Item 04: G. O. Hawkins letters to his family, 2 January 1915-November 1917 - Page 37
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[Page 37]
7
Would that I could give you a picture of the wharf but it is a difficult task for a great troop ship is tied up there and all is bustle and activity, sunlight and color and round with bewildering detail. Down a sloping gangway, kahki [khaki] Australians are pouring out like [indecipherable] stream of life, beyond them fore and the steam cranes are feverishly at work hoisting swaying slings of cases and bales of goods out of the deep hold
Near where I stand similar but busier, hastier cranes are rapidly at work lifting and lowering ammunition and general munitions of war.
And all the time like a swarm of black ants the coolies are carrying boxes and bales and cases away into the trucks which wait in a long line just behind the coal heaps. In places they walk ankle deep in oats which lie on the wharf in splendid wastefullness. Tons and tons of oats for a ship had arrived a week before with a cargo of oats and rats
More [indecipherable] become restless with numerous actions and produce great bales of blankets from the mysterious bowels of the great ship.
Every dock on the wharf side is crowded with kahki [khaki] soldiers who as yet have no order to land. They are having a great time throwing food and spare clothing to the natives on the wharf below and laughing at the mad scrambles which take place for possession of some.
Officers pass here and there giving orders. Coolies stagger under heavy weights, other steal, native police are continually beating those who have no