LETTERS FROM A NURSE

Otago Witness, Issue 2412, 24 May 1900, Page 36

LETTERS FROM A NURSE

The following are extracts from letters received from one of thg nursing sisters sent to South Africa from Otago and Southland : — S.s. Salamis (Indian Ocean), April 5, 1900. ' As we are Hearing our journey's end I am starting niy letters, to bo ilnished after we know our fate at the Cape. About 5 p.m. to- ,' morrow we expect to reach Durban, and three days later the Cape. It is wonderful how quickly the time has passed, , especially after we got over our seasickness. We have been having very good weather for the last fortnight. Nurse Monson is the only one of our contingent who has not recovered thoroughly, but she is much better than she was. We enjoyed erne day m Melbourne very much, also our visit to Aibany. The Westralian nurses came on vath us from theic; they do not like steerage travelling at all, and don't forget to let everyone know. We, however don't grumble at it. I think it is splendid training ior us for the future. For. the last week we have been sleeping on deck; it is much nicer than being down in, the hold, where the air is pervaded with the odour of sheepskins, etc. Mr Piggie, the chief officer, lias an awnhig put up for us every night to keep off the biting blast. He has been a real friend in need to us; he has do:*ie all he could to make lib comfortable. I am looking forward to getting into harness again ; the harder the work the better, for this is such a lazy life. . . . There were seven stowaways found on board this ship after we left Albany. They had ladies to see them off, and even brought their luggage with them. There is also on board a little Queensland nurse, who is very delicate, and whose only chance of getting employment is that she has a letter of inirochiction from the Premier of Queensland to Lord Roberts. . . . My, thanks to the Dunedin Committee for their nice present ; it seems to be the one thing needful in this life. 'When the Westifelian nurses tell us of the arrangements made by their committee for them we realise how fortunate we are in having the committee we have. I am sure that we shall never forget all your trouble and kindness on our behalf. April 9. I must now tell you about the delightful day we spent at Durban. We arrived within two or tlaree miles of Durban on Friday evening at about 8 o'clock. The whole harbour seemed alive with shipping, and there were hospital ships among the number. A short time after we had anchored a boat was sent off to another ship to find out the latest news, but canie back without any except that Joubert was dead. Yesterday morning a lender came cut to tak<§«us on shore. We were swung in a tjasket from the Salamis to the tender; it was rather excitir.g. On arriving at the wharf we began to fuj^y realise what was before us. Lying about in all directions weie soldiers on stretchers; some wounded, some with, fever, but all looking ill and very thin. I just felt that I should like to start work light away. It is frightful 'the hardships that these poox- ' fellows have had to put up with when they had tho fevei — it is called camp fever. It is a kind of low fever, from what I can Isam, All the time they have been so ill their food, has been bully beef, biscuits, and bad water. Bach day they could manage, it they dragged themselves "to the doctor. Some of them had a little nursing, and they say that the only thing they ever had fit to eat was stolen far them by the nurses. We have oj. board several j of them on their way to the Cape. All are ' either suffering or recovering" from' the fever, j They are in a pitiable condition. They have a month's leave. All of them came from Ladysrnith, and have had an awful time. When serit ay/ay on leave they were given a permit, ,by which they undei stood that their expenses were to be paid for them; bub they found .that they had to pay their way themselves. Some of them are quite unable to do so. Shortly after our arrival here we saw a Red Cioss nurse. She had been m Ladysmith all the time of the siege. She had had camp fever j very badly, and had been away on a month's sick leave. She lias just been pxit in charge of the hospital ship Simla, which was lying at Durban, and is to sail ior England in six weeks' time. She said that we should get lots of work, as muses were waited very badly indeed. . . . W e have just unished doing a rather cold-blooded thing. "hJach of us has taken a list of all our New Zealand addresses, to be kept in our writing cases in case anything should happen to u& and we got separated. They have martial law in Durban. People who are iound roaming at large between the hom-s of 11 p.m. and 4 a.m. are liaVe to Tse arrested ; or if any boats are seen approaching the warships without permission' they are liable to be fired upon. . Capetown, April 12. ■ Arrived here at last, safe and sound. Tuesday we arrived within a short' distance of the wharf at rnitl-day, hut were l.ot landed until 6 o'clock m the evening. We weie all glad to be ashore once more and io have a good meal. Next morning we all got up feeling veiy fit and ready for the fray. On airlval at the office v:e found the P.M.O. very nice; he toltl us that 140 English nurses had arrived the day before by the Briton without warning. The Melbourne lairse (Sister Lenipiiere) pud the Queensland nurse (SisLer Houston) accompanied un to the office, and were at once taken on by the Imperial Government. They al«o get Imperial pay. Tlu-jgs aie rather in a. vavidle just now, and many nurses arriving at the same time made it rather difficult for them to place us. We make a party of nine, with, the two Australians, so we are to be split up in threes, and sent to hospitals 311 st out of Capetown m the meantime. Sisters Williamson, Piper, and Campbell go to Wynberg Hospital No. 1; Sisters Hairis, Lempriere (Melbourne), and Ross to Wynberg Hospital No. 2 ; Sixers Moii son, Houston, and jmyself to Rondebosh Hospital. Wynberg is about 10 miles from Capetown, is b beautiful suburb, and has a splendid tram seivice. Rondsbosh is one or two .stations before you get to Wynberg, and is also a beautiful place. Wynbsrg 'Hospital is all tents, and the nurses sleep in cottages. Ronrleboeh is also tented for- the njen, and the

nurses both live and sleep in tents. Mr Pil« cher, of the South British Insurance Company, has been invaluable to us; in fact, a perfecS good angeJ. Yesterday Jie took .us out. to see the hospitals, so that we might introduce ourselves, as we were "told to do at headquarters'. "While going out to Rondebosh Mr Pitcher introduced us io the captain of the City of Cambridge. His ship is lying out a little way, and on board she has some 30 odd Boer prisoners. Nine of them have already died. They are suffering from enteric iever and measles, and there are no nu-rses on board. He has signalled -over and over again for medical help, and cannot get^it. They have only Kaffirs -to attend to then^ and the Kaffirs drink all their milk. The captain says the whole affair will cause a fearful scandal. . . . The Salrimis is still here; she can't go on, because some of the officers, the quarter-masters, and all the firemen have deserted. One of the officers we saw ashore this morning; he had just 'listed for the front. As he is a Naval Reserve officer, it means that he has sacrificed all his prospects.