WITH THE COLORS.

Hokitika Guardian, 27 September 1918, Page 4

WITH THE COLORS.

By Chas. R.H. Parham, 37th Rein- c forcemeats.) e English Channel, ' Saturday’, July 6th, 191 S. € { I am going to continue the yarn ‘ of our trip from where I left off at ] Colon. Before starting I want to t tell you some of the fresher news. I am well and am greatly enjoying the beautiful weather which we are ( having now that we are close to ’ England. After the trying heat ot | the Tropics and the Carribean Sea, . I feel very well and “hefty” in these temperate latitudes. Last night we sighted The Lizard, and just then (while we were passing the Scilly Islands) there was a most beautiful • sunset. I don’t remember having seen anything like it before. Hiked the long twilight and spent a pleasant evening watching the rest of the convoy slipping silently along without showing a single glimmer of light, and in watching the flashing of The Lizard light and the Land’s End light. This last was almost abeam when I turned in. The sky in the west was still glowing redly. The dew was pretty heavy and my overcoat was pretty damp this morning. All night long the starboard gunners were pacing up and down within three or tour feet of me. Little destroyers « scaled ” round us and kept a close watch over us. So you can see that we are well looked after. I think I stopped off, where I told you that we anchored out in Lymos Bay, Before doing so, we passed a big two-funnel grey-painted steamer. When we anchored we were near enough to signal to the troops on board. I can tell you I had quite a pleasant time (for I learnt to send and receive fairly rapidly in semaphore). The soldiers said they were Australians and that their boat' was the . We presently learnt that we had been waiting for an escort. This took the form of two seaplanes and an American cruiser. The Australians joined us. We passed lots of. shipping in the Bay. There were many Strange craft. This evening I was interested to note that both the Southern Cross and the Great Plough were plainly visible. I had hopes that we would call at Kingston, where at least we could get plenty of fruit. As we were steering almost directly north, I guessed we would pass very close to Jamaica, if we did not land there. This proved correct the next day, for when I got up at 3.30 a.lll. on account of a face ache (or neuralgia) I saw a light on the port bow. The light of the Australians was plainly to be seen ahead. The cruiser led. About 6am. the land was very clear, and I could plainly see the lighthouse. The shores rise in precipitous whitish cliffs. More islands (or hills on one island) were now visible on the starboard ; but the rising sun spoilt the view. This land I think is Cuba, while that on the other side must have been Jamaica. Saw a number of ships and two steamers. One of these, a three-funnel boat supposed to be carrying a cargo of “ Celestials,” joined our party. We were the most heavily armed and laden. A wireless was received to-day (Tuesday, nth June) saying tha; a transport had downed two submarines. Local rumour says that it was a New Zealand troopship, the boat carrying Hie rest of our crowd. Since leaving Colon the guns have been ready for immediate use, the gunners being constantly on guard. They are very decent fel lows, and are always so cheery. I have had several squints” at the other boats, and at the islands through the glasses. Lots of gulf6".ream weed is being passed. I had trrg(.t shooting. Some of our fellows have to be constantly on submarine guard, I have not struck it so far. We are very fortunate in that there are so few of us on board. The other boats are just crammed. From now onward we had to carry our life belts and water bottles everywhere we went. I put all my valuables in my tunic pockets so as to lose no time in case of accident. I am stationed at No. 16 lite boat. The ships continually zigzag, and are not going very fast. June 15th, 3.lo.—After a blast on the syren of the cruiser (which the other boats repeated) we turned sharply to port. We mistook this for a signal to go to our boat stations and all got there in pretty quick time. Half an hour afterwards two destroyers and fourteen submarine cruisers dashed out lo meet us and scaled round us like a lot of greyhounds. They are marvellously long and low and speedy. Presently the steamer with the Chinese turned north-west to New York escorted by eight of our guard. Lots of wreckage—table, life belt, boxes, \ etc —was passed. Some weeks later we heard that we had great luck as a boat was sunk a few hours later at the same spot. It was a dangerous area. In the morning (16th) in sight of long low strip of sand with scrub on it. This was our first glimpse of Virginia and of the entrance to the Delaware river and the pore of Newport News. We have been exactly a week from Colon. We proceeded into Hampton Roads and anchored between an island fort, and (what I afterwards discovered to be Fort Irwin) the presence of which I did not suspect. A couple of battleships were near us and I heard the sailors singing. We then had church parade. After a long wait, during which a seaplane buzzed around, we weighed anchor and proceeded up the river. Again we anchored, for we had to wait for a berth. It was not until Tuesday evening that we at last tied up to the coaling pier. On our way up the river we passed many strange craft and many oddly painted ships. There were among other things, strings of pontoons which were loaded with freight cars from all parts of U.S.A. The C and O Coy seemed to have everything in their hand (Chesapeake and Ohio). Many swift launches simply

