while it lasts, for it is darn’d little we heare now other than the bugle calls. We have all made up our minds that we will see the Emden before we reach home, it seems quite remarkable that we should get all the news of her doings away out here, a couple of hundred miles away from everywhere, yet so it is. We received to day the news of her sinking the 7 merchant ships, along with all the other good news in regard to the general position of Allies along the front.
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26/10/14 Another perfect day drawing to a close, one of the best since we embarked. The first thing we heard this morning was that there had been a death on the Rehuppa, a young fellow from Gore named Gilchrist. He was going as a dispencer with the Mtd. Reg. I think, however I am not sure, he was going with the Southland lot anyway. We do not know for certain what was the cause of death, but heard it was patomaine posioning. He was given a military funeral, & buried at a quarter to four P.M. The whole fleet was brought to a stand-still, & all men were paraded, & stood to attention for a quarter of an hour. Rather hard for his people, but cannot be helped, he was not a strong fellow at any time & perhaps he has been relieved from many trying duties.
27/10/14 The hour is midnight, & I am on this dog-born watch again, from 12 o’clock untill 4 A.M. It is the biggest night-mare we have, three of us having to be on every night between the hours of 8 P.M. & 8 AM. I am just back from reporting to the Officer on the bridge, & he was telling me we would be anchored in the stream at Abbany by 10 AM. tomorrow.
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We are going to pick up the Australian forces there, & whether we are going to call at Freemantle or not I do not know, but know that after leaving Aust. we are bound for Colombo. The idea of us going ashore for a fortnight at Freemantle has exploded, I think for we never hear anything about it just now. We have had no wireless news this last two days, so do not know what is going on at the front. The wireless operator told me the other night that he heard one of the N.Z. stations working with one of the intercolonial boats. The doctors are inoculating the men just now, against typhoid. I suppose hlf the ship is done by this time, & I was done yesterday. Quite a simple operation something like injecting painless, but the after affects are not so simple. The part on the left breast just about the collar-bone where it is done, gets very sore & remains sore for about three days. Some people it affects worse than others my own is sore but that is all, some of the others have to go to bed with it & run a temperature for a couple of days. Still on watch & another hour to go. The morning is turning pretty wet, it has just
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been coming down in torrents, but there is a dead calm otherwise. There is a good deal of lightening, & it is quite the prettiest I have ever seen, the whole fleet is quite lit up when it flashes, in fact if it would stop long enough you could just about read a book in it. Just entering the heads, & the mail closes at 12. o’clock so will have stop now. We are just passing through the Australian convoy, which is lying inside the heads. The wet night has turned into a perfect day, showing up the harbour to perfection, but it can not compare with Hobart. The hills surrounding remind you of Auckland only they seem to be covered by some sort of scrub. Well I must say aurêvoir again.
Your Sincere
Brother E.S. McI.
