Page 20

-20-

great success, as the blue washed out and the white still very
dirty looking. Steward's "name day" (Ascel)

Thursday. Mar. 24th. Tacking about over the same stretch of water,
hoping for a change of wind, but the forecast always the same - S. to
S.E. winds. The excitement of the day was putting up the sail in
the motor boat, a jib was also run up and the flag, rather pale and
raggy looking after its wash. All hands came to admire and Captain
looked at the boat from all angles, with a broad smile of pleasure
on his face!

Friday Mar. 25th. A Lutheran holiday, so a quiet day. Still tack-
ing - we have been 5 days on the same spot! Both Watches now
quite smart and efficient, when 3 whistles go for the 2 watches to
make the tack, they come running out like a football team, 2nd mate
at the head of the starboard watch stampedes across the flying
bridge to the poop deck, it sounds like the German army advancing!
Chief Mate, looking like a hobo, springs about like a live wire.
Each day he gives warning that he is going to "drink plenty" ashore!
He looks a "character". If one didn't know what a kind hard-working
man he was, on his looks one would think he was the roughest type of
hobo one could meet. Thin and big-boned, several days growth on
his face, a "swivel eye" and a tooth missing, a filthy tweed cap on
the side of his head, a huge baggy pair of trousers, the seat of
them somewhere about his knees, golf shoes and an old uniform coat -
and yet he is worth 20 of the beautious, gilded Hitler Youth.

Saturday Mar. 26th. Still tacking up and down the same few miles of
sea. Everyone getting very restive, being 'so near and yet so far",
seems harder for them to put up with, and there are some very glum
expressions!

Sunday Mar. 27th A perfect day, blue skies and sparkling blue seas
and a light breeze. The day is so marvellous, even the crew are
not moaning at the delay in arriving. I sat all day in the motor-
boat, its sails set and flag flying, looking over the side one
couldn't see the ship, but just the sea. With the slight movement
of the ship the feeling that one was sailing in a small boat was
very realistic. For a few hours at night there was a dead calm,
but by 11 p.m. [xx] a fairly good wind had sprung up, and more sails
were set.

Monday Mar.28th Land ho! Just after breakfast Kangaroo Is. was
sighted, so we all stampeded to the fo'castle head to see a long
blur of misty blue land ahead. The Australians are so excited,
some look as if they could jump over the side and swim for it!
"Going about" all day and tacking - much shouting and, apparent,
muddle. "Second was late in arriving on the scene, and Captain
flew in a rage when Second could not understand the orders. Captain
went white in the face and stamped and roared! Second looked sullen
and muttered for the rest of the day. At 9 p.m. a fair wind blew & we
sailed into the Gulf. By noon we had dropped anchor at the ballast
grounds off Wardang Is.; listening in, we heard that "In bright