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3. Easter Monday 24 days out.
We are now in the Indian Ocean heading northwards & the weather has
become much warmer altho' its by no means very warm yet. I was sick
for another week after writing the last 2 pages thus making 2 weeks
altogether which is a very long time. Now I am getting better slowly but
its left me very thin and weak indeed. Easter is just finishing but it didn't
make much difference to us except that we didn't have to work during the
day on Good Friday or today (Easter Monday) as well as yesterday. We
are always on duty every second watch & have to brace the yards (so as to
catch as much wind in the sails as possible) whenever the wind
changes or conditions demand it. The good meals disappeared on leaving
Port Victoria & we've been getting the roughest food you could imagine. No
butter at all & jam (marmalade usually!) once a week, plenty of margarine
which I can't eat, nor the bread the cook bakes nor the strong
black tea & coffee. Cocoa once a week. I live mostly on rice, porridge,
potatoes and water (the latter, coming from Adelaide has a most disagreeable
taste to which I'm slowly becoming used to). Mrs Wilson sent me 10/- espec-
ially to buy preserved fruits for their vitamens so a few dates, prunes, figs
& raisins have been very acceptable at times although they won't last long.
Over Easter the food improved considerably - we even had eggs, tinned green
peas & [????] and [nice?] date slices, (made by steward) but that will finish
now I expect. Some fish and stew have been quite bad and turned away by
every one. I sigh for the Sunday night teas in Leslie St. of cheese,
fresh bread, nice tea, salads, meat & cakes! Even for the "rough" (as I
thought them) hand outs of food when I was travelling per bike.
And then there are the bugs. They are in every bunk but mine is