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[Page 3]
At Sea
15:7:15 – saloon deck. Rough conditions at night. Saloon deck port side frequently awash. Slept below – bad night – ship rolling heavily. About 4 a.m. all awakened by a terrific thump on ship's side and scattering of crockery, plates, boxes, and other gear. Many thought it was a collision so great was the noise. When we rose at reveille the mess-deck was strewn with a mass of gear – tin plates, knives, forks, cups, cheese, butter, clothes, etc. In fact, everything had been shifted by the impact of the night.
18:7:15 – Hellish weather – monsoon – decks awash all day. As we approached Gulf of Aden then we received the full blast of the terrific wind and storm wrack – great green seas came at us as if determined to envelop us in one huge swallow and thumped down on the deck every minute or two like mighty knocks from a gigantic hammer. The ship alternately rolled and pitched and the storm continued late into the night.
20:7:15 – Approaching Aden. Hot close evening. Ships in the night – flashlights, signalling, and shore fires. Passed through "Hell's Gate" at about 3 a.m. Received first wireless that General French had reported that Germans were active on the French Frontier and had gained trenches but had been repulsed. Message posted on saloon deck at about 8 p.m. Dated "London Official 20th July 1915."
21:7:15 – In the Red Sea – calm – muggy and sticky atmosphere. Passed the "Four Brothers" and "Twelve Apostles" during day – the former on African side, the latter Arabian side. How awesome and grand are these lone sentinels of the Red Sea. Barren, huge rocks rising in pyramidical shape for the most part and towering into the sky.
24:7:15 – Cooler weather. Pleasant head wind. Evening brought us in sight of African coast and Sinai on the east. How particularly awe-inspiring are these glimpses of historic landmarks. The aspect of the country is volcanic, and its rugged bareness and dull brown color vividly contrast with the bright blue sea and dashing foam. Sinai, for instance, commencing low-down rises in irregular slopes till its summit reaches to the very heavens. What food for thought and quiet muse for the dreamer!
25:7:15 – Arrived at Port Suez at 9 o'clock. What a picturesque change! What magnetic charm has this first glimpse of this new life to me. The rippling surface of the port gleams with opalescent beauty, and the yellow sand dunes contrast vividly with the changing hues of the heated atmosphere. A weird and bizarre mountain lies on our left and ahead, and ahead, a quarter of a mile off, is the Town of Suez, its buildings resting low upon the water. The port is full of shipping and everything around us is life.
This contact with civilization has put good humour into the troops. In full service dress they crowd the rails and bargain for fruit, sweetmeats, etc., with the miscellaneous crowd of Arabs and other dusky-skinned desert sons who have tied their boats to the ship's sides. How happy and contented I feel. My whole soul harmonises with the perfect serenity of the scene around me. What a picture for an artist to conceive or put to canvas! Not a wisp of cloud mars the blue dome overhead, a soft zephyr plays and gambols around us, just sufficient to temper the hot sun's rays and cause a dancing ripple upon the sea. Near us the water sparkles in light blue and as the eye travels towards the shore becomes darker and finally ends near the golden sands in an infinite royal blue. My opinion of "far-fetched" paintings has changed. I have looked upon a picture more dazzling in its varied hues than any master painter could conceive.
As noon approached the cool wind of the morning was consumed by a boiling sun and from then till sunset the heat was unbearable. Evening, however, brought the pleasant conditions of the early morn.