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diff --git a/16690-h/16690-h.htm b/16690-h/16690-h.htm new file mode 100644 index 0000000..f0e67d5 --- /dev/null +++ b/16690-h/16690-h.htm @@ -0,0 +1,4317 @@ +<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Strict//EN" + "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-strict.dtd"> +<html> +<head> +<meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=ISO-8859-1" /> +<title>The Project Gutenberg eBook of Five Months on a German Raider, by Frederic George Trayes</title> + <style type="text/css"> +/*<![CDATA[ XML blockout */ +<!-- + p {margin-top: .75em; + text-align: justify; + text-indent: 1.25em; + margin-bottom: .75em; + } + img {border: 0;} + h1,h2,h3,h4,h5,h6 { + text-align: center; /* all headings centered */ + clear: both; + } + hr { width: 33%; + margin-top: 2em; + margin-bottom: 2em; + margin-left: auto; + margin-right: auto; + clear: both; + } + + table {margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;} + + body{margin-left: 10%; + margin-right: 10%; + } + + .blockquot{margin-left: 5%; margin-right: 10%;} + + .bbox {border: solid 1px; margin-left: 15%; margin-right: 20%;} + .tnote {border: dashed 1px; margin-left: 10%; margin-right: 10%;padding-bottom: .5em; padding-top: .5em; + padding-left: .5em; padding-right: .5em;} + .center {text-align: center;} + .smcap {font-variant: small-caps;} + .right {text-align: right;} + .figcenter {margin: auto; text-align: center;} + p.hangindent {text-indent: -3em; margin-left: 3em;} + + ins {text-decoration:none; border-bottom: thin dotted gray;} + + hr.full { width: 100%; } + pre {font-size: 8pt;} + // --> + /* XML end ]]>*/ + </style> +</head> +<body> +<h1>The Project Gutenberg eBook, Five Months on a German Raider, by Frederic +George Trayes</h1> +<pre> +This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with +almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at <a href = "https://www.gutenberg.org">www.gutenberg.org</a></pre> +<p>Title: Five Months on a German Raider</p> +<p> Being the Adventures of an Englishman Captured by the 'Wolf'</p> +<p>Author: Frederic George Trayes</p> +<p>Release Date: September 14, 2005 [eBook #16690]</p> +<p>Language: English</p> +<p>Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1</p> +<p>***START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK FIVE MONTHS ON A GERMAN RAIDER***</p> +<p> </p> +<h4>E-text prepared by Suzanne Lybarger, Emmy,<br /> + and the Project Gutenberg Online Distributed Proofreading Team<br /> + (<a href="https://www.pgdp.net/">https://www.pgdp.net/</a>)<br /> + from materials scanned and prepared by Internet Archive/Canadian Libraries<br /> + (<a href="http://www.archive.org/details/toronto">http://www.archive.org/details/toronto</a>)</h4> +<p> </p> +<table border="0" cellpadding="10" style="background-color: #ccccff;"> + <tr> + <td valign="top"> + Note: + </td> + <td> + The material from which this e-text was prepared can + be found at Internet Archive/Canadian Libraries. See + <a href="http://www.archive.org/details/germanraider00trayuoft"> + http://www.archive.org/details/germanraider00trayuoft</a> + </td> + </tr> +</table> +<p> </p> +<hr class="full" /> +<p><a name="Page_2" id="Page_2"></a></p> + + +<div class='center'><a name="before" id="before"></a> +<table border="0" cellpadding="4" cellspacing="0" summary="Author before and after captivity"> +<tr><td align='center'><a href="./images/before.jpg"><img src="./images/before-tb.jpg" alt="THE AUTHOR BEFORE CAPTIVITY" title="THE AUTHOR BEFORE CAPTIVITY" /></a><br />THE AUTHOR BEFORE CAPTIVITY</td> +<td align='center'><a href="./images/after.jpg"><img src="./images/after-tb.jpg" alt="AND WHEN RELEASED." title="AND WHEN RELEASED." /></a><br /> +AND WHEN RELEASED.</td></tr> +</table></div> + +<p><a name="Page_3" id="Page_3"></a></p> + + +<h1>FIVE MONTHS</h1> +<h4>ON A</h4> +<h1>GERMAN RAIDER</h1> + +<div class="center">BEING THE ADVENTURES OF AN<br /> +ENGLISHMAN CAPTURED BY THE "WOLF"</div> + +<h3>BY</h3> +<h2>F. G. TRAYES<br /><br /></h2> + +<div class="center"><i>Formerly Principal of the Royal Normal College +Bangkok, Siam</i><br /><br /></div> + +<p> </p> +<p> </p> + +<div class="center">LONDON<br /> +HEADLEY BROS. PUBLISHERS, LTD.<br /> +72 OXFORD STREET<br /> +W. 1</div> + +<div class='center'><a name="Page_4" id="Page_4"></a><i>1919.</i><a name="Page_5" id="Page_5"></a></div> +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> + +<div class='center'>DEDICATED<br /><br /><br /></div> + +<div class='center'> +IN DEEP GRATITUDE TO THE DANISH NAVAL AUTHORITIES,<br /> +LIGHTHOUSE KEEPERS, LIFEBOATMEN AND THEIR FAMILIES,<br /> +AND THE KINDLY INHABITANTS OF SKAGEN, DENMARK,<br /> +WHO SECURED FOR US, AND WELCOMED US BACK<br /> +TO FREEDOM, AND WHO BY THEIR OVERWHELMING<br /> +KINDNESS AND HEARTY HELP<br /> +AND HOSPITALITY LEFT WITH US SUCH<br /> +KIND AND HAPPY MEMORIES<br /> +OF THEIR COUNTRY AND<br /> +COUNTRYMEN AS<br /> +WILL NEVER BE<br /> +FORGOTTEN.<br /> +</div> + +<p><a name="Page_6" id="Page_6"></a><a name="Page_7" id="Page_7"></a></p> + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> + +<h2>CONTENTS</h2> + + + + +<div class='center'> +<table border="0" cellpadding="4" cellspacing="0" summary="Contents"> +<tr><td align='right'>CHAPTER</td> +<td align='left'></td> +<td align='right'>PAGE</td></tr> + +<tr><td align='right'>I.</td> +<td align='left'>THE CAPTURE OF THE "HITACHI MARU"</td> +<td align='right'><a href='#Page_11'>11</a></td></tr> + +<tr><td align='right'>II.</td> +<td align='left'>PRISONERS ON THE "WOLF"</td> +<td align='right'><a href='#Page_23'>23</a></td></tr> + +<tr><td align='right'>III.</td> +<td align='left'>BACK TO THE "HITACHI MARU"</td> +<td align='right'><a href='#Page_37'>37</a></td></tr> + +<tr><td align='right'>IV.</td> +<td align='left'>THE GERMANS SINK THEIR PRIZE</td> +<td align='right'><a href='#Page_51'>51</a></td></tr> + +<tr><td align='right'>V.</td> +<td align='left'>LIFE ON THE "WOLF"</td> +<td align='right'><a href='#Page_66'>66</a></td></tr> + +<tr><td align='right'>VI.</td> +<td align='left'>ANOTHER PRIZE—OUR FUTURE HOME</td> +<td align='right'><a href='#Page_82'>82</a></td></tr> + +<tr><td align='right'>VII.</td> +<td align='left'>CHRISTMAS ON THE "IGOTZ MENDI"</td> +<td align='right'><a href='#Page_97'>97</a></td></tr> + +<tr><td align='right'>VIII.</td> +<td align='left'>RUMOURS AND PLANS</td> +<td align='right'><a href='#Page_116'>116</a></td></tr> + +<tr><td align='right'>IX.</td> +<td align='left'>EN ROUTE FOR RUHLEBEN—VIA ICELAND</td> +<td align='right'><a href='#Page_133'>133</a></td></tr> + +<tr><td align='right'>X.</td> +<td align='left'>SAVED BY SHIPWRECK</td> +<td align='right'><a href='#Page_149'>149</a></td></tr> + +<tr><td align='right'>XI.</td> +<td align='left'>FREE AT LAST</td> +<td align='right'><a href='#Page_166'>166</a></td></tr> +</table></div> + +<p><a name="Page_8" id="Page_8"></a><a name="Page_9" id="Page_9"></a></p> + +<h2>ILLUSTRATIONS</h2> + + + + +<div class='center'> +<table border="0" cellpadding="4" cellspacing="0" summary=""> +<tr><td align='left'>THE AUTHOR BEFORE AND AFTER HIS FIVE MONTHS' CAPTIVITY</td> +<td align='right'><a href='#before'><i>Frontispiece</i></a><br /><span class="smcap">facing page</span></td></tr> + +<tr><td align='left'>"HITACHI" PASSENGERS AND CREW IN LIFEBOATS AFTER THEIR SHIP HAD BEEN SHELLED</td> +<td align='right'><a href='#shelled'>22</a></td></tr> + +<tr><td align='left'>JAPANESE STEAMSHIP "HITACHI MARU"</td> +<td align='right'><a href='#hitachi'>64</a></td></tr> + +<tr><td align='left'>THE "IGOTZ MENDI" ASHORE AT SKAGEN</td> +<td align='right'><a href='#ashore'>150</a></td></tr> + +<tr><td align='left'>THE SKAGEN LIFEBOAT GOING OUT TO THE "IGOTZMENDI" TO BRING OFF THE PRISONERS</td> +<td align='right'><a href='#lifeboat'>166</a></td></tr> + +<tr><td align='left'>THE SKAGEN LIFEBOAT BRINGING TO SHORE THE PRISONERS FROM THE "IGOTZ MENDI"</td> +<td align='right'><a href='#lifeboatb'>166</a></td></tr> + +<tr><td align='left'>AT SKAGEN: GERMAN PRIZE CREW OF THE "IGOTZ MENDI" UNDER GUARD, AWAITING INTERNMENT</td> +<td align='right'><a href='#prize'>180</a></td></tr> + +<tr><td align='left'>THE COURSE OF THE "WOLF"</td> +<td align='right'><a href='#mapstitched'><i>End paper</i></a></td></tr> +</table></div> + +<p><a name="Page_10" id="Page_10"></a><a name="Page_11" id="Page_11"></a></p> + + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> +<h2>FIVE MONTHS ON A GERMAN RAIDER</h2> + + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> +<h2>CHAPTER I</h2> + +<h3>THE CAPTURE OF THE "HITACHI MARU"</h3> + + +<p>The S.S. <i>Hitachi Maru</i>, 6,716 tons, of the Nippon Yushen Kaisha (Japan +Mail Steamship Co.), left Colombo on September 24, 1917, her entire +ship's company being Japanese. Once outside the breakwater, the rough +weather made itself felt; the ship rolled a good deal and the storms of +wind and heavy rain continued more or less all day. The next day the +weather had moderated, and on the succeeding day, Wednesday, the 26th, +fine and bright weather prevailed, but the storm had left behind a long +rolling swell.</p> + +<p>My wife and I were bound for Cape Town, and had joined the ship at +Singapore on the 15th, having left Bangkok, the capital of Siam, a week +earlier. Passengers who had <a name="Page_12" id="Page_12"></a>embarked at Colombo were beginning to +recover from their sea-sickness and had begun to indulge in deck games, +and there seemed every prospect of a pleasant and undisturbed voyage to +Delagoa Bay, where we were due on October 7th.</p> + +<p>The chart at noon on the 26th marked 508 miles from Colombo, 2,912 to +Delagoa Bay, and 190 to the Equator; only position, not the course, +being marked after the ship left Colombo. Most of the passengers had, as +usual, either dozed on deck or in their cabins after tiffin, my wife and +I being in deck chairs on the port side. When I woke up at 1.45 I saw +far off on the horizon, on the port bow, smoke from a steamer. I was the +only person awake on the deck at the time, and I believe no other +passenger had seen the smoke, which was so far away that it was +impossible to tell whether we were meeting or overtaking the ship.</p> + +<p>Immediately thoughts of a raider sprang to my mind, though I did not +know one was out. But from what one could gather at Colombo, no ship was +due at that port on that track in about two days. The streets of Colombo +were certainly darkened at night, and the lighthouse was not in use when +we were there, but there was no mention of the <a name="Page_13" id="Page_13"></a>presence of any +suspicious craft in the adjacent waters.</p> + +<p>It is generally understood that instructions to Captains in these times +are to suspect every vessel seen at sea, and to run away from all signs +of smoke (and some of us knew that on a previous occasion, some months +before, a vessel of the same line had seen smoke in this neighbourhood, +and had at once turned tail and made tracks for Colombo, resuming her +voyage when the smoke disappeared). The officer on the bridge with his +glass must have seen the smoke long before I did, so my suspicions of a +raider were gradually disarmed as we did not alter our course a single +point, but proceeded to meet the stranger, whose course towards us +formed a diagonal one with ours. If nothing had happened she would have +crossed our track slightly astern of us.</p> + +<p>But something did happen. More passengers were now awake, discussing the +nationality of the ship bearing down on us. Still no alteration was made +in our course, and we and she had made no sign of recognition.</p> + +<p>Surely everything was all right and there was nothing to fear. Even the +Japanese commander of the gun crew betrayed no anxiety on the matter, +but stood with the <a name="Page_14" id="Page_14"></a>passengers on the deck watching the oncoming +stranger. Five bells had just gone when the vessel, then about seven +hundred yards away from us, took a sudden turn to port and ran up +signals and the German Imperial Navy flag. There was no longer any +doubt—the worst had happened. We had walked blindly into the open arms +of the enemy. The signals were to tell us to stop. We did not stop. The +raider fired two shots across our bows, and they fell into the sea quite +close to where most of the passengers were standing. Still we did not +stop. It was wicked to ignore these orders and warnings, as there was no +possible chance of escape from an armed vessel of any kind. The attempt +to escape had been left too late; it should have been made immediately +the smoke of the raider was seen. Most of the passengers went to their +cabins for life-belts and life-saving waistcoats, and at once returned +to the deck to watch the raider. As we were still steaming and had not +even yet obeyed the order to stop, the raider opened fire on us in dead +earnest, firing a broadside.</p> + +<p>While the firing was going on, a seaplane appeared above the raider; +some assert that she dropped bombs in front of us, but personally I did +not see this.<a name="Page_15" id="Page_15"></a></p> + +<p>The greatest alarm now prevailed on our ship, and passengers did not +know where to go to avoid the shells which we could hear and feel +striking the ship. My wife and I returned to our cabin to fetch an extra +pair of spectacles, our passports, and my pocketbook, and at the same +time picked up her jewel-case. The alley-way between the companion-way +and our cabin was by this time strewn with splinters of wood and glass +and wreckage; pieces of shell had been embedded in the panelling and a +large hole made in the funnel. This damage had been done by a single +shot aimed at the wireless room near the bridge.</p> + +<p>We returned once more to the port deck, where most of the first-class +passengers had assembled waiting for orders—which never came. No +instructions came from the Captain or officers or crew; in fact, we +never saw any of the ship's officers until long after all the lifeboats +were afloat on the sea.</p> + +<p>The ship had now stopped, and the firing had apparently ceased, but we +did not know whether it would recommence, and of course imagined the +Germans were firing to sink the ship. It was useless trying to escape +the shots, as we did not then know at what part of the ship the Germans +were firing, so there <a name="Page_16" id="Page_16"></a>was only one thing for the passengers to do—to +leave the ship as rapidly as possible, as we all thought she was +sinking. Some of the passengers attempted to go on the bridge to get to +the boat deck and help lower the boats, as it seemed nothing was being +done, but we were ordered back by the Second Steward, who, apparently +alone among the ship's officers, kept his head throughout.</p> + +<p>No. 1 boat was now being lowered on the port side; it was full of +Japanese and Asiatics. When it was flush with the deck the falls broke, +the boat capsized, and with all its occupants it was thrown into the +sea. One or two, we afterwards heard, were drowned. The passengers now +went over to the starboard side, as apparently no more boats were being +lowered from the port side, and we did not know whether the raider would +start firing again. The No. 1 starboard boat was being lowered; still +there was no one to give orders. The passengers themselves saw to it +that the women got into this boat first, and helped them in, only the +Second Steward standing by to help. The women had to climb the rail and +gangway which was lashed thereto, and the boat was so full of gear and +tackle that at first it was quite impossible for any one to find a seat +in the boat. It was a <a name="Page_17" id="Page_17"></a>difficult task for any woman to get into this +boat, and everybody was in a great hurry, expecting the firing to +recommence, or the ship to sink beneath us, or both; my wife fell in, +and in so doing dropped her jewel-case out of her handbag into the +bottom of the boat, and it was seen no more that day. The husbands +followed their wives into the boat, and several other men among the +first-class passengers also clambered in.</p> + +<p>Directly after the order to lower away was given, and before any one +could settle in the boat, the stern falls broke, and for a second the +boat hung from the bow falls vertically, the occupants hanging on to +anything they could—a dreadful moment, especially in view of what we +had seen happen to the No. 1 port boat a few moments before. Then, +immediately afterwards, the bow falls broke, or were cut, the boat +dropped into the water with a loud thud and a great splash, and righted +itself. We were still alongside the ship when another boat was being +swung out and lowered immediately on to our heads. We managed to push +off just in time before the other boat, the falls of which also broke, +reached the water.</p> + +<p>Thus, there was no preparation made for accidents—we might have been +living in the times of profoundest peace for all the trouble <a name="Page_18" id="Page_18"></a>that had +been taken to see that everything was ready in case of accident. Instead +of which, nothing was ready—not a very creditable state of affairs for +a great steamship company in times such as these, when, thanks to the +Huns' ideas of sea chivalry, <i>any</i> ship may have to be abandoned at a +moment's notice. Some passengers had asked for boat drill when the ship +left Singapore, but were told there was no need for it, or for any +similar preparations till after Cape Town, which, alas, never was +reached. Accordingly passengers had no places given to them in the +boats; the boats were not ready, and confusion, instead of order, +prevailed. It was nothing short of a miracle that more people were not +drowned.</p> + +<p>If the ship had only stopped when ordered by signals to do so, there +would have been no firing at all. Even if she had stopped after the +warning shots had been fired, no more firing would have taken place and +nobody need have left the ship at all. What a vast amount of trouble, +fear, anxiety, and damage to life and property might have been saved if +only the raider's orders had been obeyed! It seemed too, at the time, +that if only the <i>Hitachi</i> had turned tail and bolted directly the +raider's smoke was seen on the <a name="Page_19" id="Page_19"></a>horizon by the officer on watch on the +bridge—at the latest this must have been about 1.30—she might have +escaped altogether, as she was a much quicker boat than the German. At +any rate, she might have tried. Her fate would have been no worse if she +had failed to escape, for surely even the Germans could not deny any +ship the right to escape if she could effect it. Certainly the seaplane +might have taken up the chase, and ordered the <i>Hitachi</i> to stop. We +heard afterwards that one ship—the <i>Wairuna</i>, from New Zealand to San +Francisco—had been caught in this way. The seaplane had hovered over +her, dropped messages on her deck ordering her to follow the plane to a +concealed harbour near, failing which bombs would be dropped to explode +the ship. Needless to say, the ship followed these instructions.</p> + +<p>"There was no panic, and the women were splendid." How often one has +read that in these days of atrocity at sea! We were to realize it now; +the women were indeed splendid. There was no crying or screaming or +hysteria, or wild inquiries. They were perfectly calm and collected: +none of them showed the least fear, even under fire. The women took the +matter as coolly as if being shelled and leaving a ship in lifeboats +were <a name="Page_20" id="Page_20"></a>nothing much out of the ordinary. Their sang-froid was marvellous.</p> + +<p>As we thought the ship was slowly sinking, we pushed off from her side +as quickly as possible. There were now four lifeboats in the water at +some distance from each other. The one in which we were contained about +twenty-four persons. There was no officer or member of the crew with us, +while another boat contained officers and sailors only. No one in our +boat knew where we were to go or what we were to do. One passenger +wildly suggested that we should hoist a sail and set sail for Colombo, +two days' <i>steaming</i> away! Search was made for provisions and water in +our boat, but she was so full of people and impedimenta that nothing +could be found. It <i>was</i> found, however, that water was rapidly coming +into the boat, and before long it reached to our knees. The hole which +should have been plugged could not be discovered, so for more than an +hour some of the men took turns at pulling, and baling the water out +with their sun-helmets. This was very hot work, as it must be remembered +we were not far from the Equator. Ultimately, however, the hole was +found and more or less satisfactorily plugged. Water, however, continued +to come in, so baling <a name="Page_21" id="Page_21"></a>had still to be proceeded with. An Irish Tommy, +going home from Singapore to join up, was in our boat. He was most +cheerful and in every way helpful, working hard and pulling all the +time. It was he who plugged the hole, and as he was almost the only one +among us who seemed to have any useful knowledge about the management of +lifeboats, we were very glad to reckon him among our company.</p> + +<p>The four boats were now drifting aimlessly about over the sea, when an +order was shouted to us, apparently from a Japanese officer in one of +the other boats, to tie up with the other three boats. After some time +this was accomplished, and the four boats in line drifted on the water. +The two steamers had stopped; we did not know what was happening on +board either of them, but saw the raider's motor launch going between +the raider and her prize, picking up some of the men who had fallen into +the sea when the boat capsized. Luckily, the sharks with which these +waters are infested had been scared off by the gunfire. We realized, +when we were in the lifeboats, what a heavy swell there was on the sea, +as both steamers were occasionally hidden from us when we were in the +trough of the waves. We were, however, not inconvenienced <a name="Page_22" id="Page_22"></a>in any way by +the swell, and the lifeboats shipped no water. There was no one in +command of any of the boats, and we simply waited to see what was going +to happen.</p> + +<p>What a sudden, what a dramatic change in our fortunes! One that easily +might have been, might even yet be, tragic. At half-past one, less than +two hours before, we were comfortably on board a fine ship, absolutely +unsuspicious of the least danger. If any of us had thought of the matter +at all, we probably imagined we were in the safest part of the ocean. +But, at three o'clock, here we were, having undergone the trying ordeal +of shell-fire in the interval, drifting helplessly in lifeboats in +mid-ocean, all our personal belongings left behind in what we imagined +to be a sinking ship, not knowing what fate was in store for us, but +naturally, remembering what we had heard of German sea outrages, +dreading the very worst.<a name="Page_23" id="Page_23"></a></p> + +<div class="figcenter"><a name="shelled" id="shelled"></a><a href="./images/shelled.jpg"><img src="./images/shelled-tb.jpg" alt="HITACHI PASSENGERS AND CREW IN LIFEBOATS AFTER THEIR SHIP HAD BEEN SHELLED." title="HITACHI PASSENGERS AND CREW IN LIFEBOATS AFTER THEIR SHIP HAD BEEN SHELLED." /></a></div> + +<div class='center'><i>HITACHI</i> PASSENGERS AND CREW IN LIFEBOATS AFTER THEIR +SHIP HAD BEEN SHELLED.<br /><br /> +From an enlargement of photo taken on the <i>Wolf</i> by a German officer.</div> + + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> +<h2>CHAPTER II</h2> + +<h3>PRISONERS ON THE "WOLF"</h3> + + +<p>Escape in any way was obviously out of the question. At last the raider +got under way and began to bear down on us. Things began to look more +ugly than ever, and most of us thought that the end had come, and that +we were up against an apostle of the "sink the ships and leave no trace" +theory—which we had read about in Colombo only a couple of days +before—the latest development of "frightfulness." Our minds were not +made easier by the seaplane circling above us, ready, as we thought, to +administer the final blow to any who might survive being fired on by the +raider's guns. It was a most anxious moment for us all, and opinions +were very divided as to what was going to happen. One of the ladies +remarked that she had no fear, and reminded us that we were all in God's +hands, which cheered up some of the drooping hearts and anxious minds. +Certainly most of us thought we <a name="Page_24" id="Page_24"></a>were soon to look our last upon the +world; what other thoughts were in our minds, as we imagined our last +moments were so near, will remain unrecorded.</p> + +<p>However, to our intense relief, nothing of what we had feared happened, +and as the raider came slowly nearer to us—up till now we had not even +seen one of the enemy—an officer on the bridge megaphoned us to come +alongside. This we did; three boats went astern, and the one in which we +were remained near the raider's bows. An officer appeared at the +bulwarks and told us to come aboard; women first, then their husbands, +then the single men. There was no choice but to obey, but we all felt +uneasy in our minds as to what kind of treatment our women were to +receive at the hands of the Germans on board.</p> + +<p>The ship was rolling considerably, and it is never a pleasant or easy +task for a landsman, much less a landswoman, to clamber by a rope-ladder +some twenty feet up the side of a rolling ship. However, all the ladies +acquitted themselves nobly, some even going up without a rope round +their waists. The little Japanese stewardess, terrified, but showing a +brave front to the enemy, was the last woman to go up before the men's +ascent <a name="Page_25" id="Page_25"></a>began. Two German sailors stood at the bulwarks to help us off +the rope-ladder into the well deck forward, and by 5.20 we were all +aboard, after having spent a very anxious two hours, possibly the most +anxious in the lives of most of us. We were all wet, dirty, and +dishevelled, and looked sorry objects. One of the passengers, a tall, +stout man, was somewhat handicapped by his nether garments slipping down +and finally getting in a ruck round his ankles when he was climbing up +the ladder on to the raider. A German sailor, to ease his passage, went +down the ladder and relieved him of them altogether. He landed on the +raider's deck minus this important part of his wardrobe, amid shrieks of +laughter from captives and captors.</p> + +<p>It was at once evident, directly we got on board, that we were in for +kindly treatment. The ship's doctor at once came forward, saluted, and +asked who was wounded and required his attention. Most of the +passengers—there were only twenty first and about a dozen second +class—were in our boat, and among the second-class passengers with us +were a few Portuguese soldiers going from Macao to Delagoa Bay.</p> + +<p>Some of us were slightly bruised, and all were shaken, but luckily none +required medical <a name="Page_26" id="Page_26"></a>treatment. Chairs were quickly found for the ladies, +the men seated themselves on the hatch, and the German sailors busied +themselves bringing tea and cigarettes to their latest captives. We were +then left to ourselves for a short time on deck, and just before dark a +spruce young Lieutenant came up to me, saluted, and asked me to tell all +the passengers that we were to follow him and go aft. We followed him +along the ship, which seemed to be very crowded, to the well deck aft, +where we met the remaining few passengers and some of the crew of the +<i>Hitachi</i>. We had evidently come across a new type of Hun. The young +Lieutenant was most polite, and courteous and attentive. He apologized +profusely for the discomfort which the ladies and ourselves would have +to put up with—"But it is war, you know, and your Government is to +blame for allowing you to travel when they know a raider is +out"—assured us he would do what he could to make us as comfortable as +possible, and that we should not be detained more than two or three +days. This was the first of a countless number of lies told us by the +Germans as to their intentions concerning us.</p> + +<p>We had had nothing to eat since tiffin, so we were ordered below to the +'tween decks <a name="Page_27" id="Page_27"></a>to have supper. We clambered down a ladder to partake of +our first meal as prisoners. What a contrast to the last meal we enjoyed +on the <i>Hitachi</i>, taken in comfort and apparent security! (But, had we +known it, we were doomed even then, for the raider's seaplane had been +up and seen us at 11 a.m., had reported our position to the raider, and +announced 3 p.m. as the time for our capture. Our captors were not far +out! It was between 2.30 and 3 when we were taken.) The meal consisted +of black bread and raw ham, with hot tea in a tin can, into which we +dipped our cups. We sat around on wooden benches, in a small +partitioned-off space, and noticed that the crockery on which the food +was served had been taken from other ships captured—one of the Burns +Philp Line, and one of the Union Steamship Company of New Zealand. Some +of the Japanese officers and crew were also in the 'tween decks—later +on the Japanese Captain appeared (we had not seen him since he left the +<i>Hitachi</i> saloon after tiffin), and he was naturally very down and +distressed—and some of the German sailors came and spoke to us. Shortly +after, the young Lieutenant came down and explained why the raider, +which the German sailors told us was the <i>Wolf</i>, had fired on us. We +then <a name="Page_28" id="Page_28"></a>learnt for the first time that many persons had been killed +outright by the firing—another direct result of the <i>Hitachi's</i> failure +to obey the raider's orders to stop. It was impossible to discover how +many. There must have been about a dozen, as the total deaths numbered +sixteen, all Japanese or Indians; the latest death from wounds occurred +on October 28th, while one or two died while we were on the <i>Wolf</i>. The +Lieutenant, who we afterwards learnt was in charge of the prisoners, +told us that the <i>Wolf</i> had signalled us to stop, and not to use our +wireless or our gun, for the <i>Hitachi</i> mounted a gun on her poop for the +submarine zone. He asserted that the <i>Hitachi</i> hoisted a signal that she +understood the order, but that she tried to use her wireless, that she +brought herself into position to fire on the <i>Wolf</i>, and that +preparations were being made to use her gun. If the <i>Hitachi</i> had +manœuvred at all, it was simply so that she should <ins title="Transcriber's Note: original reads 'nor'">not</ins> present her +broadside as a target for a torpedo from the raider.