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[Page 163]
for breakfast. But we complained about it. In spite of their huge war profits, I know of nothing meaner than the shipping Coys, ask the average soldier, he knows. For they get a fair price from the Commonwealth to bring us across, and one has to be constantly on the Qui,vive, to see they don't cut him down in rations etc. This ship is pretty good though, better than a good few. Though some men are never satisfied, if King George was put off, and they were installed in his place they would resign in a year, so hard are they to please. On the 12th we passed between the island of Socotra and the mainland, Cape Guardafui. According to my Atlas, Socotra has an area of 18,000 square miles, a population of 12,000, I think it runs a sultan and harem. My first trip over, I did not like the sea, but I can't say I dislike it now. I have often heard people rave about a sunset at sea; but to be honest I've seen nothing to rave about perhaps English people think it lovely, but to one used to Australian sunsets, it is nothing out of the ordinary. I like the tropic and semi-tropic seas, these are truly beautiful, being of a deep indigo color, and when the morning sun catches the crests of the waves and turns them into emerald , then the sea is truly lovely.
But one of the finest sights of all is moonlight on the ocean. The ocean is black at night, and the moon makes a silver pathway over the ocean it reminds one of: A lake and a fairy boat to sail in the moonlight clear.
The other night I went down to the engine room, and did some coal shovelling in the bunkers, too dirty though. The Engines are known as triple expansion, the steam passing from one cylinder in to another. The pistons of which there are six, each weigh about a ton and work vertically the ship having two driving screws. The Coolie crew on board, seem to do a little work in a jolly long time, 2 pound 10 shilling a month is conducive to energy I suppose. They do most of the rough work on board. It is funny to watch them hauling on a rope, they haul together to the cry of "Kalamangar Hectso",