ROUND THE WORLD.

Otago Witness, Issue 2389, 14 December 1899, Page 47

ROUND THE WORLD.

(From Otago Witness Specials.) Port Elizabeth Friday, October 27.

Long. 31, Int. 65, near North Pole, Somewhere in the Indian Ocean. On board s.s. Umona, •out at sea. Raining^like (Zeehan)! Everybody sick with the exception of the two hardfaced members; of the company, the boss, -and myself. Bound for Calcutta (India), via Durban, Delagoa Bay, Beira, and Colombo.

Dear Bis, — After, a most brilliant and successful tour through South Africa, we finished up at Capetown. We would not have left S' Africa in-a hurry only for the war. As it was we had tc miss a lot of good show towns. You will see by the papers sent you we finished at th.2. Cape in right royal fashion, the peoplecheering us to the echo. All our people are in excellent health and send best wishes to all friends in " dear old Moaland."

I have seen sights within the last months I cever wish to see again. I mean with the poor unfortunates coming down from the Transvaal. As jou will tee b> the papers sent you the Boers stop the trains and rob everybody, and beat them into the bargain. The women and children and ni'n are bundled together in. coal t.ucks likr n lot of sheep, taking as long as five days and jights to reach the Cape,-during -■winch Jirric they have to put up with ail sorts of inconvenience, and live like starving pigs. I need not enter into particulars, as were I to do so I should in all probability simply retail news that has already appeared in your cch,irns. I may say, however, ° that hundreds of refugees are quartered in. the produce markets at Capetown, and all stony broke. We passed through East London yesterday and ,snw, without exaggeration, 600 tents pitched on tho sea shore and its vicinity. I can tell yon before this trouble is over there will be a terrible amount of suffering. . As for shovv business, it is simply knocked kit 2 high as people are too excited waiting for the latest war news and seeing troops come an-1 go. The volunteers of Capetown are doing duty for the soldiers wbo went to the front. We ar; unlucky enough to miss our old shipmates, tha New South Wales Lancers, who were passengers with us from Albany in the 5.3. Nineveh last "March. They arrive in a few days. Both the K"ew Zealand and New South Wales

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contingents will get a tremendous recep; !«n cfltheir'arrival wherever they land. The following lines by Edgar Wallace wil T be interesting to O. W. readers : — ■ THE LOWER DECK HAND." ; When you're pickin' your men for "a fight, • When choosin'-the corps that'll - serve, It's only quite proper and right ~ ! To fix upon muscle an' nerve. An' so, to your heavy Dragoons — Your Granny-dear Guards an' , their band?* To your Sappers with bridgin' pontoons, You can buckle the Lower Deck Hand! The Lower Deck Hand 7" ' : Doesn't want any band, - He's grit -an' he's sand ~ '■' > * 1 -~ ■. Is the 1 Lower Deck Hand., J." His raarclris a.' go-as-you-please ; ■ ; He --'most '.keeps step with hisself! , , " - 3?cr his boots ain't conducive to ease,, . , Bein' mostly kept packed on fc shelf! . , Tho' he isn't so span or so spic — Tho' his marchin' ain't what you'd C^f grand— " • . , • Ho gets to tha front just as quick, Does tho elegant Lower Deck Hand! The Lower Deck Hand Wasn't reared in the Strand; But he's good to command, Is the Lower Deck Hand You may swear by the jolly marines, '"•Per marey.'pei tarey, they fight — Not speakin' for them in their teens— I don't mind admittin' your right. But all that the Joey has got, A3 I'd have all the world understand, He's learnt — well, he's learnt quite a lot From his tooter — the Lower Deck Hand! The Lower Deck Hand Is a. mine that's unp&nned; An' he's yours to command, Is the Lower Deck Hand He doesn't shape well at Reviews, I've known him to spit in the ranks; But we've never bean asked to excuse' A fault when lie's guardin' the flanks. An' when there's a break in the square Or a place where the Lino cannot stand, I'll tell you the chap to put there — " Jack Mullow '—the Lower Deck Handl The Lo.ver Deck Hand Will dio as ho'll stand; He's tempered an' tann'd, Is the .Lower Deck Hand. No time to send any show news now, but will write you on trip. — Yours truly, JOHN J. HODGE X (" One of the Jays "), ■ W. J. Payee Family Bellringers. P.S. — Since penning above we have had a terrible night at aca — the worst known on the coast for years. The first news we got heia (Durban) is that we have to take on 700 refugcoa — coolies. So very likely we may cancel our tri?.— JAY.