</p> + +<p>The Germans professed deep regret at the <i>Hitachi's</i> action and at the +loss of life caused, the first occasion, they said—and, we believe, +with truth—on which lives had been lost since the <i>Wolf's</i> cruise +began. The <i>Wolf</i>, <a name="Page_29" id="Page_29"></a>however, they said, had no choice but to fire and +put the <i>Hitachi</i> gun out of action. This she failed to do, as the +shooting was distinctly poor, with the exception of the shot aimed at +the wireless room, which went straight through the room, without +exploding there or touching the operator, and exploded near the funnel, +killing most of the crew who met their deaths while running to help +lower the boats. The other shots had all struck the ship in the +second-class quarters astern. One had gone right through the cabin of +the Second Steward, passing just over his bunk—where he had been asleep +a minute before—and through the side of the ship. Others had done great +damage to the ship's structure aft, but none had gone anywhere near the +gun or ammunition house on the poop. I saw afterwards some photos the +Germans had taken of the gun as they said they found it when they went +on board. These photos showed the gun with the breech open, thus +proving, so the Germans said, that the Japanese had been preparing to +use the gun. In reality, of course, it proved nothing of the sort; it is +more than likely that the Germans opened the breech themselves before +they took this photograph, as they had to produce some evidence to +justify their firing on the<a name="Page_30" id="Page_30"></a> <i>Hitachi</i>. But whether the Japanese opened +the gun breech and prepared to use the gun or not, it is quite certain +that the <i>Hitachi</i> never fired a shot at the <i>Wolf</i>, though the Germans +have since asserted that she did so. It was indeed very lucky for us +that she did not fire—had she done so and even missed the <i>Wolf</i>, it is +quite certain the <i>Wolf</i> would have torpedoed the <i>Hitachi</i> and sent us +to the bottom.</p> + +<p>It was very hot in the 'tween decks, although a ventilating fan was at +work there, and after our meal we were all allowed to go on deck for +some fresh air. About eight o'clock, however, the single men of military +age were again sent below for the night, while the married couples and a +few sick and elderly men were allowed to remain on deck, which armed +guards patrolled all night. It was a cool moonlight night. We had +nothing but what we stood up in, so we lay down in chairs as we were, +and that night slept—or rather did not sleep—under one of the <i>Wolf's</i> +guns. Throughout the night we were steaming gently, and from time to +time we saw the <i>Hitachi</i> still afloat, and steaming along at a +considerable distance from us. During the night, one of the passengers +gifted with a highly cultivated imagination—who had previously related +<a name="Page_31" id="Page_31"></a>harrowing details of his escape from a shell which he said had smashed +his and my cabin immediately after we left them, but which were +afterwards found to be quite intact—told me he had seen the <i>Hitachi</i> +go down at 2.30 in the morning. So she evidently must have come up +again, for she was still in sight just before daybreak! Soon after +daybreak next morning, the men were allowed to go aft under the poop for +a wash, with a very limited supply of water, and the ladies had a +portion of the 'tween decks to themselves for a short time. Breakfast, +consisting of black bread, canned meat, and tea, was then brought to us +on deck by the German sailors, and we were left to ourselves on the well +deck for some time. The Commander sent down a message conveying his +compliments to the ladies, saying he hoped they had had a good night and +were none the worse for their experiences. He assured us all that we +should be in no danger on his ship and that he would do what he could to +make us as comfortable as possible under the circumstances. But, we were +reminded again, this is war. Indeed it was, and we had good reason to +know it now, even if the war had not touched us closely before.</p> + +<p>How vividly every detail of this scene <a name="Page_32" id="Page_32"></a>stands out in our memories! The +brilliant tropical sunshine, the calm blue sea, the ship crowded in +every part, the activity everywhere evident, and—we were prisoners! The +old familiar petition of the Litany, "to shew Thy pity upon all +prisoners and captives," had suddenly acquired for us a fuller meaning +and a new significance. What would the friends we had left behind, our +people at home, be thinking—if they only knew! But they were in +blissful ignorance of our fate—communication of any kind with the world +outside the little one of the <i>Wolf</i> was quite impossible.</p> + +<p>There seemed to be literally hundreds of prisoners on and under the +poop, and the whole ship, as far as we could see, presented a scene of +the greatest activity. Smiths were at work on the well deck, with +deafening din hammering and cutting steel plates with which to repair +the <i>Hitachi</i>; mechanics were working at the seaplane, called the +<i>Wölfchen</i>, which was kept on the well deck between her flights; +prisoners were exercising on the poop, and the armed guards were +patrolling constantly among them and near us on the well deck. The +guards wore revolvers and side-arms, but did not appear at all +particular in the matter of uniform.<a name="Page_33" id="Page_33"></a> Names of various ships appeared on +their caps, while some had on their caps only the words "Kaiserliche +Marine." Some were barefoot, some wore singlets and shorts, while some +even dispensed with the former. Most of the crew at work wore only +shorts, and, as one of the lady prisoners remarked, the ship presented a +rather unusual exhibition of the European male torso! There seemed to +have been a lavish distribution of the Iron Cross among the ship's +company. Every officer we saw and many of the crew as well wore the +ribbon of the coveted decoration.</p> + +<p>Some German officers came aft to interrogate us; they were all courteous +and sympathetic, and I took the opportunity of mentioning to the young +Lieutenant the loss of my wife's jewels in the lifeboat, and he assured +me he would have the boat searched, and if the jewels were found they +should be restored.</p> + +<p>The Japanese dhobi had died from wounds during the night, and he was +buried in the morning; nearly all the German officers, from the +Commander downwards, attending in full uniform. The Japanese Captain and +officers also attended, and some kind of funeral service in Japanese was +held.</p> + +<p>Officers and men were very busy on the upper deck—we were much +impressed by <a name="Page_34" id="Page_34"></a>the great number of men on board—and we noticed a lady +prisoner, a little girl—evidently a great pet with the German sailors +and officers—some civilian prisoners, and some military prisoners in +khaki on the upper deck, but we were not allowed to communicate with +them. There were also a few Tommies in khaki among the prisoners aft. It +was very hot on the well deck, and for some hours we had no shelter from +the blazing sun. Later on, a small awning was rigged up and we got a +little protection, and one or two parasols were forthcoming for the use +of the ladies. A small wild pig, presumably taken from some Pacific +island when the <i>Wolf</i> had sent a boat ashore, was wandering around the +well deck, a few dachshunds were wriggling along the upper deck, and a +dozen or so pigeons had their home on the boat deck. During the morning +the sailors were allowed to bring us cooling drinks from time to time in +one or two glass jugs (which the Asiatics and Portuguese always made a +grab at first), and both officers and men did all they could to render +our position as bearable as possible. The men amongst us were also +allowed to go to the ship's canteen and buy smokes. We were steaming +gently in a westerly direction all day, occasionally passing quite close +<a name="Page_35" id="Page_35"></a>to some small islands and banks of sand, a quite picturesque scene. The +sea was beautifully calm and blue, and on the shores of these banks, to +which we sailed quite close, the water took on colours of exquisite hues +of the palest and tenderest blue and green, as it rippled gently over +coral and golden sands.</p> + +<p>Tiffin, consisting of rice, and bacon and beans, was dealt out to us on +deck at midday, and the afternoon passed in the same way as the morning. +The <i>Wolf's</i> chief officer, a hearty, elderly man, came aft to speak to +us. He chaffed us about our oarsmanship in the lifeboats, saying the +appearance of our oars wildly waving reminded him of the sails of a +windmill. "Never use your wireless or your gun," he said, "and you'll +come to no harm from a German raider."</p> + +<p>The long hot day seemed endless, but by about five o'clock the two ships +arrived in an atoll, consisting of about fifteen small islands, and the +<i>Hitachi</i> there dropped anchor. The <i>Wolf</i> moved up alongside, and the +two ships were lashed together. Supper, consisting of tinned fruit and +rice, was served out at 5.30, and we were then told that the married +couples and one or two elderly men were to return to the <i>Hitachi</i> that +night. So <a name="Page_36" id="Page_36"></a>with some difficulty we clambered from the upper deck of the +<i>Wolf</i> to the boat deck of the <i>Hitachi</i> and returned to find our cabins +just as we had left them in a great hurry the day before. We had not +expected to go on board the <i>Hitachi</i> again, and never thought we should +renew acquaintance with our personal belongings. We ourselves were +particularly sad about this, as we had brought away from Siam, after +twenty years' residence there, many things which would be quite +irreplaceable. We were therefore very glad to know they were not all +lost to us. But we congratulated ourselves that the greater part of our +treasures gathered there had been left behind safely stored in the Bank +and in a go-down in Bangkok.<a name="Page_37" id="Page_37"></a></p> + + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> +<h2>CHAPTER III</h2> + +<h3>BACK TO THE "HITACHI MARU"</h3> + + +<p>The <i>Hitachi</i> was now a German ship, the Prize Captain was in command, +and German sailors replaced the Japanese, who had all been transferred +to the <i>Wolf</i>. The German Captain spoke excellent English, and expressed +a wish to do all he could to make us as comfortable on board as we had +been before. He also told us to report at once to him if anything were +missing from our cabins. (He informed us later that he had lived some +years in Richmond—he evidently knew the neighbourhood quite well—and +that he had been a member of the Richmond Tennis Club!) There was of +course considerable confusion on board; the deck was in a state of dirt +and chaos, littered with books and chairs, and some parts of it were an +inch or two deep in water, and we found next morning that the bathrooms +and lavatories were not in working order, as the pipes supplying these +places had been shot away when the ship was shelled. This state <a name="Page_38" id="Page_38"></a>of +affairs prevailed for the next few days, and the men passengers +themselves had to do what was necessary in these quarters and haul +sea-water aboard. The next morning the transference of coal, cargo, and +ship's stores from the <i>Hitachi</i> to the <i>Wolf</i> began, and went on +without cessation day and night for the next five days. One of the +German officers came over and took photos of the passengers in groups, +and others frequently took snapshots of various incidents and of each +other on different parts of the ship.</p> + +<p>We know now that we were then anchored <i>in a British possession</i>, one of +the southernmost groups of the Maldive Islands! Some of the islands were +inhabited, and small sailing boats came out to the <i>Wolf</i>, presumably +with provisions of some kind. We were, of course, not allowed to speak +to any of the islanders, who came alongside the <i>Wolf</i>, and were not +allowed alongside the <i>Hitachi</i>. On one occasion even, the doctor of the +<i>Wolf</i> went in the ship's motor launch to one of the islands to attend +the wife of one of the native chiefs! On the next day—the 28th—all the +<i>Hitachi</i> passengers returned on board her, and at the same time some of +the Japanese stewards returned, but they showed no inclination to work +as formerly. Indeed, the German officers <a name="Page_39" id="Page_39"></a>had no little difficulty in +dealing with them. They naturally felt very sore at the deaths of so +many of their countrymen at the hands of the Germans, and they did as +little work as possible. The stewards were said to be now paid by the +Germans, but as they were no longer under the command of their own +countrymen, they certainly did not put themselves out to please their +new masters.</p> + +<p>With their usual thoroughness, the Germans one day examined all our +passports and took notes of our names, ages, professions, maiden names +of married ladies, addresses, and various other details. My passport +described me as "Principal of Training College for Teachers." So I was +forthwith dubbed "Professor" by the Germans, and from this time +henceforth my wife and I were called Frau Professor and Herr Professor, +and this certainly led the sailors to treat us with more respect than +they might otherwise have done. One young man, who had on his passport +his photo taken in military uniform, was, however, detained on the +<i>Wolf</i> as a military prisoner. He was asked by a German officer if he +were going home to fight. He replied that he certainly was, and pluckily +added, "I wish I were fighting now."</p> + +<p>On October 1st the married prisoners from <a name="Page_40" id="Page_40"></a>the <i>Wolf</i>, together with +three Australian civilian prisoners over military age, a Colonel of the +Australian A.M.C., a Major of the same corps, and his wife, with an +Australian stewardess, some young boys, and a few old sea captains and +mates, were sent on board the <i>Hitachi</i>. They had all been taken off +earlier prizes captured and sunk by the <i>Wolf</i>. The Australians had been +captured on August 6th from the <ins title="Transcriber's Note: original reads 'ss.'">s.s.</ins> <i>Matunga</i> from Sydney to what +was formerly German New Guinea, from which latter place they had been +only a few hours distant. An American captain, with his wife and little +girl, had been captured on the barque <i>Beluga</i>, from San Francisco to +Newcastle, N.S.W., on July 9th. All the passengers transferred were +given cabins on board the <i>Hitachi</i>. We learnt from these passengers +that the <i>Wolf</i> was primarily a mine-layer, and that she had laid mines +at Cape Town, Bombay, Colombo, and off the Australian and New Zealand +coasts. She had sown her last crop of mines, 110 in number, off the +approaches to Singapore before she proceeded to the Indian Ocean to lie +in wait for the <i>Hitachi</i>. Altogether she had sown five hundred mines.</p> + +<p>During her stay in the Maldives the <i>Wolf</i> sent up her seaplane—or, as +the Germans <a name="Page_41" id="Page_41"></a>said, "the bird"—every morning about six, and she returned +about eight. To all appearances the coast was clear, and the <i>Wolf</i> +consequently anticipated no interference or unwelcome attention from any +of our cruisers. Two of them, the <i>Venus</i> and the <i>Doris</i>, we had seen +at anchor in Colombo harbour during our stay there, but it was +apparently thought not worth while to send any escort with the +<i>Hitachi</i>, though the value of her cargo was said to run into millions +sterling; and evidently the convoy system had not yet been adopted in +Eastern waters. A Japanese cruiser was also in Colombo harbour when we +arrived there, preceded by mine-sweepers, on September 24th. The +<i>Hitachi</i> Captain and senior officers visited her before she sailed away +on the 25th. The Germans on the <i>Wolf</i> told us that they heard her +wireless call when later on she struck one of their mines off Singapore, +but the Japanese authorities have since denied that one of their +cruisers struck a mine there.</p> + +<p>The <i>Wolf</i> remained alongside us till the morning of October 3rd, when +she sailed away at daybreak, leaving us anchored in the centre of the +atoll. It was a great relief to us when she departed; she kept all the +breeze off our side of the ship, so that the heat in our cabin was +stifling, and it was in <a name="Page_42" id="Page_42"></a>addition very dark; the noise of coaling and +shifting cargo was incessant, and the roaring of the water between the +two ships most disturbing. Before she sailed away the Prize Captain +handed to my wife most of her jewels which had been recovered from the +bottom of our lifeboat. As many of these were Siamese jewellery and +unobtainable now, we were very rejoiced to obtain possession of them +again, but many rings were missing and were never recovered.</p> + +<p>The falls of the lifeboats were all renewed, and on October 5th we had +places assigned to us in the lifeboats, and rules and regulations were +drawn up for the "detained enemy subjects" on board the <i>Hitachi</i>. They +were as follows:—</p> + + +<div class="blockquot"><p class="hangindent">RULES AND REGULATIONS FOR ON BOARD THE GERMAN AUXILIARY SHIP +"HITACHI MARU" DETAINED ENEMY SUBJECTS (d.e.s.).</p> + +<p>1. Everybody on board is under martial law, and any offence +is liable to be punished by same.</p> + +<p>2. All orders given by the Commander, First Officer, or any +of the German crew on duty are to be strictly obeyed.</p> + +<p>3. After the order "Schiff abblenden" every evening at +sunset no lights may be shown on deck or through portholes, +etc., that are visible from outside.</p> + +<p>4. The order "Alle Mann in die Boote" will be made known by +continuous ringing of the ship's bell and <a name="Page_43" id="Page_43"></a>sounding of +gongs. Everybody hurries to his boat with the lifebelt and +leaves the ship. Everybody is allowed to take one small bag +previously packed.</p> + +<p>5. Nobody is allowed to go on the boat deck beyond the +smoke-room. All persons living in first-class cabins are to +stay amidships, and are not allowed to go aft without +special permission; all persons living aft are to stay aft.</p> + +<p>6. The Japanese crew is kept only for the comfort of the +one-time passengers, and is to be treated considerately, as +they are also d.e.s.</p> + +<p>7. The d.e.s. are not allowed to talk with the crew.</p></div> + +<p> +<span style="margin-left: 4em;">At sea, October 6, 1917.</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 15em;">Kommando S.M.H. <i>Hitachi Maru</i>,</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 25em;">C.</span> <span class="smcap">Rose</span>,<br /> +<span style="margin-left: 20em;"><i>Lt. z. See & Kommandant</i>.</span><br /> +</p> + + +<p>Lieutenant Rose very kindly told me that as I was leaving the East for +good and therefore somewhat differently situated from the other +passengers, he would allow me to take in the lifeboat, in addition to a +handbag, a cabin trunk packed with the articles from Siam I most wanted +to save.</p> + +<p>It was evident from this that the Germans intended sinking the ship if +we came across a British or Allied war vessel. We were of course +unarmed, as the Germans had removed the <i>Hitachi</i> gun to the <i>Wolf</i>, but +the German Captain anticipated no difficulty on this score, and assured +me that it was the intention of the Commander of the <i>Wolf</i> that we +should be landed in a short time with all our baggage <a name="Page_44" id="Page_44"></a>at a neutral port +with a stone pier. We took this to mean a port in either Sumatra or +Java, and we were buoyed up with this hope for quite a considerable +time. But, alas, like many more of the assurances given to us, it was +quite untrue.</p> + +<p>There were now on board 131 souls, of whom twenty-nine were passengers. +On Saturday, October 6th, the seaplane returned in the afternoon and +remained about half an hour, when she again flew away. She brought a +message of evidently great importance, for whereas it had been the +intention of our Captain to sail away on the following afternoon, he +weighed anchor the next morning and left the atoll. He had considerable +trouble with the anchor before starting, and did not get away till +nearly eight o'clock, instead of at daybreak. Evidently something was +coming to visit the atoll; though it was certain nothing could be +looking for us, as our capture could not then have been known, and there +could have been no communication between the Maldives and Ceylon, or the +mainland. Before and for some days after we sailed, the ship was cleaned +and put in order, the cargo properly stowed, and the bunkers trimmed by +the German crew, aided by some neutrals who had been taken prisoner +<a name="Page_45" id="Page_45"></a>from other ships. Some of the sailors among the prize crew were good +enough to give us some pieces of the <i>Wolf's</i> shrapnel found on the +<i>Hitachi</i>, relics which were eagerly sought after by the passengers.</p> + +<p>The passengers were now under armed guards, but were at perfect liberty +to do as they pleased, and the relations between them and the German +officers and crew were quite friendly. Deck games were indulged in as +before our capture, and the German Captain took part in them. Time, +nevertheless, hung very heavily on our hands, but many a pleasant hour +was spent in the saloon with music and singing. One of the Australian +prisoners was a very good singer and pianist, and provided very +enjoyable entertainment for us. The Captain, knowing that I had some +songs with me, one afternoon asked me to sing. I was not feeling like +singing, so I declined. "Shot at dawn!" he said. "Ready now," I replied. +"No!" said he. "I can't oblige you now. Either at dawn, for disobedience +to Captain's orders, or not at all." So it was made the latter! On +Sunday evenings, after the six o'clock "supper," a small party met in +the saloon to sing a few favourite hymns, each one choosing the ones he +or she liked best. This little gathering <a name="Page_46" id="Page_46"></a>was looked forward to by those +who took part in it, as it formed a welcome break in the ordinary +monotonous life on board.</p> + +<p>The only Japanese left on board were some stewards, cooks, and the +stewardess. A German chief mate and chief engineer replaced the +Japanese, and other posts previously held by the Japanese were filled by +Germans and neutrals. The times of meals were changed, and we no longer +enjoyed the good meals we had had before our capture, as most of the +good food had been transferred to the <i>Wolf</i>. <i>Chota-hazri</i> was done +away with, except for the ladies; the meals became much simpler, menus +were no longer necessary, and the Japanese cooks took no more trouble +with the preparation of the food.</p> + +<p>However, on the whole we were not so badly off, though on a few +occasions there was really not enough to eat, and some of the meat was +tainted, as the freezing apparatus had got out of order soon after the +ship was captured.</p> + +<p>There was no longer any laundry on board, as the dhobi had been killed. +Amateur efforts by some Japanese stewards were not successful, so the +passengers had to do their own washing as best they could. They were +helped in this by some of the young boys sent on <a name="Page_47" id="Page_47"></a>board. The walls of +the alley-ways were plastered with handkerchiefs, etc., drying in +Chinese fashion, the alley-ways became drying-rooms for other garments +hung on the rails, and ironing with electric irons was done on the +saloon tables. Some of the men passengers soon became expert ironers.</p> + +<p>We steamed gently on a south-westerly course for about five days, and on +the succeeding day, October 12th, changed our course many times, going +north-east at 6.30 a.m., south-east at 12.30 p.m., north-east again at 4 +p.m., and north at 6.30 p.m., evidently waiting for something and +killing time, as we were going dead slow all day. The next morning we +had stopped entirely; we sighted smoke at 10.20 a.m.—it was, of course, +the <i>Wolf</i>, met by appointment at that particular time and place. She +came abreast of us about 11.20 a.m., and we sailed on parallel courses +for the rest of the day. She was unaccompanied by a new prize, and we +were glad to think she had been unsuccessful in her hunt for further +prey. She remained in company with us all next day, Sunday, and about 5 +p.m. moved closer up, and after an exchange of signals we both changed +courses and the <i>Wolf</i> sheered off, and to our great relief we saw her +no more for several days. There <a name="Page_48" id="Page_48"></a>was always the hope that when away from +us she would be seen and captured by an Allied cruiser, and always the +fear that, failing such happy consummation, when she came back to us we +might again be put on board her. The Germans seemed to have a perfect +mania for taking photographs—we were, of course, not allowed to take +any, and cameras were even taken away from us—and one day Lieutenant +Rose showed me photos of various incidents of the <i>Wolf's</i> cruise, +including those of the sinkings of various ships. I asked him how he, a +sailor, felt when he saw good ships being sent to the bottom. Did he +feel no remorse, no regret? He admitted he did, but the Germans, he +said, had no choice in the matter. They had no port to which they could +take their prizes—this, of course, was the fault of the British! (I +saw, too, on this day a photo of the <i>Hitachi</i> flying the German flag, +and one showing the damage sustained by her from the <i>Wolf's</i> firing. +There were ugly holes in the stern quarters, but all above the +water-line.) The German officers would take with them to Germany +hundreds of pictures giving a complete photographic record of the +<i>Wolf's</i> expedition.</p> + +<p>We cruised about again after the <i>Wolf</i><a name="Page_49" id="Page_49"></a> had left us for a couple of +days, and on the 17th were stationary all day. Several sharks were seen +around the ship, and the German sailors caught two or three fairly large +ones during the day and got them on board. One particularly ravenous +shark made off with the bait three times, and was dragged halfway up the +ship's side on each occasion. So greedy was he that he returned to the +charge for the fourth time, seized the bait, and was this time +successfully hauled on board. On the 18th the sea was rough, and we were +gently steaming to keep the ship's head to the seas, and on the +following day we again changed our course many times. Saturday morning, +October 20th, again saw the <i>Wolf</i> in sight at 6.30. She was still +alone, and we proceeded on parallel courses, passing about midday a few +white reefs with breakers sweeping over them. Shortly after, we came in +sight of many other reefs, most of which were quite bare, but there were +a few trees and a little vegetation on the largest of them, and at 2 +p.m. we anchored, and the <i>Wolf</i> tied up alongside us at a snug and +sheltered spot. We were almost surrounded by large and small coral +reefs, against which we could see and hear the breakers dashing. It was +a beautiful anchorage, and the waters were <a name="Page_50" id="Page_50"></a>evidently well known to the +Germans. Some of the seafaring men amongst us told us we were in the +Cargados Carajos Reef, south-east of the Seychelles, and that we were +anchored near the Nazareth Bank.<a name="Page_51" id="Page_51"></a></p> + + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> +<h2>CHAPTER IV</h2> + +<h3>THE GERMANS SINK THEIR PRIZE</h3> + + +<p>So confident did the Germans feel of their security that they stayed in +this neighbourhood from October 20th to November 7th, only once—on +October 28th—moving a few hundred yards away from their original +anchorage, and although a most vigilant lookout was kept from the crow's +nest on the <i>Wolf</i>, the seaplane was not sent up once to scout during +the whole of that time. Coal, cargo, and stores were transferred from +the <i>Hitachi</i> to the <i>Wolf</i>, and the work went on day and night with +just as much prospect of interference as there would have been if the +<i>Wolf</i> had been loading cargo from a wharf in Hamburg in peace-time. The +coolness and impudence of the whole thing amazed us.