5

Good reward if they had found us. Anyhow our German friends
never found out anything. So we thought we would work on
for a few weeks until we got a few Shillings. And our Scotch
Shepherd used to come occasionally and have a yarn with us
about the old country. As he had only been out about 5 years.
Anyhow as soon as we had a few shillings we thought we would
Leave our German Friends. And now that our ship was gone
we thought we was simply all clear and could go where we
liked. So we left the Market Garden. And made tracks for
pt Adelaide and proudly thinking that we was all clear now
that the ship was gone. But as soon as we got to pt Adelaide and
into the Boarding house in came the Water Police and arrested
the three of us. Of course we wanted to know what was wrong now
as the ship was gone. Anyhow we had just to go with the police
to the lock up in port Adelaide. So we was to be tried next morn-
ing. So at 10 am the Magistrate came in and asked why us
Boys deserted the ship Melbourne. And we told him through being
so cruelly treated. And he sympathised with us. And told us we
ought to have reported it. And we told him if we had have
done that, it would have been the worst for us after we got
to sea. Anyhow he said he would have to give us a months
hard labour. And I assure you that was more than we expected.
Anyhow we thought we would be better in there for a month
than walking about the port. As in those days there was not
Many Ships about pt Adelaide and also a desert looking place.
So the three of us was run up to the jail in Town. Anyhow
when we got inside we was put in a yard where there was
a crew of sailors that had refused duty on board an American
Ship called the Buena Vista and got three months. Anyhow
we found them a fine lot of men. And they were making Bags
for the Copper Mines. And us boys tarred the twine for them. And
I assure you when our month was up we was simply sorry
we had to leave as we was not badly fed and ships was
pretty scarce and the Governor of the jail gave us a good advice
and advised us not to come back there any more
and we told him how we was so cruelly treated on board but appearingly