Primary tabs
Transcription
[Page 14]
soft light blue, the pink and the brown tints that towards evening deepen make it a veritable Fairyland.
About 4 p.m. we passed through fleets of native scows; there must have been 40 or 50 of them.
Sunset---6 p.m. We are beginning to draw in to the coast. It is quite dark now and we see the first lights of Colombo---the beacons of the lighthouses---how they seem to beckon to us. Excitement very high everywhere; the men were too tense to be noisy. Towards 7.30 p.m. the lights of the town itself began to twinkle and then a cheer broke out along the long line of crowded watchers. Men clambered everywhere to get a better view---Sgt---and Basil and I climbed up on the fore look-out, but we were hunted down. That cheer breaking the tenseness seemed to get the men off, for, from then onwards, there was nothing but a great chorus of song up for'ard,---right until we entered the harbour.
9.30 p.m. We moored in the harbour, somewhat like the Outer Harbour of Adelaide with its big artificial breakwaters. There were a dozen big vessels there besides some smaller ones. We saw the wreck of a big P & O boat as we swung through the entrance to the harbour.
While we were mooring a single boatload of natives paddled around the ship crying "Yi-yi-yi-yi---money, money." We threw them coppers. The men thought it great fun and kicked up enough row to wake the whole island.