Thursday afternoon, on board the SS “Chingtu”, May 26/98, going through the Celebes Sea. On Friday I got what I had prepared posted: 1 letter, 2 boxes films, & 1 packet photos. The last shot I got was the peak railway. I got it about noon just as the sun was overhead & I think it will prove good. I had taken 2 photos of Capt. Leask on board his steamer, & I fancy I “blanked” one film as I feared I had omitted turning the roll after taking the first, & to be sure, I ran the risk & turned it for safety. I went on board the “Chingtu” about 4 but came ashore again till night as she wasn’t to sail till 10 Saturday morning & I would have stayed ashore all night at hotel had I not arranged with Frank to come on board as early as possible & spend what time he could. He did come but about 9 o’clock. We weren’t laying far from each other. He stayed till 11 & left for good. We did not get away from our anchorage till 12, & then only steamed further up the harbour towards the channel, & anchored till 3:20 awaiting ship’s dispatches &c., & also to inspect & examine the Chinamen passengers going to Sydney. We have many on board & the ship agent very minutely examines all as the NSW[1] government does not admit other than naturalized subjects, so each has his certificate with photo attached, which he had [4:12] obtained while previously in Australia. They make a little money then return to China, & when it is done return. Several were rejected as frauds, using others’ certificates &c., & these were sent ashore. On arrival at Sydney, if any are found not elligible [sic], they won’t allow them to land from the ship, & the owners are bound to fetch them back to China, so the need for care is obvious. We steamed away at 3:20 afternoon. The steamer is not very large, carries about 2,700 tons, 1465 register, 68 crew & has accommodation for 35 cabin passengers, but for Chinamen it has a tweendeck & can carry a big number. We have in the 1st cabin 12, & several Japs in the 2nd. The Chinamen are steerage. The steamers are very comfortable & nicely fitted up, & a very neat, cosy saloon, but with exception, of the “Haimun” – the Amoy steamer – very much smaller than any of the boats I’ve previously sailed in. The Chief Officer, Mr. Eady, was in the Douglas Coy. a long time & knows Frank well, & it was he who was mate of the steamer, “Namoa”, that Mr. Wales was going up to Amoy in when the Chinese piracy occurred. He let me see his arm through which a bullet passed. It is now quite healed. I sent you a photo of the culprits who were caught. You will see they have just been photo’d after execution, & their heads laying near their bodies. Frank saw that real scene.
Nothing very remarkable has transpired since [4:13] sailing. Sunday was a lovely day but passed very quickly. Monday ditto, then on Tuesday we got in amongst the Philippine Islands, & since we’ve been more or less in sight of islands (refer to the map), we passed close to Luzon Island & saw Manila Bay, then into Mindoro Straits, passed Panay Island, then into Sulu Sea, then close inshore along the large Island of Mindana, on which is a large Spanish settlement. This we passed yesterday, Wednesday, & a launch came off & signalled us to stop. A Spanish officer on board, & enquired what news about the war. Fortunately some of the crew were Manila Spaniards & one of these, a quartermaster interpreted. The mate told him Manila had been taken & they seemed quite crestfallen. This was not correct information but he thought it possible since last news received at Hong Kong. They did not stop many minutes & steamed away back. We could see clearly crowds ashore seemingly anxiously waiting to hear news. The town I refer to is called Samboduza.[2] They have a fort but apparently very ancient. The same day a very large British man-o’-war steamed close past us, she going to Hong Kong, signals were exchanged. We passed through the Sulu archipelago & into the Celebes Sea, & this Thursday noon we passed, not closely, Siao islands. I consider the scenery on this passage amongst the lovely fertile tropical islands far surpasses the scenery of the inland sea of Japan. We are all much delighted with the scenery hereabouts. Islands wooded from the water edge to the very summits [4:14] & all so rich & picturesque. Little shore villages dotted along the islands, & we can see the natives quite plainly moving about. All these islands were on our port, or left, side & now we are in sight of Celebes Island & will make it close before evening, charming sights, these islands. We’ve had delightful weather & we’ve just now (it is 3:30) been 5 days out. It is 9 to Port Darwin,[3] so we are doing fine. (Boy just brought me a cup of tea). They fetch tea around on deck every afternoon. Food is very good & plenty variety: fine oranges, bananas, & Chinese lichees.