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[Page 25]
twinkling with a thousand lights. The great dark outline of the Bluff rose up on the right, and the long stretch of the Bay and the Point and the horizon was rather felt than seen in the darkness. The air was laden with strange warm scents mingling with our cigars. In such surroundings a feeling of contentment came over us, causing all thoughts of troopships and war to vanish like a bad dream. We cannot express our feelings of gratitude sufficiently for the splendid time this hospitable family gave us. All the gold of the Indies would never repay them for their kindness. Mrs Harwin's eldest daughter (Elsie) is a young lady of about 17 years, who is fond of outdoor exercise, and prefers swimming, riding and shooting, to anything else. The second one (Doris) is a refined young lady about 15 or 16 years, and a splendid pianist. She played the piano for us every evening, although she was suffering from a severe cold and should have been in bed. The others Doreen, Madge, and Jessie, are apparently between twelve and five years of age, and model children. It was a treat to see them go off to bed when told, without a murmur. While there we met Lieut. Fowler (N.Z,T."Dofua", and LT. Taylor, N.Z.T. Pakeha two very fine fellows. We marched down to the wharf and were taken aboard the ship in a Tug, arriving there about midnight. We went alongside the dock at 9 a, m, on the 14th June, and remained there until 2.30 p,m, Sunday, 17th. On the 14th, the "Suffolk" collided with the "Ullysses" and the latter had a hole knocked in her bow. At noon on the 15th one of the Japanese Cruisers put to sea with the "Marathon" "Ascanius" "Tofua" and "Turakina" bound for Cape Town. Each morning we