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[Page 13]
of the night or day so we always have to be prepared as some day it might be in earnest. I have not written any thing in this letter for a few days as I have put in all my spare time writing cards etc. to other people to catch the mail on board which closed on Monday. I expect we will strike Durban by Saturday or Sunday. Have I told you about seeing whales? We saw our first about a week ago, a school spouting quite close to our vessel and some of them monsters now we see some spouting nearly every day. We have had two deaths on board in the last few days, the first died on Saturday afternoon and was buried at 5 p.m. the same afternoon. The bodies are sewn in canvas with a few bars of iron and are put over the side. Of course we have a parade and funeral service when burying them. The other man died last night and was buried this morning at 10 a.m. The services are touching scenes but I suppose we will get callous to death. Since Saturday the weather has taken a turn for the good and I think it will keep up as we are getting into a warmer climate every day. I think this trip took us a long way south. I have set too and been doing my own washing lately as the sailors who do it for us are very expensive and we have not too much money to throw around. I have joined in a plan with a lot of others to let you know fortnightly how I am getting on. About 25 of us pay about a shilling a fortnight and send a fortnightly cable to a certain man in Sydney who will immediately write to every one of our homes and say how we are. It is a good idea and in good hands but of course it won't come into operation till we get to England. When you are writing to me next will you send those Woodville photos of mine but keep the negatives. I believe Ella wants to have some prints from them, if so lend them to her. On Sunday we had our blankets out for an airing the first since we got them and on the blankets of some Tasmanians near by, the unwelcome discovery of animals in large numbers was made, but I don't think they have got in amongst our lot yet, if they do I am going to get some silk underclothing at Durban and Capetown if we stop there. We had our first concert on board yesterday afternoon, it was not too bad although not as good as we used to get at Liverpool.
Sunday night – We have not sighted land yet but hope to reach Durban any day now. It is very hot tonight the warmest we have had yet. I am sleeping on deck now when weather permits, it is ever so much cooler and nicer, the only thing about it is we have to get up before 5 o'clock and come down below as they hose the decks down at that time. We have to always wear our lifebelts now for the rest of the voyage and it is a bit of a nuisance but I suppose having everyone ready would save time and lives in case of accident although about here I don't think there is much fear. I was on guard last week – there is always a guard on, watching different portions of the boat. I was on as a private and in my 12.30 a.m. to 2.30 a.m. I saw a total eclipse of the moon which is a very rare thing. It is the earth coming between the sun and moon, throwing its shadow on the moon. The moon could be seen like a dull yellow globe without throwing any light as it was quite dark while it lasted, which was about 3 hours from beginning to end. The same night as I was on board we had another death, making 3 all told. I have now been appointed Lance Corp. for the voyage, which will help me get into a school the other side. This afternoon I saw another whale, he came to the surface quite close to the boat, so we could see him quite plainly. We had our usual church parade this morning. Yesterday we got paid £1 which has got to do us till we get to England with another £1 we will get somewhere on the sea.