They say we are going through some dangerous waters. The ship has slowed down and moves carefully. Everyone talks of the volcano and tries to figure out just where it ought to be. Passing through the Straits is quite an interesting experience. The scenery is grand.
((The volcano is probably the famous Krakatoa volcano. Then "the Straits" means the Sunda Strait between the Indonesian islands of Sumatra and Java. Krakatoa is located in the Sunda Strait.))
Strong gale early A.M.
No. 5 signal up.
Mrs Ashby brought in some news & she tells us that US planes were over Kowloon on Wed.
Started in our own kitchen P.M.
Rain & wind.
Several bus loads of Chinese, men women & children arrived & entered gaol today. Food rioters?
No.5 typhoon signal hoisted.
Dance at St Stephens tonight, Mum, Mabel and I went with Tony. Cabaret too: June Winkelman did a tap dance, a fellow played banjo, and Azalea Reynolds did a dance - very graceful. The band was topping too. R.J. (Dick) Cloake – South China Morning Post reporter – danced with me, and talked about writing.
Mildred Dibden, Iris Critchell and Ruth Little have been allowed to remain uninterned to carry on running the Fanling Babies Home alongside their Chinese staff. It's been a hard struggle to keep the abandoned and destitute children they care for fed, and it's taken it's toll on their health.
Today members of the Braga family arrive, bringing with them a Red Cross representative and permits to allow the women to be admitted to the French Hospital, where there's a ward reserved for British patients.
Boy, we know now that we are in the Indian Ocean. The swells are doing things to people. Down here in 3rd and way at the end it’s awful. I felt bad but kept my head up, but how grand it is to get up on deck and breathe fresh air.
Junior school holiday activities commenced - a.m. P.T., handiwork, swimming.
p.m. country dancing, Club
More Chinese entered the gaol under guard.
Slight improvement in weather.
In kitchen PM. Quite easy as compared with Ind. Qtrs. kitchen.
Dance at St. Stephen’s.
We ((Dorothy Holloway, Olive and I)) started having one Sunday in 3 entirely free from hosp. office work.
Bus loads of Chinese brought in, put in launches and many dead pushed over the side, also some still alive.
Source:
Diary of M. L. Bevan: IWM, 523.1 (Bevan)
Sunday. We had services in 3rd class dining room, nice attendance.
One is getting used to the rocking and swaying. I can take it alright now.
(Mackenzie Dow – “Humble”) / Martin
Allies have decided to clear the Japs out of Far East. Russians driving Germans back & Allies driving them back in Lybia. “Von Tripitz” bottled up in Norway & being bombed.
Special Roll Call tonight.
Fine but humid.
Pincer movement in Yunnan against Japs.
Rumour that 'Conte Verde' with Shanghai Americans aboard, struck a mine outside Singapore, and all rescued; another rumour that British stopped the ship because she carried guns, and took off her passengers then torpedoed her. CSO deny it, and nothing in local paper about it.
Egypt news about the same, fierce fighing there. German advances in Russia, camp rumour that Russians have driven Germans out of Sebastapool.
Duncan Sloss, the Vice Chancellor of the University of Hong Kong, is taken from camp to the French Hospital for X-rays. Most people on this scheme spend only a day or two in the hospital, but Sloss is kept there until November 21 because of stomach problems.
It has been raining and it’s a rough sea. We had some engine trouble and the Conte Verde got way ahead of us, but we are going full speed ahead now.
We had to have our porthole closed all night and it was more than stuffy.
((More about the Americans' departure:)) One of the Star Ferry boats, accompanied by several launches had arrived during the morning, for the purpose of ferrying the passengers to the Asama. The sound of its siren, or hooter, was so familiar that it sent a pang through me. During the morning there arrived also some 50 Americans from town. They came in by bus and were made up of all the American bankers (all bank men have been kept in town, all British and Americans) and Chinese with American passports. They were the first to board the ferry.
Canton bombed last night. HK blockaded.
Cloudy & showery.
Resumed German lessons.
2 Pkts cigs $1.10.
European news very good if true.
Rain and rough going and colder weather. Otherwise no break in the monotony.