AN ADVENTURONS TRIP.

Hokitika Guardian, 13 March 1917, Page 4

AN ADVENTURONS TRIP.

Letter from Gid Napier Boy.

Au interesting letter has been receded by Mrs Mott, of Napier, from her sod, Private H J. Mott, who lett with tf»H Eighteenth Reinforcements fo; 'he front. Private Mott, who was attached to the Specialists’ Corps, was an old N.pier boy, having been born and educated there.

After relating his experiences on the- voyage to the Cape, ha mentions many interesting sights to be seen there, where be was mnoh struck by the number of blacks employed in various waiks of life.

A TROPICAL PORT. He describes the out-of-the-way port of Freetown in S:erra Leone, on the coast of North-west Africa. In this tropics! part Private Mott saw some very interesting sides of native life, and describes the beauties of the harbor, where he saw quite a large number of British warships, which gave the boys a fine send-off when they left, the band of the Eighteenths playing “Rule Britannia” as they ■teamed out. One of the cruisers in the port was the Highflier, which had not long before sunk the big German auxiliary cruiser Kaiser Wilhelm der Grosse. After touching at the French port of Dakar and coaling, the transport sailed, presumably for England. SUBMARINES ! “Now comes the queer part of my story,” the letter goe3 on. “We sailed apparently for England, but next day we realised that we were going ou a very zig-zag coarse, in a south-easter-ly direction, We apparently out out right into mid-ocean and then went back to our previous port, Freetown, arriving there at dark on the 9th of Deoember. We notioed also that we were ‘right out’ as far sb speed was conoerned, and next morning learned from our O.C. that we were ohased back, as there were three German raiders out. I dare say that if we bad not turned and come back when we did we should most likely have been copped, for I have heard several vouohed-for stories of some of the German submarine work in these waters. TROUBLE FOR SOMEONE Of course 1 cannot make any statement, but at the same time I’m inclined to believe that there is trouble abont. Two of the cruisers which were in port sailed this morning, cleared for action, so you can bet your boots that there’s something seriously wrong somewhere. Yon know on our first stay in Freetown we were held up for ten days, and along with us some twenty more vessels. On these occasions one bagias to wonder if Britannia does rule the Waves. We now have two naval gunu ners, who came aboard to work an an extra gun we have mounted aft, and they fired a couple of crial shots at a barrel* It sounded mighty queer, and fairly shook the after part of the ship.

THE SUBMARINE GUARD. “They also had a submarine guard stationed about the ship, with rifles and ball ammunition, merely to do what damage we could if one should appear, but up to the present we hare no idea of what is doing, exoept that food is running short.” Later Private Mott continues his letter, and in it he mentions that he has just heard the reason of their sudden return to Freetown, It appears that after leaving Dakar our boat’s wireless received a message in German code which, although we were unable to read it, warned ns at once that the enemy was close at hand, and hence our mad dash for safety.” A PICNIC IN THE TROPICS. “We went for a picnic up the bar; bor in the ship's boats, landing about a mile and a half away in a rooky cove, where the forest was of a most luxuriant and tropical nature, with tall African grasses, mango trees and masses of bamboo cane about. I met the native superintendent of the hospital, who spoke excellent English, and warned us that where we were walking at the time poisonous snakes, monkeys and wild animals of the smaller species such as leopards and tiger-oats were plentiful. He showed us a spot where a leopard had killed a dog, and also where he had shot a tiger-cat, of which be Bhowed me the skin.'’ INCREASING PRECAUTIONS. “ After leaving Freetown after their enforced stay of three weeks, they mounted ’a very strong submarine guard. “ There are thirty men told of£ for the job from daylight till dark not coanting any from other companies, We take it in half-honr shifts, four men at a time going round with loaded rifles, and at any sign of a conning tower or periscope we warn the officer in charge by a rifle shot. If he picks it up with his glasses, and it is really an enemy craft, he blowß the ship’s whistle, which is the signal for every man aboard to don his life-belt and dash for his allotted boat station, *5 The guard meanwhile line tbe deok, and do what damage they can with ball ammunition, and I dare say the 3-ineh gun just behind us would do more good in one shot than the whole lot of us combined. THE GERMAN BLOCKADE. “We were told the other day that three boats were sunk off St Vincent, on the Coast of Spain, and within some 600 miles of where we were at the time. Tbe submarine guard are given special instructions, regarding the wateh outs especially at dawn and

dnsk, for it is then that the submarines generally strike. “Private Mott, owing to the long delay en route, had jhis Christmas Day aboard the transport, and describes in satisfied terms his Christmas dinner, whioh consisted of fairly good “duff, bread and cheese and the usual fare with the addition wainute, caramels, raisins and bars of chocolate and goes on to describe their trip up the English Channel in bitterly cold weather.

IN TIIE CHANNEL

“In the afternoon we sighted a flotilla of destroyers. We got quite a good view of them as they were along side us. They don’t look much but they have amazing speed, they fairly leap along, tossing and rolling in the swell. We feel much safer now. The destroyer accompanied us into the harbor, and it was a fine sight as we moved past boat after boat, tbeharfccr being full of ships, including many transports, some of them bound for Mesopotamia. “It is seventy-two days since we embarked in New Zealand, and it has been a moßt remarkable trip as far ai weather and conditions were concerned.