Lieutenant von Muecke, in charge of the landing party, was exceedingly agreeable. He informed me that he had landed three officers and forty men and his instructions were to destroy th: cable and wire-Jess stations, Further than this, he said, they would not go, and' all private property would be respected. He instructed me to collect the staff and take them to a place of safety as he was blowing up the wireless mast. Three charges had to be fired before it fell. The mainmast was considerably damaged, the topmast appears unhurt, and a short length is broken off the topgallant-mast. Instruments, engines, dynamos, batteries, etc., were all battered to pieces with huge axes, one of which I have and propose sending it to you as a memento.
The Emden was for " short time circling over the cables, but evidently worried by our wireless she almost immediately stood out to the entrance to watch for anything coming up. Ths only question I was asked was the whereabouts of the cable ends; the answer in the sea" appeared to satisfy them as I was not pressed. Whilst all the damage was being done ashore the launch was searching the foreshore for our cable.
Later they raised Perth which they experienced very great difficulty in cutting and which was one of the causeo of their not getting aboard the cruiser. The cut was made about three hundred yards from the jetty. At about 845 a.m. the Emden steamed in again and made frantic endeavours to recall her boats using both ber flags and syren. The launch appeared to be unwilling to give up her cable and some delay was experienced in getting her in and the men aboard. Lieut. von Muecke shook hands with me on leaving and apologized for having had to blow up our small engineer's store owing to there being a roll of electric light cable there and hoped the flames would not spread. All the men were looked over for loot and " few minutes later put out ta rejoin their ship. The office was left in a terrible state and it was difficult even to effect an entrance,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.