Diary of Gerard Henderson Cowan, November 1916 - January 1917 - Part 4

have not come closer enough to

h make have a decent look at

yet.

Orders have been issued that

no men are to sleep on

deck as there is a mist

which rises here in the night

which is liable to give cause fever.

It is hard luck as you do

nothing but sweat all the time

below either day or night

in these latitudes.

The lights of the town which

extend right up the hillside

and the lights of all the

shipping makes a very

pretty picture.

It is getting so dark in the

morning now that our time

has been put back one hour ∧ and a half

to enable us to get up

later without altering all

the parades.

Thursday 14/12/16

Easily awoke in time for a

shower before early parade

this morning as the time has 

been altered.

Had the usual parades but things 

where very lax.

Took a couple of men for Morse

Code this morning.

Almost half way through the

afternoon's parade the call

No Parade, was blown, so we

were dismissed.

Half the men on the ship were

allowed on shore today. All

the companies on the aft half

of the ship went today; we go

ashore tomorrow.

They went in two barges and

were packed in like sardines.

A very neat little motor launch

built of stll Steele towed them

ashore.

The natives came round us

today in their queer litle

canoes. They are evidently a tree

trunk hollowed out. They are

beautiffilly made and ride over

water like a duck.

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They came paddling round

most of them trailing ∧ fishing lines

around their over the stern

these lines where made fast

around their own necks.

How they manage to keep

their balance when they get 

a bite is more than I can say.

Some of them had some fine fish

on board.

These men are a fine well built

lot of fellows and are copper

coloured me not black. They

Most of them wear a felt hat

with a coloured hankerchief

tied round it as a hat band, all

other cloths are conspicious

by their absence. The hat and

hat band I noticed any many

answered several other purposes

as well. T Small things such as

tobbacco, matches etc where

carried inside the hat, his pipe

was stuck in the handkerchief.

They seemed to be fairly reliable

as several men sent letters

across to the Port Melbourne

and received answers by them.

They lowered down the letters &

sixpence on a rope, pointed out

the ship to them and it was not

long before they were over.

The two French cruisers steamed

out to sea at noon today an

The crews∧ troops of the transports near

them standing to attention as they

passed. When two troopships pass

each other this form of salutation

∧is also used. Imediately they have

passed there is a general babble

of cheering, questions & answers.

At 4 pm The Auxilary cruiser

and 5 transports left. They steamed

out in a line. First came the

Ascanus then the cruiser then

the Port Melbourne next came

two New Zealand boats and

a large steamer wither a

huge black funnell brought th up

the rear. We cheered each other as we

passed. Several

Several native boats came 

round with fruits today and

most of the chaps bought although

they had been warned against ∧it by

the officers. Disease is liable to

be carried by fruit.

One or two have tried fishing

but have not heavy enough

sinkers.  The current tide here

runs in and out at rate of about

4 knots and stops carries them

away not allowing them to sink.

Lieutenant James told us today

that a German cruiser had

managed to slip out, but the

British destroyed her her

five days ago within a few

hundred miles of us.

Today has been very hot and

steamy. To stop perspiring you

have to sit in the shade and

in a breeze. This evening a

brezz breeze has come in from

the West and made things

considerably cooler on deck,

but it is still like an oven

below.

On viewing the land through

a tele pair of binoculars today

I picked out another fort on

a slightly higher hill just

be behind the first. These forts

appear to be heavily armed.

Also I saw a railway line and

train. I did not think this place

boasted of so much civilization.

Clements Friel Devenish and

one or two others generally

get a billy of tea made

at for 4pm I 4 p.m. and have some

afternoon tea. It is very acceptable

and this is the only time we

get decent tea.  Ships tea hang

above my descriptionary powers.

Clements was sent ashore today

on duty and says it certainly

is a rotten hole.  However we

are all still keen to go and find

out for ourselves.

Friday 15/12/16

Have been ashore today but

will have to write up all

about it tomorrow as it is too

hot down here tonight, perspiration

is running off me in

streams. Two

Two more troopships came into

port this morning.  One was

the Afric, a boat with four masts

and slightly larger∧ smaller than

than the Argyllshire.

The others' name I  do not know.

She is not quite so large.

Saturday 16/12/16

Slept on deck again last

night, it is allowed now if

you sleep under cover.

Felt much fresher this morning

in consequence.

At morning parade it was

announced that 50 volunteers

were wanted f to help coal ship.

Each unit in turn supplys gangs

of 50 men.

Twenty six men volunteered

and the rest had to be picked.

I volunteered, I thoug thought

it was just as well to volunteer

as to be picked.

We started at 8 a.m. and worked

till 12 noon.

I was down the hold first shovelling

coal into pe bags, this was out of

sunlight but not cool. Afterwards

we changed and The bags

who were then hauled up 10

at a time onto the deck of

the Argyllshire, they then had

to be hauled along the decks

and emptied into the coal

bunkers.  We had this game

for the two last hours. I am

quite convinced that if

Australians can coal ship

in the tropics two days sail

from the equator and haul

these 2 24 lbs bags about in

the heat and dust and do it

cheerfully as well they will

do anything. Of course wheth

when we came off at twelve

we were blacker and

less respectable looking

than the niggers alongside

with their boats of fruit

Most of the fellows worked

with only boots, pair of shorts

and a hat. I added a hat coat to

this and in consequence had

much less coal dust to remove.

