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[Page 7]
Aug 31st
Landed in ships boats on Palm Island for rifle practice, raining like H--, we had no lunch, storeship Aorangi arrived about 11 pm
Sept 1st
taking in stores all day from Aorangi, crowd grousing about having to work ship as if they were not used to work, crowd grumbling about us being still at anchor.
Sept 2nd
Two submarines arrive about 9.30 am great excitement on board, everyone seems brighter as we heave up anchor about 4 pm & sail away with 2 cruisers, 2 submarines & 1 storeship.
Sept 3rd
going north slowly through the Great Barrier reef, raining again, more drill etc.
Sept 4th
still going strong like Johny Walker, arrive at granville [?] about 7 pm. The Famous Tin Can band comes to light, 1 accordian, 1 mouth organ, & plates, Bath Tins etc. we are now near Port Morsby
Sept 5th
arrived at Port Morsby & find that the "Kanona" with 500 Queenslanders on Board had been there 3 weeks, coaled ship from Colliers who were there, also that there were about 9 ships in Harbour, altogether. ship surrounded by natives with sweet nothings on selling cocoanuts, Paw Paws etc. natives look very wild & some say they are Canabals, they look it.
Sept 6th Sunday
Church, & rest of day wash & mend clothes, crowd on Kanowna not up to much, nearly all boys & no proper Kits have been issued to them, besides they are short of food & water, only one Pint of water for all purposes are allowed each man per day.
Crowd wants to be getting along, more Katamarangers round the ship full of natives, nearly all natives are quite bare of clothes, even the women who wear a sort of dried grass skirt round their waists