Todd war diary, 3 August 1914-29 February 1916 / Arthur Todd - Page 310
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[Page 310]
shirt and mess jacket. We always knew who were to be the Old Man's guests, for two or three gloriously apparelled would slink in before dinner trying to look unconscious, and mingle for a few minutes with the rest of us who were attired in filthy shirts and a pair of trousers and preparing to dine off cockroach soup and beef that was fast becoming chatty. Still we all had our turn, and were wondering if there was to be a second round, when it was announced that we were going into Monte Video. At the thought of the beach and a square feed ashore everyone was happy, and on the 29th March we sailed up the River Plate.
A difficulty now arose. On entering a foreign port one is upposed to hoist the flag of the country at the main and fly it while the salute is fired. The flag lockers were searched, but were bare of the Uruguayan ensign. However, the sailmaker made some of it and the painter painted the rest, and as we entered Monte Video and passed the forts the flag broke proudly forth and the salute was given and returned. The harbour at Monte Video is not good from the point of view of deepsea ships, and we were forced to lie some miles off the town. But the British consular representative came off and put a tug at our disposal for the day, and after a discreet interval all who could be spared made for the beach. The run ashore after so many weeks at sea was a delight which the shore-going person would not understand, and we made the most of our twenty-four hours' stay. The port was full of German ships,