Diary No.1 of Rupert Major Downes, 2 February - 10 March 1915 - Part 5

hot pace & this they kept
up for all the rest of the
march so that I had often
to catch up from one in rear
to front of column (on foot)
to pull them up.  Had a
few halts on way & ran
into Waldocks to tell Mrs
Tatham I could not come
for a motor drive c̄ her
as arranged - saw Lady Jenkins.
Halted at racecourse for
50 minutes where had a
lot of beer for the men
which cost the officers £17.
My clothes were quite soaked
through & a few of the
men pretty tired - 2 of ours

had fallen out sick & each
went back c̄ a man as
escort; Mrs Tatham stopped
one pair on the way &
regaled them well (the man patient
had appendicitis): it was
probably a scheme of all.
4 to get loose.  On resuming
march men very full
of songs, cheers, cooees &
beer & wanted to race -
marching badly.  Made
a deuce of a noise for
an hour till beer had
evaporated.  Marched them
at attention through the
fort & then dismissed
them for ½ an hour which

most of them exceeded so
that boat was late in
leaving wharf & then left
some behind who were all
sentenced next day to
various periods of confinement
to barracks.  After getting
launch off c̄ Jock whom
I had sent back in rickshaw
from racecourse to
do some shopping before
6, went up to G.O.H. for
dinner feeling very tired
& soon developed a bad
head - we had marched
8-9 miles in the heat of
the day - out of condition.
Could not last out dinner

& went back to Chilka
in boat c̄ Teddie & retched
nearly all way (some 20
minutes); got on board
into bed & to sleep.  Last
of men arrived at 12.55 a.m.
Three of train officers who
had marched in morning
were laid out by the sun
for the rest of the day.

Monday Tuesday 23.2.15
Left Colombo at 1.30 a.m.
for Aden & had done 115
miles by midday.  Saw
C. Cormorin in the afternoon
- a high headland the S.
point of India; also a

couple of native sailing
boats.  Beautiful calm
sea
Tuesday Wednesday 23 24.2.15
Run 252.  Still very calm
& cool c̄ light breeze
Wednesday Thursday 24 25.2.15
Run 255.  Weather the
same - went thro' 9° channel.

Thursday Friday 25 26.2.15
Run 259.  Weather the
same.  Innoculations &
vaccination daily since
Colombo
Saturday 27^th 2.15
Run 276.  Saw steamers

presumably from Bombay
De Man cooked dinner;
concert & football nocte.
Sunday 28^th
Church parade rotten.
Had cold for 2 days like
many others & felt cheap
as result.  Passed Socotra
about 100 miles away
& getting into Arabian Gulf Gulf of Aden.
Wireless from Alan McC.
for last 3 days wanting
our position - Captain
too fly to give it as
might possibly be a
German about.
Full moon - beautiful

calm clear night.
Run 283.  Did 3 hours work.
Monday 1.3.15
Run 290.  Saw smoke
of steamer going same way
over horizon - small sailing
boat to S. going in opposite
direction & whale spouting.
Light breeze behind us
so weather warmer.
Mashobra pretty close
by on starboard side.
Saw an Arab dhow, a
whale spouting, a sailing
ship & strange steamer
Went over engine room
in evening.
Did fair afternoon's work.

Tuesday 2.3.15
Came into sight of Arabian
coast at daylight & it looked
very bold & striking but
quite barren & inhospitable;
in some place high hills
coming apparently sheer
down to waters edge; gave
a feeling of its immutability
& serenity especially when
remembering that it formed
part of probably the oldest
known part country of ∧the world.
Weather - as ever since Colombo
is perfectly calm and cool
with all the best of a moon
on still cloudless nights -
last night one could nearly

read by it. Passed the first
warship in 7000 miles- a sloop
of 1000 tons the Espregle - going
N. along the Arabian coast, that
means most probably from
all information that there
were none that we could have
passed or heard their wireless.
At last in touch c̄ war
news & tapped 2 wireless messages
from Aden but nothing very
important in them.
Gave a lecture on sanitation.
Saw African Somali coast
in afternoon where fighting
had been going on & towards
dusk the high Ras Marshag
on the E. side of Aden harbor 

came into view. After
dinner in moonlight watched
all the lights & harbor of
Aden unfold & it was very
picturesque but we felt disappointed
at the absence
of daylight to see the place
as we were not going to call
there as was quite likely till
we met a wireless that there
were no orders for us - so
now we are off to the Aden Port Said. 
Played deck quoits in
afternoon - rottenly.
Sat up in moonlight till late.
Run 277.
Have now been going 28 4 weeks
& none of our horses lost but