Diary of Gerard Henderson Cowan, November 1916 - January 1917 - Part 6

The heat however is dry not
muggy. like Sierra Leone.
To night the wind is off the
desert and is just like an
Aus West Australian w east wind,
makes me feel quite home sick.
Saturday 23/12/16
Saturday and we are duty
company, however I was not
on any early fatigue so was
able to sleep in till revalle.
During the morning a fatigue
of 20 men were wanted to assist
in putting the gun on board
and loading ammunition.
I was put it charge. We reported
to headquarters and were
told that the gun had not
arrived, but to hold ourselves
in readines to fall in at
five minutes notice, The
 morning passed and no gun
arrived I saw one taken to
the Boonah.
At 1,30 p.m. our orderly cpl
informed us we were wanted
with and additional ten men,
having secured the required
number, I marched them to
the ships orderly room and
reported.
One of the ships petty officers was
there, he turned to the Sergeant
major and said "were not
getting a gun today are we."
The Sergeant major went out
and a few minutes later returned.
There are ten bags of sand down
at the stern, take your men
down and remove them to
the sand box. You have 30 men

that will be three men to

each bag of sand. I suppose 

they will be sending me a

fatigue of 20 men to haul

up the pinace presently,

he said & grinned. xxx xxx

We have to wait I fancy

until a g ship arrives and

we take her gun.

Two tramps close alongside

us and evidently b bott

ships of the Clan line

Two tramps of the Clan line

were lying close alongside

us & today a gun was taken

from one and placed on the

other. No ship going north

leaves Dakar without a gun.

If they have no gun they 

apparently wait until a

southward bound boat with a

gun arrives then they take hers.

Steamers have been coming

and going all day long

and all except two were

British. The two exceptions

were a French passenger ship

and a Norwegian tramp

with her name (Skagold-Helsinborgs)

and national colours

painted on her side.

All day long tug-boats, steam

launches, barges, rowing boats

native boats, and sailing cutters

have being going to and fro

& in and out the harbour,

giving it a very busy appearance.

The auxilary cruiser has

swung round with the tide

until she nearly touches us.

We can get a very good view

of her g 6 in guns. Her name

is the "Crotava". I was able
to read it on her bows today.
Several men were sent ashore
for fruit today, Clements was
lucky enough to be one of
them. He says the town is quite
&  decent little place and there
are several decent shops, he was
very upset however at the
price of beer 1/10 [[unbourteilly?]].
The men have been swimming
today from the different ships.
Some from the Boonah swam
sw ashore but were politely
turned back by the native police.
A gun was fired from one of
the forts today but could not
see what it was fired at. We
hear so many guns now the
soon we will take no notice
of them. We see plenty of
Froggies travelling round the
harbour in launches, generally
in a white uniform and white
sun helmet, most of them wear
a moustache or beard.
Also saw several french sailors
with their caps with the little
tassel affair in the middle.
Sunday 24/12/16
Sunday and Xmas eve, It does
not feel very like Xmasy at
present.
All steamers have come and
gone all day long giving the
port an extremely busy
appearance. Among them were
two which created special
interest. One was a turret
steamer with double masts
that is instead of having 6 masts
placed down the centre, there

were 6 sets of two short masts
these were placed one on each
side of the ship, so.

Hand drawn image- see original document
The other was the White
Star liner Ionic.
Sheea created quite as sensation
as she is bound from New
Zealand to England via
Sydney, Durban and Capetown.
Da and has several Sydney
passengers on boad.

Several men Some hundred
odd men was were in swimming
swam over to her and were
given a great reception &
cigarettes. During the afternoon
the Ionic swung round with
the tide until her stern touched
our side there was a general
rush∧ made to get aboard here but
the guard & Captain Tullock
came on the scene and xx
stopped them. Several of the
guard were then sent round
to chase any over board, who
still remained. They routed
out half a dozen swimmers,
these ran down the gangway
and and were cheered by
the men on the transport.
Presently while they were still
on the gangway the guard
began to approach, there
was a chorus of warning
cries, but the bathers took no
notice, instead they retraced their
steps to where one of their no
was gazing into a porthole.
[[?]] was evidently one of the
portholes to the saloon dining
room, because presently we
could see bananas, oranges

and condensed milk being
handed out by ladies, children
and even reserved bald headed
gentlemen. The guard arrived
on the scene and tried to
drive them off into the water
Captain Tullock however let
them remain until by had
eaten what had been given
to them, for which he was
cheered by the troops and
clapped by the people on the
Ionic. Not being allowed on
board the liner they contented
themselves by swimming about
and talking to the passengers.
Presently a lady threw down
a tin of ciggrrettes then another
until and so on until she
must have thrown 25 or more
This of course drew the
swimmers and soon there were
a hundred or more about the
water at the foot of the gangway.
A French offical of sorts
arrived, dressed in neat uniform
and sun helmet, in a small
boat rowed by three niggers,
while he was on board the
swimmers piled into his
boat rocking it and nearly
sinking it. The niggers tired
every inducement to get them
out but eventually gave it up
as usless and waited passively
for the boat to sink. When the
Frenchy appeared at the head
of the gang way all but two
dived out as one man. One of
these two jumped out as he
stepped into the boat, the other
sat calmly by in the bow.

