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[Page 15]
We left Cape Town Thursday 21st Sep, at about 5 o'clock in the afternoon. It was windy & fairly rough gaining the open sea, but the following morning broke calm and dull. This calm lasted right on to the equator, and, in fact at the time of writing, Monday 2nd October, the sea is as smooth as Sydney harbour. To day is the first day we have had the sun since leaving the Cape, but my word the weather has been sultry in the Tropics. We expect to arrive at St. Vincent a port in the Cape Verde Islands off Sierra Leone in a couple of days.
On Saturday 30th Sep, we celebrated the arrival on board of Father Neptune, having crossed the line at 1 am that morning. This was beautifully managed and was screamingly funny. The Adjutant, Revs Stacey Waddy & Postle, two officers, Ship Sgt: Major & Ships QM. Sergt, and 2 men from each Battn. were nominated to receive sentence for some offence. The crimes were awfully good, but of course you would not understand them were I to give you a sample, for they have a local colouring. The sentences were pills, injections into the mouth, porridge in the hair & down the back, red ink on the shirt, and a ducking in the canvas bath. It was a delightful afternoon sport, and everyone took it well with the exception of a few, who got double doses for resisting "His Majesty Father Neptune's official spotters" . Soap & water + quinine & mustard, was the mouth wash, while the pills were cayenne & soap.
We've had lots of concerts, some lantern lectures by Capt Waddy, and one very fine debate, but I think we are all glad that the dreary trip is drawing to a close. 11 days will see us in England! There is every chance of our being quarantined for we have 98 mumps cases.
It's great to watch the glassy smooth water & see the shoals of flying fish a few inches only from beneath the surface. Suddenly they dart upwards, leap from the water, & volplane rapidly through the air, ricocheting from crest to crest of the small swells, till they have expended their energy & drop with a tiny splash in their watery home. It is so smooth that we can see the Portuguese-man-o'war with their bladder like float above the surface, drifting along fanned by ever so gentle a warm breeze, trailing their treacherous tentacles behind them. Even the porpoises are lazy, and at night the phosphorous floats by in large balls of light, instead