This afternoon I have been lying

down reading mostly only

taking the trouble to get

up and have some tea

afternoon tea. Also some tinned

strawberries and tinned

cream. q Quite a treat.

The dress of t most fellows this

afternoon has been a towel,

while out of the Sun.

Another troopship came in

today, this makes 11 now in

port.  Also 90 men came on

board this morning and were

divided up so many to each

mess deck.  These are men from

the port Lincoln which broke

her tail shaft and ran ashore

about five days out from this

port.  I have been camped here

at Seirra Leone for 15 days

living on bully beef & weavily

biscuits.  They have had quite enough

of Seirra Leone.

Nearly all the men who had not

been ashore before went today.

Fifty from each unit went

yesterday and I was one picked.

We were allowed to go ashore

in blue shorts and kaki coat

boot & putties.  We were to leave

at 1 p.m. and return at 3 p.m.

after ing waiting about an hour

and a half a tug and two

barges came alongside.

I do not know the size of them

but 300 men were packed on

boad. Th We left eventually

at 2.15 p.m. and after the little

tug had zigzaged and pulled

and puffed against a 4 knot

tide for ¾ of an hour we arrived

at the shore at 3 pm just when

we should have been returning.

We were then told to reassemble

at 5 pm and dissmissed.

Friel, Devenish and I went round

together. We walked and

n looked at from a distance

there seem to be some rather

fine buildings, but on arrival

there we found them to

be very misleading, they

were dirty and delapidade

delapidated.  In fact the

whole town was the quaintest

and dirtiest town I have ever

seen.  The population is almost

if not entirely black.  They

are more a copper colour than

black and are not qu such

a fine race as the Zulus a Durban.

These are more of the Arab type

and most of them dress in the

flowing garments though some

dress in European style and

very smart at that.

On landing we were immediately

assailed by a crowd of fruit

sellers, mostly women, and

all through the streets whereever

you go, you are met with

"Nice oranges boss 12 for sixpence",

or 'nice bananas or

coco nuts. etc.

They all speak good English

and one or two, evidently,

well educated spoke it excellently.

I saw about half a dozen

white people while ashore.  There

were two French men serving

in the only decent shop in

the place the others were

either visitors or else were

down from the bungalows in

the hills were most of the

whites live.

I saw one or two native soldiers

who had been fighting in the

interior and, wonders of

wonders a boy scout. only

this one was quite black

looked very important

and must have been quite 21. years

This place also possesses a railway

guage 2 ft 6 in. a Curious

looking engine and queer looking

carriages.

Everything is done by natives.

They drive the engines, work

the cranes drive the steam tugs.

There are native policemen

native post Gp Gov post officials,

a native fire brigade, and

native soldiers and native

customs men.

Everything is done by native

labour and everything is

carried on the head.  Boxes

bundles of wood, baskets of

fruit and in one place where

th a road was being constructed

they even carried the stone

on their heads.  I saw one

cart only, a queer afair

drawn by two small bullocks.

If you wish to travel

by other means than shank's

poney you you can get

four niggers to carry you

in a hammock slung from

two poles with  covering

over it.  this contraption is

also carried on the head.

Another feature of this town

is the vultures there are

any amount of them about.

The natives look on them

as souls of the departed.

As At 5 p.m. as many as possible

were packed into a barge

and towed out to the

Argyllshire the tide being

just at slack we did the

trip in about 15 minutes.

I did. Being a bit of a swell

running we had to hard

work to hold her close to

the gangway Iand three others

stayed the till they were all

out and then jumped off

in turn as she rose on a swell.

I of course banged my knee

so I now have a very sore toe

and a very sore knee to keep 

it company.

A picket has just been sent

ashore to collect stragglers

Sunday 17/12/16

Last night extremely hot, and

today is a boiler.

Coaling was finished at 5 a.m

and the collier (516 Alantic City)

pulled away from our side

during the morning.   A fine

big liner came into port this

morning, she is evidently going

north. and will be.

There are ships in port

l including the two cruisers.

No Church parade today on

account of the coal on deck

where church is generally

held.

Have spent most of the day

in reading d and doing a

little mending.

There are any amount of 

leopards in the vicinity

and if we had only thought

of it in time we might have

got leave today and gone out

hunting.

The leopards I beleive come

right into the outskirts of

the town at night, One having

bee been shot there about

a week ago.

Actually saw some decent

looking Ladies and white at

that, going across to the liner.

They waved to us as they passed.

All sorts of rumors as to when

and where we are going.

Some say we leave tonight

others say next wednesday.

And again others say, as the

supply of of food is getting

short that and submarines

are stopping us from going

to England we will return

to Cape Town.  No one is very

particular so long as they

got out of this rotten hole,

as they call it.

Two ships reported just coming

in thought to be our escort.

Water barge has come alongside

again and we are taking

on more water. Hope it will

make a little difference