[4] These are now in season & very fine they are. Cup of tea, toast, & fruit fetched to berth at 6:30 a.m., breakfast 8:30, lunch 1, afternoon tea 3:30, & dinner at 7. I rise & get my bath at 6 then turns [sic] in again & read till about 8. It is soon dark here when sun goes down, early after 6, & it is a sight to see him set, pretty sky, & we had new moon on 22nd with Venus[5] close to her, & it was most beautiful to view. The sea has been fine & the sky a beautiful blue. The sea water is quite warm to bath in. I have a bath 6 p.m. also. It is so hot, & the breeze so warm, I am never dry. At this moment I am steaming & the sweat oozes out the back of my hand as I press the agate[6] on the paper. It has been 88 in my cabin since leaving Hong Kong, & yesterday I laid my thermometer in the sun on deck at noon. Mine registers 120 but the mercury rose to the very limit of the tube, which would be at least 130, & I had to remove it else the mercury would [4:15] have broken the tube. I am writing this in the saloon as it is a bit breezy on deck & not suitable for writing. We have beautiful electric lights on deck at night, & I see the big one[7] is by Clark, Chapman & Co., Gateshead, just on the right of the train as you go into Gateshead from H’pool.[8] I have a very comfortable cabin to myself, small, still to have it privately is preferable. All the steward (boys) are Chinese, so are the sailors & firemen. All officers, chief & 2nd steward, & engineers British. I must soon finish writing & get on deck to cool. I am preparing for posting at Port Darwin. I left a letter at Jardine Matheson‘s office for Capt. Leask. He would likely return to Hong Kong on Saturday night.
I’ll give you a daily positions since leaving Hong Kong, taken by navigating officer, noon daily. Clocks are altered at 10 a.m. daily.
Left Hong Kong Saturday 3:20 p.m., 21st May.
Lat. N. Long. E. Run
Sunday noon 22nd 19.04 116.23 231
Monday 23 15.20 119.12 278
Tuesday 24 11.22 121.20 270
Wednesday 25 6.55 3/4 121.57 3/4 274
Thursday (today) 26 2.56 124.38 288
So you see how near the Equator we are today at noon, & we will cross it about midnight. It is 2,358 miles from Hong Kong to Port Darwin. Our passengers are all very nice – 3 ladies only, all on pleasure bent, & all Australians except 3 of us, been up for a holiday to Hong Kong & Japan.
I must have all my things turned out & aired. They are quite musty. Hong Kong is so moist, every European has a drying room fired during [4:16] the hot season. Boots turn mildewed in 2 days. Any kind of leather, even my portmanteau & bags, began to accumulate the green mould. Oh, the moist heat is disagreeable, always feel clammy. I have my underclothes to dry out side my port in the morning as the sun shines on my side (port) before I put them on. They soon get dry in such strong sun, but I shall have my suits on deck in the sun tomorrow if favourable. I discover my gummed envelopes & gummed lables [sic] are spoiling. The moist causes the gum to give & the flaps adhere, & bad they are to separate, however, the climate south of Brisbane will be much cooler, & until I am homeward bound on the Pacific Ocean, & in similar latitudes to what we’ve been in during the past few days, & days to come, I shall not be subjected to much more severe heat.
[1] New South Wales, Australia
[2] Zamboanga
[3] Inserted on facing page: “Port Darwin”.
[4] An oval fruit having a hard scaly reddish outer covering and sweet whitish edible flesh that surrounds a single large seed.
[5] Inserted on facing page: “Sun & Venus”.
[6] Stone-tipped pen (Agate stone) for writing in the manifold writer
[7] Illegible note in right margin.
[8] Inserted on facing page: “The dynamo is by Clark, Chapman & Co., & a beautiful engine it is, & placed in a chamber by itself just off the main deck”.