Papers of Athol Cluny McPherson - Part 12

[[?]] a [[?]] [[?]]

Melbourne that the

[[?]] had little

[[?]], [[Sinator?]] [[Riereer?]]
sent a wireless for

particulars of [[?]]

____________________

219 miles    

_____________________    

Thursday 5th Nov Sea

very calm, had rifle

drill in morning

washing parade &

semaphure in afternoon

the monotonous ([[?]] ship

of fleet passed us at dinner [[twice?]]

coming from the [[?]]

end of the transport

having gone back there

owing to suspicious

looking smoke, but

all was well, the

[[?]] passed us at

about dark, going to

England 242 miles

[[?]] 14/-

________________________

Friday 6th Rifle drill

in morning sea very

calm, came out with

life belts an [[?]] [[?]]

afternoon to test how

many that had on

board a good many

short. [[Lot?]] a wireless

message to say that the

Square Heads we [[?]]

Neutral flags to say

mines, weather getting

hot, drawing close to

the Equator, crossed the

Route of mail steamers

Distance 253 miles

_______________________

Saturday 7th Nov Drilling

with rifle in morning

holiday for sport [[?]]

in the afternoon

a wireless message

reports that a British

Cruiser attacked five

Germans of Valpairso

with the result that

the Berkshire was

sunk a [[later?]] one

reports that [[?]]

more British Cruisers

came to her [[?]]

with the result that

all the German

cruisers went down

but so far this is not

confirmed [[Distance?]]

(the same as yesterday)

Saturday 8th Church Service

in the morning. A 

trooper on board the

Euripides died was buried

at sea, while we

were at Church & Parade

the boat (Euripides) 

steaming to the outside

& stopping until after

the burial, Saw a

lot of flying fish, the

weather getting very 

. A "mock" fire

alarm last night at

eight & all of us

had to Parade on

board. Distance 243

____________________

Monday [[11?]] Nov [[?]]

Escort started moving

"the Sydney" steaming

away at full steam

ready for action [[?]] [[?]], the

Japanese Cruiser going

a few hours lately [[?]]

to pm 10 am in the same

direction, it appears

that one as the Japanese

Cruiser xxx ran

away from here the

[["Emdeui"?]] gave chore

but the "Jap" sent a

code message here

WWH (we want help)

with the Cruiser

that the Sydney were

in pursuit it being

stated that she was

only 70 miles off. near

the Cocos Islands

our Commander [[?]]

his course & went

[[North?]] of the Islands

out of sight the

result was that the

{[Emder?]] was [[?]]

ashore, so save sinking

that also had a [[collier?]]

which tried to escape

but was captured

the loss reported is

13 British Wounded 2

killed. There is

also a report of 

Cholera on board

one of the transports

there was another [[?]]

on board the Euripides.

On guard at

night, weather very hot

9th continued

Kings birthday  [[?]]

It has just been

confirmed about the

Sydney sinking the [[?]]

our loss was 2 killed

13 wounded so reported

the collier was also

capture Distance 234

It is thought that

the Germans landed

troops on the Islands

(Cocos)

_______________________

Friday 10th Weather getting very

hot, the Germans [[cut?]]

the wires on Cocoa

Island (The Cable)

the Collier was caught

I sunk, the Germans

were taking prisoners

off both the Warship

& Collier. Two deaths

from Pneumonia

on board the [[?]]

all lights were out

on board the Transport

at 7 pm last night

the only light visible

being the [[?]] xxxx

smoking being prohibited

the Japanese Cruiser

& the Melbourne

came back last night

as [[are?]] [[?]], so far

the Sydney has not

returned. Distance

Distance 243 miles

_______________________

 

11th Nov We waited

for all of the other

transports & boat

past us & then came

back to the front

again. The New Zealanders

were firing

shots out to [[?]]

they being [[the?]]

last boats of the

transport, saw

a number of flying

fish. Weather

cooled today, we

started [[using?]]

condensed water

240 miles

2361 miles from Albany

_______________________

Thursday 12th Weather

very hot The Empress

of Aria (a [[?]]

Cruiser) passed us

[[?]] least, [[?]]

to be going to [[the?]

Cocos Islands to

[[?]] up the cables

cut by the Germans

The Japanese Cruiser

came alongside

the [[?]] [[?]] & [[landed

a party of [[their?]]

men on [[board?]]

they stayed about 

[[?]] [[?]] [[?]]

263 miles 263

_____________________

Friday 13th Nov The

New Zealand boat

went ahead of [[?]]

making [[?]] [[?]]

to coal. Very wet

day it came down

[[?]] [[?]] for

about two hours

The Br Examined

our arms for [[?]]

[[?]. Very little

[[?]] on [[?]]

of the rain

[[up?]] our overcoats

taken crossed

the equator [[?]]

[[?]] [[?]]

_____________________

Saturday 14. Had xxxx rifle

drill & [[?]] in 

the morning. No [[?]]

in the afternoon fairly

warm day 243 miles

Sunday 15th Arrived at

Colombo about dinner

time, saw a turtle

on the track, also a

lot of porpoires the

harbour full of

warships, the [[?]]

in port also

The Empress of Burma

the Russian Cruiser

Askold came out

& anchored outside

the [[?]], she

is a four [[?]]

vessel used in

the war with Japan

the sea when approaching 

Colombo [[?]]

alive with small

boats with one sail

up, but they were

not allowed along

side. Colombo is

 

A very pretty place

with [[?]]. The beach

[[?]] with [[?]]

[[?]] quite close

to the waters [[?]]

& There are also

[[?]] fine buildings

[[and?]] Hotel near the

[[?]] being [[?]]

it is said to be

one of the [[?]]

in the world, the

water in the harbour

is very dirty, we

anchored out

today but expect

to go in tomorrow

to take in water

but they wont [[?]]

any of us ashore

the Governor came

on board this

afternoon the [[?]]

coy being picked

as a guard of

honour, some

of the Askold

in morning cheer

as she passed

but we were unable

to, as she saluted

us & we had to

stand at attention

while she was passing 234 miles

_______________________________

Monday 16th Nov 

washing parade in

the morning, the

boat "[[?]]" took

in water, niggers

[[?]] the boats

alongside with

it, they are very

much like the [[?]]

that with Australia

but I fancy they are

stronger, as the [[seem?]]

to be a mass of

muscles on the arms

very straight, the

boats that most

of [[?]] [[?]] about

in are very narrow

with one [[matt?]] the

sea was alive with

[[?]] a few miles out

but they werent