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[Page 24]
planted by the R.C. missionaries. The rock is so steep that one marvels however anyone cd. manage to get to the top. For a few days there is little doing, except guard duty. No sign of submarine and all hope has long since been given up. We set out on Thursday Oct. 1 on a westerly course. We are out now really on business, which is to seek out the enemy and annihilate him. Up to now we have been so occupied in convoying troops & c that we have had no time to search for the German ships. All that work is done now, and we are to free to seek and attack. A report has come to hand that the German ships have been seen somewhere to the Southeast of the Philippines. Somewhere about the Celebes; so we pack up to begin the weary chase. We got about 140 miles on this westerly course, when a wireless message arrives with circumstantial news. It has come round by New Zealand, & has taken about eight days to get to us, but it reports that the two big German cruisers had visited & bombarded Papeete in the Tahiti group in the middle Pacific. It was no use further west, so we just put about and return once again to Rabaul. We just fill up bunkers with 200 tons of coal & are ready to be off again. But we are waiting for the Sydney & Montcalm to fill up, and I seize the opportunity to have a cinema show. It is vastly appreciated, and I shd. Like to take my gear on board the other ships but Admiral wont hear of it. Nevermind, I am learning to be thankful for small mercies. The very instant we finished both watches were piped for exercise & at 9.30 p.m. Sat Oct. 3 we leave accompanied by Montcalm & Sydney on another long jaunt to Fiji which is to be our base for the future. The smaller ships will follow in our wake, as they are able. It is very monotonous now; no news whatever coming thro' of any sort, and rough seas racing past. In the daytime the Montcalm is on our starboard beam, 10000 yards away & the Sydney the same distance away on our port hand.