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[Page 96]
Friday Dec. 4th onboard "Gabriel" at Eitape 10.30 am : We arrived here about 5 o'clock this morning and anchored off the township. I was asleep at the time having resigned the bridge to the skipper at about 3.15 am, at which time we were passing outside Berlin Riede. I slept like a top having been on duty almost continuously since morning yesterday.
The Union Jack is now flying on the flagstaff ashore & stores are being landed for the garrison, which will consist of Capt Morrison, Lt Cambers & 50 infantrymen.
6.30 pm : I have just returned from the shore where I have been to criticise the new outpost of the Empire. There is no wharf & all stores & passengers have to be landed in surf boats. It was quite exciting to sit in the stern sheets while the native crew skilfully steered the boats through the foam. They are experts at the game & watch their chance continually for a partial calm. This usually comes after a succession of big breakers. The helmsman then shouts some unintelligible order & the crew respond with a will, gabbering & shouting fiercely the while. Then right astern curls an immense coamen. Up goes the stern & down goes the bow & we shoot along at incredible speed. Then as the wave expends itself the boat resumes the horizontal. Now the helmsman shouts again & puts his steering oar hand over; again the crew give way heartily & the boat glides into smooth water inside a sandy spit.
After a stiff climb from the beach I found myself at the new quarters. I have described the scene at Dampier Island; in some respects the description fits this place also. It is however a good hundred feet higher that the house at Dampier & the view is uninterrupted in every direction. Should any of the garrison get tired of their monotonous existence they can end it by simply tripping over the stone border of the garden path. There