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[Page 77]
1915
& we found that she was going on her round of inspection of gas buoys which are erected on both sides along the Straits at intervals. About mid-day a large ship was sighted ahead, & as it was thought that this might be the German cruiser "Dresden", which was still unaccounted for, the order to go to "Action" stations was given. Excitement ran high, & the keenness was intense. Within 3 minutes everything was ready for instant action. After a few minutes it was found that the supposed enemy was the British cruiser "Carnarvon" & so ended another bloodless action. "Carnarvon" (in which ship I had served in 1907-1908) had taken part in the Falkland Islands action, and was now engaged in searching for the German cruiser "Dresden". She was now anchored about the middle & most southern part of the Straits, where a hill on the Patagonian side is marked by a cross erected on its summit. After stopping half-an-hour to communicate with "Carnarvon" we proceeded on our way. The Straits widened considerably now, almost 6 or 7 miles across, & later in the afternoon we reached parts much wider. A few seals could be seen on the shores, but otherwise all animal life, with the exception of birds, seemed to be absent. The lower hills which were