Item 01: Walter Lawry Waterhouse diary, 15 January-27 March 1916 - Page 33

[Page 33]

During the lunch interval there was a final chase after the officers whose hair had not been attended to: fight was shown in one or two cases, but it was quite noticeable that as soon as one man was fixed up, he in turn became most eager to join in fixing up someone else. These converts did excellent service.

At night time Commander Jenks gave a lantern lecture on the poop deck, arranged so that both passengers & troops could see everything, & thanks to the voice (I nearly wrote bellow) of the Captain, hear also. He started off by speaking of the necessity for the strictest discipline & then got on to temperance, tho' not a teetotaller himself. His views were photos of different parts of N.S.W. & were also well received. A promise to give another talk about the work of the mercantile marine in the war was greatly cheered.

Ships run for the day, 385 miles.

Saturday 29 January 1916

A hot muggy day with calm sea & little or no breeze. Work carried on as usual at the three parades, excepting that in the afternoon the men were dismissed at 4 instead of 4.30, & at the latter time the alarm was sounded & the men supposed to get their life-belts on & be up on their parade as quickly & quietly as