Letters of Malcolm William Keshan, 1940 (Part 12)

Dear Dot 
If it so happens that you open this
letter first do not read it open the other one 
and read it first this is part two its all one 
letter. 
Mac

(8) 
us, when we would stop and natives would  
pop up from everywhere and just stand and  
look at you, and they didn't look very nice  
so we returned to the boat for dinner. 
When we left the boat they had a tally clerk  
who counted everyone who went ashore and on  
returning counted them again to see everyone  
returned they were all surposed to be back on  
board by 4.30 P.M. anyhow the next morning when  
they counted up the tally in the book they  
had about 200 men extra and yet there was only  
the same amount on board as went ashore when  
the called the roll,  you see they would come  
on board and the clerk would count them then   
they would walk across the boat and climb down  
the anchor chain after whistleing a native over  
in a row boat get in his row boat and he'd  
row them ashore, then later on they would  
come back up the front and the clerk would count them again. 
I managed to get ashore anyhow. 

(9) 
When we got back to town we had another 
rickshaw race,  anyhow two of the chaps decided 
the natives needed a rest so the put them in 
the rickshaw and they had a race. 
Then we decided to return to the native quarters 
again, and it was not long before we were 
in the middle of them, and funny though it  
may seem its correct, the native men sleep 
on the footpath. I wondered what was wrong at 
first when I saw everybody stretched out on 
the footpath and then I noticed that there 
were only men there, and when we worked it  
all out we found out the men sleep out  
on the foot path though they dont have to. 
We watched them for a while  it was terrible 
funny to see a man walk out onto the 
foot path  lay down and go to sleep, after a  
while we got sick of it and left. 
We headed for the Galle Face Hotel after we  
left there, it an enormous place and very 
nice to, the dance we were invited to was

(10) 
being held there,  I'm not so very keen on dancing 
so I didn't go to the dance I just had a drink (1) 
and sat in the lounge and talked for a while 
the hotel although very nice is very expensive 
so we decided to head back for the ship and 
a little sleep. 
During our stay in Colombo  other than  
soft drinks I had one drink only and that 
was just out of curiosity to see what foreign 
beer tasted like 
I didn't find out until the next morning 
but all the day before while we were in Colombo 
the temperature was never once below 120deg 
and I didn't even notice it once, the only reason 
is because I did not even have time to. 
Well Dot the next morning or most of it  
was spent trying to bargin with the natives 
over the side of the boat, you see as soon as  
it is light they row over in larg rowing  
boats loaded with, cigarettes, cigars, singlets,  
hand carved elephants, sandals, everything you

(11) 
can think of, and they bargin with the chaps 
if you decide to buy at there price you sing 
out ok, and they have a long piece of rope 
with a weight on one end which they throw 
up for you to catch, then they tie a canvass 
bag to it and you pull it up and put your 
money in then lower it to them they take the 
money put whatever you buy in it and you 
pull it up and get same,  you have to watch 
them all the time though. 
We got a pair of sandals, one bunch of 
bananas, six coconuts, and 65 limes, which are  
like lemons, only small, all for 6/- there were about 
6 or 7 dozen bananas on the bunch. 
There are also chaps who dive for money 
anything at all and I never saw them miss 
once. 
I almost forgot we saw a few snake charmers 
to making there Cobras dance, they also 
call themselves magic men, and after watching  
one of them I was begining to believe he

(12) 
was, this particular chap got a basket  
of earth and emptied it on the ground then 
he got a mango seed and passed it round 
for us to inspect, then taking it back he 
put it into this earth and covered it with  
a cloth he then put his hands under and  
started to mutter to himself and inside five  
minutes he had a mango plant growing  
there  and a fair sized one at that, just to  
finish it of he had to dig the roots out of 
the ground, and I was not drunk I don't drink. 
I guess I have just about reached my 
limit Dot, Colombo is a very hard place to 
describe, and what I have just told you although 
very little. Im afraid, is the best I can do. 
On the first night out from port we had 
some fun , there were four of us sitting down  
in my cabin talking about what we did in 
Colombo, when some one went up and got four 
bottles of Ginger Ale well we were sitting there 
drinking when some one shook his bottle up

(13) 
with his thumb over the top and then took 
his thumb with which beer went everywhere, 
then everyone started doing it and spraying  
each other you should have seen the mess 
in my cabin  but it was fun while it lasted. 
You should see my cabin mate Doti  Dot 
as soon as we left Fremantle he had all his  
hair shaved of, I christened him Bullet head 
then the chap next door had his shaved so I  
called him Pin Head  they didn't like it so 
they named me Mopey, and  tried to get  
me to do like wise, but I promised someone 
I wouldn't do that or grow a mustache so 
I still have my hair.  However they have  
threatened to take it of by force so how 
long I will keep it I dont know, but I think 
it will still be there if and when I come back. 
I'm pretty sure I will have some snaps for 
you next time Dot so until then wish everyone 
all the best for me and "Big Cheerio"   J B Wells 
Lots of Love. 
Sincerely Yours. 
Mac 
xxxxxx 
xxxxx 
xxxx 
xxx 
xx 
x

AUSTRALIAN IMPERIAL  
FORCE 
PASSED BY CENSOR 
493 
  
SYDNEY 
11 -AM 
3 20 NOV  3 
1940 
N.S.W.AUST. 
DEFENCE FORCE MAIL 
NO POSTAGE REQUIRED 
H.M.TRANSPORT 
  
Miss D Williams 
37 Byrnes St 
Bexley 
Via Sydney 
Australia           J B Wells 

S - A - G 
Letters No 
Recd  21/11/40

"A" Coy 19th Inf. Ing. Bn. 
A.I F. 
Abroad. 
  
Dear Dot, 
Well darl just a few lines to let you know that I have arrived at my destination 
Palestine ok, sorry I couldnt write sooner but when we got here there was a lot to do for the first 
few days, when I finally thought I would get a chance to write I was transferred to another camp 
as a special instructor.  Im still there at present. 
Up to date darl I have covered a fair bit of ground, and I have found it all very new and  
interesting, and I have had a good time trying to understand there different customs, but I still 
have to see the country that is as good as our own, Australia is just one jump ahead of the lot: 
I hope you received my other letters ok, and I'm afraid this one will not be long as the 
last few (lucky you) I hope you can read it ok darl, it's a bit cramped up and all that but Im 
sending it Air Mail, and the price goes up with the weight, I think there must be a bit of Scotch  
blood in me, if I didn't send it air mail you probably would not get it for some time. Now  
I'm going to ask you a favor darl do you think you could possibly write one and return it  
air mail to me, make it a long one, write close like I have and do your best, if you do I get it  
in about 14 days, otherwise who knows when. 
I have a few snaps Dot which Im going to send you through the ordinary mail when 
you will get them I don't know, Im just waiting on a few more and Ill send them all to-gether 
of course they also have to pass the censor. 
The trip over was very nice darl I had a great time, but after looking at a photo I have  
with me I dont think it will be half as good as the trip back, of course that all depends,  
you see a lot can happen between now and then (dont forget to count ten) 
Gosh I'm getting a beaut colour up that is on the arms and legs, it dont take long to get brown