One matter made the captain anxious. He noticed little fires all over the ship on the decks and on investigation was told that the men: were merely lighting fires to cook food—open fires on wooden deck. planking. The officers were helpless to stop this dangerous proced-ing and the method of cooking was carried out throughout the voyage to Canton, Two days out from Shanghai, the Chinese military officer in charge. came to the bridge and complained that five men fell overboard the day before and two went over tha: morning. "If it goes on like this I won't have any men at all when. we reach Canton." he added.
The captain said that this was the first he had heard of the matter and asked why he had not been notified that men had fallen overboard that a boat could have been lower-the reply, "these soldiers no can swim, no can'do anything. More better' go on.
The captain urged that a_warning should be written in Chinese and placed in conspicuous places, but it never appeared.
At Jast they reached Canton after not too bad weather although some 4,000 of the men suffered from sea sickness with the consequent diseomfort to others.
The men were disembarked and the captain was ordered to await instructions with full steam up and to be ready to leave at a minute's notice. Ho remained so for three weeks. The cost of the coal involyed can be calculated by those who know how much it costs to keep full steam on boilers capable of supplying engines to propel, 7,500 tons.
After the three weeks, the ship took on 4,000 troops for Nankine. The same conditions prevailed and on the voyage.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.