be spared to protect the soldier against the climate and the sun, although we on our side felt bound to confess that when we appeared in full battle array we resembled a number of perambulating Christmas-trees more than anything else.
We were also anxious to get the men to a little position drill, for many among them were young hands and had much to learn. Among my own men I found many who knew nothing whatever about a rifle, and many more who had never fired a shot; so, explaining to them that their own safety, to say nothing of my own, lay in their being able to use their rifles with effect, we started to work in real earnest and two parades a day of an hour and a half each was the order. But it was not to be all work and no play on board, for we were all intent upon having a merry voyage and enjoying ourselves while we could. A list was opened for a series of athletic sports, and in a short time the entries showed that we should have many an afternoon's occupation. The events were as follows:— Long jump standing, wheelbarrow race, tug of war, Chinese puzzle, and cock-fighting, and much amusement was derived every afternoon by carrying out the programme. But we were
