Primary tabs
Transcription
[Page 28]
This instance of the natives begging nature will help to illustrate the dodges they get up to. I happened to wash a few clothes and having dried them in the sun was taking them down when one of a number of natives who were loading bags of potatoes on to the ship came over to me and asked me for one of the articles. I refused him, however. Two hours later when I had almost forgotten the above incident he came over to me again. He chatted away in a humerous fashion in broken English for some time, then made reference to the clothes again. He said "that thing would do him". I retorted with "that thing would also do me". "Ah! he says "You go to London, you get plenty clothes". Instances of this kind are always cropping up.
(Travelled 267 miles). We left Colombo Harbour at 8 pm. Two searchlights kept sweeping the seas as we sailed out. At times they were fixed on our ship and lighted the deck up beautifully.
Dec 30th. Phy Ex & Kit Inspection.
Dec 31st M.O.
Passed the Laccadives Islands. According to the atlas they are a group of fourteen islands and have a population of 14,000. We were not very near them however, and to us they appeared to be only a mere outline except at the point of one there appeared to be a building which we took to be a lighthouse.
This being Hogmarney I was reflecting to-night where I was a year ago.