rushed, over the water. Some of the camouflaged ships appeared to be sinking, or to have a destroyer or a submarine alongside! One especially’ effective disguise was a boat painted like a zebra with white and.black stripes. At a distance I actually thought there were three of these boats one behind the other! I made several rough sketches of the designs, and intend to send 1 them to you soon. * The Yanks are daylight saving, so our clocks went ahead an hour, we were supposed to get leave from , 9 a.lll (really Ba. 111) until 9 p.lll, but the tug did not airive until 12-30. Many fellows openly expressed their opinion of American business, saving, “ The Yanks are all bustle and and 110 hustle,” and “ It this is Van • kee hustle, give us old N.Z ” However, it was very kind of the authorities to take us off at all, and seeing they also had to take off! nearly a couple of thousand ( “Aussies” I don’t blame them, j Were marched ashore through the i main streets to the Y.M.C.A. Here ; we exchanged our money with the least possible exchange. I lost 23 cent on 10s. We then scattered for ! dinner. Shannon and I went to “The Admiral” where we had a 1 snack for 45 cents (is iod) each. ; Food and fruit are awfully dear; butter and bread scarce. I’bought no fruit. Went for ride in the “cars” for 15 cents. We went about eight miles out to Old Point, passing Hampton and Phoenix. i Went for a walk along the beach to Fort Irwin. Went through the artillery camp there and yarned to the Sammies—seem to be decent fellows. They sleep only four in a tent and look very comfortable. Of course it is very hot here. I had a long yarn to some more Sammies who made 11s come in and sit down. They showed me their gear. Excuse the interruption, but a submarine has just popped up alongside. It is a very swift and long low-lutmped fish ! The red sun is now perched on the funnel of the steamer, and the breeze is getting chilly so I think I will soon go and get my tunic on. To continue, this gear is serviceable, but it is a long way different from ours. They have some good ideas. I was invited to stay to tea I did so and had a good time. We had “hash,” “chowdar’ (a finely minced green pickle which is nice and sweet), war bread, not much butter, corn bread, cake with icing on it, and iced tea. I liked this last, which is weak tea with lemon juice and sugar. One of my entertainers took me round the forts. Saw plenty of big guns etc. These disappear and have an enormous range. I also was taken through the old mooted fortress used in the Civil War. This is called Fort Paret and it was here thatjuth Daves.the noted Buccaneer, was held prisoner and tried for his life. Went across the drawbridge through the lort and out the other side across the moat. We walked along a drive under big trees (Cypress I think) and past a big parade ground, and past the officers’ houses. My guide “ Rose ” gave me his address in case I had time to send him a post card. I have some pictures of Fort Monro among the other souvenirs. lam posting these in England. Being rather short of American money and not wishing to exchange any more English money, I had to stay on board until the evening, when we tied up at the coaling pier. You see, it I had gone ashore earlier I would have had to pay for my meals, and then would have had nothing with which to get postcards etc. The coaling plant is much simpler than at Colon. I prefer its principle too, though it is not so clean. . Trucks run along a huge bridge structure and dump about fifty tons ; of coal at a time into a hopper. It then runs straight down, in a continuous stream, into the holds. . The trucks are elevated at one end > of the huge plant and run along on , either side to the right shute. - Alter being emptied it runs along . to the end of the bridge, here it is switched on to an inclined rail 1 track, which lets it run down of its own accord. The loading gear is very ingenious, cars of coal run to this end and are turned right over on co their sides, emptying their coal into the huge cars which run on the bridge. This structure is nearly a 1 thousand feet long and eighty feet ! high—as high as our crow’s nest! . Two lonics can easily’ coal, end to end on one side, and half a dozen ’ Arahuras on the other! The Poco- , hantus, supposed to have been captured from the Huns a few days ago, coaled at oiw bows. It is larger than this boat. While at Newport, we heard that two ships had been 'sunk just outside Newport News, a day or two before we arrived. Two of the submarines which had been \ after shipping outside of New York, were sunk the day I heard the news. An enormous submarine, said to be 550 ft long, was rumoured to have been towed into the harbour the same day. Near us was a foreign tramp steamer which is suspected of being a German submarine supply boat. She had coaled there three times lately and her destination is unknown. I went ashore after we tied-up at the coaling pier (iSth June) alter tea. I just had time to buy three booklets of views before the shops closed, I nearly overstayed leave as it was late before I had finished writing what I sent you. I then got down some side streets near the wharf and was stopped by a Yankee picket. This was a debarred area, being a very’ dirty and low nigger district. Before getting on board I was again stopped. After I had been on board about half an hour a guard was sent over the gangway and they took the. names of those who came on then. - (To bo Continued.)