</p> + +<p>But one day, October 22nd, was observed as a holiday. It was Lieutenant +Rose's birthday, and, incidentally, the Kaiserin's also. So no loading +or coaling was done, but the band on the <i>Wolf</i>—most of the members +<a name="Page_52" id="Page_52"></a>with the minimum of clothing and nearly all with faces and bodies black +with coal-dust—lined up and gave a musical performance of German +patriotic airs.</p> + +<p>Every day we looked, but in vain, for signs of help in the shape of a +friendly cruiser, but the Germans proceeded with their high-seas robbery +undisturbed and unalarmed. The <i>Hitachi</i> had a valuable cargo of rubber, +silk, tea, tin, copper, antimony, hides, cocoa-nut, and general stores, +and it was indeed maddening to see all these cases marked for Liverpool +and London being transferred to the capacious maw of the <i>Wolf</i> for the +use of our enemies. The silk came in very handy—the Germans used a +great deal of it to make new wings for their "bird." The seaplane did +not, of course, take off from the <i>Wolf's</i> deck, which was far too +crowded. She was lowered over the side by means of the winch, and towed +a little distance by the motor launch before rising. On her return she +was taken in tow again by the launch and then lifted aboard to her +quarters. She made some beautiful flights. The Germans told us that when +the <i>Wolf</i> was mine-laying in Australian waters the seaplane made a +flight over Sydney. What a commotion there would have been in the +southern hemisphere if she had launched <a name="Page_53" id="Page_53"></a>some of her bolts from the blue +on the beautiful Australian city!</p> + +<p>On October 28th a Japanese sailor, wounded at the time of the +<i>Hitachi's</i> capture, died on the <i>Wolf</i>. This was the last death from +wounds inflicted on that day. His body was brought over to the +<i>Hitachi</i>—once again all the German officers, from the Commander +downwards, including the two doctors, appeared in full uniform to attend +the funeral service. The Japanese Captain and officers also came over +from the <i>Wolf</i>, and the body was committed to the sea from the poop of +the <i>Hitachi</i>.</p> + +<p>We had now been prisoners more than a month, and various rumours came +into circulation about this time as to what was to happen to us. The +most likely thing was, if the <i>Wolf</i> did not secure another prize, that +the <i>Hitachi</i> would be sunk and all of us transferred to the <i>Wolf</i> once +more. It was certain, however, that the Germans did not want us on the +<i>Wolf</i> again, and still more certain that we did not want to go. They +regarded us, especially the women, as a nuisance on board their ship, +which was already more than comfortably full. In addition, some of the +German officers who had before given up their cabins to some of the +married couple <a name="Page_54" id="Page_54"></a>prisoners naturally did not want to do so again, as it +meant that all the officers' quarters became very cramped. The German +doctor, too, protested against further crowding of the <i>Wolf</i>, but all +these protests were overruled.</p> + +<p>There was talk of leaving the <i>Hitachi</i> where she was, with some weeks' +stores on board, with her coal exhausted and her wireless dismantled, +the <i>Wolf</i> to send out a wireless in a few weeks' time as to our +condition and whereabouts. If this had happened, there was further talk +among us of a boat expedition to the Seychelles to effect an earlier +rescue. The expedition would have been in charge of the American +Captain, some of whose crew—neutrals—were helping to work the +<i>Hitachi</i>. There was also mentioned another scheme of taking the +<i>Hitachi</i> near Mauritius, sending all her prisoners and German officers +and crew off in boats at nightfall to the island, and then blowing up +the ship. Lieutenant Rose admitted that if he and his crew were interned +in a British possession he knew they would all be well treated. But all +these plans came to nothing, and as day by day went by and the <i>Wolf</i>, +for reasons best known to herself, did not go out after another prize, +though the Germans knew and told us what steamers were about—and in +more than one <a name="Page_55" id="Page_55"></a>case we knew they were correct—it became evident that +the <i>Hitachi</i> would have to be destroyed, as she had not enough coal to +carry on with, and we should all have to be sent on to the <i>Wolf</i>.</p> + +<p>But the married men protested vigorously against having their wives put +in danger of shell-fire from a British or Allied cruiser, and on October +30th sent the following petition to the Commander of the <i>Wolf</i>:—</p> + +<div class="blockquot"><p>"We, the undersigned detained enemy subjects travelling with +our wives, some of whom have already been exposed to +shell-fire, and the remainder to the risk thereof, and have +suffered many weeks' detention on board, respectfully beg +that no women be transferred to the auxiliary cruiser, +thereby exposing them to a repetition of the grave dangers +they have already run. We earnestly trust that some means +may be found by which consideration may be shown to all the +women on board by landing them safely without their +incurring further peril. We take this opportunity of +expressing our gratitude for the treatment we have received +since our capture, and our sincere appreciation of the +courtesy and consideration shown us by every officer and man +from your ship with whom we have been brought in contact."</p></div> + +<p>He sent back a verbal message that there was no alternative but to put +us all, women included, on the <i>Wolf</i>, as the <i>Hitachi</i> had no coal, but +that they should be landed at <a name="Page_56" id="Page_56"></a>a neutral port from the next boat caught, +if she had any coal.</p> + +<p>We were still not satisfied with this, and I again protested to our +Captain against what was equivalent to putting our women in a German +first-line trench to be shot by our own people. He replied that we need +have no anxiety on that score. "We know exactly where all your cruisers +are, we pick up all their wireless messages, and we shall never see or +go anywhere near one of them." Whether the Germans did know this, or +hear our ships' wireless I cannot tell, but it is certainly true that we +never, between September and February, saw a British or Allied war +vessel of any sort or kind, or even the smoke of one (with the single +exception to be mentioned later), although during that time we travelled +from Ceylon to the Cape, and the whole length of the Atlantic Ocean from +below 40° S. to the shores of Iceland, and thence across to the shores +of Norway and Denmark. But notwithstanding the Captain's assurance, we +still felt it possible that on the <i>Wolf</i> we might be fired on by an +Allied cruiser, and some of us set about settling up our affairs, and +kept such documents always on our persons, so that if we were killed and +our bodies found by a friendly <a name="Page_57" id="Page_57"></a>vessel our last wishes concerning our +affairs might be made known. I wrote my final directions on the blank +sheet of my Letter of Credit on the Hong-Kong and Shanghai Bank, which, +after being cancelled, I now keep as a relic of a most anxious time when +I was a very unwilling guest of the Kaiser's Navy.</p> + +<p>The food on the <i>Hitachi</i> was now getting poorer and poorer. There was +no longer any fruit, cheese, vegetables, coffee, or jam. All the eggs +were bad, and when opened protested with a lively squeak; only a very +little butter remained, the beer was reserved for the ship's officers, +iced water and drinks were no longer obtainable, and the meat became +more and more unpleasant. One morning at breakfast, the porridge served +had evidently made more than a nodding acquaintance with some kerosene, +and was consequently quite uneatable. So most of the passengers sent it +away in disgust. But one of them, ever anxious to please his captors, +"wolfed" his allowance notwithstanding. He constantly assured the +Germans that the food was always ample and excellent, no matter how +little or bad it was. When Lieutenant Rose came down to breakfast that +morning, we were all waiting to see what he would do <a name="Page_58" id="Page_58"></a>with his kerosene +porridge. He took one spoonful and, amid roars of laughter from us all, +called for the steward to take it away at once. Our hero looked as if he +were sorry he had not done the same! On the <i>Wolf</i> the food was still +poorer, and beri-beri broke out on the raider. A case of typhoid also +appeared on the <i>Wolf</i>, and the German doctors thereupon inoculated +every man, woman, and child on both ships against typhoid. We had heard +before of German "inoculations," and some of us had nasty forebodings as +to the results. But protests were of no avail—every one had to submit. +The first inoculation took place on November 1st and the next on +November 11th, and some of the people were inoculated a third time. The +Senior Doctor of the <i>Wolf</i>, on hearing that I had come from Siam, told +me that a Siamese Prince had once attended his classes at a German +University. He remembered his name, and, strangely enough, this Prince +was the Head of the University of Siam with which I had so recently been +connected!</p> + +<p>One night, while the ships were lashed alongside, a great uproar arose +on both ships. The alarm was given, orders were shouted, revolvers and +side-arms were hastily assumed, and sailors commenced rushing and +shouting <a name="Page_59" id="Page_59"></a>from all parts of both ships. Most of us were scared, not +knowing what had happened. It appeared that a German sailor had fallen +down between the two ships; his cries, of course, added to the tumult, +but luckily he was dragged up without being much injured. We could not +help wondering, if such a commotion were made at such a small accident, +what would happen if a cruiser came along and the real alarm were given. +The ship would bid fair to become a veritable madhouse—evidently the +nerves of all the Germans were very much on edge. The only thing for the +prisoners to do was to get out of the way as much as possible, and +retire to their cabins.</p> + +<p>In addition to the transference of coal and cargo which went on without +cessation, day and night, our ship was gradually being stripped. Bunks +and cabin fittings, heating apparatus, pianos, bookcases, brass and +rubber stair-treads, bed and table linen, ceiling and table electric +fans, clocks, and all movable fittings were transferred to the <i>Wolf</i>, +and our ship presented a scene of greater destruction every day. The +Germans were excellent shipbreakers. Much of the cargo could not be +taken on board the <i>Wolf</i>; it was not wanted, and there was no room for +it, and some of <a name="Page_60" id="Page_60"></a>this, especially some fancy Japanese goods, clothes, +gloves, and toys, was broached by the sailors, and some was left +untouched in the holds. The Prize Captain secured for himself as a +trophy a large picture placed at the head of the saloon stairs of the +<i>Hitachi</i>. This represented a beautiful Japanese woodland scene, +embossed and painted on velvet. The Germans said the <i>Hitachi</i> was due +to arrive at her destination between November 4th and November 8th. They +told us she would still do so, but that the destination would be +slightly different—not Liverpool, but Davy Jones's locker! Some of the +prisoners aft had seen several ships sunk by the <i>Wolf</i>. They told us +that on more than one such occasion a German officer had gone down among +them whistling "Britannia Rules the Waves." They will perhaps admit by +this time that she does so still, the <i>Wolf</i> notwithstanding!</p> + +<p>Longing eyes had been cast on the notice published by the Germans +concerning rules and regulations on board, and most of us determined to +get possession of it. When first fixed on the notice-board it had been +blown down, and recovered by a German sailor. It was then framed and +again exhibited. Later on, it was again taken out <a name="Page_61" id="Page_61"></a>of its frame and +pinned up. It remained on the notice-board till the day before the +<i>Hitachi</i> was sunk. After supper that evening I was lucky enough to find +it still there, so removed it, and have kept it as a memento of the time +when I was a "detained enemy subject."</p> + +<p>The boats were all lashed down, the hatches the same, and every +precaution taken to prevent wreckage floating away when the vessel was +sunk. On the afternoon of November 5th the Germans shifted all the +passengers' heavy luggage on to the <i>Wolf</i>, and we were told we should +have to leave the <i>Hitachi</i> and go on board the <i>Wolf</i> at 1 p.m. the +next day. We were told that our baggage would all be opened and passed +through a fumigating chamber, and that we ourselves would have to be +thoroughly fumigated before being "allowed" to mix with the company on +the <i>Wolf</i>. But this part of the programme was omitted.</p> + +<p>The <i>Hitachi</i> was now in a sad condition; her glory was indeed departed +and her end very near. We had our last meal in her stripped saloon that +day at noon, and at one o'clock moved over on to the <i>Wolf</i>, the German +sailors, aided by some neutrals, carrying our light cabin luggage for +us.<a name="Page_62" id="Page_62"></a> The Commander of the <i>Wolf</i> himself superintended our crossing from +one ship to the other, and he had had a gangway specially made for us. +We felt more like prisoners than ever! The crew and their belongings, +the Japanese stewards and theirs, moved over to the <i>Wolf</i> in the +afternoon, and at 5 p.m. on November 6th the <i>Wolf</i> sheered off, leaving +the <i>Hitachi</i> deserted, but for the German Captain and officers, and the +bombing party who were to send her to the bottom next day.</p> + +<p>Both ships remained where they were for the night, abreast of and about +four hundred yards distant from each other. At 9 a.m. on November 7th +they moved off and manœuvred. The Germans did not intend to sink the +<i>Hitachi</i> where she was, but in deep water. To do this they had to sail +some distance from the Nazareth Bank. The <i>Hitachi</i> hoisted the German +Imperial Navy flag, and performed a kind of naval goose-step for the +delectation of the <i>Wolf</i>. At 1 p.m. the flag was hauled down, both +ships stopped, and the <i>Hitachi</i> blew off steam for the last time.</p> + +<p>There were still a few people on her, and the <i>Wolf's</i> motor launch made +three trips between the two ships before the German<a name="Page_63" id="Page_63"></a> Captain and bombing +officer left the <i>Hitachi</i>. Three bombs had been placed for her +destruction, one forward outside the ship on the starboard side, one +amidships inside, and one aft on the port side outside the ship. At 1.33 +p.m. the Captain arrived alongside the <i>Wolf</i>, at 1.34 the first bomb +exploded with a dull subdued roar, sending up a high column of water; +the explosion of the other bombs followed at intervals of a minute, so +that by 1.36 the last bomb had exploded. All on the <i>Wolf</i> now stood +watching the <i>Hitachi's</i> last struggle with the waves, a struggle which, +thanks to her murderers, could have but one end; and the German officers +stood on the <i>Wolf's</i> deck taking photos at different stages of the +tragedy. There the two ships now rested, the murderer and the victim, +alone on the ocean, with no help for the one and no avenging justice for +the other. The <i>Wolf</i> was secure from all interference—nothing could +avert the final tragedy. The many witnesses who would have helped the +victim were powerless; we could but stand and watch with impotent fury +and great sorrow and pity the inevitable fate to which the <i>Hitachi</i> was +doomed, and of which the captors and captives on the <i>Wolf</i> were the +only witnesses. <a name="Page_64" id="Page_64"></a>But one man among us refused to look on—the Japanese +Captain refused to be a spectator of the wilful destruction of his ship, +which had so long been his home. Her sinking meant for him the utter +destruction of his hopes and an absolute end to his career. The struggle +was a long one—it was pathetic beyond words to watch it, and there was +a choky feeling in many a throat on the <i>Wolf</i>—for some time it even +seemed as if the <i>Hitachi</i> were going to snatch one more victory from +the sea; she seemed to be defying the efforts of the waves to devour +her, as, gently rolling, she shook herself free from the gradually +encroaching water; but she was slowly getting lower in the water, and +just before two o'clock there were signs that she was settling fast. Her +well deck forward was awash; we could see the waves breaking on it; +exactly at two o'clock her bows went under, and soon her funnel was +surrounded with swirling water; it disappeared, and with her propellers +high in the air she dived slowly and slantingly down to her great grave, +and at one minute past two the sea closed over her. Twenty-five minutes +had elapsed since the explosion of the last bomb. The Germans said she +and her cargo were worth a million sterling when she went down.</p> + +<div class="figcenter"><a name="hitachi" id="hitachi"></a><a href="./images/hitachi.jpg"><img src="./images/hitachi-tb.jpg" alt="NIPPON YUSEN KAISHA S.S. HITACHI MARU." title="NIPPON YUSEN KAISHA S.S. HITACHI MARU." /></a></div> + +<div class='center'>NIPPON YUSEN KAISHA S.S. <i>HITACHI MARU</i>.</div> + +<p>There was great turmoil on the sea for some <a name="Page_65" id="Page_65"></a>time after the ship +disappeared; the ammunition house on the poop floated away, a fair +amount of wreckage also came away, an oar shot up high into the air from +one of the hatches, the sodium lights attached to one of the lifebuoys +ignited and ran along the water, and then the <i>Wolf</i>, exactly like a +murderer making sure that the struggles of his victim had finally +ceased, moved away from the scene of her latest crime. Never shall we +forget the tragedy of that last half-hour in the life of the <i>Hitachi +Maru</i>.</p> + +<p>Thus came to an end the second of the Nippon Yushen Kaisha fleet bearing +the name of <i>Hitachi Maru</i>. The original ship of that name had been sunk +by the Russians in the Russo-Japanese War. Our ill-fated vessel had +taken her place. It will savour of tempting Providence if another ship +ever bears her unfortunate name, and no sailor could be blamed for +refusing to sail in her.<a name="Page_66" id="Page_66"></a></p> + + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> +<h2>CHAPTER V</h2> + +<h3>LIFE ON THE "WOLF"</h3> + + +<p>Life on the <i>Wolf</i> was very different from life on the <i>Hitachi</i>. To +begin with, all the single men of military age from the <i>Hitachi</i> were +accommodated on the 'tween decks, and slept in hammocks which they had +to sling themselves. The elder men among them slept in bunks taken from +the <i>Hitachi</i>, but the quarters of all in the 'tween decks were very +restricted; there was no privacy, no convenience, and only a screen +divided the European and Japanese quarters. The condition of our +fellow-countrymen from the <i>Hitachi</i> was now the reverse of enviable, +though it was a great deal better than that of the crews of the captured +ships, who were "accommodated" under the poop—where the Captains and +officers captured had quarters to themselves—and exercised on the poop +and well deck, the port side of which was reserved for the Japanese. The +Germans did not forbid us to enter the quarters where <a name="Page_67" id="Page_67"></a>our +fellow-passengers were confined, but it was obvious that they did not +like our doing so, after the lies they had told us concerning the +wonderful alterations made in these quarters for their prisoners' +"comfort." One day I managed to sneak unobserved into the prisoners' +quarters under the poop in the 'tween decks, where hundreds of men were +confined, but I had the misfortune to run up against the Lieutenant in +charge and was promptly ordered out before I could have a good look +round. But I had seen enough! Both the men under the poop and our +fellow-passengers had armed guards over them—those guarding the latter +were good fellows and quite friendly and helpful to their charges.</p> + +<p>There were now more than four hundred prisoners on board, mostly +British, some of whom had been captured in the February previous, as the +<i>Wolf</i> had left Germany in November 1916, the <i>Hitachi</i> being the tenth +prize taken. The condition in which these prisoners lived cannot be too +strongly condemned. The heat in the tropics was insufferable, the +overcrowding abominable, and on the poop there was hardly room to move. +While anchored near Sunday Island in the Pacific some months earlier, +two of the<a name="Page_68" id="Page_68"></a> British prisoners taken from the first prize captured +managed to escape. Their absence was not noticed by the Germans till a +fortnight later, as up to then there had been no daily roll-call, an +omission which was at once rectified directly these two men were noted +missing. As a punishment, the prisoners aft were no longer allowed to +exercise on the poop, but were kept below. The heat and stifling +atmosphere were inconceivable and cruel. The iron deck below presented +the appearance of having been hosed—in reality it was merely the +perspiration streaming off these poor persecuted captives that drenched +the deck. The attention of the ship's doctor was one day called to this, +and he at once forbade this inhuman confinement in future. From then +onwards, batches of the prisoners were allowed on the poop at a time, so +that every man could obtain at least a little fresh air a day—surely +the smallest concession that could possibly be made to men living under +such wretched conditions.</p> + +<p>But notwithstanding these hardships the men seemed to be merry and +bright, and showed smiling faces to their captors. They had all +evidently made up their minds to keep their end up to the last, and were +not <a name="Page_69" id="Page_69"></a>to be downed by any bad news or bad treatment the Germans might +give them.</p> + +<p>The <i>Wolf</i>, of course, picked up wireless news every day, printed it, +and circulated it throughout the ship in German and English. We did not, +however, hear all the news that was picked up, but felt that what we did +hear kept us at least a little in touch with the outside world, and we +have since been able to verify that, and also to discover that we missed +a great deal too. The weekly returns of submarine sinkings were +regularly published, and these were followed with great interest both by +the Germans and ourselves. We heard, too, some of the speeches of Mr. +Lloyd George and the German Chancellors, debates in the Reichstag, and +general war news, especially what was favourable to the Germans.</p> + +<p>The accommodation provided for the married couples on the <i>Wolf</i> was +situated on the port side upper deck, which corresponded in position to +the promenade deck of a liner. Some "cabins" had been improvised when +the first women and civilian prisoners had been captured, some had been +vacated by the officers, and others had been carved out as the number of +these prisoners increased. The cabins were, of course, very small—there +<a name="Page_70" id="Page_70"></a>was very little room to spare on the <i>Wolf</i>—and, at the best, +makeshift contrivances, but it must be admitted that our German captors +did all they could to make us as comfortable as possible under the +conditions prevailing. The cabin occupied by my wife and myself was +built on one of the hatches. The bunks were at different levels, and +were at right angles to each other, half of one being in a dark corner. +There was not much room in it even for light baggage, and not standing +room for two people. The walls and ceiling were made of white painted +canvas, and an electric light and fan were installed over the door. The +married couples, the Australian military officers, and a few elderly +civilians messed together in the officers' ward-room (presided over by a +war photograph of the All Highest), quite a tiny saloon, which was +placed at our disposal after the officers had finished their meals. We +had breakfast at 9.15, dinner at 1.15, and supper at 7.15. The Commander +of the <i>Wolf</i> was a very lonely man—he messed alone in his quarters +near the bridge, and we saw very little of him, as he very rarely left +his quarters and came below among his men and the prisoners.</p> + +<p>The food on the <i>Wolf</i> was better cooked <a name="Page_71" id="Page_71"></a>than it had been on the +<i>Hitachi</i>, but there was of course no fresh food of any kind. Two or +three horses had been taken from the S.S. <i>Matunga</i>—these had been shot +and eaten long before. Even the potatoes we had were dried, and had to +be soaked many hours before they were cooked, and even then they did not +much resemble the original article; the same remark applies to the other +vegetables we had. Occasionally our meals satisfied us as far as +quantity went, but in the main we left the table feeling we could with +ease dispose of a great deal more. This was especially the case after +breakfast, which consisted of bread and jam only; and once at tiffin all +we had to eat was boiled rice with cinnamon and sugar. Each cabin had a +German orderly to look after and wait on its occupants, two German +stewards waited on us at meals, and a Japanese steward had two or three +cabins to look after and clean. The water allowance, both for drinking +and washing, was very small. We had only one bottle of the former and +one can of the latter between two of us; so it was impossible to wash +any of our clothes.</p> + +<p>The deck—we were only allowed the port side—was only about six feet +wide, and part of this was occupied by spare spars. There <a name="Page_72" id="Page_72"></a>were no +awnings, and the sun and rain streamed right across the narrow space. +Sailors and officers, and prisoners to fetch their food, were passing +along this deck incessantly all day, so it can be easily imagined there +was not much room for sitting about on deck chairs. On this deck, too, +was the prisoners' cell, usually called the "calaboose," very rarely +without an occupant, with an armed sentry on guard outside. It was not a +cheerful abode, being very small and dark; and the prisoner, if his +sentence were a long one, served it in instalments of a few days at a +time.</p> + +<p>We were allowed to go down to the well deck to see our friends and sit +on the hatch with them during the daytime. They had their meals in the +'tween decks at different times from us, but the food provided was +usually just the same. The evenings were the deadliest times of all on +the <i>Wolf</i>. At dusk the order "Schiff Abblenden" resounded all through +the ship, sailors came round to put tin plates over all the portholes, +and from thence onward throughout the night complete darkness prevailed +on deck, not a glint of light showing anywhere on the ship. It was very +nasty and uncanny.</p> + +<p>When the <i>Wolf</i> considered herself in dan<a name="Page_73" id="Page_73"></a>gerous waters, and when laying +mines, even smoking was forbidden on deck. All the cabins had a device +by which directly the door was open the light went out, only to be relit +directly the door closed. So it was impossible for any one to leave his +cabin with the door open and the light on. There was nothing to do in +the evenings after the last meal, which was over before eight o'clock. +We groped our way in darkness along the deck when we left the little +wardroom, and there was then nowhere to sit except on the dark deck or +in the dark cabins; it was so hot that the cabin doors had to be kept +open, and the evenings spent on the <i>Wolf</i> were certainly very dreary. +Most of us agreed with Dr. Johnson that "the man in gaol has more room, +better food, and commonly better company than the man in the ship, and +is in safety," and felt we would rather be in gaol on shore, for then we +should be in no risk of being killed at any moment by our own people, +our cells would have been larger than our cabins, and our food possibly +not much worse, and our gaol would at least have been stationary and not +rolling about, though it must be confessed the <i>Wolf</i> was a good sea +boat.</p> + +<p>She had been one of the Hansa line before <a name="Page_74" id="Page_74"></a>the war, called the +<i>Wachfels</i>, was about 6,000 tons, single screw, with a speed of about +ten knots at the outside. She had been thoroughly adapted for her work +as a raider, had four torpedo tubes and six guns (said to be 4.7), with +concrete emplacements, not to mention machine and smaller guns—to be +used against the prisoners if they should attempt escape, etc.—none of +which could be seen by a passing ship, to which the <i>Wolf</i> looked, as +she was intended to look, exactly like an innocent neutral tramp painted +black. This was in itself a camouflage—she needed no other. When in +action her bulwarks dropped, giving free play to her guns and torpedoes. +There was telephonic communication between her bridge and every gun and +every part of the ship; she carried a huge searchlight, her masts and +funnel were telescopic, and she could rig an extra funnel. She carried +large supplies of bombs, hand grenades, rifles and small arms; had +hospitals with two doctors on board; the officers had the best and most +powerful binoculars; among her crew of more than three hundred were +representatives of every trade; she was thoroughly well equipped in +every way, and absolutely nothing seemed to have been forgotten. There +were, it was said, only three of the officers who were<a name="Page_75" id="Page_75"></a> Imperial Navy +men; the Commander, the Artillery Officer, and the Lieutenant in charge +of the prisoners. All the other officers and a great many of the crew +were from the German mercantile marine, who had travelled with, mixed +with, and lived with Englishmen in many parts of the world. To this we +undoubtedly owed the kindly treatment we received on board, treatment +which was infinitely better than we expected to receive. The majority of +the officers and men were certainly kindly disposed towards us. There is +no doubt, however, that the fear we might be taken by a British cruiser +also had something to do with this treatment, for if we had been treated +badly the Germans knew they would have had cause to regret it had they +been captured.