(3) Still at sea,
25-10-41.
Dear Mum and Dad,
Right now I am having a little dose of tropical heat on what is really quite a cool sort of a day for this part of the world. Some of the chaps don’t like it at all, but I am more or less used to it and am not complaining. I hope I have enough sense not to get too sunburnt, and on the whole it is not nearly as hot as I had expected.
All round us the sea to-day has been like glass, with a few very sluggish ripples; it is, I think, as calm as a sea could be.
We are certainly having a great trip. Yesterday the ship stopped at a wonderful little place which is, I think, prettier than anything our family has seen in N.Z. on any of its tours. Sad to say, we were not allowed shore leave, but from the decks we could see a remarkably fine view. The bush, if that’s the name of it, was much lighter in colour than New Zealand’s, and it seemed to harmonise just perfectly with everything else around.
Although unable to go ashore, we were luckily entertained by a fair-sized party of natives, who from the wharf put on a splendid series of songs and dances. They seemed a fine-looking type, and were certainly good entertainers as well as being nicely turned out as to dress. They even turned out the town band for us; it was composed entirely of natives and conducted by a white man. Jolly well they played, too.
There was a bit of excitement when the local John Hop, complete with bandolier and baton, chased a horde of grinning natives off a wharfside rooftop. He was very efficient about it, and very proud of being a P.C. The whole show was just what you see in the technicolour movies, and if ever I said that one of those about this part of the world was over-coloured, I take it back. I don’t think I would be allowed to write just what place this was, but maybe Joan can work it out for you.
An hour or so this afternoon went to playing deck games, for which they have some rather ingenious ideas which don’t take up a great deal of room. Decidedly I lack skill, but perhaps that will come with practice.
There is a bar on board which does a roaring trade in iced drinks this hot weather at a nickel a time. They sell that Coca Cola you’ve seen advertised in the National Geographic, Dad, and I find it very nice. It seems better than the stuff they sell in N.Z. under the same name.
Since I started this letter a couple of days ago there have been one or two more little odds and ends of interest. As yesterday was Sunday there was a service on board, and the day was also marked by the crossing of the equator. The “line” was in good order, and we hardly noticed the bump as we went over.
Quite a number of the chaps have given way under the tropical warmth which we are still experiencing. Yesterday the ship was pitching a bit in a long, slow swell, and as a result of this combined with the heat poor old Thomas has been pretty sick. He’s not so bad now, but would still appreciate some dry land and a Hastings frost.
It’s very curious to consider that in this part of the world we are a day behind New Zealand in time. I don’t feel any different, but it’s awkward when you start considering what people might be doing at such-and-such a time back home.
I’ll call it a day right now, I think, so love from
Arnold G.