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[Page 85]
of making a noise, at times it is a chorus of one of the popular airs – there are only about four or five of these that the crowd catches on – apart from "Tipperary" & "Australia Will be ther", maudlin songs sung with the peculiar nasal intonation, supposed to be so expressive! As a rule, the noise soon dies out, and except for the thumping of the horses hoofs overhead, quiet more or less reigns. One fool of a young officer, noted for his officiousness, came down last night & tried to stop the noise, but was greeted with a loud outburst of laughter, catcalls and other things. The silly incident might have caused trouble only our skipper, who is a quiet old chap with a dry quaint humour of his own, came and is which makes him rather popular with the men, came down & asked the boys to settle down which they soon did. It is hard to anylyse feelings at this stage, for we are probably on the eve of a big engagement, in fact General