</p> + +<p>In a conversation with the Lieutenant in charge of the prisoners—who, +by the way, had a Scottish mother—I remarked that it was very hard on +our relations and friends not knowing what had become of us. He agreed +that it was, but added it was no worse for my relations than it was for +his! They did not know where he was either! "No," I replied, "but you +are out doing your duty and serving your country, and when you left home +your people knew they would have no news <a name="Page_76" id="Page_76"></a>of you for many months. It is +quite different with us. We are not out to be ingloriously taken +prisoner, we were simply travelling on business, being compelled to do +so. We are not serving our country by being caught and kept in this way, +and our relatives did not expect us to disappear and send them no news +of ourselves for a long time." However, he affected not to see the +difference between our case and his; just as the sailors often told the +prisoners aft that in case of the <i>Wolf</i> going into action it would be +no worse for the prisoners than it was for the fighting crew!</p> + +<p>We were forbidden to talk to the crew, but under cover of the darkness +some of them, a great number of whom spoke English, were only too glad +to speak to us. We learnt from them that the <i>Wolf</i> had been out a year; +they were all very "fed up" with it all, tired of the life, tired of the +sea, tired of the food, longing to get home, and longing for the war to +end. They had, too, no doubts as to how it would end, and were certain +that the <i>Wolf</i> would get back to Germany whenever she wished to do so. +Of course we assured them that they were utterly mistaken, and that it +would be absolutely impossible for the <i>Wolf</i> ever to get <a name="Page_77" id="Page_77"></a>through the +British blockade or see Germany again.</p> + +<p>They were certain three things would bring them victory: their +submarines, the defection of Russia, who would soon be made to conclude +peace with Germany, and the fact that in their opinion America had +entered the war too late. The submarines, too, would not allow a single +transport to reach European waters!</p> + +<p>While on the <i>Wolf</i> we heard of the great reverse to the Italian arms. +We were told that half a million prisoners and thousands of guns were +taken, and that there was no longer an Italian army! Germany had strafed +one more country and knocked her out of the war. This made their early +victory still more certain! Their spirits may be imagined when this news +of Italy's disaster was received.</p> + +<p>The interests of the <i>Wolf</i> were now, to a certain extent, identical +with our own—that we should not meet an Allied cruiser. A notice was +posted in some of our cabins saying that in that event the women with +their husbands, and some other prisoners, would be put into boats with a +white flag, "if weather and other conditions permitted." We often +wondered whether they <i>would</i> permit! The other prisoners, however, +viz.<a name="Page_78" id="Page_78"></a> those under the poop and on the 'tween decks, would have had no +chance of being saved. They would all have been battened down under +hatches (this, indeed, was done whenever the <i>Wolf</i> sighted or captured +a ship, when mines were being sown, and when gun and other drill was +carried on) and armed guards with hand grenades sent among them. It made +us furious to see, as we did many times, our friends being driven below +by armed guards. Their fate, if the <i>Wolf</i> had gone into action, would +have been too terrible to contemplate. For the lifeboats on the <i>Wolf</i> +could not possibly have accommodated more than 350 souls, and it is +certain no prisoners would have been among this number.</p> + +<p>The Captain and officers of the <i>Wolf</i> must have had some very anxious +moments on many occasions. When passing close to other ships, as she had +done in the comparatively narrow waters of the Java Sea, all the +prisoners were sent below, and we were told that the few officers and +crew visible to a passing ship discarded their naval uniform and +appeared in kit suitable for the officers and crew of a tramp. We also +heard that on one occasion in narrow waters in the Far East the <i>Wolf</i> +passed quite close to a Japanese cruiser at night. Both ships <a name="Page_79" id="Page_79"></a>were in +darkness, every man on the <i>Wolf</i> was at his station, and at the +slightest sign from the cruiser the <i>Wolf's</i> guns and torpedoes would +have immediately come into action. But the <i>Wolf's</i> good luck did not +desert her, and the Japanese cruiser passed away into the night without +having given any sign that she had seen the raider.</p> + +<p>The <i>Wolf</i>, with a company of over seven hundred on board, sailed away +on a south-westerly course for the next two days, and the usual routine +of the ship went on, but no further gun or other drills took place. Soon +after daybreak on November 10th a sailor came along and locked us all in +our cabins, armed guards patrolled the deck, and a short time after an +officer came to each cabin and informed us there was a steamer on the +starboard side which the <i>Wolf</i> intended to capture. He told us the +<i>Wolf</i> would fire on her to stop, and provided all of us with +cotton-wool to insert in our ears while the guns were being fired! The +Germans had had no scruples about firing on the <i>Hitachi</i>, though they +could have seen there were women on board, but on this occasion they +were so considerate as to give us cotton-wool for our ears, that our +nerves might not be shaken—a truly German touch! We <a name="Page_80" id="Page_80"></a>waited for the +sound of the guns, but nothing happened, and in about half an hour the +same officer came along and said to us, "Don't be fearful; the other +ship has stopped, and there will be no firing!" Our cabin doors were +unlocked, the men on the upper deck were allowed out, the ladies were +requested not to show themselves on deck, and another officer ran along +the deck saying "We've catched her, we've catched her; a neutral this +time!"</p> + +<p>The "catched" vessel had stopped and was lying very near the <i>Wolf</i>. The +name on her stern proclaimed her to be the <i>Igotz Mendi</i>, of Bilbao, and +she was flying the Spanish flag. In a short time a prize crew, with +Lieutenant Rose in command, left the <i>Wolf</i> in her motor launch, and +proceeded to the other ship. After they had been aboard her a few +minutes, a message came back that the Spanish ship was from Delagoa Bay +to Colombo with a cargo of 5,800 tons of coal for the British Admiralty +authorities in Ceylon. So the Germans would not after all have to intern +the <i>Wolf</i> and her prize in a neutral country—if she could reach +one—at any rate from lack of coal, as we fondly imagined might have +been the case. Here was just the cargo our captors wanted to <a name="Page_81" id="Page_81"></a>annex, but +the chagrin of the Germans may be imagined when they realized that they +had captured this ship just three days too late to save the <i>Hitachi</i>. +Here was a ship with ample coal which, had it been captured a few days +before, would have enabled the Germans to save the <i>Hitachi</i> and take +her as a prize to Germany, with all of us on board as prisoners, as they +had always desired to do. Other German raiders had occasionally been +able to do so with one or two of their prizes. Had the <i>Hitachi</i> arrived +in Germany, she would have been rechristened the <i>Luchs</i>, the name of a +former German war vessel with which the Prize Captain had had +associations.</p> + +<p>The <i>Igotz Mendi</i> had left Lourenço Marques on November 5th, and was due +at Colombo on the 22nd. Before 9 a.m. on the morning of the capture both +ships had turned about, the prize now being in command of the Germans, +and were going back on the course the <i>Wolf</i> had followed since the +destruction of the <i>Hitachi</i>. Discussion was rife among the prisoners as +to what would be done with the new capture, and whether the Commander of +the <i>Wolf</i> would redeem his promise to transfer the married couples to +the "next ship caught."<a name="Page_82" id="Page_82"></a></p> + + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> +<h2>CHAPTER VI</h2> + +<h3>ANOTHER PRIZE—OUR FUTURE HOME</h3> + + +<p>The two ships steamed along in company for the next three days, usually +stopping towards sunset for communications and sending orders. On +Sunday, the 11th, we were invited to a band performance on the well deck +forward. It was quite a good one. The first mate came along and jokingly +said to us, "What more can you want? We give you a free passage, free +food, and even free music." I replied, "We only want one more thing +free." "What is that?" he asked. "Freedom," I answered. "Ah!" he said, +smiling, "I am afraid you must wait for that a little time."</p> + +<p>I had asked him earlier in the day if he would allow us the use of a +room and a piano for a short time in the afternoon, so that we could +keep up our custom of singing a few hymns on Sunday. Later on, he told +me we might, with the permission of the officers, <a name="Page_83" id="Page_83"></a>have their wardroom +for half an hour. The officers and he had kindly agreed to this, a +concession we much appreciated, and the little wardroom was crowded +indeed on that occasion.</p> + +<p>At daybreak on the 13th both ships arrived at the Nazareth Bank, and +before 9 a.m. were lashed together. On such occasions the <i>Wolf</i> never +dropped anchor, for she might have to be up and away at the slightest +warning; the prize ship was always the one to drop anchor. On the +previous Tuesday the <i>Wolf</i> had been lashed alongside the <i>Hitachi</i>; +here, on this Tuesday, was the <i>Wolf</i> lashed alongside another captured +ship in the very same place! Again the daring and coolness of our +captors amazed us. Coaling the <i>Wolf</i> from the <i>Igotz Mendi</i> at once +began, and a wireless installation was immediately rigged up by the +Germans on the Spanish ship. Coaling proceeded all that day, and the +German officers and crews on both ships were very busy. The prisoners +aft were also very busy, catching fish over the side. No sooner had the +ships stopped than lines were dropped overboard and many fine fish were +caught. The prisoners aft wore very little clothing and often no +head-gear at all, though we were in the tropics, <a name="Page_84" id="Page_84"></a>where we had always +thought a sun-helmet was a <i>sine qua non</i>. But the prisoners got on +quite well without one.</p> + +<p>On the morning of the 14th, just six weeks after our capture, orders +were given to the married couples on the <i>Wolf</i> to get their light +baggage ready at once for transference to the Spanish ship, as she and +the <i>Wolf</i> might have to separate at any moment.</p> + +<p>Our heavy baggage would be transferred if time allowed. We did not +understand at the time why the Germans were so considerate to us in the +matter of baggage, but later on, a great deal later on, light dawned on +us! It is doubtful, to say the least of it, if we should have been +allowed to keep our baggage if we should be taken to Germany, a +possibility that was always present in our minds. We know now that it +always was the intention of the Germans to take us to Germany, and that +being the case, it would be just as simple to relieve us of our luggage +when we got there as to deprive us of it while we were <i>en route</i>.</p> + +<p>Evidently something was in the air; some wireless message had been +picked up, as the seaplane was being brought up from the 'tween decks +and assembled at great haste on the well deck. The <i>Wölfchen</i> went up +about 4.20 and returned about 5.30, and in the interval <a name="Page_85" id="Page_85"></a>our heavy +baggage had been brought up from the <i>Wolf's</i> hold ready to be +transferred to the <i>Igotz Mendi</i>.</p> + +<p>At dusk that evening the married people were transferred to the Spanish +ship. We felt very sad at leaving our <i>Hitachi</i> and other friends on the +<i>Wolf</i>, and feared that whatever might happen to us, they would never be +free. For ourselves, too, the prospect was not a very pleasing one. The +whole ship was smothered in coal-dust, the saloon was almost pitch-dark, +as awnings had been hung over all the ports, the atmosphere was +stifling, the cabins we were to occupy were still littered with the +belongings of their former occupants, and the outlook was certainly very +dreary. To make things worse a thick drizzle came on, converting the +coal-dust on deck into an evil, black, muddy ooze.</p> + +<p>The next morning we were still alongside the <i>Wolf</i>, and remained there +till the morning of the 17th, our heavy baggage being transhipped in the +interval. There had also been transferred the Colonel of the A.A.M.C. +already mentioned, and three other men—including the second mate of one +ship previously captured—who were in ill-health. One of the <i>Hitachi</i> +prisoners, a man over military age, who had come <a name="Page_86" id="Page_86"></a>on board at Colombo +straight from hospital, and was going for a health voyage to South +Africa, had been told in the morning that he was to be transferred to +the Spanish ship. But later on, much to the regret of every one, it was +found that the Germans would not release him. A German officer came up +to him and said in my hearing, "Were you not told this morning that you +were to go on the <i>Igotz Mendi</i>?" "Yes," he replied. "Well," said the +officer, "you're not to." Comment on the brutal manner of this remark is +unnecessary.</p> + +<p>The message the seaplane had brought back had evidently been a +reassuring one, and we heard a long time afterwards that the <i>Wolf</i> had +picked up a wireless from a Japanese cruiser, presumably looking for the +<i>Hitachi</i>, only thirty miles away. Hence the alarm! Unfortunately for +us, if this report were true, the cruiser did not turn aside to look in +the most obvious place where a ship like the <i>Wolf</i> would hide, so once +more the <i>Wolf</i> was safe.</p> + +<p>If only there had been a couple of cruisers disguised, like the <i>Wolf</i>, +as tramps, each one carrying a seaplane or two, in each ocean free from +submarine attentions, the <i>Wolf</i> could have been seen and her career +brought <a name="Page_87" id="Page_87"></a>to an end long before. The same end would probably have been +attained on this occasion if a wireless message had been sent from +Delagoa Bay to Colombo saying that the <i>Igotz Mendi</i> had left the former +port for the latter with 5,000 tons of coal on board. The strong +wireless installation on the <i>Wolf</i>, which picked up every message +within a large radius, but of course never sent any, would have picked +up this message, and the <i>Wolf</i> would probably have risen to the bait, +with the result that she could have been caught by an armed vessel sent +in search of her on that track. For it must have been known that a +raider was out in those waters, as the disappearance of the <i>Hitachi</i> +could only have been due to the presence of one.</p> + +<p>Coaling proceeded without cessation till the morning of the 17th, when +the <i>Wolf</i> moved off a short distance. Passengers on mail-boats familiar +with the process of coaling ship at Port Said, Colombo, or any other +port, can imagine the condition of these ships, after three or four +days' incessant coaling day and night. The appearance of the <i>Igotz +Mendi</i> was meanwhile undergoing another change. When captured she was +painted white and had a buff funnel with her company's distinguishing +mark. She <a name="Page_88" id="Page_88"></a>was now painted the Allied grey colour, and when her sides +and funnel had been transformed the two ships sailed away, and on the +evening of the 17th, after final orders and instructions had been given, +parted company. For some days after this, painting was the order of the +day on the Spanish ship, which was now grey on every part visible.</p> + +<p>The Captain of the Spanish ship was now relieved of his duties—and also +of his cabin, which the German Captain had annexed, leaving the owner +thereof the chartroom to sleep in—and was naturally very chagrined at +the course events had taken, especially as he said he had been informed +by the Consul at Lourenço Marques that the course between there and +Colombo was quite clear, and had not even been informed of the +disappearance of the <i>Hitachi</i>, though she had been overdue at Delagoa +Bay about a month. Consequently he had been showing his navigation +lights at sea, and without them the <i>Wolf</i> would probably not have seen +him, as it was about 1 a.m. when the <i>Wolf</i> picked him up.</p> + +<p>The remaining Spanish officers took their watch on the bridge, always +with a member of the prize crew in attendance; the Spanish engineers +remained in charge of the engine-room, <a name="Page_89" id="Page_89"></a>again with a German always +present; and the Spanish crew remained on duty as before. There was a +prize crew of nine Germans on board; the Captain, Lieutenant Rose, who +had also been in charge of the <i>Hitachi</i> after her capture, and the +First Officer, who had also filled that post on the <i>Hitachi</i>, being the +only officers. Lieutenant Rose spoke Spanish in addition to English and +French, and the Spanish Captain also spoke very good English. Some of +the Spanish officers also spoke English, but the knowledge of it was not +so general as it was on the <i>Wolf</i>, where every officer we met spoke our +language, and most of the prize crew spoke quite enough to get on with.</p> + +<p>The Spanish Captain, a charming gentleman, and in appearance anything +but a seafaring man, was, however, frankly puzzled by some current +English slang. One of the passenger prisoners—the hero of the kerosene +porridge—was known among us as the "hot-air merchant." This was simple +enough, but when we said he also suffered from cold feet, the Spanish +Captain admitted defeat. Such a contradictory combination seemed +inconceivable. "If a man were full of hot air, how could he have cold +feet?" he said. Lieutenant Rose, however, was <i>au fait</i><a name="Page_90" id="Page_90"></a> with the latest +English slang, and always used it correctly.</p> + +<p>The <i>Igotz Mendi</i>, 4,600 tons, had been completed in 1916, and was a +ship admirably fitted for her purpose, which, however, was not that of +carrying passengers. Ordinarily she was a collier, or carried iron ore. +Her decks were of iron, scorchingly hot in the tropics and icy cold in +northern latitudes. There was no place sheltered from the sun in which +to sit on the small deck space, and the small awnings which were +spasmodically rigged up were quite insufficient for the purpose. There +were now twenty-one "passenger" prisoners on board, including the +Japanese stewardess, and five Asiatics. There were no cabins except +those provided for the officers, who generously gave them up to the +married couples on board, the officers taking quarters much more crowded +and much less desirable. The Germans installed a small electric fan, +taken from the <i>Hitachi</i>, in each cabin, and also one in the saloon. The +cabins were quite suitable for one occupant each, but very cramped for +two; the one occupied by my wife and myself being only seven and a half +feet square. Each contained one bunk and one settee, the latter being a +sleeping-place far from comfortable, as it was <a name="Page_91" id="Page_91"></a>only five and a half +feet long by about twenty inches wide, the bunk being the same width, +but longer, and the floor space was very narrow and restricted. Our +light baggage had to be kept on the bunk all day, being deposited on the +washstand and floor every night. Our first duty every morning was to +replace the baggage on the bunk, so that we could have room to stand on +the floor! There were four cabins, two on each side of a narrow +alley-way about two feet wide, while one married couple occupied the +Chief Engineer's cabin further aft on the starboard side, quite a roomy +apartment. The port cabin opposite to it was occupied by an old +Mauritius-Indian woman and her little granddaughter (who was often very +naughty and got many "lickings" from her grandmother, whom she +frequently implored the Captain to throw overboard), the Japanese +stewardess, the Australian stewardess already mentioned, and a coloured +man going to South Africa with his Chinese wife. Rather crowded +quarters, not to mention somewhat unseemly conditions! The Asiatic +passengers had been "intermediate" passengers on the <i>Hitachi</i>, i.e. +between the second-class and deck passengers. The four men above +mentioned occupied a space under the poop—it could not be dignified +with <a name="Page_92" id="Page_92"></a>the name of cabin. It was very small, only one occupant could +dress at a time, and immediately in front of it was a reeking pigsty +with three full-sized occupants. The passage to it from the saloon on +the upper deck was often a perilous one in rough weather and on dark +nights, for there was never any light showing on board at night during +the whole cruise. Occasionally a lifeline was rigged along the well deck +to the poop quarters, a by no means unnecessary precaution. The prize +crew had quarters on the starboard side under the poop; they were +exceedingly small, cramped, and in every way inconvenient and +uncomfortable. Our heavy baggage was also stored under the poop.</p> + +<p>This, then, was to be our home, possibly for the next few months. We did +not know for how long, but we regarded the prospect with a certain +amount of equanimity, as the ship was unarmed, and we knew we should not +be fired on by a hostile cruiser, as might have been the case if we had +remained on the <i>Wolf</i>.</p> + +<p>When we arrived on the Spanish boat we were served with meals at the +same time to which the Spanish officers had been accustomed, i.e. +breakfast at 9 and supper at 4, but these times were soon afterwards +changed <a name="Page_93" id="Page_93"></a>to breakfast at 8.30, tiffin 12.30, and supper 5.30. We were +lucky to get fresh food for some days. But this soon came to an end, +though the stock of muscatels, a quince preserve—called membrillo—and +Spanish wine lasted very much longer. It would have lasted much longer +still but for the stupidity of the German sailor who "managed" the +canteen. He allowed stores to be eaten in plenty while there were any, +instead of arranging to spread their consumption over a much longer +period.</p> + +<p>There was on board a certain amount of live stock; some chickens, which +seemed to thrive quite well on coal-dust, and a couple of cows, each of +which had a calf born on board; these all met the usual fate of such +things on appropriate occasions. There were also a few cats and kittens, +which later on were joined by a couple of mongrel dachshund pups born on +the <i>Wolf</i>. The Spanish carpenter had a sporting hen, which had some +lively scraps with the dogs, the latter always coming off second best.</p> + +<p>For many days after we parted company with the <i>Wolf</i> we ambled and +dawdled through the sea on a south-westerly course, sometimes going back +on our tracks for half a day, <a name="Page_94" id="Page_94"></a>sometimes stopping altogether for an hour +or two, sometimes for half a day, sometimes for a whole day. The +monotony of this performance was deadly beyond words. On one of these +days the Captain offered to land us at Mauritius on the following +morning and give himself up with the crew and ship if we could raise +£100,000 for him. Unfortunately, we couldn't!</p> + +<p>On the afternoon of the 23rd the Germans became very agitated at the +sight of smoke on the horizon. At first we all thought it was the +<i>Wolf</i>, but before long we could see two columns of smoke, evidently +coming from two steamers travelling together. The prisoners then became +very agitated also, as help might be at hand. But the Germans at once +changed the course, and manœuvred at full speed in such a way that we +soon got out of sight of the smoke, when we resumed our original course +again, after having boxed the compass more than once, and the German +Captain came down from the bridge and told us there was no relief for us +yet. We all felt that if the <i>Hitachi</i> had only avoided distant smoke as +the German Captain had done we need never have made the acquaintance of +the <i>Wolf</i>.</p> + +<p>On the 24th we again met the <i>Wolf</i> in the <a name="Page_95" id="Page_95"></a>evening. Whenever the <i>Wolf</i> +had an appointment to meet her prize at a certain time and place, the +prize always hoisted recognition signals directly she saw the <i>Wolf</i> on +the horizon. These were made of wicker, and varied in shape on different +occasions.</p> + +<p>We were now well to the south of Africa, in the roaring forties, and we +saw many schools of whales, and albatrosses accompanied us for many +days. A Spanish officer shot one one day—we told him this would bring +us bad luck, as the souls of lost sea captains are said to inhabit these +majestic birds. And one day we saw a dead whale floating along not far +from the ship—it was smothered with a huge flock of seabirds, gorging +themselves on it. By December 1st we had begun to steer north-west, and +on the 3rd the Captain informed us we were the nearest we should ever be +to Cape Town, the port to which I had set out. On this morning the +Captain said to me, "Mr. Trayes, didn't you say you were going to Cape +Town?" "Yes," I replied. "Come out on deck with me," he answered. I went +with him. He took my arm, and said, "There it is," pointing in its +direction. We were then 150 miles off! We met the <i>Wolf</i> again on the +5th, and travelled in her company during the <a name="Page_96" id="Page_96"></a>remainder of that day and +the next two, stopping as usual for communication and the sending of +stores to us in the evenings just before sunset. Often when the ship +stopped Lieutenant Rose would go aboard the <i>Wolf</i>, another Lieutenant +boarding us and remaining in charge during his absence. The <i>Wolf</i> on +this occasion told us she had sunk the American sailing vessel <i>John H. +Kirby</i> from America to East London with a cargo of four hundred +motor-cars on board, when two days from her destination, the officers +and crew being taken on board the <i>Wolf</i>. Many people in South Africa +would have to dispense with their motor joy-rides at Christmas in +consequence.</p> + +<p>The evening of December 7th was the last occasion we saw the <i>Wolf</i> for +many days. The two ships now shaped a course for the Brazilian Island of +Trinidad, where it was understood the <i>Wolf</i> would coal from her prize, +and with her spend the Christmas holidays.<a name="Page_97" id="Page_97"></a></p> + + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> +<h2>CHAPTER VII</h2> + +<h3>CHRISTMAS ON THE "IGOTZ MENDI"</h3> + + +<p>It must not be supposed that the life of the prisoners on the <i>Igotz +Mendi</i> in any way approximated to that of passengers on an ordinary +passenger ship. To begin with, there were no ship's servants to wait on +us with the exception of the Spanish steward, a youth who "waited" at +table and excelled in breaking ship's crockery. Often he poured the +coffee over us, or into our pockets, instead of into our cups, and on +one occasion, during a heavier roll than usual, he fell down in the +middle of the saloon while carrying a tureen full of soup. It went +flying over the saloon and some of its occupants, so our soup ration was +short that day.</p> + +<p>If the cabins were to be kept clean, we had to do it ourselves. Every +morning saw the occupants sweeping out and cleaning up their cabins, as +no ship's servant ever entered them. The water supply was very limited, +and had to be fetched by ourselves—no <a name="Page_98" id="Page_98"></a>matter what the +weather—sometimes from the fore peak and sometimes from a pump near the +ship's galley. Washing water and drinking water were served out twice a +day, at 8 a.m. and 4 p.m., an ordinary water-can being the allowance of +the former, and a water-bottle that of the latter. The supply of washing +water was very inadequate, and no hot water was ever available. After +washing ourselves, we had to wash our clothes in the same water—for +there was of course no laundry on board—and then the cabin floor after +that. By this time the water was mud. It was impossible to have a proper +bath all the time we were on board, for there was no water supply in the +bathroom, and it was kept in an extremely dirty condition. "Laundry +work" was usually done by the prisoners after breakfast, and lines were +rigged on any available part of the ship to dry the clothes. It was a +sight for the gods to see the military officers presiding at their +washtubs on deck, and then hanging out their washing. On fine days with +a big wash the array of drying garments in various parts of the ship was +quite imposing.