ON BOARD THE KENT. THE VOYAGE TO ALBANY.

Evening Post, Volume LXIII, Issue 87, 12 April 1902, Page 2

ON BOARD THE KENT. THE VOYAGE TO ALBANY.

(Prom Our Own Special Correspondent.) , Troopship Kent, Albany, 23rd March. —There is very little to writ* about on a troopship, one day being very like another when once the men We shaken down. We had the usual two or three days' misery, many men — overcome by home and seasickness — never finding their quarters at all, but sleeping about anywhere on decks and hatches. Then one evening came a general resurreotion, and the band with the best intention in the world and with a brave noise of very flabby big drum and brass bass, paraded on deck and bade dull care begone. There have been two concerts in No. I troop deck, but by no stretch of im«

agination could the first ono, held on the first Saturday night, bo called a cheerful performance. However, the moral effect was good, and church parade next day was by comparison a gay entertainment. The second concort showed a vast improvement. The most exciting incident of the day is the elev«n o'clock inspection, when tho orderly sergeant, followed by the ship's captain, followed in duo order by tho oommanding officer, the adjutant, the principal medical offioer, the quartermaster, the orderly officer, and various sergeants, wiiJds a tortuous course through horse and man's quarters,, and having picked up several squadron officers on his way, heads for the saloon, where, the time being 11.18 (after a good passage), and the sun well above the foreyard (if we carried on«) the health of tho Ship's captain is drunk — at his own expense ; after which he proceeds on deck to take the sun and determines what number has won the usual shilling sweep. The horses are travelling well; our loss so far has been two— one from infectious pneumonia and one from some internal trouble. Considering the weather, the veterinary officer is to bb congratulated. as showing the trials that beset seafaring folk, on* of the contingent officers, "who is a very bad sailor, and apparently unused to going down to tho sea in ships, mistook; t^he iron ventilators on deck lor some patent refuse binns. There were two engineers below 1 Report has it that we may wait at Albany for the Devon with the North Island Battalion on board. If so, we shall probably get all the horses paddocked for a day or two, and this will make a very pleasant break for them. Tho men are all 'well except for a few colds."