Todd war diary, 3 August 1914-29 February 1916 / Arthur Todd - Page 195
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[Page 195]
From Tampico the ship was headed due North for Galveston in Texas which will be familiar to most readers as the town which is devastated by flood or hurricane every year. The lower parts of the town were being rebuilt when we arrived on December 20th. It was now bitterly cold a curious thing in a latitude of about 29º N but in winter a cold wind seems to blow off the mountains and we felt it keenly after Jamaica. In a few days the temperature dropped from 80º to 30º F.
In Galveston they badly wanted the Sydney to come in and stay and sent a big tug and pilot but the Captain wanted to push on as Christmas and Turkeys were calling in the Bahamas. One doesn't mean to insinuate that the turkeys were not fresh. We were due in the Bahamas on the 23rd and had to hurry. In rapid succession we called at New Orleans and Pensacola and then turned South along the coast of Florida passing Cape Sable and Key West, till we reached Havana in Cuba.
Here all was peace and quiet - the Hun crews were paid off and their ships lay befouled in Harbour. After a hurried survey the Sydney turned North again and on the evening of the 23rd duly made Nassau, British Bahamas.
We anchored as close in as possible and gave the inhabitants a search light and rocket display.
On arrival we received the cheery information from the Governor who had done our marketing for us that three hundred turkeys had arrived from New York the day before. The local merchants on seeing a vice regal order