</p> + +<p>My wife managed to borrow some irons from the Australian stewardess, +which she heated on the stove in the cook's galley.<a name="Page_99" id="Page_99"></a> With these she +ironed her blouses and my shirts and soft collars, while I helped with +the hankeys. The ironing space was not ideal, being the cover, about +twenty inches square, of the cabin washstand. But the result was highly +creditable!</p> + +<p>The saloon, about eighteen feet square, in which all the meals were +served in two sittings, was very rarely clean, and the habits of the +Captain's mongrel pup, born on the <i>Wolf</i>, did not improve matters. +<i>Something</i> connected with the expedition had to be called "Luchs," so, +failing the <i>Hitachi</i>, the pup rejoiced in this name, and as he +frequently made the saloon so exclusively his own, it was often +appropriately named the "Salon de luxe." Poor Luchs! Every man's hand, +or rather foot—with the exception of the Captain's—was against him +(when the Captain was not looking!) on account of his reprehensible +behaviour. Many a sly kick was aimed at him, and when a yelp assured us +that the blow had struck home, one of us would exclaim, "Hooray for our +side!"; "our side" being all who suffered from his bad conduct. The +table "appointments" were often disgusting. The tablecloth was filthy +after the first meal or so, thanks to the rolling of the ship and +consequent upsetting of soup, tea, and <a name="Page_100" id="Page_100"></a>coffee, but was only changed +twice, sometimes only once, a week. Cups were used without saucers, and +spoons gradually disappeared, so that towards the end one had to suffice +between four or five persons.</p> + +<p>The ship, generally speaking, was filthy—she was never properly clean. +I remember on one occasion a large bottle of castor-oil was smashed just +outside the saloon door. The stuff remained there for hours before being +cleaned up. The crew certainly was not large, but a great deal more +could have been done in the direction of keeping the ship clean, and her +condition was never a credit to her Captain. This was a surprise to +those of us who had previously travelled on German ships.</p> + +<p>We got thoroughly sick of the food provided, but the German officers and +crew had just the same. The <i>Hitachi</i> had been carrying ten thousand +cases of Japanese canned crab to England. A great part of this was +saved, and divided between the <i>Wolf</i> and her prize. None of us ever +want to see or hear of this commodity again; we were fed on it till most +of us loathed it, but as there was nothing else to eat when it was +served, we perforce had to eat that or dry bread, and several of us +chose the latter. How we groaned <a name="Page_101" id="Page_101"></a>when we saw any more crab being +brought over from the <i>Wolf</i>! Bully beef, every variety of bean, dried +vegetables, dried fish that audibly announced its advent to the table, +bean soup, and pea soup (maggot soup would often have been a more +correct description), we got just as sick of, till, long before the end, +all the food served nauseated us. Tea, sometimes made in a coffee-pot, +sometimes even with salt water, was the usual hot drink provided, but +coffee was for some time available once a day. We owe a great debt to +one of our fellow-prisoners, a ship's cook, captured from one of the +other ships, who in return for his offer to work as baker was promised +his liberty, which fortunately he has now secured, though no thanks to +the Germans. He baked, under the most difficult conditions, +extraordinarily good bread, and over and over again we should have gone +without food but for this. We were often very hungry, for there was +nothing to eat between "supper" at 5.30 and breakfast next morning at +8.30. The Captain had given each lady a large box of biscuits from the +<i>Hitachi</i>, and my wife and I used to eat a quarter of a biscuit each +before turning in for the night. We could not afford more—the box might +have to last us for many months.<a name="Page_102" id="Page_102"></a></p> + +<p>We could not buy much on board. The only thing of which there seemed to +be plenty was whisky, all stolen from the captured ships. When our ship +ran short of this, more was sent over from the <i>Wolf</i>. We could buy this +at reasonable rates, but the supply was always supposed to be rationed. +Soap and toilet requisites became very scarce or failed altogether as +time went on. We could buy an infinitesimal piece of stolen toilet soap +for a not infinitesimal price, and were rationed as to washing soap and +matches. The currency on board was a very mixed one, consisting of +Japanese yen, both in silver and paper money, English, Spanish, and +German silver, and German canteen tokens—all marked S.M.S. <i>Victoria +Louise</i>—ranging in value from 2 marks to 5 pfennig.</p> + +<p>Mention has been made of the ship's rolling. Her capacity for this was +incredible—in the smoothest sea, whether stopped or under steam, she +rolled heavily from side to side, and caused great discomfort, +inconvenience, and often alarm to all on board. The remark, "The Mendi +roll, fresh every day for every meal, for breakfast, dinner, and tea," +was made by some one at almost every mealtime, as we clutched at our +food, gliding or jumping from end to end of the saloon table, +accom<a name="Page_103" id="Page_103"></a>panied by the smashing of crockery and upsetting of liquids and +soup. We were hardly ever able to sit still at mealtimes, but were +always rocking and rolling about, usually with our plates in our hands, +as leaving them on the table meant we might lose the contents. Even the +Captain was astonished at the rolling of the ship, as he well might have +been, when one night he, in common with most of us, was flung out of his +berth. No ship ever rolled like it—the bath in the bathroom even got +loose and slid about in its socket, adding to the great din on board.</p> + +<p>As may be imagined, there was not much to do on board. The few books we +had between us were passed round and read over and over again. Some were +also sent over from the <i>Wolf</i> for us. Card games of various kinds also +helped to pass the time, and the Captain and some of the prisoners held +a "poker school" morning, afternoon, and evening in the saloon. But +time, nevertheless, dragged very heavily. Some of us had occasionally to +carry our mattresses and beds out on to the deck, to hunt for bugs, +which were very numerous in some cabins. But the pastime was hardly one +to be recommended! And, it must regretfully be <a name="Page_104" id="Page_104"></a>admitted, we all managed +to do nothing quite comfortably!</p> + +<p>We were at liberty to go practically where we liked on board, but we +were never able to get far away from the German sailors, who always +appeared to be listening to our conversation, no matter where we were. +As on the <i>Wolf</i>, they were sometimes caught spying on us, and listening +at the portholes or ventilators of our cabins.</p> + +<p>We next picked up the <i>Wolf</i> on the afternoon of December 19th, and +heard that since we had last seen her she had sunk a French sailing +vessel, the <i>Maréchal Davout</i>, loaded with grain for Europe. The <i>Wolf</i> +usually sent us over a budget of wireless news when she had been away +from us any length of time. I remember an item of news on one occasion, +in which Mr. Lloyd George in a speech said we were getting on the track +of the submarines and that we had sunk five in one day. This gave great +mirth to the Germans, who naturally refused to believe it—they said +they had lost only a dozen since the war began! On one occasion the +Captain informed us of a "great British victory. Joy-bells are ringing +all over England. The British have captured a trench and have advanced +ten yards!" This was the victory at Cambrai!<a name="Page_105" id="Page_105"></a></p> + +<p>The two ships proceeded on parallel courses for Trinidad, but about 8 +p.m. both ships turned sharply round and doubled on their tracks, +proceeding on a south-easterly course at full speed. We learnt the +reason for this the next day. German raiders had previously coaled and +hidden at Trinidad; but Brazil was now in the war, so that hole was +stopped, and the <i>Wolf</i> had intercepted a wireless from the Commander of +a Brazilian cruiser to the garrison on Trinidad. Hence her rapid flight! +But for that wireless message, the <i>Wolf</i> would have walked right into +the trap, and we should have been free within twelve hours from the time +the <i>Wolf</i> picked up the message.</p> + +<p>Once again wireless had been our undoing. The <i>Hitachi</i> had wirelessed +the hour of her arrival at and departure from Singapore and Colombo; the +<i>Wolf</i>, of course, had picked up the messages and was ready waiting for +her. One other ship, if not more, was caught in just the same way. The +<i>Matunga</i> had wirelessed, not even in code, her departure, with the +nature of her cargo, from Sydney to New Guinea, and she wirelessed again +when within a few hours of her destination. The <i>Wolf</i> waited for her, +informed her that she had on board just the cargo the <i>Wolf</i><a name="Page_106" id="Page_106"></a> needed, +captured, and afterwards sunk her. The <i>Wolf's</i> success in capturing +ships and evading hostile cruisers was certainly due to her intercepting +apparently indiscriminate wirelessing between ships, and between ships +and shore—at one time in the Indian Ocean the <i>Wolf</i> was picking up +news in four languages—and to her seaplane, which enabled her to scout +thoroughly and to spot an enemy ship long before she could have been +seen by the enemy. Thus the <i>Wolf's</i> procedure when hunting for her prey +was simplicity itself. Even without wireless her seaplane was of +enormous assistance to her. If her "bird" had revealed the presence of a +ship more heavily armed than the <i>Wolf</i> chose to tackle, she could +easily make herself scarce, while if the ship seen was not at all, or +but lightly armed, all that the <i>Wolf</i> had to do was to wait for her on +the course she was taking.</p> + +<p>Soon after leaving the Indian Ocean the seaplane had been taken to +pieces and placed in the 'tween decks, so that if the <i>Wolf</i> had been +seen by another steamer, her possession of a seaplane would not have +been revealed.</p> + +<p>The two ships proceeded on their new course at full speed for the next +two days. On the 21st they slowed down, hoping to coal <a name="Page_107" id="Page_107"></a>in the open sea. +The next day both ships stopped, but the condition of the sea would not +admit of coaling; we were then said to be about 700 miles E. of Monte +Video. It was a great disappointment to the Germans that they were +prevented from coaling and spending their Christmas under the shelter of +Trinidad, but it became quite clear that all the holes for German +raiders in this part of the ocean had now been stopped, and that they +would have to coal in the open sea or not at all. Some of us thought the +Germans might go back to Tristan da Cunha, or even to Gough Island—both +British possessions in the South Atlantic—but the Germans would not +risk this. Even St. Helena was mentioned as a possible coaling place, +but the Germans said that was impracticable, as it would mean an attack +on an unfortified place: as if this would have been a new procedure for +German armed forces! The fact that they knew St. Helena to be fortified +probably had a great deal more to do with their decision not to proceed +there!</p> + +<p>But the disappointment about Trinidad was mitigated by other wireless +news received. The Commander of the <i>Wolf</i> called all his men together +and harangued them to the effect that the latest news was that Russia +<a name="Page_108" id="Page_108"></a>and Roumania were now out of the war, having given in to Germany, that +the Italian disasters had knocked Italy out in addition, that the war +would certainly be over in six months, and that the <i>Wolf</i> would then go +home in safety to a victorious, grateful, and appreciative Fatherland. +Some such spur as this was very necessary to the men, who were getting +very discontented with the length of the cruise and conditions +prevailing, notably the monotony of the cruise and threatened shortage +of food and drink and tobacco.</p> + +<p>(The <i>Wolf</i> had brought out from Germany enormous stores of provisions +for the cruise, which was expected to last about a year. In fact, her +cargo from Germany consisted of coal, stores, ammunition, and mines +only. She replenished her stores solely from the prizes she took.)</p> + +<p>The Germans were thoroughly confident of victory, and very cock-a-hoop +now that Russia and Roumania were knocked out, and Italy, so they said, +so thoroughly defeated as to be quite a negligible factor in the future. +Our enemies could not conceal their joy at the good news their wireless +brought them. They crowed over us, and at mealtimes the Captain +explained how, with the "three and a half millions" of their troops +released from <a name="Page_109" id="Page_109"></a>the Russian fronts, defeat for the Allies was inevitable +in a very few months. A German victory was now as sure as to-morrow's +sunrise. "But, of course," he said, "there will first be an armistice to +discuss terms." We asked him what he meant by an armistice. He replied +that the troops on the front would cease fighting. "And your +submarines?" we asked. "Oh! they will go on with their work," he +replied. "Why should they stop?" Why, indeed? It was to be a <i>German</i> +armistice, graciously permitted by our enemies, in which they were to +continue the use of a deadly weapon, but we were to lay down our arms! +Generally speaking, however, we refused to be drawn into discussion of +the war, its causes and issues. The enemy was "top dog" for the time +being, we were in his power: we did not know what was in store for us; +we did not wish to prejudice any chances we might have, and it would not +pay to lose our tempers or be indiscreet.</p> + +<p>Christmas Eve was still too rough for the ships to tie up alongside, and +our Christmas the next day was the reverse of merry. The Germans had +held a Christmas service on the <i>Wolf</i> on Christmas Eve, and sounds of +the band and singing were wafted to us over <a name="Page_110" id="Page_110"></a>the waters. We could have +no music on the <i>Igotz Mendi</i>, as we had no piano, but our friends on +the <i>Wolf</i>, so we heard afterwards, gathered together in the 'tween +decks and joined in some Christmas music.</p> + +<p>I went out on deck early on Christmas morning, and there met the Spanish +Chief Mate chewing a bun. He asked me to share half with him—a great +sacrifice! Such was the commencement of our Christmas festivities. Later +in the morning the Spanish Captain regaled the ladies with some choice +brand of Spanish wine, and offered first-class cigars to the men +prisoners (rather better than the "Stinkadoros" sometimes offered us by +the crew), German officers on the ships exchanged visits, and we all +tried to feel the day was not quite ordinary.</p> + +<p>Our thoughts and wishes on this sad Christmas Day turned to our friends +and relations at home who would be mourning us as dead, and may perhaps +be "better imagined than described," and with the bad news from the +various seats of war we all felt fairly blue.</p> + +<p>The German officers had a great feast and a jolly time on the <i>Wolf</i>. +One cow and three pigs had been killed for the Christmas feast, but they +did not go far between eight hundred people. The day before we <a name="Page_111" id="Page_111"></a>had been +served with some of the "in'ards," or, as the American said, the +"machinery" of the poor beasts cut up into small pieces, even the lungs +being used. Some of us turned up our noses at this, but the Captain +assured us that if we ever <i>did</i> get to America or England we should +find that the U boats had reduced our countries to such straits that +even such "machinery" would be welcome food!</p> + +<p>With Christmas Day came to an end for us a quarter of a year's +captivity, and all the prisoners, at least, were glad when the dismal +farce of Christmas under such conditions was over.</p> + +<p>"This is the life," said the German sailor who supplied us with water +twice daily. He was a very hardworked member of the prize crew, doing +all sorts of odd jobs and always willing to help, and was said to be the +black sheep of a high German family, which numbered among its members +officers holding high commands in the German army and navy. If he +thought it "was the life," we didn't!</p> + +<p>The Germans showed us the "Second Christmas Annual of the <i>Wolf</i>." It +was very well got up, with well-drawn and clever illustrations of their +exploits, and caricatures <a name="Page_112" id="Page_112"></a>of some of their officers and prisoners. One +picture illustrated the <i>Wolf</i> running the blockade on her outward +voyage. If the picture represented anything like the truth, she must +have got through by the very skin of her teeth! The covers of both +"Annuals" were very striking and very cleverly done.</p> + +<p>The weather on Boxing Day was only a little more favourable than that on +Christmas Day, but the Germans decided to wait no longer to coal the +<i>Wolf</i>. They had previously conveyed water to our ship from the <i>Wolf</i> +in boats. The same method of transferring coal was discussed, but that +idea was abandoned. At 5 p.m. she tied up alongside us. She bumped into +us with considerable force when she came up, and not many of us on board +the <i>Igotz Mendi</i> will ever forget that night of terror. Both ships were +rolling heavily, and repeatedly bumping into each other, each ship +quivering from end to end, and the funnel of the <i>Igotz Mendi</i> was +visibly shaking at every fresh collision. Sleep was impossible for any +one on our boat; in fact, many feared to turn in at all, as they thought +some of the plates of the boats might be stove in. We wandered about +from cabin to deck, and from deck to cabin, trying in vain to <a name="Page_113" id="Page_113"></a>get to +sleep. The Spanish Chief Engineer came to us on the deck about 4 a.m. +and did his best in his broken English to assure us everything was all +right. "Go sleep tranquil," he said: "I see this ship built—very +strong." But the whole performance was a horrid nightmare.</p> + +<p>The next day was no better, but rather worse. About 6 p.m. there was a +great crash, which alarmed all; it was due to the <i>Wolf</i> crashing into +and completely smashing part of the bridge of our ship. This was enough +for the Germans. They decided to suspend operations, and at 7 p.m. the +<i>Wolf</i> sheered off, only just narrowly escaping cutting off the poop of +the <i>Igotz Mendi</i> in the process. She had coaled six hundred tons in +twenty-five hours, her decks, torpedo tubes, and guns being buried under +great mounds of coal, as all hands were busy in the transference of coal +from her prize to the <i>Wolf</i>. Shifting the coal to her bunkers had to be +done after the ships had separated. If by good luck an Allied cruiser +had appeared at this time, the <i>Wolf</i> would have been an easy prey. The +coaling process had severely damaged the <i>Wolf</i>, many of whose plates +were badly dented. We had lost eighteen large fenders between the ships, +and the <i>Wolf</i> was leaking <a name="Page_114" id="Page_114"></a>to the extent of twelve tons an hour. The +<i>Igotz Mendi</i> had come off better. None of her plates were dented, she +was making no water, and the only visible signs of damage to her were +many twisted and bent stanchions on the port side that met the <i>Wolf</i>.</p> + +<p>We had been allowed to send letters for Christmas—censored, of course, +by the Germans—to our <i>Hitachi</i> friends on the <i>Wolf</i>, and when the two +ships were alongside we were allowed to speak to them, though +conversation under such conditions was very difficult, as one minute our +friends would be several feet above us and the next below us with the +rolling of the ships; and the noise of the coaling, shouting of orders, +and roaring of the water between the ships was deafening. There did not +seem much point in censoring letters, as the prisoners on the <i>Igotz +Mendi</i> and the <i>Wolf</i> were allowed to talk to each other a day or so +after the letters were sent, and although a German sentry was on guard +while these conversations were going on, it was possible for the +prisoners to say what they liked to each other, as the sentry could only +have caught an occasional word or two.</p> + +<p>I have since been asked why the prisoners and Spaniards on the Spanish +ship did not <a name="Page_115" id="Page_115"></a>attack the prize crew and seize the ship when we were not +in company with the <i>Wolf</i>. It sounds quite simple, but it must be +remembered that although the prize crew was certainly a small one, they +were well supplied with arms, bombs, and hand grenades, while the +prisoners and Spaniards had no arms at all, as they had all been taken +away by the Germans. Further, an attack of this kind would have been far +worse than useless unless its absolute success could have been +definitely assured. There were very few young and able men among the +prisoners, while the German prize crew were all picked men, young and +powerful. The working crew of the ship was composed of Spaniards and +other neutrals, including a Greek and a Chilian. It would have been +absolutely necessary to have secured the allegiance and support of every +one of these. The plan of seizing the ship, which sounds so simple, was +discussed among us many a time, but it was in reality quite +impracticable. What would our fate have been if we had tried—and +failed? And what of the women and children on board?<a name="Page_116" id="Page_116"></a></p> + + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> +<h2>CHAPTER VIII</h2> + +<h3>RUMOURS AND PLANS</h3> + + +<p>We had been encouraged by the Germans to think—they had in fact +definitely told us—that the <i>Igotz Mendi</i> with us on board was to be +sent to Spain when the Germans released her. This news greatly rejoiced +the Spaniards, who had naturally become very depressed, more especially +as they knew that if no news were received of them for six weeks after +the date on which they were due at Colombo a requiem mass would, +according to Spanish custom, be said for them at their churches at home.</p> + +<p>On December 29th, all of which and the previous day, together with many +succeeding days, were spent in transferring our cargo coal to our +bunkers, the Germans on our ship and on the <i>Wolf</i> ostentatiously bade +each other good-bye, and letters from prisoners on the <i>Wolf</i> were +brought to us to post in Spain when we landed. The idea of the <i>Wolf</i> +remaining out till the war was over <a name="Page_117" id="Page_117"></a>in six months was abandoned, and we +were told the <i>Wolf</i> would now go home to Germany. Why we were told +this—the first time we had been informed of the <i>Wolf's</i> plans—we +never knew, except that it might have been an excuse to keep dragging us +over the seas, for the <i>Wolf</i> would never have allowed us to get ashore +before she reached Germany. Now that we know that the Germans always +intended taking us to Germany, it is obvious that it was quite +immaterial to them if they told us their plans. They wished to keep us, +and having told us of their future plans, it is plain they could not +afford to release us.</p> + +<p>But at that time we really began to think we were going to be landed in +Spain, and the news raised the spirits of all of us. I remember +Lieutenant Rose telling the American Captain one day during a meal that +he could now keep his eyes directed to a Spanish port! Those who had +been learning Spanish before now did so with redoubled energy, and some +of us even marked out on a pocket atlas our railway route from Bilbao or +Cadiz—for the Spanish Captain thought it most likely we should be +landed at one of those ports—through Spain and France. We even got +information from the Spaniards as to hotels, and railways, and sights to +see in Spain.<a name="Page_118" id="Page_118"></a> It seemed as if the end of our cruise, with our freedom, +were really in sight, especially as the Captain had told some of us on +December 16th that in six weeks our captivity would be over. Some of us, +however, still inclined to the belief that the Germans would release the +ship and order her back to Java or Colombo or Calcutta; while others +believed we should ultimately be landed in Dutch Guiana or Mexico, two +of the few neutral countries left.</p> + +<p>On the last day of the year a rumour went round the ship that we should +be taken far north—about 60° N.—to a point from which the <i>Wolf</i> could +get to Germany before we could reach Spain. That, in the opinion of most +of us, put an end to the prospect of landing in Spain. The Germans would +run no risks of our giving information about the <i>Wolf</i>. But this scheme +would have left uneliminated one very important risk. After the ships +would have separated, there was still a chance of the prize being +intercepted by an Allied cruiser before the <i>Wolf</i> got home, and if that +had happened the <i>Wolf's</i> goose would have been cooked indeed. So that +Spain looked very improbable. I approached the Captain on the last day +of the year and spoke to him on the point. He <a name="Page_119" id="Page_119"></a>confirmed the rumour, and +said we should be sent back and landed at a Spanish island, most +probably Las Palmas. I made a vigorous, though I knew it would be quite +a useless, protest against this scheme. I pointed out that the ship, +which by then would be almost empty, was not a suitable one in which to +carry women and children into the North Atlantic in mid-winter gales, +and that people who had spent many years in the tropics would not be +able to stand such weather, unprovided as they were with winter clothing +(although the Commander of the <i>Wolf</i> had certainly sent over some rolls +of flannelette—stolen from the <i>Hitachi</i>—for the ladies to make +themselves warm garments!). Also that in case of distress we could call +for no help, as our wireless would only receive and not send messages. +The Captain brushed these complaints aside, saying the ship was in good +trim and could stand any weather, that it would only be intensely cold +on a very few days, that arrangements would be made that we should +suffer as little from the cold as possible, and that there was very +little likelihood of our being in distress.</p> + +<p>I then pointed out to him that our own Government prohibited our women +from travelling through the submarine zone at all, <a name="Page_120" id="Page_120"></a>but that he proposed +to send them through it twice and to give us a double dose of the North +Atlantic at the very worst time of the year. He replied that going north +we should go nowhere near the submarine zone, that he was just as +anxious to avoid submarines as we were, and that when we parted far up +in the North Atlantic, the <i>Igotz Mendi</i> would be given a "submarine +pass," guaranteeing her safety from attack by the U boats, and special +lights to burn at nights. I replied that I failed to see the use of a +"submarine pass," as U boats torpedoed at sight, and would not trouble +to ask for a pass. He replied by asking me if I had ever heard of a +neutral boat being torpedoed without warning. I answered that I had +heard of such being done many times, and reminded him that the <i>Igotz +Mendi</i> was painted the Allied grey colour and therefore would not be +recognized as a neutral, but regarded by the U boats as an enemy ship. +The Captain became very angry—the only time he ever lost his temper +with me—and ended the interview by saying that he was carrying out the +orders of the <i>Wolf's</i> Commander, and had no choice but to obey. This +was undoubtedly true, and though Lieutenant Rose told us many lies +concerning our destination, we always felt <a name="Page_121" id="Page_121"></a>he was acting in accordance +with instructions from his senior officer in so doing. We all recognized +that we were lucky in that he, and not the Commander of the <i>Wolf</i> or +any other officer of the Imperial Navy, was in charge of us. He +admitted, however, that it was particularly hard luck on my wife and +myself being captured like this, just as we had retired from a long +period of work and residence in the Far East. This news of the <i>Wolf's</i> +intentions angered us all, and we all felt that there was very little +chance of ever seeing land again, unless an Allied cruiser came to our +aid. We regarded this plan of the Germans as a deliberate one to sink us +and the ship when they had got all they wanted out of her, and I told +the Captain that my wife and I would prefer to be shot that day rather +than face such a prospect of absolute misery, with every chance of death +alone putting an end to it.</p> + +<p>New Year's Day! With the dawn of 1918 we looked back on the last few +months of its predecessor and what they had meant and brought to us all. +What would the New Year bring forth? Liberty, or continued captivity; +life, or death at sea? On New Year's morning we wished each other good +luck and a Happy New Year, but with the <a name="Page_122" id="Page_122"></a>news of our captors' intentions +given us on the preceding day our prospects were the reverse of rosy.