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huge piles of wheat bags, quite reminding me of the sights I saw at some of the stations near Gunnedah: there must have been tens of thousands of bags.
There were a number of steamers at this wharf loading wheat, & at the
[Sketch of where wharves & breakwaters are & Rocknest Is.]
other where we were berthed. As at Pt Melbourne & Pt Adelaide the railway runs right down on to the wharf, but here it was a very narrow gauge in contradistinction to the broadgauge at S.A. & Vict. There was a coal train waiting for us, & I thought their coaling arrangement was rather good. Each truck consists of a framework on which are carried 3 large box-like bodies, strongly bound with iron, & there is a travelling crane which runs right over the railway, & bodily lifts up each of the bodies containing coal & dumps it in the shoot leading to the bunkers. Coaling from a lighter was also in progress on the other side of the boat, so there was soon a good deal of noise & coal-dust.
At 9.30 the men "fell in" as usual for the forenoon parade & were then addressed by the Colonel who granted shore leave until 3 o'clock: he advised those who were not going to the swimming carnival to go up to Perth. It was stated that Freemantle was full of pubs which were full of very vile liquor, & I suppose this accounted for his advice.
The men were marched onto the wharf & dismissed, I believe about a