Frenchy went up to him in a
Superior manner and slapped him
twice on the back at the same
time pointing to the water, The
bather stood up calmly on the
gunwale and raised his arms
above his head as though he
were about to harangue
Froggie then he jumped out
backwards and dissapeared
from the sight of the astonished
Frenchman. Later on a tug
came along with several
passengers who had been ashore.
One Woman held up what looked
to be a bottle of beer. The
bathers thought she ment it
for them, they swarmed over
the side of the tug like flies.
She however grinned waved
the bottle at them and ran

up the gangway. The men

are in a very Xxxx Xmasy spirit and

like a lot of school boys, up to any

mischief.  

A concert party came from

the liner and gave a concert

on board the Argyllshire. Several

items were good several were

not, but at the same time I felt

disgusted with the way some of

the men behaved when they did

not like the item. Of course it

is always the same with all concerts

on board. But I thought that since

these people had taken the trouble

to come and entertain us on

Xmas eve and as several performers

were women that they fellows

might have behaved with some

decency. Had our plum puddings

[[?]] out to us today, 1 tin to 2 men

Monday 25/12/16
Xmas, it certainly has not been
half such a bad Xmas after
all. The weather is practically
the same as we have in Gton
at this time of the year.
Whishing the fellows a merry Xmas
made one feel much better.
Several of us went to communion
and later there was a church
parade. At 10 am the billies
were given out and we were
much the same as a lot of
kids opening their Xmas xxx
presents.
Mine contained a tinned plum
pudding, some butter scotch,
two packets of chewing gum
a toothbrush, stick of shaving
soap, two packets of cigarrettes
a tine of Yankee Doodle,
and a pipe, also a postcard with,
'The Secretary Victoria League
Perth.
I was hoping there would bee
a letter in mine, one looks
forward to a few words from 
W.A. when we have not heard 
a word for over nearly 7 weeks.
Several fellows had letters in
their billies and quite a
number knew knew the
people they were from.
Just before dinner I went in
for a swim, it was great in
the water. Several fellows
swam across to the tramps
and Jack Temple met xx
went on to one of the Clan
boats, and found she was a
boat he had worked on in
Liverpool and had met the
 

skipper. He was given a tip top
meal, a box of cigars and
later on ∧they rowed ∧him back.
Clements and one or two others
swam to the Highland Monarch
and were well entertained.
Jack Temple also swam there
and brought back a monkey,
a bonza little fellow.
We have met the Highland Monarch
before, She was the Steamer we
passed towing the barque
into Cape Town. All the crew,
or most of them, on the barque
were down with scurvy.
We had our gun put on this
morning and the liner received
hers during the day.
Sergeant Wilkins & Pte Harris
and four others are I believe
to be gun crew. I guess I will
 learn how to work that gun before
we leave this transport.
The Ionic left this evening
and we and the Auxilary cruiser
cheered her out. Th passengers
cheered and waved back. The
troops also struck up Old Lang
Syne. It is xxxx
I forgot to mention that just as we
were sitting down to dinner
Lieutenat James came down &
calling us to attention read a Xmas
message from the King to his
Soldiers & Sailors.
Well as it is rumoured we will
have to turn out early on account
of our our hatch being opened
to get stores, I am going to turn in.
It is just a quarter past eight
(8.15. p m) here that means you
in Australia will be just lighting
 

the fires and thinking about
morning tea.
Tuesday 26/12/16
To day is boxing day and
also a holiday.
We are still in Dakar and show
no signs of leaving, though the
latest rumor says we are
waiting for the Kent & 4 troopships
to arrive.
A French Belgian liner came
in his morning and anchored
not far from us, a couple
of soldiers who were swimming
at the time climbed up onto the
tug that came for passengers.
One of them was talking to a
Frenchmen and just before
we left the Frenchy handed him
a ₤1, whether he intimated that
he had no money I don't know
I went in for a swim this morning
and spent the most of afternoon
in writting letters as it was
posted up that there would
be a mail for Australia which
would close a 6 p.m. I believe
however that the mailboat bound
for Australia left before that
time so am afraid our mail
missed it.
Aquatic sports were held this
afternoon. I beleive they were
good, I only saw the high diving
and the officers race.
Ron won the officers race by
nearly a yard.
Ships have come and gone all
day. Southward bound boats
handing their guns over to
the boats bound north into the
danger Zone, All sorts of craft

call here some of them very
queer looking. I suppose that
for every six ships that enter
the harbour five are British
Sent several boat loads of flour
to the Boonah.
The Steamers which created most
interest to day were the Belgian
liner (Anversville) and a queer
looking British tramp( City of
Mannilla).
We have a mascot now, a little
monkey, Temple had it given
to him by the men on the
tramp.
Mr Pickering (Y.M.C.A.) was
sent on shore today and was
giving us a description of the
town and the people. The
town he says is a fair
size bosts of some very fine
buildings, and granolithic
pavements.
There are any amount of white
men and women about &
he also said that you saw more
niggers in five minutes in
Sierra Leone than you would see
here in five hours.
He also stated that the Frenchmen
were very sleepy, sort of the
world still goes round, plenty of
time why hurry.
Weather has been very mild, sun
hot, but a cool breeze blowing
nearly all the time.
Had no vegetables since to speak of
except dry peas and haricot
beans since arriving in Seirra
Leone.