</p> + +<p>The two ships had parted on the evening of the 30th, both going north, +and we did not see the <i>Wolf</i> again till the morning of January 4th. She +was then seen to be overhauling a ship on the horizon. We followed at a +short distance, and before long saw a ship in full sail. The <i>Wolf</i> +approached her, spoke <ins title="Transcriber's Note: original does not have the word 'to'">to</ins> her, and, to our intense astonishment, +released her. It seemed too good to be true that the <i>Wolf</i> would leave +any ship she met quite unmolested, but so it was—for a short time. It +was between ten and eleven when the <i>Wolf</i> and her prize proceeded on +their original course and the sailing ship crossed our course astern. +About 1.30 p.m., however, we changed our course and turned about. We +were all mystified as to what was going to happen, until we saw a sail +on the horizon. The <i>Wolf's</i> purpose was evident then. She was going +back to destroy the ship whose existence she had forgiven in the +morning. Imagine the feelings of the crew of her prey; seeing the <i>Wolf</i> +bearing down on her in the morning, their suspense as to their fate and +that of their ship, their joy at their release, and—here was the <i>Wolf</i> +again! What would their <a name="Page_123" id="Page_123"></a>fate be now? The <i>Wolf</i> did not leave them long +in doubt. She came up to her prize about 5 p.m. She was a four-masted +barque in full sail, in ballast from the Cape to South America, and made +a beautiful picture as she lay bathed in floods of golden light from the +setting sun. Before dark, however, preparations had begun to remove her +officers and crew and provisions, and this was completed in a few hours. +We were invited by the Germans to stay up and see the end. They told us +a searchlight would be thrown on the ship, that we might better see her +go down. Stage effects, with a vengeance! But they were not carried +out—it was a too dangerous proceeding, as the enemy regretfully +realized. We waited up till past eleven and saw lights flitting about +the doomed ship, as the Germans sailors were removing some things, +making fast others, and placing the bombs to blow her up. But none +waited up for the end, which we heard took place after midnight. The +ship first canted over, her sails resting on the water, righted herself +and then slowly disappeared. It was a beautiful moonlight night for the +commission of so dark a deed. The Germans afterwards told us that when +the <i>Wolf</i> first spoke the barque she gave her name <i>Storobrore</i> and +<a name="Page_124" id="Page_124"></a>said she was a Norwegian ship, and so was released. The Germans had +afterwards discovered from the <i>Wolf's</i> shipping register that she was +the <i>Alec Fawn</i> and British owned before the war, and therefore to be +destroyed.</p> + +<p>The Germans told us that on the barque they had seen some English +newspapers, and in them was some news of the two men who had escaped +from the <i>Wolf</i> near Sunday Island. One of them had died while swimming +ashore; the other, after some weeks alone on the island, had been picked +up by a Japanese cruiser. The news this man was able to give was the +first that the outside world had known about the <i>Wolf</i> for many months, +and the Germans realized that their enemies would be looking out for +them and trying to prevent their return to Germany. This man would also +be able to give an exact description of the <i>Wolf</i>, the names of the +ships she had captured before his escape, and the probable fate of other +vessels since missing. This, we felt, would bring at least a little +comfort to our relatives, who might conclude we were on the raider and +not hopelessly lost, as they must have feared.</p> + +<p>We had hoped our captors might have put us all on the sailing ship and +sent us off on her to South America, as the <i>Wolf</i> would <a name="Page_125" id="Page_125"></a>have been well +away and out of danger before we could have got ashore. But they did not +entertain any such idea. Some of us requested that the lifeboats of the +sailing ship might be sent over to our ship, as we had only two +lifeboats, a couple of small dinghies, and an improvised raft made of +barrels and planks lashed together and surrounded by iron uprights and +ropes—not sufficient for sixty-five people; but the Germans would not +send us these lifeboats, as they said they were leaky!</p> + +<p>The question of baggage had to be again reconsidered. It was evident we +should be able to save very little, perhaps not even a handbag, if the +ship were sunk by the Germans and the prisoners put into the lifeboats. +However, we ourselves packed in a handbag our most precious treasures we +had brought from Siam. But in case it was impossible to save even so +little, we collected the most valuable of our letters and papers and had +them sewn up in sailcloth by a German sailor to put in our pockets. The +King of Siam had conferred a decoration on me before I left; this was +carefully packed and sewn up. I was determined to save this, if nothing +else, though it seemed hopeless to expect to save some much-treasured +parting presents <a name="Page_126" id="Page_126"></a>and addresses presented to me by my Siamese friends. +Earlier in my service the King of Siam had conferred another decoration +on me, and I was carrying with me His Majesty's Royal Licence for this, +signed by him, and also King George V.'s Royal Licence with his +Sign-Manual, giving me permission to accept and wear the decoration. +Both of these documents, together with others highly valued which I was +also determined to save, were secured in water-tight cases, ready to be +put in my pockets at the last moment.</p> + +<p>On January 8th, when the two ships stopped, the Captain went on to the +<i>Wolf</i> and brought back with him charts of the North Atlantic and North +Sea. We wondered if this would be his farewell visit to and our farewell +acquaintance with the <i>Wolf</i>, but we remained in company of the <i>Wolf</i> +for the next few days, and at 7 p.m. on the 10th she again came +alongside in the open sea and coaled from us till 4 p.m. on the next +day. Conditions were slightly better than on the previous occasion, and +the Commander of the <i>Wolf</i> was evidently of opinion that they would +never again be more favourable, but they were still quite sufficiently +unpleasant. More fenders were lost and the <i>Wolf</i> was further damaged, +and this time our ship <a name="Page_127" id="Page_127"></a>also sustained some damage. Some of her plates +had been badly dented and she was leaking about a ton and a half an +hour. The great uproar caused by the winches going all night, the +periodic emptying of ashes dragged in iron buckets over the iron decks, +the shifting of coal from the bunkers immediately underneath our cabins, +and the constant bumping of the ships made sleep quite out of the +question once more, and we were very glad indeed when the <i>Wolf</i> sheered +off. On this occasion the way in which she came alongside and sheered +off was a beautiful piece of seamanship. Not many landsmen, I imagine, +have seen this done in absolutely mid-ocean, and not many have been on a +ship so lashed alongside another. It was a wonderful experience—would +that some friendly hydroplane had seen us from aloft! The two ships +lashed together would certainly have presented a strange scene, and +could have meant only one thing—a raider and her prize.</p> + +<p>On the 11th we again saw and spoke to our <i>Hitachi</i> friends on the +<i>Wolf</i>—the last opportunity we had of speaking to them. They all looked +well, but thin. They told us they had been informed that we were going +to Spain, and that the <i>Wolf</i> with them <a name="Page_128" id="Page_128"></a>on board was <i>not</i> going to +Germany. Some of them believed this, and were comparatively joyful in +consequence. But it was only another case of German lies. On the next +day we crossed the Equator, and then for some days we saw the <i>Wolf</i> no +more.</p> + +<p>About this time I experienced a little trouble with one of the German +sailors. Most of them were courteous and kindly disposed, but one, a +boorish, loutish bully, who served us with drinks at table, was a +painful exception to this. His name was Fuchs: we sometimes called him +Luchs, by mistake, of course! But Fuchs did not think so—he strongly +objected to the other name! He had only one eye, and a black shade where +the other one should have been. To train his moustache to resemble that +of the All-Highest, he wore some apparatus plastered over it, reaching +nearly to his eyes and secured behind his ears, so that his appearance +was the reverse of prepossessing! I complained to him once about not +serving me properly. He waited outside the saloon and cursed me +afterwards. "I a German soldier," he said, "not your steward!" I told +him that if he had any reason to complain of what I had said or done he +should report me to his Captain, and that if he had not done so <a name="Page_129" id="Page_129"></a>by six +that evening I should report him for insolence. Needless to say, he said +nothing to the Captain, so I reported him. The Captain at once thanked +me for doing so, called him up at once, and gave him a good wigging. I +had no more trouble with him afterwards.</p> + +<p>On January 14th I approached the Captain and asked him if the Germans on +the <i>Wolf</i>, when they got to Germany, would have any means of finding +out whether we on the <i>Igotz Mendi</i> had safely arrived in Spain. He +replied that they would. I then asked him whether, if we were all lost +on the <i>Igotz Mendi</i> on her return voyage to Spain, the German +Government would inform the British Government of our fate. He replied +that would certainly be done. I further asked him whether we might send +letters to the <i>Wolf</i> to have them posted in Germany in the event of our +not arriving in Spain. Most of us had to settle up our affairs in some +way, in case we might be lost at sea, and wished to write farewell +letters to our home people. Some of us, it will be remembered, had +already taken some steps in this direction before we were sent on to the +<i>Wolf</i>, as we thought it possible the <i>Wolf</i> might become engaged with a +hostile cruiser. We ourselves had to write <a name="Page_130" id="Page_130"></a>a farewell letter, among +others, to our daughter, born in Siam, from whom we had been separated +except for short periods of furlough spent in England, for twelve years. +It seemed very hard that after this long separation, and just when we +were looking forward to a joyful and fairly speedy reunion, we should +perhaps never see her again.</p> + +<p>The Captain said we might write these letters, which would not be posted +if the <i>Igotz Mendi</i> with us on board got back safely to Spain. "But," +he added, "we have changed our plans, and now intend that you should be +landed in Norway. It will be safer for you all, and you will not have to +risk meeting our submarines in the Atlantic again. When we arrive in +Norwegian waters the German prize crew will be taken off the ship after +the <i>Wolf</i> has got home, the ship will be handed over to the Spaniards, +and you will all be landed in Norway, from where you can easily make +your way to England." Here was quite a new plan—how much truth there +was in this declaration will be seen hereafter. From now onwards +definite promises began to be made to us concerning the end of our +captivity: "In a month you will be free," "The next full moon will be +the last you will see at sea," etc., etc.<a name="Page_131" id="Page_131"></a></p> + +<p>We were now proceeding north every day, keeping in mid-Atlantic—always +well off the trade routes, though of course we crossed some on our way +north. The <i>Wolf</i>, naturally, was not looking for trouble, and had no +intention of putting up a fight if she could avoid it. She was not +looking for British warships; what we were anxious to know was whether +the British warships were looking for her! On the 19th the Captain again +thought he saw distant smoke on the horizon, and we careered about to +avoid it as before. But on this occasion we were running away from a +cloud! The next day we left the tropics, and with favourable weather +were making an average of about 180 knots daily. On several days about +this time, we passed through large masses of seaweed drifting from the +Sargasso Sea. We did not meet the <i>Wolf</i> on the 22nd as our Captain +evidently expected to do, and we waited about for her several hours. But +next day we did meet her, and we were then told that in eighteen days we +should be ashore. We wondered where! We were then about 30° N., and we +parted from the <i>Wolf</i> the same afternoon. It was always a great relief +to us all when we parted from her, keeping our ship's company of +prisoners intact. For <a name="Page_132" id="Page_132"></a>the men amongst us feared we might all be put +upon the <i>Wolf</i> to be taken to Germany, leaving our wives on the <i>Igotz +Mendi</i>. This, so we had been told, had been the intention of the +<i>Wolf's</i> Commander when the prisoners were first put on the Spanish +boat. He had ordered that only women, and prisoners above sixty and +under sixteen should be put on the <i>Igotz Mendi</i>, but the German doctor, +a humane and kindly man, would have nothing to do with this plan and +declared he would not be responsible for the health of the women if this +were done. So that we owe it to him that wives were not separated from +their husbands during this anxious time, as the Commander of the <i>Wolf</i> +had inhumanly suggested.<a name="Page_133" id="Page_133"></a></p> + + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> +<h2>CHAPTER IX</h2> + +<h3>EN ROUTE FOR RUHLEBEN—VIA ICELAND</h3> + + +<p>A last effort was made to persuade the Captain to ask the <i>Wolf's</i> +Commander to release the Spanish ship here, take all the prize crew off, +and send us back to Cape Town (which would have suited the plans of +every one of us), for a suspicion began to grow in our minds that +Germany, and nowhere else, was the destination intended for us. But our +Captain would not listen to this suggestion, and said he was sure the +Spanish Captain would not go back to Cape Town even if he promised to do +so.</p> + +<p>On the next day, January 24th, relief seemed nearer than it had done +since our capture four months before. I was sitting on the starboard +deck, when suddenly, about 3.30 p.m., I saw coming up out of the mist, +close to our starboard bow, what looked like a cruiser with four +funnels. The Spanish officer on the bridge had apparently not seen <a name="Page_134" id="Page_134"></a>it, +or did not want to! Neither, apparently, had the German sailor, if, +indeed, he was even on the bridge at that moment. I rushed to inform the +American sailing ship Captain of my discovery, and he confirmed my +opinion that it was a four-funnelled warship. The Germans were by this +time fully alarmed, and the ship slowed down a little; the Captain, +evidently also thinking that the vessel was a cruiser, went to his cabin +to dispose of the ship's papers, the crew got into their best uniform to +surrender, and it looked as if help were at hand at last. We got our +precious packages together, put them in our pockets, and got everything +ready to leave the ship. We were all out on deck, delighted beyond words +(our elation can be imagined), and saw the ship—it must be remembered +that it was a very misty day—resolve itself into two two-funnelled +ships, apparently transports, one seemingly in distress and very much +camouflaged, and the other standing by. Soon, however, they proceeded on +their course and crossed our bows fairly close. We were then all ordered +to our cabins, and we saw the two ships steam off to the westward, +without having spoken us or given any evidence of having seen us at +all.<a name="Page_135" id="Page_135"></a></p> + +<p>It was a most bitter disappointment to us, comparable to that of +shipwrecked sailors on a desert island watching a ship expected to +deliver them pass out of sight. Our hopes, raised to such a high pitch, +were indeed dashed—we felt very low after this. Would help never come? +Better we had not seen the ships than to be deceived and disappointed in +this way. But it was a great relief to the Germans. We never discovered +what ships they were, but the American said he believed them to be +American transports and that each mounted a gun. If only we had seen +them the day before, when we were in company with the <i>Wolf</i>, they might +have been suspicious, and probably have been of some help to us. The +Captain was very worried by their appearance, and did not feel that all +danger was passed even when the ships disappeared. He feared they might +communicate with some armed vessel met with, and give them a description +and the position of his ship. Also, had these two ships seen the <i>Wolf</i>, +from which we had parted only twenty-four hours before?</p> + +<p>In the middle of the excitement the Spanish chief mate had rushed on to +the bridge into the wireless room, and while the wireless operator was +out of the room, or his attention <a name="Page_136" id="Page_136"></a>had been diverted, he took from their +place all the six or eight bombs on board and threw them overboard. They +fell into the sea with a great splash just near where I was standing, +but I did not then know it was the bombs which were being got rid of. It +was a plucky act, for had he been discovered by the armed sentry while +doing it he would have undoubtedly been shot on the spot. On the next +day, on the morning of which we saw two sailing ships far distant, an +inquiry was held as to the disappearance of the bombs, which would, of +course, have been used to sink the ship, and the chief mate owned up. He +said that he did it for the sake of the women and children on board; as +the sea was rough, their lives would have been in danger if they had +been put in the lifeboats when the ship was bombed. He was confined to +his cabin for the rest of the voyage, but we managed to see and talk to +him from time to time, and thanked him for his bravery. Later he was +sentenced by the Commander of the <i>Wolf</i> to three years' imprisonment in +Germany and a fine of 2,000 marks. From this time all the Spanish +officers were relieved of their duties.</p> + +<p>The Germans had told us that, in the event of the prize being captured +while the weather <a name="Page_137" id="Page_137"></a>was rough, the ship would not be bombed or sunk, as +they had no desire to endanger the lives of the women or children +amongst us. In fact, so they said, the ship would not be bombed under +any conditions when once the <i>Wolf</i> had got all the coal she wanted. It +was indeed difficult to see what purpose would be served by the Germans +sinking the Spanish ship, if she were overhauled by an Allied cruiser. +The Allies could not keep her, as she would have to be restored to +Spain; the Germans said they would not keep her, but return her to her +owners. To have deliberately sunk her would only have meant a gratuitous +offence to Spain. Nevertheless, the next time we met the <i>Wolf</i> a new +supply of bombs and hand grenades was put on board our ship. At the same +time an extra Lieutenant came on board, additional neutrals were sent +over to help work the ship, and the prize crew was increased from nine +to nineteen. All the prize crew now wore caps with the words "S.M.S. +<i>Otter</i>" inscribed thereon. Somewhere about this time the American +Captain and the second mate of one of the captured ships had returned to +them their instruments which had been taken from them at the time of +their capture.</p> + +<p>The Kaiser's birthday, which fell on a<a name="Page_138" id="Page_138"></a> Sunday, was honoured by the +sacrifice of the last calf, and was marked by a most terrific storm. The +wind was raging for hours at a hurricane force between eleven and +twelve, the seas were between thirty and forty feet high, and it seemed +impossible that the ship could live in such a sea. It seemed that she +must inevitably founder. But notwithstanding terrible rolling, she +shipped very little water, but all of the prisoners were alarmed at the +rough weather and the rolling of the ship. The wireless aerials were +brought down by the storm, and any seas that did come on board smashed +whatever deck hamper had been left about.</p> + +<p>From this day onwards we lived in a condition of great misery, and death +stared us in the face many times. The prospect was a gloomy one: just +when my wife and I had reached the time to which we had been looking +forward for many years it seemed daily increasingly unlikely that our +lives could escape a violent and brutal ending. Such thoughts inevitably +occurred to our minds during these dark and anxious days. But there was +still to come even worse than we had yet experienced. It got colder and +colder every day for a considerable time; the food got worse and worse, +and we were on short <a name="Page_139" id="Page_139"></a>rations; the ship became more and more dirty, +smokes ran short—only some ancient dusty shag brought from Germany by +the <i>Wolf</i> and some virulent native tobacco from New Guinea +remained—and conditions generally became almost beyond endurance. +Darkness fell very early in these far northern latitudes, and the long +nights were very dreary and miserable. What wretched nights we spent in +that crowded saloon—crushed round the table attempting to read or play +cards! It was too dismal and uncomfortable for words, but we had either +to endure that or our cold, wet cabins. Sundays seemed to be the days on +which the worst storms occurred, though on very few of the days from +this time onwards did we have anything but very dirty weather. The +Australian stewardess became very ill with asthma, and with no adequate +medicine supply on board, no suitable food, and no warm or dry cabin for +her, it is indeed a miracle that she lived through these last few weeks. +She owes her life to the devotion of the Australian Major of the A.M.C. +on board and the lady prisoners who assisted in nursing her.</p> + +<p>On February 5th we again met the <i>Wolf</i>—we had sighted her on the +evening of the 4th, but it was too rough then <a name="Page_140" id="Page_140"></a>to communicate, and, it +was said, the <i>Wolf</i> did not recognize our rocket signals. With the +<i>Wolf's</i> usual luck, the weather moderated next day, and the ships +stopped. Just as the Germans on land always seemed to get the weather +they wanted, so they were equally favoured at sea. This was noticed over +and over again, and the <i>Hitachi</i> passengers had very good reason to be +sick about this. The two days previous to her capture the sea had been +so rough that the "bird" could not go up, but on the actual day of the +capture the sea had very much calmed down, enabling the seaplane to go +up and spot the <i>Hitachi's</i> position.</p> + +<p>Those who had written letters to be sent on the <i>Wolf</i> sent them over on +this day, and the Spanish chief mate expected to be sent on the <i>Wolf</i>, +as we might not meet her again. Luckily for him, however, for some +reason or other he was not transferred that day, and neither he nor we +ever saw the <i>Wolf</i> again after the morning of February 6th. Doubtless +the <i>Wolf</i> expected to meet us again before the final separation +occurred, when the transference of the officer would have been effected.</p> + +<p>We heard from the <i>Wolf</i> that she was getting very short of food, and +that there was much sickness, including many cases of scurvy, on <a name="Page_141" id="Page_141"></a>board. +The pigeons must have gone the way of all flesh by this time, and +perhaps the dachshunds had too—in the form of German sausages! Some of +the prisoners, we knew, had very little clothing, and positively none +for cold weather, and our hearts were sore at the thought of so many of +our fellow-countrymen, many of whom we had known, in good and ill +fortune, being taken into captivity in Germany.</p> + +<p>The next day we entered the Arctic Circle. The cold was intense, the +cabins were icy, the temperature falling as low as 14° F. in some of +them. There was no heating apparatus on the ship, with the exception of +a couple of small heating pipes in the saloon. These were usually +covered with the officers' thick clothes, and some of the passengers' +garments drying. The cabin curtains froze to the ports; all the cabin +roofs leaked, and it was impossible to keep the floors and bedding dry; +and in our cabin, in addition, we had water constantly flowing and +swishing backwards and forwards between the iron deck of the ship and +the wooden floor of the cabin. This oozed up through the floor and +accumulated under the settee, and on many nights we emptied five or six +buckets full of icy water from under the settee, which had also to be +<a name="Page_142" id="Page_142"></a>used as a bed. At last I persuaded the Captain to allow one of the +sailors to drill a hole in the side of the cabin so that the water could +have an outlet on to the deck. I had asked that this might be done +directly the water appeared in our cabin, but was told it was <i>against +the regulations of the Board of Trade</i>! Quoting the Board of Trade under +such conditions—was this a sample of German humour? We managed to +secure a piece of matting for our cabin floor—it was soaked through +every day, but we had it dried daily in the engine-room. Since the great +storm on the Kaiser's birthday our feet had never been dry or warm, and +were in this condition till some hours after we got ashore.</p> + +<p>The ports of the cabins had all long ago been painted black in order +that no light might show through, and the darkness at night, especially +in these stormy seas, was always very sinister and ugly, not to say +dangerous—not a spark of light showing on deck. We had to sit in these +cold and dark cabins during the day. The weather prevented us from being +on deck, which was often covered with frost and snow, and often there +was nowhere else to sit. The electric light was on for only a limited +time each day, so, as the ports could not be opened, it being <a name="Page_143" id="Page_143"></a>far too +cold, we asked and obtained permission to scratch a little of the paint +off the ports in our cabin. This made things a little more bearable, but +it can easily be imagined how people who had been living in tropical +climates for many years fared under such conditions. As for our own +case, my wife had spent only two winters out of Siam during the last +twenty years, while I had spent none during the last twenty-one, and it +is no exaggeration to say that we suffered agonies with the cold. It was +nothing short of cruel to expose women and children to this after they +had been dragged in captivity over the seas for many months. The Captain +had ordered a part of the bunkers to be cleared, so that the prisoners +might sit there in the cold weather. But the place was so dirty and +uncomfortable, and difficult of access, in addition to it being in +darkness, and quite unprovided with seats, that most of the prisoners +preferred the crowded little saloon. Luchs was provided with a swanky +kennel for the cold weather. The Spanish carpenter contrived it, and it +looked like a small model of a Norwegian church—painted the Allied +grey! Even the Captain's dog was more comfortable than we were!</p> + +<p>On the morning of February 7th we for <a name="Page_144" id="Page_144"></a>the first time encountered +icefloes, when attempting the northern passage between Greenland and +Iceland. About 11 a.m. we stopped and hooted for the <i>Wolf</i>, as a fog +had come on—the first time we had heard a steamer's siren since the day +of our capture. We waited for some hours in the ice, but no answering +signal came, so the Captain decided to turn back, as he thought it +impossible to force his way through the ice. We therefore went back +again on our course, the Captain hoping that the wind would change and +cease blowing the icefloes from off the shores of Greenland.</p> + +<p>That morning is unforgettable. The cold fog, the great bergs of ice +floating by the ship and sometimes crashing into her, the dreary sea, +the cold, filthy, miserable ship, our hopeless condition, all helped to +lower our spirits, and we felt we had plumbed the very depths of misery.</p> + +<p>After a day or two slow steaming on this course and occasional stopping +altogether—what dreary, miserable, hopeless days!—we resumed our +attempt to go to the north of Iceland, evidently to escape the attention +of the British ships which the Germans expected to encounter between the +south of Iceland and the Faroes. But before long it <a name="Page_145" id="Page_145"></a>became evident that +ice was still about, and in the darkness of the early morning of +February 11th we bumped heavily against icebergs several times. This +threw some of us out of our bunks; once again there was no more sleep +during the night. This time the Captain abandoned his attempt to go +through the northern passage, and turned the ship round to try his luck +in the passage he did not expect to be so free from British attentions.</p> + +<p>We thought perhaps that as we were on short rations and even drinking +water was running short, and the case of us all really desperate, the +Captain would land us and give up the ship at Reykjavik, leaving us +there to be rescued. Even a stay in Iceland would be better than one in +Germany, for which country we now all suspected we were bound. The +uncertainty concerning our ultimate destination added to our miseries, +and these were not lessened when on February 11th the Captain told us, +<i>for the first time</i> that it was, and always had been, the intention to +take us on the <i>Igotz Mendi</i> to Germany, there to be interned in +civilian prisoners' camps. He told us, too, that the women and those of +the men over military age would be released at once, but we all declined +to <a name="Page_146" id="Page_146"></a>believe anything else our captors told us, as they had deliberately +and repeatedly deceived us by assuring us at various times they were +going to land us in Spain, or Norway, or some other neutral country. The +string of German lies must surely by now be ended. But no! There were +still more to come, as will be seen later on.