braided him and averred he wouldn't go to sea with such a cook. Perhaps it's the sharp contrast 'twixt this and the ham and eggs, the cakes and fruit and desserts of the CALERA that makes me feel the change and bearing this in mind I try to bear up patiently, for I willed it of my own. March 2, 1925, Monday-First job this day a'bending mizzen to'gallantsl' upper and lower. Find the help sails light and easy to h'st (hoist). With these on she's got all on mut the 'crojack but she doesn't carry one so she's practically dressed up. Countless other jobs fill out the day. March 3, 1925, Tuesday-Making all snug below and aloft, awaiting the Old Man's pleasure and a fair wind. Late in the day the Britisher, the GARTHPOOL hore-up and got under way. Tho' the wind was not quite favorable it was a strong breeze such as a big vessel would want and she braced up to it on the port tack. In about two hours she was hull down and as it came out more from N.E. this night, it's likely she had a good start for Melbourne where she's bound. March 4, 1925, Wednesday-Each day we watch the movements of the little Custom boat as she plies from ship to ship in the anchorage doing various errands. Whenever she points her nose our way, all is expectation that at last the Old Man had straightened up his shore affairs and was come to take his ship to sea. This afternoon she brought off some stores and the usual note from the Old Man to the Mate. As she had previously called at the PHYLLIS a note came aboard for "Chilano" John from two of his old mates. I read it for him and the contents were amusing. It stated that the Old Man had taken his wife and daughter ashore Sunday last and was not seen since, giving rise to a suspicion that he didn't want to take his family round the Horn in the old pot. That they had a crew of "cowboys" aboard who would need much rounding into shape and finally that they'd try to locate our ship when we all got up to Europe. I composed a suitable reply for John, sending it by next day's boat and they must have been reading it just when we were making sail. March 5, 1925, Thursday-This noon the skipper and his daughter, a girl of about
twenty-one, whom he has to sea with him, come aboard by the Custom boat and the wind being right due north and exactly to suit, there's a "straining at the leash all round." After dinner the anchor is hove up by means of a gas motor and rope to the capstan and altho' it goes slow, it's far better than the old "bread." Tho' we're a raw crowd ourselves, the canvas is set quickly for the young Norwegian chaps who made the passage out know their way about aloft and are lively at it. Three or four of us lead the way for the greener fellows to the sheets and halliard and in an hour and a half she's gliding S. under a faint N.E. breeze with all on but the mains'l. At sundown it comes ahead abit but she's holding her own nicely. After all sail is set the two Mates choose the watches and to my great satisfaction, I'm chosen for the Mate's watch. A Canadian chap of about 30, a ruddy-haired, jovial faced fellow and a young Dane, we three are the A.B.'s of this watch, while "Chilano" John, a big Norwegian and an Australian just out of the Gulf of St. Vincent ketches make up the starb'd watch backbone. The deck boys and Ordinary seamen are divided between the two watches and as is usually the case the Mate got the better of the bargain. Our watch on deck til 8:00 p.m., the long afternoon watch as it's kept in these ships and we turn in for our first watch below of God knows how many. Tho' the night was dark and the wind heading, he headed her for the Buckstairs passage and shortly after midnight, Kangaroo Island was off the starb'd beam about five miles. At this juncture the wind fell light and baffled-round, giving us our first drifting at the braces. It finally steadied down to about N.E. or so and we lay up close by the wind on the port tack. I marvelled at the coolness and indifference of the afterguard when we were "ghosting" along thru' here this dark night and I tried to picture the KITTY MACKALL under Beatty's charge, going thru'. There'd be nought but dreadful speculations, tales of treacherous currents and ships lost on Kangaroo Isld. Then the clown of a mater would be snooping around the deck spreading his apprehension forr'd and telling all to
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