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[Page 103]
sinking the two British steamers he then came to the surface close to a Portegeese [Portuguese] gunboat, the senior officer happened to be ashore & some of the juniors being aboard failed to train their guns on it. The fort also did not fire so the submarine got away. Also inside we saw a Danish cargo steamer damaged & being repaired, his propeller having been blown away. We commend coaling at 3 p.m., the method of coaling for mailboats with side bunker ports being slow as they have not the apparatus for coaling such steamers. At 6 p.m. all coaling was suspended for the day. The troops & their wives were granted leave & went ashore in tugs supplied by the British Consul.
21.7.19
Commenced coaling again at 7 a.m. Slow process, having to heave in all the bags into the side bunkers. In all other ports coaling is done by carrying the coal in small baskets direct from the coal lighter on planks into the side bunkers. Some of the troops became drunk ashore & also a few of the young wives & created quite a scene. Their conduct was disgraceful ashore. A strong patrol of Military police had to be sent ashore to round them up. The Portegeese authorities had no jail suitable for the whites otherwise than for colored people, so all the drunks were brought aboard & placed in cells in the Guard room aboard the transport. The Drunks amongst the women sent to their cabins & a guard put over them. All leave suspended. These drunks the male portion their books were taken off them, their records