Primary tabs
Transcription
[Page 101]
patient, devoted lot. When it was time to awaken the relieving picket he said Let him have another hour's sleep, so we sat on the rail & he talked about his home life until it was time to wake the relief. I then took up my watch for an hour or two, and as there was "nothing doing" I went out for some fresh air. On looking in the Cook's galley I was astonished to see the Sucani "Smiling Morn" asleep in front of the fire with an over coat on. Evidently Hades would be a home for him. Going down the engine room the heat was so great that one's temples feel like bursting. The engineer on watch was sitting at his desk his head held between his hands. The speaking tube in communication with the bridge whistled & getting up he went to it. "Give us another revolution" came from above, & going to the controlling levers he increased the speed to the required amount. Huge cranks moved up & down with a clank, clank, clank, making an awful noise, yet this one man has complete control of the whole machinery that towered up to the skylights. A few grimy coolies emerged from the stoke hold covered in coal dust & with burnt hair, their beady