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but we remember well this first disappointment.” Great prospects for the future! One of the men surrounding me was kind enough to help me with my luggage as he showed me to my barrack, where my Singapore friends awaited me with a mix of long faces and laughter over such a surprise. But what can you do, you’ve got to get with the situation and make the best of it.
The barracks are extremely primitive, built from wood, with a rear wall of asbestos, covered with corrugated iron, open at the front, and resting on tree stumps 1-2 feet above ground. At night, and when it rains, one can lower a curtain of pretty strong linen over the front, but it has to stay up during the day and at any rate offers limited protection. The barracks are otherwise completely empty, neither bed nor chair, table, pillow nor anything else is provided, except one storm light per 10 men, which offers a rather dubious illumination. The buildings, there are 2 rows of 10 so far, are 120 ft long and 8 ft deep, and each such stable houses 50 men.