Part 01: Alan Fraser Fry letters, 8th August 1914- 28 January 1917 - Page 5
Primary tabs
Transcription
[Page 5]
rolling of the ship, that kept me off my food. I could not bear to go down into the Saloon at all. I slept on deck, and only used my cabin to dress in. Most of the others on board did not feel the smell so much – the Officers being used to it, and the passengers, mostly tough old planters from the Islands, it had no effect on.
The land sighted is Guadalcanar, the most Easterly Island of any size in the Solomons. We should arrive at Tulagi our first Port of call tonight about 7 p.m. Gee ??? it will be nice to see and be on shore again, after 12 days going without a break. After leaving the Barrier on Friday 14th, we have not seen either land or ship till today. All on board are just wondering if we shall find the Germans in possession of the Islands. Really it is just as probable as not. However we shall know very shortly now. The general opinion on board is that the "Induna" another of the Company's boats up in the Marshall Islands (German) is captured, though of course no one knows for certain – that is what we are going up to find out. I know one thing, and that is, if we see any German men-of-war, the "Tambo" can hardly show them a clean pair of heels (7 knots in decent weather).
We have the Catholic Bishop of Melanesia on board. He is a funny old boy. and sleeps all day and night in a deck chair. I was very surprised to meet an old Fort Street boy on board. – Gilbert Murray. He is Overseer on a plantation up in the Solomons, where he has been for about 2 years, and says he thinks he will be started on his own inside 3 more years. His brother is doing Medicine up at the Sydney University.