Todd war diary, 3 August 1914-29 February 1916 / Arthur Todd - Page 298
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[Page 298]
all who could had turned in. Suddenly there was a terrific roar, baths and cabin furniture fell on the sleeping inmates, the ship shook and shuddered, and all rushed on deck to see what the panic was. It was just another dear old British tramp legging it for her life (eight knots and a half) from the Karlsruhe. With odd bits of quiet fun like this to break the tedium, we plugged on south, and on March 5th sighted the uninviting headquarters of the Admiral commanding the South Atlantic squadron.
The only inhabitants of the rocks, which just poked their noses above the sea, were a lighthouse keeper and his satellites. There we found the Carnarvon which had been dished up enough to enable her to get into Rio de Janeiro provided she did not exceed six knots or fire a gun; for in either case her bottom would have dropped out. The Vindictive, a ship about the size of the Encounter (5,600 tons) and an efficient tub, was also there doing duty as a floating wireless tub was also there doing duty as a floating wireless station, connecting up the Falklands with the West Indies. She had been at the Abrolhos since November 1914, and was still there, I heard, in 1916; how her ship's company kept sane I do not know. A more dreary job than swinging at anchor in sight of nowhere month after month would be difficult to imagine. But she was destined to do heroic service at the end. The Macedonia, the P. and O. liner which in happier days often tied up at Circular Quay, and seven or eight colliers and storeships completed the party. There was now assembled an imposing fleet of fourteen ships; but as we were the only one