</p> + +<p>At daylight on the 11th we were still among icefloes, but going away +from instead of meeting them, and on that morning we saw in the distance +the coast of Iceland, which the Germans tried to persuade us was the +sails of fishing boats, as they did not wish us to think we were so near +the Icelandic coast, the first land that we had seen since the Maldive +Islands, a week after our capture, i.e. more than four months before. We +also saw a few fishing boats off the coast.</p> + +<p>We now shaped a course for the coast of Norway, keeping to the north of +the Faroes. On Sunday, the 17th, we again ran into a very heavy storm. +Ever since the storm on January 27th the propeller had been constantly +racing and sending shudders through the ship from stem to stern. On this +day this feature, which was always disconcerting and to a certain extent +alarming, became more marked, and the thud with which the <a name="Page_147" id="Page_147"></a>ship met the +seas more and more loud, so loud indeed that on one occasion the Captain +thought we had struck a mine, and rushed from the saloon to the bridge +to ascertain what damage had been done. Luckily for us, the engines were +British made. No inferior workmanship could possibly have stood the +terrific strain put on these engines during these weeks of terrible +storms. The Captain and crew had by this time become very anxious as to +the fate of the <i>Wolf</i>, as no news had been received concerning her. Day +after day the Captain told us he expected news, but they went by without +any being received. But on the evening of the 19th the Captain informed +us that he had received a wireless message announcing the safe arrival +of the <i>Wolf</i> at a German port. The Germans seemed singularly little +elated at the news, and hardly ever mentioned the subject again after +that evening. This was so different from what we had expected that most +of the prisoners did not believe the <i>Wolf</i> had got home. We hoped that +she had been intercepted and captured by a British cruiser, and that +with any luck a similar fate might be in store for us.</p> + +<p>The <i>Wolf</i> had certainly made a wonderful cruise, and the Germans were +naturally very proud of it—almost the only exploit of <a name="Page_148" id="Page_148"></a>their navy of +which they reasonably could be proud. They had successfully evaded the +enemy for fifteen months, and had kept their ship in good repair, for +they had first-class mechanics and engineers on board. But she must have +been very weather-worn and partly crippled before she arrived at a home +port. She had touched at no port or no shore from the day she left +Germany till the day she returned to the Fatherland. She was, too, the +only German raider which had extended her operations beyond the +Atlantic. The <i>Wolf</i> had cruised and raided in the Indian and Pacific +Oceans as well. She had sunk seven steamers and seven sailing ships, and +claimed many more ships sunk as a result of her mine-laying. Besides the +prizes already named, she had captured and sunk the <i>Turritella</i>, +<i>Wordsworth</i>, <i>Jumna</i>, <i>Dee</i>, <i>Winslow</i>, and <i>Encore</i>, the last three of +which were sailing vessels. Her first prize, the <i>Turritella</i>, taken in +February 1917 in the Indian Ocean, was originally a German ship, a +sister of the <i>Wolf</i>, captured by the British. On her recapture by the +Germans, she was equipped as a raider and mine-layer, and sent off on an +expedition by herself. But soon afterwards near Aden she encountered a +British warship, when the prize crew scuttled her and surrendered.<a name="Page_149" id="Page_149"></a></p> + + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> +<h2>CHAPTER X</h2> + +<h3>SAVED BY SHIPWRECK</h3> + + +<p>The Germans were now getting very anxious as they approached the +blockade zone. They affected, however, to believe that there was no +blockade, and that there was no need of one now that America was in the +war. "No one will trade with us," they said; "accordingly there is no +need of a blockade." But, as some of the passengers remarked to the +Captain, "If there is no blockade, as the Germans say, why haven't you +more raiders out, instead of only one, and why have so few been able to +come out?" There was, of course, no answer to this! The Captain further +remarked that even if there were a blockade it would always be possible +to get through it at the week-end, as all the British blockading fleet +returned to port for that time! The <i>Wolf</i>, he said, came out and got +home through the blockade at the week-end. It was quite simple; we were +to do the same, and we should be escorted by <a name="Page_150" id="Page_150"></a>submarines, as the <i>Wolf</i> +had been on both occasions.</p> + +<p>Nevertheless, the Germans were at great pains to keep as far as possible +from any place in which British ships might appear. But unfortunately +not one did appear, here or anywhere else, to rescue us, although we +felt certain in our own minds that some of our ships would be present +and save us in these parts of the seas, which we believed were regularly +patrolled. What meetings, discussions, and consultations we had in our +wretched tiny cabin during these dreadful days and nights! We had +cheered ourselves up for a long time past that the <i>Wolf</i> would never +get through the British blockade, and that some friendly vessel would +surely be the means of our salvation. The Spanish officers who had had +experience of the blockade also assured us that no vessel could possibly +get through unchallenged; and we, in our turn, had assured the American +captives among us of the same thing. There was no fog to help the enemy, +the condition of the moon was favourable to us, and we had pointed out +to each other on maps various places where there <i>must</i> be British ships +on the watch. It was a bitter disappointment to us that <a name="Page_151" id="Page_151"></a>we saw none. +It was heartbreaking. We had built so much on our hopes; it was galling +beyond words for the enemy to be in the right and ourselves mistaken. +But, after all, we reflected, what is one ship in this vast expanse of +stormy seas? In vain we tried to derive some comfort from this. But, +alas! <i>we</i> were on that one ship, which fact made all the difference! We +had been "hanging our hats" on the British Navy for so long—surely we +were not mistaken! Surely, to change the metaphor, we were not going to +be let down after all! The British Navy, we knew, never let anybody +down; but in our condition of protracted physical and nervous +depression, it was not to be wondered at that thoughts of hopelessness +were often present in our minds.</p> + +<div class="figcenter"><a name="ashore" id="ashore"></a><a href="./images/ashore.jpg"><img src="./images/ashore-tb.jpg" alt="THE IGOTZ MENDI ASHORE AT SKAGEN." title="THE IGOTZ MENDI ASHORE AT SKAGEN." /></a></div> + +<div class='center'>THE <i>IGOTZ MENDI</i> ASHORE AT SKAGEN.<br /> +Taken on the morning of our rescue.</div> + +<p>On the 20th we were off Bergen, and saw the coast in the distance. I +suggested to the Captain that it would save much trouble if he would +land us there. He replied that he would very much like to, but was +afraid it was quite impossible! I further asked him whether, if we were +ultimately rescued, he would give us a pass conferring further immunity +from capture at sea by the enemy, as we felt we had had more than our +share of captivity at sea. He said he <a name="Page_152" id="Page_152"></a>was afraid that would be against +regulations! The next day we were nearer the coast and saw a couple of +suspicious steam trawlers which gave the Germans a few anxious moments, +and on that night we encountered the greatest storm we experienced on +the cruise. The wind was terrific, huge seas broke over the ship, the +alley-way outside the cabins was awash all the night, and the water even +invaded the saloon to a small extent. Articles and receptacles for water +that had not been made absolutely fast in the cabins were tossed about; +many cabins were drenched and running with water. The noise of the wind +howling and the seas breaking on the deck was so alarming to those in +the outside cabins that they left the cabins, waded up the alley-way, +and assembled in the saloon, though sleep that night was utterly +impossible there or anywhere else on the ship. The German officers when +coming off watch came to the saloon and assured us that things were all +right and that there was no danger, but the Spanish Captain was very +concerned as to the treatment his ship was receiving both at the hands +of the elements and those of the Germans, who frankly said they cared +nothing about the condition of the ship provided they got her into +Germany. The <a name="Page_153" id="Page_153"></a>ship, though steaming full speed, made no progress that +night, but went back, and in three days, the 19th, 20th, and 21st, made +only 100 knots.</p> + +<p>After such stormy nights, and in such bitter cold weather, a breakfast +of cold canned crab, or dry bread with sugar, or rice and hot water plus +a very little gravy, or bread and much watered condensed milk, was not +very nourishing or satisfying, but very often that was all we had. The +food we had was just sufficient to keep us alive, and that was all. This +weather of course pleased the German Captain, who said that no enemy +ship would or could board him under such conditions. In fact, he said no +enemy vessel would be out of port in such weather! Only those +supermariners, the Germans, could manage a ship under similar +conditions! He told us we were much safer on the <i>Igotz Mendi</i> than we +should be on a British cruiser, which might at any time be attacked by a +German armed ship. "I would rather die on a British cruiser to-night," +my wife retorted, "than be a prisoner in Germany," an opinion we all +endorsed. The weather alone was sufficiently terrifying to the landsmen +amongst us; the prospect of having to take to the lifeboats at any +<a name="Page_154" id="Page_154"></a>moment if the Germans took it in into their heads to sink the ship if +she were sighted by an enemy ship added to the fears of all of us. None +of us dared undress thoroughly before turning in—when we did turn in, +lifebelts were always kept handy, and we had to be ready for any +emergency at any moment. And, as will be readily understood, our +imaginations had been working horribly during the last few months, +especially since we began to encounter the rough weather and the winter +gales in the grey and cheerless wastes of the North Atlantic. The +natural conditions were bad enough in all conscience. But, in addition, +we had the knowledge that if we survived them we were going into German +captivity. Could anything be worse?</p> + +<p>There had been no boat drill, and the lifeboat accommodation was +hopelessly inadequate for more than eighty people now on board. It is +certain, with the mixed crew on board, that there would have been a +savage fight for the boats. The prospect, looked at from any point of +view, was alarming, and one of the greatest anxiety for us all. Physical +distress and discomfort were not the only things we had to contend +with—the nervous strain was also very great, and seemed endless.<a name="Page_155" id="Page_155"></a></p> + +<p>On February 22nd we rounded the Naze. Here, we thought, we should +certainly come across some British vessel. But that day and the next +passed—it seemed as if we too were to get in during the week-end!—and +hope of rescue disappeared. Many messages had been dropped overboard in +bottles and attached to spars, etc., during the voyage, but all, +apparently, in vain. The bearing of the Germans towards us became +markedly changed, discipline more rigid, and still greater care was +taken that no vestige of light showed anywhere at night. We were almost +in their clutches now, the arrival at Kiel and transference to Ruhleben +were openly talked of, and our captors showed decided inclination to +jeer at us and our misfortunes. We were told that all diaries, if we had +kept them, must be destroyed, or we should be severely punished when we +arrived in Germany. Accordingly, those of us who had kept diaries made +ready to destroy them, but fortunately did not do so. I cut the +incriminating leaves out of mine, ready to be torn up and thrown +overboard. I had written my diary in Siamese characters during the whole +time, so the Germans could not have gained much information from it.</p> + +<p>Sunday, February 24th, dawned, a cold, <a name="Page_156" id="Page_156"></a>cheerless day. "I suppose this +time next week we shall be going to church in Kiel," said one of the +prisoners to the chief mate at breakfast. "Or," the latter replied, "I +might be going to church with my brother, who is already a prisoner in +the Isle of Man!" We were now in the comparatively narrow waters of the +Skager-Rack, and we saw only one vessel here, a Dutch fishing boat. Our +last chance had nearly gone. Most of us were now resigned to our fate +and saw no hope—in fact, I had written in my diary the day before, +"There is no hope left, no boat of ours to save us"—but some said we +still might see a British war vessel when we rounded the Skaw. At +mid-day the sailor on the look-out came into the saloon and reported to +the Captain that a fog was coming on. "Just the weather I want," he +exclaimed, rubbing his hands. "With this lovely fog we shall round the +Skaw and get into German waters unobserved." It looked, indeed, as if +our arrival in Germany were now a dead certainty.</p> + +<p>But the fog that the Captain welcomed was just a little too much for +him; it was to prove his undoing rather than his salvation. The "Good +old German God," about whom we had heard so much, was not going to see +them <a name="Page_157" id="Page_157"></a>through this time. For once, <i>we</i> were to be favoured. The white +fog thickened after the mid-day meal, and, luckily for us, it was +impossible to see far ahead. Soon after two we passed a floating mine, +and we knew that before long we should be going through a minefield—not +a very cheerful prospect with floating mines round us in a fog, +especially as the Captain admitted that the position of the mines might +have been altered since he last had knowledge of their exact situation! +But we were all too far gone to care now; and some of us gathered +together in our cold and gloomy cabin were discussing the prospects and +conditions of imprisonment in Germany and attempting to console +ourselves with the reflection that even internment at Ruhleben could not +be worse than the captivity we had experienced on the high seas, when, +at 3.30 on that Sunday afternoon, we felt a slight bump, as if the ship +had touched bottom. Then another bump, and then still one more! We were +fast! Were we really to be saved at the very last minute? It began to +look like it, like the beginning of the end, but it would not do to +build too much on this slender foundation. The engines continued +working, but no progress was made; they were reversed—still no +movement.<a name="Page_158" id="Page_158"></a></p> + +<p>One of the men amongst us was so overjoyed that he attempted a very +premature somersault in the saloon. He was sure it was to be a case of +"Hooray for our side" this time! What thoughts of freedom, what hopes +flashed through our minds! The fog was fairly thick, but we could just +make out through it the line of the shore and the waves breaking on it +some distance away, and two sirens were going at full blast, one from a +lightship and one from a lighthouse. The Captain, luckily from our point +of view, had mistaken one for the other, and so had run aground. The +German officers became agitated; with great difficulty a boat was got +out—what chance should we have had if we had had to leave the ship in +haste at any time?—soundings made, and various means adopted to work +the ship off, but all were of no avail. The Captain admitted that his +charts of this particular spot were not new and not good. Again how +lucky for us! It was impossible to tell the state of the tide at this +moment; we all hoped it might be high tide, for then our rescue would be +certain. The engines were set to work from time to time, but no movement +could be made. Darkness fell, and found us still stuck fast. Our spirits +had begun to <a name="Page_159" id="Page_159"></a>rise, the prospect was distinctly brighter, and soon after +six o'clock the Assistant Lieutenant went ashore in mufti to telephone +to the nearest port, Frederikshavn, for help. What reply he received we +never heard, but we <i>did</i> hear that he reported he was on a German ship +from Bergen to Kiel and wanted help. Lourenço Marques to Kiel, via +Iceland, would have been nearer the truth!</p> + +<p>About eight o'clock we heard from one of the neutrals among the crew +that the Captain of a salvage tug was shortly coming aboard to inquire +into matters. The ladies among us decided to stay in the saloon while +the Captain of the tug interviewed the German Captain in the chartroom +above it. On the arrival of the tug Captain on the bridge, the ladies in +the saloon created a veritable pandemonium, singing, shrieking, and +laughing at the top of their voices. It sounded more like a Christmas +party than one of desperate prisoners in distress. The Danish Captain +departed; what had been the result of his visit we did not know, but at +any rate he knew there were women on board. The German Captain came down +into the saloon, asked pleasantly enough what all the noise was about, +and said, "I have offered the salvage people £5,000 to tow the ship off; +<a name="Page_160" id="Page_160"></a>money is nothing to us Germans. This will be done at four to-morrow +morning, and we shall then proceed on our way to Kiel."</p> + +<p>Some of us had talked over a plan suggested by the second mate of a +captured ship, by which one of the neutrals among the crew should +contrive to go ashore in one of the tug's boats in the darkness, +communicate with the nearest British Consul, and inform him of the +situation and the desperate case we were in. We promised him £500, to be +raised among the "saloon passengers," if by so doing our rescue should +be accomplished.</p> + +<p>We remained in the saloon talking over developments when we heard that a +Danish gunboat had come nearly alongside, and that her Commander was +coming on board. He had presumably received a report from the Captain of +the tug. We heard afterwards that he had his suspicions about the ship, +and had brought with him on board one of his own men to make inquiries +of the crew, among whom were Norwegians, Swedes, and Danes, while he +kept the German Commander busy in the saloon. The previous mistake of +taking the Danish Captain on to the bridge was not to be repeated. The +Commander of the gunboat was to come into the saloon. So the ladies +could not remain there and <a name="Page_161" id="Page_161"></a>make their presence known. But some of them +contrived to leave some of their garments on the table and settee in the +saloon—a muff, hats, gloves, etc. These the Danish Commander must have +seen; and not only that, for he saw some ladies who had stood in one +door of the saloon before they were sent to their cabins, when he +entered at the other one. He also saw the Australian Major of the +A.M.C., in khaki, and other passengers standing with the ladies in the +alley-way. If he had entertained any suspicions as to the correct +character of the ship, which the Germans were of course trying to +conceal, they must have been strongly confirmed by now. It was now too +late for us to be sent to our cabins, as a German sailor came and +ordered. We had achieved our object.</p> + +<p>It was a night of great unrest, but finally most of us lay down in our +clothes. For very many nights we had been unable to rest properly owing +to the violence of the weather, the possibility of having to leave the +ship at any moment, and our general anxiety concerning our desperate +condition. We had not had our clothes off for many days. At 4 a.m. we +heard the engines working, as the Captain had told us they would, but +<a name="Page_162" id="Page_162"></a>still no movement of the ship could be felt. How we prayed that the +ship might refuse to budge! She <i>did</i> refuse, and soon the engines +ceased working; it was evident then that the attempt to get the ship off +must for the present be given up. The wind was rising and the sea +getting rougher, and at 6 a.m. a German sailor came and knocked at the +doors of all the cabins, saying, "Get up, and pack your baggage and go +ashore." <i>We were to go ashore? We, who had not seen the shore for +months, and had never expected to land on any, much less a free one, +were to go ashore?</i> Were we dreaming? No, it was true, though it seemed +too good to be believed. Never was order more willingly and gladly +obeyed! But first we had to see how the ship stood with regard to the +shore; we went out on deck to look—there was the blessed green shore +less than half a mile away, the first really solid earth we had seen +close at hand since we left Colombo exactly five months before. Only +those who have seen nothing but the sea for many months can imagine with +what a thrill of joy we saw the shore and realized that we were saved at +last. We had seen the sea under nearly every aspect possible, from the +Equator to the Arctic regions, and we had appreciated more <a name="Page_163" id="Page_163"></a>than ever +before its vastness. And yet in all these months, travelling these +thousands of miles, we had, besides the few vessels already mentioned, +seen hardly any ships! We had been under shell-fire, taken prisoner, had +lived on board a German raider and in her evil company many months, had +been in lifeboats once in the open sea, were about to go in once more, +in a rough sea, to be rescued from captivity, had seen our ship sunk and +another one captured and scuttled, had been through terrific wintry +weather in the North Atlantic, among icebergs, in the submarine zone, +and on the very borders of an enemy minefield!—experiences that perhaps +no other landsmen have passed through! Not many of us wish for sea +travel again.</p> + +<p>Lieutenant Rose came along and told us to hurry, or we might not be able +to get off, as the sea was getting rougher every minute. We <i>did</i> hurry +indeed, and it did not take us long to dress and throw our things into +our bags. When we had done so and were ready to go to the lifeboats, we +were told that we might take no baggage whatever, as the lifeboat was +from a shore station and could save lives only, not baggage.</p> + +<p>The German Captain took his bad luck in good part, but he was, of +course, as sick as <a name="Page_164" id="Page_164"></a>we were rejoiced at the turn events had taken. He +had known the night before he could get no help from the Danish +authorities, as they refused towing assistance till all the passengers +had been taken off the ship. But he had hoped to get off unaided at four +in the morning, and he was not going to admit defeat and loss till they +were absolutely certain. He professed great anger with the Danes, saying +that if they had only helped as he requested, the ship could have been +towed off in the night, and we with all our baggage could have been +landed at a Danish port alongside a pier the next morning, instead of +having to leave all our baggage behind on the ship. I fancy not many of +us believed this; if the ship had been got off we should have brought up +at Kiel, and not at any Danish port. And, as the tug Captain said +afterwards, if he had towed the ship off the Germans would have most +likely cut the hawser directly afterwards, he would have received no pay +for his work, and we certainly should not have landed in Denmark.</p> + +<p>It was a terrible blow for Lieutenant Rose; enough to put an end to his +prospects in the Imperial German Navy. Let us pay a tribute to a fallen +enemy, for such he now became.<a name="Page_165" id="Page_165"></a> It is pleasing to be able to record, in +a German-made war which has crowded into its four years such +heartbreaking sorrow, misery, horror, and destruction as has surely +never been known in a similar period in the world's history, and with +Germany's unparalleled record of wickedness and calculated cruelty to +her captives and those she wished to terrorize on land and sea, that +there were still remaining <i>some</i> Germans who had retained some idea of +more humane treatment towards those who had the misfortune to fall into +their hands. Fortunately for us, Lieutenant Rose was one of these—a +striking contrast to the devils in his country's U boats. He had +succeeded in maintaining not unfriendly relations with his captives, and +had on the whole done his best for them under the conditions prevailing. +He had evaded capture for fifteen months, and had skilfully carried his +ship through terrible storms and many other perils—<i>almost</i> to port. +Now, just at the very last moment when it seemed absolutely certain he +would get his prize home and reap his reward, his hopes were dashed, and +failure, blank and utter failure, was the result. But the death of his +hopes meant for us the resurrection of ours, and his failure, freedom +for us all.<a name="Page_166" id="Page_166"></a></p> + + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> +<h2>CHAPTER XI</h2> + +<h3>FREE AT LAST</h3> + + +<p>A fine lifeboat, manned by sturdy Danish sailors, was alongside the +ship; the sea was very rough, but our ship steady, firmly embedded in +the sandy bottom, and driven farther in since she stranded. The packages +we had decided to save at any cost were put in our pockets, lifebelts +and life-saving waistcoats once more put on, and once more we all +climbed a ship's ladder, but as the lifeboat was rising and falling +almost the height of the ship with the heavy seas, descent into it was +not easy. One by one we dropped into the outstretched arms of the +sailors as the boat rose on the crest of a wave to the bottom of the +ladder. It was a trying moment, but nothing mattered now; once over the +side of the ship, we were no longer in German hands, and were <i>free</i>! +The waves dashed over and drenched us as we sat in the lifeboat; we were +sitting in icy water, all of us more or less wet through. At last <a name="Page_167" id="Page_167"></a>the +lifeboat crew pulled for the shore, the high seas sweeping over us all +the way. We grounded on the beach, the sturdy sailors carried some, +others jumped into the water and waded ashore, and we were all on terra +firma, free at last, after weary months of waiting and captivity. Groups +of villagers were waiting on the beach to welcome us even at this early +hour. They plied us with questions as far as they could, and great was +their wonder at what we had to tell.</p> + +<div class="figcenter"><a name="lifeboat" id="lifeboat"></a><a href="./images/lifeboat.jpg"><img src="./images/lifeboat-tb.jpg" alt="THE SKAGEN LIFEBOAT GOING OUT TO THE IGOTZ MENDI TO BRING OFF THE PRISONERS." title="THE SKAGEN LIFEBOAT GOING OUT TO THE IGOTZ MENDI TO BRING OFF THE PRISONERS." /></a></div> +<div class='center'>THE SKAGEN LIFEBOAT GOING OUT TO THE <i>IGOTZ MENDI</i> TO BRING OFF THE PRISONERS.</div> + +<div class="figcenter"><a name="lifeboatb" id="lifeboatb"></a><a href="./images/lifeboatb.jpg"><img src="./images/lifeboatb-tb.jpg" alt="THE SKAGEN LIFEBOAT BRINGING TO SHORE THE PRISONERS FROM THE IGOTZ MENDI." title="THE SKAGEN LIFEBOAT BRINGING TO SHORE THE PRISONERS FROM THE IGOTZ MENDI." /></a></div> +<div class='center'>THE SKAGEN LIFEBOAT BRINGING TO SHORE THE PRISONERS FROM THE <i>IGOTZ MENDI</i>.</div> + +<p>We had been saved at the eleventh hour, almost the fifty-ninth minute of +it; we were almost in German waters, at the very gates of Germany, being +due at Kiel the very next day. It was a miraculous escape if ever there +was one, and came at a moment when all hope had gone. Would that the +<i>Wolf</i> had gone ashore in the same place! All our fellow-countrymen on +board her would then have been free, and they could have given +information and saved us as well.</p> + +<p>What emotions surged within us as we trod the free earth once more! What +we had gone through since we were last on shore! Then it was on British +soil; now it was on that of a friendly neutral country. It seemed +strange to be treading land again after five months on shipboard. How +welcome <a name="Page_168" id="Page_168"></a>to see the green fields, the horses at work on the beach, the +people in the village, the village itself! How good it all was! We had +escaped imprisonment with the enemy, escaped making acquaintance with +the notorious Ruhleben of evil fame. The more we reflected on it—and we +did so every minute—the more wonderful did our escape appear. But our +thoughts also turned to our friends on the <i>Wolf</i> who were doomed to +meet the cruel fate from which we had so mercifully been delivered.