Doldrums
Sunday
18th March 1917
Dear Mum,
This is the first Sunday out from our last port, [Cape Town] and I suppose it will reach you via England. The last letter I wrote was just before calling in so just a word about the place. We were anchored in the bay when I got up in the morning. The harbour was full of shipping mostly po tramps painted grey. and about twenty vessels of all sorts. The wharfing is very limited, there being only room for about six large steamers alongside at once. The scenery at once strickes you. You have heard descriptions and seen pictures of the place but it is nothing like what the place really looks like. The only comparison I have ever seen would be Wineglass Bay on about ten times larger in every respect, or else a town just under Tasman Island. The mountain stands up sheer from a small plain running about a mile in from the sea. It rises she very steeply for 1000 feet and the remaining 2000ft is a sheer cliff of sandstone in regular lines. There are several very steep hills at along side it. The whole place was once bare of vegitation but large plantations of larch and oaks have been planted over the lower slopes of the hills. The city winds round the between the beach and the mountains.
I am afraid I didnt have a very good time there, I was on piquct all the time and only saw the main streets. I tried to wire several times but they wouldnt accept any from anyone in Australian uniform. They wouldnt let me wire to England even. I believe Miss Paramore got one through. I got your cable as soon as we got in.
We were alongside by 10 oclock. There were two patrols with an officer & 80 men each to be furnished. We left the ship almost at once. We had no directions except to report the to the Garrison adjutant at a drill hall in a certain street. No one knew where abouts that street was and but I managed to get there by mean asking friendly policemen on the way. We were shut up in a drill hall for 12 ½ hours. Fortunately that is the usual rendezvous for patrols. And a number of ladies had furnished the place as a reading room and some were there with tea, cakes etc. They were very nice, and good.
I had a look round the Castle. It is an extraordinary place. Built something like the old barracks houses. The whole covers about 6 acres and is surrounded by a wall about 100ft high and 20ft thick fortify fortified and with a moat the whole thing rather like the Bluff Battery on a very large scale. There was living houses for about 3000 married families in houses just like old ones in Hobart barracks, built into the walls and in the centre. It is now used as Hdqrs for Africa. [word heavily scrubbed out but reads Cape Town] (I dont know what I was thinking about) is not nearly such a nice place as [word heavily scrubbed out but reads Durban]. There are more Boers and more the natives mix with the whites more. You have no idea of the disloyalty of the lower class Boers. I was surprised. They openly hate English and wont look at Australians who are loathed. All the hotels were shut as at Durban. It is quite good but seems rather hard that Australians going to the war should be forbidden a drink by those who are absolutely refuse to do anything & are openly pro-German. It is only the heads in S. Africa that stop serious trouble. That town is rather like Sydney, with narrow streets, fast electric trams and tall straight houses, but it is not very large.
I did not go far anywhere. Just along the main street and did not return till after 11.30P.M. During the night we slipped out into the bay with the other steamers. It was a most perfect day. The bay was like glass absolutely. The shades of brown & green on the mountain was very pretty. There were about fifteen very large ships including two huge hospital ships from German East. And all these ships were holding church services at the same time. We were lying within a stones few hundred yards of a famous little ship. I will let you know some day. She was in one of the big fights. And is now in sole charge of us all. The captain is very strict and often roars the other skippers up. Of course he is responsible & our captain knows nothing, not even when where we are. The We left the fo bay in column of route about 12 noon. [11.3.17] And outside formed Battery column. We as the fastest & most valuable boat are right in rear ready to run anywhere if attacked. We have a lame duck who makes our speed about 9 or 10 knots, with a result we will ha take over a fortnight going through the tropics instead of 6 or 7 days. We have difficulty in keeping our place & there is a terrible row if any ship over shoots any other. The first night out we almost rammed the boat in front in a thick fog.
I will finish this letter now & st write again soon some time.
Arndell.
(written on board R.M.S. Osterley)
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