</p> + +<p>Once on dry land, and escorted by the villagers, we walked over the +sandhills to the lighthouse, about half a mile away. There we were +received with open arms. The kindly Danes could not do enough for us. We +had only what we stood up in; we dried our clothes, other dry garments +were offered us, hot drinks and food were supplied liberally, and we +were generally made much of. We had come back to life and warmth once +more. The lighthouse staff and villagers vied with each other in their +efforts to make us feel at home and comfortable. Some of the sailors and +fishermen even offered us part of their own breakfasts and dinners, +which were wrapped up in handkerchiefs, ready to take to their work. The +bonny rosy-cheeked<a name="Page_169" id="Page_169"></a> Danish girls aired all the English they knew, and +wanted to hear all about it; the jolly children danced round with joy +when they heard the wonderful story of our deliverance. Every one, from +the charming and dignified head of police who heard our story and +examined our passports, to the humblest village child, rejoiced at our +escape. The good motherly folk at the lighthouse fairly bubbled over +with joy as they chattered and poured out sympathy and busied themselves +with attending to our creature comforts.</p> + +<p>After interviews with some Danish Government officials we were taken to +hotels in Skagen, the nearest town, a small summer bathing resort, just +to the south of the Skaw. It was a gloriously clear, bright, and sunny +day, though very windy and cold, and the condition of the fields showed +that "February fill dyke" had been living up to its reputation. Some of +us walked into Skagen, and on the way heard the most enchanting sounds +we had heard for months—the songs of skylarks—music which we certainly +had never expected to hear again. Our spirits were as bright as the +larks' on that day, and the birds seemed to be putting into music for us +the joy and gratitude we felt in our hearts. The ladies were, of course, +too exhausted to <a name="Page_170" id="Page_170"></a>walk, and my wife got a lift in a cart in which a +Danish girl and a man were proceeding to Skagen. They asked her endless +questions, and she expressed her opinions very strongly on the German +treatment of their prisoners, and of the endless lies they had told us. +On arrival at Skagen we discovered that the man was the German Consul at +that town! So, for once in his life, he heard the truth about his +countrymen!</p> + +<p>After lunch, the first square meal we had had for months, we set off to +telegraph to our relatives and friends, to announce we were still in the +world. It was one of our greatest anxieties on board that we could not +communicate with our friends, who we knew would be grieving over our +disappearance and, we feared, would have given us up for lost, for we +had been out of communication with the outside world for five months. +Never daring to hope that an opportunity to despatch it might ever +occur, I had many a time mentally framed a cablegram which, in the +fewest possible words, should tell our friends of our adventures since +we disappeared from human ken. But the long-delayed opportunity had at +last arrived, and our wildest hopes and dreams were realized. They had +become solid fact, and the words flashed <a name="Page_171" id="Page_171"></a>over the wires from Denmark to +friends in Siam and relatives in England were: "Captured September +26th—proceeding Germany—ashore Denmark—lifeboat rescue—both well." +The last two words were not, of course, strictly true, but they would at +least serve to reassure our friends that we had been less unfortunate +than only too many British captives in German hands.</p> + +<p>The same afternoon we walked back to the beach to see if we could go +aboard the stranded ship to retrieve our luggage, but the sea was far +too rough to allow of this, and the German and Spanish crew had not been +taken off. While on the beach we saw two floating mines exploded by a +Danish gunboat. We had not only had a narrow escape from the Germans, +but also from the dangers of a minefield. The next day was also too +rough for us to go aboard; in fact, it was so rough that the lifeboat +went out and took everybody off the ship, both Spanish and German. The +Spanish first mate was thus saved, and after all did not serve his +sentence in Germany. We congratulated him once more on his lucky escape. +He had escaped even more than we had. It was reported that a German +submarine appeared to take off the German officers on this day, <a name="Page_172" id="Page_172"></a>but as +it was too rough to lower the boats this could not be contrived.</p> + +<p>The <i>Igotz Mendi</i> was now deserted, but as the Danish authorities had +adjudged her, twenty-four hours after her stranding, to be a Spanish +ship, she had reverted to her original owners. Accordingly, before +leaving her the Spanish Captain had hoisted the Spanish flag at her +stern, the first time that or any other flag had appeared there since +that November morning when the Germans had captured her far away in the +Indian Ocean. She was no longer a German prize. She would have been the +only one the <i>Wolf</i> had secured to take home—a neutral ship with only a +few tons of coal on board, and a few married couples, and sick and +elderly men as prisoners—not much to show for a fifteen months' cruise; +and even that small prey was denied the Germans, though the <i>Wolf</i> had +certainly carried home a valuable cargo and some hundreds of prisoners, +besides doing considerable damage to the shipping of the Allies.</p> + +<p>The position of the stranded ship was a unique one. She was a neutral +ship, a German prize, stranded in neutral waters, with a crew composed +of Germans and neutral prisoners, and carrying twenty passenger +<a name="Page_173" id="Page_173"></a>prisoners of many enemy nationalities—English, Australian, American, +Japanese, Chinese, and Indian; of these fifteen were European, and in +the company were nine women and two children.</p> + +<p>Never was there a more dramatic turning of the tables; the Germans were +now interned and we were free. The German officers were sent off under +guard to an inland town, and the sailors sent to a camp in another part +of Denmark. The sailors did not attempt to disguise their joy at the +turn events had taken. On their return to Germany they would have had a +few weeks' leave and then done duty in a submarine or at the front. Now, +they were interned in a land where there was at least much more to eat +than they could have hoped for in Germany, and their dangers were at an +end till the war was over. They were marched under an armed guard of +Danes up and down the village street several times on one of these days; +they were all smiles, singing as they marched along.</p> + +<p>The next day a hurricane was still blowing, and going aboard was still +out of the question. The ship was blown farther in shore, and it began +to look as if she would break up and we should see nothing of our +personal be<a name="Page_174" id="Page_174"></a>longings. The day after, however, was beautifully fine, and +we left Skagen harbour in two motor barges, almost touching a floating +mine on the way. It took more than an hour to get from the harbour to +the ship, for we had to take a very circuitous route owing to the +shallow water and many sandbanks. It was a bitterly cold trip, but at +last we reached and with great difficulty—as no gangway was down and we +had to climb a ladder projecting a few feet out from the ship's +side—boarded the ship, which was in charge of the Danish authorities. +After some difficulty, for the ship was in a state of great chaos, we +secured from various parts of the ship all our baggage, which was landed +that night at Skagen, much to our relief, as up to that time we had only +what we stood up in at the time we landed from the lifeboat. So that, +after all, we lost very little of our baggage, a most unexpected stroke +of good luck. Some of us returned to the shore, only a short distance +away, in the salvage tug's lifeboat, as we did not relish the long +return trip in the motor barges, crammed as they would be with baggage. +From there we walked to our hotel. The baggage was taken to the Custom +House, and next day put on the train, so we were unable to open it till +we <a name="Page_175" id="Page_175"></a>arrived in Copenhagen, by which time we stood badly in need of it.</p> + +<p>We had set foot on the <i>Igotz Mendi</i> for the last time. She had been our +"home" for more than three months—never shall we forget her. I can +picture every detail of her as I write, the tiny cabins, the miserable +tiled floor saloon, and the wretched meals taken therein, the dirty +condition of the whole ship, the iron decks—none of it will ever be +forgotten by any one of her unwilling passengers.</p> + +<p>The <i>Igotz Mendi</i> was some time afterwards towed off into deep water, +and after repairs left Danish waters and proceeded to Spain, after +loading up with a full cargo of coal at Newcastle. Wonderful to +relate—for it is indeed a marvel that the Germans did not make a +special and successful effort to sink her—she arrived at her home port, +Bilbao, on June 21, 1918, with her whole ship's company complete. She +had naturally a great reception, being welcomed with flags, bands, and +fireworks. What an adventurous voyage she had had since she last left +European waters! We owe a great deal to her genial Captain and all her +officers and crew, who one and all did what they could for us and were +invariably kind and sympathized with <a name="Page_176" id="Page_176"></a>us in our misfortunes and rejoiced +with us at our escape. It may even have been due to the gentle +persuasion of her Spanish crew that the <i>Igotz Mendi</i> made such a +thorough job of running aground at Skagen. The Spaniards naturally +regarded their captors with no friendly eye, and were as anxious as we +were that their ship should not get to Germany.</p> + +<p>During the week we had to give evidence to the Danish authorities +concerning our capture and treatment on board. We were overwhelmed with +kindness by the Danes, who made no secret of their sympathies with the +Allies; invitations to dinners and parties flowed in, and we could not +have accepted them all if we had stayed as many weeks as we had days.</p> + +<p>On Friday, March 1st, at 1 p.m., most of us left Skagen. The whole +village turned out to give us a good send-off, and snapshots galore were +taken—this, indeed, had been going on ever since we landed. The ladies +among us were presented with flowers and chocolates, the men with +smokes, and we left with the heartiest good wishes of our warm-hearted +hosts. While in Denmark we read the German account of the <i>Wolf's</i> +expedition and exploits. It was, of course, grossly <a name="Page_177" id="Page_177"></a>exaggerated, and +contained a fantastic account of the "action" between the <i>Wolf</i> and +<i>Hitachi</i>. Rather a one-sided "action," as the <i>Wolf</i> did all the +firing!</p> + +<p>From Skagen our passage home was arranged by the British Consular +authorities. The journey from Skagen to Copenhagen was rather trying, +since we had to leave the too well-heated train during the night and +embark on train ferries when crossing from mainland to island and from +one island to another. It was bitterly cold. We made our first +acquaintance with bread and butter tickets at Skagen, and found them +also in use on the railways and train ferries in Denmark and +Scandinavia.</p> + +<p>We arrived at Copenhagen about 8.30 on the following morning. When at +Skagen I had written to Sir Ralph Paget, K.C.M.G., His Britannic +Majesty's Minister to Denmark—whom we had known some years before when +filling a similar position in Siam—telling him of our rescue. Lady +Paget and he were waiting at the station to meet us. They straightway +took my wife and myself off to the British Legation in Copenhagen, and +insisted on us remaining there as their guests during our stay in the +Danish capital. They were the personification of kindness to <a name="Page_178" id="Page_178"></a>us, and +helped us in every possible way, and it would be quite impossible for us +to express adequately our great indebtedness to them. We obtained fresh +<i>visés</i> for our passports from the British, Swedish, and Norwegian +Consulates, and my wife, who had been unable in Siam to obtain a +passport to travel to England, was granted an "emergency passport," on +which she was described as an "ex-prisoner." The Germans had, quite +unintentionally, it is true, helped her to get to England when our own +Government had forbidden it.</p> + +<p>We left Copenhagen on the evening of March 4th, and once more during the +night embarked in a train ferry to cross to Sweden at Helsingborg. The +next morning found us at Goteborg. The old Mauritius woman and her +grandchild had been accommodated in a sleeping carriage with two berths. +Not being used to such luxuries and not knowing what to do in such +surroundings, they had deposited their garments on the bunks and slept +on the floor, which doubtless came more natural to them!</p> + +<p>The same evening we arrived at Christiania; unfortunately we saw nothing +of this capital, as we arrived late at night, crossed to a hotel near +the railway station, and returned to the <a name="Page_179" id="Page_179"></a>station to resume our journey +on the next morning before it was fully light. The whole of the next day +we were travelling through Norway in brilliant dazzling sunshine, over +snowclad mountains—some so high that vegetation was absent—finally +leaving Bergen in the late afternoon of March 7th on the S.S. <i>Vulture</i>. +From the <i>Wolf</i> to the <i>Vulture</i> did not look very promising!</p> + +<p>Before leaving Norway every article of our baggage was carefully +searched before being put on the boat. I asked the Customs officer what +he was particularly looking for. "Bombs," he replied. But there were no +German diplomats or members of German Legation staffs amongst us!</p> + +<p>The ship was very full, so much so that many first-class passengers were +compelled to travel third class, and among us were many people and +officials of Allied nationality escaping from the disorders in Russia. +We travelled full speed all night, and the passage was far from +comfortable. Daybreak showed us the coast of the Shetlands—our first +sight of the British Isles—and a few fussy armed trawlers shepherded us +into the harbour of Lerwick, where we remained at anchor till dusk. We +then set off again at full speed, and sighted the coast of Scotland in +the morning. But it <a name="Page_180" id="Page_180"></a>was not till past 2 p.m. that we arrived at +Aberdeen. No sooner had the boat berthed in dock there than a +representative of the Admiralty told us that all the <i>Igotz Mendi</i> +prisoners were to proceed to London forthwith to be interrogated by the +Admiralty. We had intended to have a few days' rest at Aberdeen after +our strenuous travelling, but this was not allowed, so, much to our +disgust and very much under protest, we spent still one more night out +of bed, and so to London, where we arrived in a characteristic pea-soup +fog on the morning of March 10th, after incessant travelling by train +and sea for a week. We had not relished another sea voyage—and one +across the North Sea least of all—but there was no help for it. We +feared that as we had escaped the Germans once, they might make a +special effort to sink us crossing the North Sea. But fortunately the U +boats left us alone, though few, if any of us, turned in during those +last few nights, for we felt we must still hold ourselves ready for any +emergency. Arrived in London we were taken forthwith to the Admiralty, +and there interrogated by the authorities as to the <i>Wolf's</i> exploits. +Our adventures were really at an end at last.</p> + +<div class="figcenter"><a name="prize" id="prize"></a><a href="./images/prize.jpg"><img src="./images/prize-tb.jpg" alt="AT SKAGEN: GERMAN PRIZE CREW OF THE IGOTZ MENDI UNDER GUARD, AWAITING INTERNMENT." title="AT SKAGEN: GERMAN PRIZE CREW OF THE IGOTZ MENDI UNDER GUARD, AWAITING INTERNMENT." /></a></div> + +<div class='center'>AT SKAGEN: GERMAN PRIZE CREW OF THE <i>IGOTZ MENDI</i> UNDER +GUARD, AWAITING INTERNMENT.</div> + +<p>With what joyful and thankful hearts did <a name="Page_181" id="Page_181"></a>we reach home, once more to +be united with our relatives and friends, who had long mourned us as +dead. The shipping company had long ago abandoned all hope, the +<i>Hitachi</i> had been posted missing at Lloyd's, letters of condolence had +been received by our relatives, and we had the, even now in these +exciting times, still unusual experience of reading our own obituary +notices. We shall have to live up to them now! We heard from the Nippon +Yushen Kaisha in London that the Japanese authorities had sent an +expedition to look for the <i>Hitachi</i>. The expedition called at the +Maldives, and had there found, in the atoll where we had first anchored +in the <i>Wolf's</i> company, a door from the <i>Hitachi</i> splintered by +shell-fire and a case of cocoanut identified as having been put on board +the <i>Hitachi</i> at Colombo. The natives on this atoll could have told the +expedition that at any rate the <i>Hitachi</i> was not sunk there, as they +saw the <i>Wolf</i> and her prize sail away at different times. The +<i>Hitachi's</i> disappearance was attributed to a submarine, though it was +not explained how one managed to operate in the Indian Ocean!</p> + +<p>We also heard in London that the Captain of the <i>Hitachi</i> committed +suicide before the <i>Wolf</i> arrived in Germany.<a name="Page_182" id="Page_182"></a></p> + +<p>No comment need be made on the German procedure of dragging their +prisoners month after month over the oceans. Such a thing had never been +done before. The Germans had had opportunities to release us, but had +taken none to do so, as they had evidently determined not to allow any +account of the <i>Wolf's</i> cruise to be made known. They might have put the +<i>Hitachi</i> prisoners on the Maldives and left them there to get to +Colombo as best they could, the Germans taking the ship; they might have +sent the prisoners on the <i>Igotz Mendi</i> to Colombo or Java after they +had taken what coal they wanted. As the Spanish Captain said, they had a +right to take his contraband, but not his ship. But a question of right +did not bother the Germans. Many times they promised him to release his +ship, never intending to do so. Whenever they were asked why they did +not release us when we thought it possible, they always advanced +"military reasons" as the excuse. "That," as I said to the Captain, +"covers a multitude of sins." The Commander of the <i>Wolf</i> had personally +assured the married couples on the <i>Matunga</i> that they would be kept no +longer than two months. But they were kept nearly seven. Some men had +been kept prisoners on the <i>Wolf</i> for more than a year.<a name="Page_183" id="Page_183"></a></p> + +<p>It was hard enough on the men, but infinitely worse for the women. One +had been eight months, one seven, and others five months in captivity on +the high seas, often under the worst possible conditions. But they all +played their part well, and kept cheerful throughout, even when it +appeared they were certain to be taken with their husbands into Germany.</p> + +<p>Every man is liable to think, under such conditions, that he is in a +worse case than his fellow-captives, and there were certainly examples +of very hard luck amongst us. Mention of a few cases might be of +interest. The American Captain had abandoned his sea calling for six +years, and decided, at his wife's request, to make one more trip and +take her to see her relatives in Newcastle, N.S.W. They never got there, +but had eight months' captivity and landed in Denmark instead. Many +sailors had left the Atlantic trade after encounters with the U boats in +that ocean, only to be caught by the <i>Wolf</i> in the Pacific. One of the +members of the Spanish crew had been a toreador, but his mother +considered that calling too dangerous and recommended the sea as safer. +Her son now thinks otherwise; perhaps she does too!</p> + +<p>The Captain of a small sailing ship from<a name="Page_184" id="Page_184"></a> Mauritius to West Australia, +in ballast to load timber, saw the <i>Wolf</i> when a day off his +destination. Not knowing her, he unwisely ran up the Red Ensign—a red +rag to a bull, indeed—and asked the <i>Wolf</i> to report him "all well" at +the next port. The <i>Wolf</i> turned about and sunk his little ship. +Although the Captain was at one time on the <i>Wolf</i> almost in sight of +his home in Mauritius, his next port was Kiel, where it is to be feared +that he, an old man of seventy, was the reverse of "all well."</p> + +<p>One of our fellow-prisoners had been on the P. & O. <i>Mongolia</i> when she +was sunk by one of the <i>Wolf's</i> mines off Bombay. Later on, on the +<i>Hitachi</i>, he was caught by the mine-layer herself! But he defeated the +enemy after all, as he escaped on the <i>Igotz Mendi</i>! One of the +seafaring men with us had already been torpedoed by the Huns in the +Channel. Within a fortnight he was at sea again. The next time he was +caught and his ship sunk by the <i>Wolf</i> off New Zealand. He also escaped +on the <i>Igotz Mendi</i>, and when last seen ashore was dying to get to sea +again, in a warm corner, so he said, so that he could "strafe the Huns" +once more. They had held him prisoner for eight months, and he had some +leeway to make up.<a name="Page_185" id="Page_185"></a></p> + +<p>There was, too, the case of the Australians taken prisoner on the S.S. +<i>Matunga</i>. The women and military doctors had certainly escaped on the +<i>Igotz Mendi</i>, but there were taken into Germany from the <i>Matunga</i> +three military officers and three elderly married civilians over +military age. They were going but a week's voyage from their homes (July +1917); but, torn from their homes and families, they were to languish +for months in a German internment camp. Neither must be forgotten the +old captains and mates and young boys—some of the latter making their +first sea voyage—taken into captivity in Germany, where they have +probably been exhibited as illustrating the straits to which the war, +and especially the U boat part of it, has reduced the glorious British +mercantile marine. Our young men friends on the <i>Hitachi</i>, and the +hundreds of prisoners, some of them captured more than a year before +from British ships, were all taken into Germany, there to remain in +captivity till the war was over.</p> + +<p>I thought, until our timely rescue came, that our own case was a fairly +hard one. I had retired from Government service in Siam, after spending +twenty years there, and we had decided to spend some months at <a name="Page_186" id="Page_186"></a>least, +possibly "the duration," or even longer, in South Africa before +proceeding home. It seemed hard lines that after twenty years in the Far +East we were to come to Europe only to be imprisoned in Germany! We have +escaped that, but our plans have gone hopelessly astray, for which I +will <i>never</i> forgive the Huns, and our health has not improved by the +treatment on our long voyage. But although we took six months to get +from Siam to London, the Germans have succeeded in getting us home much +earlier than we, or they, anticipated. I had been shipwrecked on my +first voyage out to Siam in 1897, and on my last voyage home, twenty +years after, had been taken prisoner and again shipwrecked! So my +account was nicely balanced! But the culminating touch of escaping +imprisonment in Germany by shipwreck was indeed wonderful!</p> + +<p>Fortunately, one usually forgets the miseries of sea travel soon after +one gets ashore. But never, I think, will one of us forget our long +captivity at sea with our enemies; neither shall we forget the details +of our capture and imprisonment, the dreary days and still drearier +nights on the <i>Wolf</i> and <i>Igotz Mendi</i>, especially those spent in the +icy north. Every detail of it all and of our wonderful escape <a name="Page_187" id="Page_187"></a>at the +last moment stands out so vividly in our memories. And assuredly, not +one of us will ever forget the canned crab, the bully beef, the beans, +<i>and</i> the roll of the <i>Igotz Mendi</i>.<a name="Page_188" id="Page_188"></a></p> + +<div class="figcenter"><a name="mapstitched" id="mapstitched"></a><a href="./images/mapstitched.jpg"><img src="./images/mapstitched-tb.jpg" alt="MAP SHOWING TRACK OF THE RAIDER "WOLF"" title="MAP SHOWING TRACK OF THE RAIDER "WOLF"" /></a></div> + +<div class='center'>MAP SHOWING TRACK OF THE RAIDER "WOLF"</div> + +<hr style='width: 45%;' /> +<div class='center'><i>Printed in Great Britain by</i><br /><br /> + +UNWIN BROTHERS, LIMITED<br /><br /> + +WOKING AND LONDON</div> + + +<p><a name="Page_189" id="Page_189"></a></p> + + + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> +<h2><i>Selection from Headley's List of Books</i></h2> +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> +<h2>THE YEAR 1918 ILLUSTRATED</h2> + +<h3><span class="smcap">Edited by</span> S. GRAVESON</h3> + +<div class='center'> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;"><i>Tenth year of issue. 6s. net</i>.</span><br /> +</div> + +<p>This is the first record of the War which takes us right up to the +cessation of hostilities. Among its other features are articles on the +League of Nations and the political movements at home and abroad, +including the Revolution in Russia. The illustrations include +reproductions of the work of Sir William Orpen, Sir John Lavery, Francis +Dodd, C.R.W. Nevinson, James McBey, Muirhead Bone, John Nash, Frank +Salisbury and others. There are also maps by which readers can follow +the accounts of the fighting.</p> + + +<h2>INDIA'S NATION BUILDERS</h2> + +<h3><span class="smcap">By</span> D.N. BANNERJEA</h3> + +<p class="right"> +<i>7s. 6d. net</i>.<br /> +</p> + +<p>At a time when the movement in favour of "self-determination" is almost +world-wide, and is especially active in India, this book comes as a +welcome exposition of the ideals which have inspired the great leaders +of Indian thought. It is not a mere statement of India's claim to +self-government, but a sympathetic study of eleven leaders whose +influence and personality have gradually led to that development of +India which will make self-government possible. The influence of Western +thought—in particular of Christianity—is carefully traced throughout, +together with its bearing on social and other problems in India in +India.</p> + +<hr style="width: 45%;" /> + +<div class='center'> +HEADLEY BROS. PUBLISHERS, LTD.<br /> +<small>72 OXFORD STREET, W.1</small> +<a name="Page_190" id="Page_190"></a></div> + +<hr style='width: 65%;' /> + +<div class='center'><big><i>From Headley's List</i></big></div> + +<hr style='width: 65%;' /> + +<h2>PRESIDENT WILSON</h2> + +<div class='center'>HIS PROBLEMS AND HIS POLICY</div> + +<h3><span class="smcap">By</span> H. WILSON HARRIS, M.A.</h3> + + + +<div class='center'> +<table border="0" cellpadding="4" cellspacing="0" summary="President Wilston"> +<tr><td align='left'><i>Crown 8vo, 256 pp.</i></td><td align='left'><i>New and Revised Edition.</i></td></tr> +<tr><td align='left'><i>Portraits and Maps.</i></td><td align='left'><i>6s. net; paper covers, 2s. 6d. net</i>.</td></tr> +</table></div> + + +<p>New chapters added which bring the record up to the date of the +armistice.</p> + +<div class="blockquot"><p>"The purpose of this work is not to amuse but to instruct; +to instruct us mainly with regard to those aspects of Mr. +Wilson's political outlook which concern the newspaper +readers of the moment."—<i>The Times</i>.</p> + +<p>"How many, even among educated people, can tell you offhand +how an American President is elected, what is the difference +between a Republican and Democrat, or what is the position +of the Governor of a State? Well, it will not be Mr. Harris' +fault if the reader does not know how to answer these and +kindred questions at the same time that he is following the +fascinating life-story of Woodrow Wilson."—<i>Methodist +Times.</i></p></div> + + +<h2>HANDBOOK OF MODERN EUROPEAN HISTORY, 1789-1916</h2> + +<h3>S.E. MALTBY, M.A., M.Ed.</h3> + +<div class='center'> +<i>Interleaved, 2s. net; single, 1s. 6d.</i><br /> +</div> + + +<h2>JOYS OF THE OPEN AIR</h2> + +<h3><span class="smcap">By</span> WILLIAM GRAVESON</h3> + +<div class='center'>Author of "British Wild Flowers: their Haunts and Associations."</div> + +<div class='center'> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;"><i>Illustrated. 3s. 6d. net.</i></span><br /> +</div> + +<p>Here we have a series of essays by one deeply versed in Nature lore, who +has a charming literary gift. It is a pleasure to be in the open in his +company.</p> + + +<h2>BRITISH WILD FLOWERS</h2> + +<div class='center'> +<i>Illustrated.</i> <span class="smcap">By</span> <big>WILLIAM GRAVESON</big> <i>7s. 6d. net.</i><br /> +</div> + + +<h2>BIRD LIFE THROUGHOUT THE YEAR</h2> + +<div class='center'> +<i>Illustrated.</i> <span class="smcap">By</span> <big>J.H. SALTER, D.Sc.</big> <i>7s. 6d. net.</i><br /> +</div> + + +<hr style="width: 45%;" /> + +<div class='center'> +HEADLEY BROS. PUBLISHERS, LTD.<br /> +<small>72 OXFORD STREET, W.1</small> +</div> + + +<p><a name="Page_191" id="Page_191"></a></p> + +<hr style='width: 65%;' /> + +<div class='center'><big><i>Some Selected Books</i></big></div> + +<hr style='width: 65%;' /> + + +<h2><big>Books for Children</big></h2> + +<h2> +THE STORY OF ST. FRANCIS</h2> + +<div class='center'>His Friendship with Man, Beast and Bird</div> +<h3><span class="smcap">By J. DYKES and C. 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