Thursday, July 1, 1915

At last it has come! We turned out at 5 and saw the lighters approaching. One of them was made fast to either side, amidships. About 6 we turned to. We were supposed to coal by watches half an hour long - but I didn't like the idea so I stayed in the lighter all morning without a rest. I didn't feel it then. There was the usually fighting for bags, and yelling for more bags, and cries of "Stand from under" as the crane hoisted from 10 to 16 bags. We stopped for breakfast at 7:30 and for lunch at 12:30. There were no sandwiches and coffee at 10, like last year. The coal was as clean as coal can be, not at all dusty, and very easy to work. I stayed on top of the pile all morning, and worked from the deck of the lighter in the afternoon. I was a sorry looking sight I guess - I know I felt as if I should have been. At for o'clock we had the lighters empty - we had taken on 843 tons. After we had finished with the coal our division went to the quarterdeck to wash down - ourselves and the deck. It was lots of fun. We all had swimming trunks on, and it didn't hurt us when someone turned the hose on us. We stayed there an hour, raising Cain and trying to get clean - in vain. Swimming call was sounded, but the jellyfish were too numerous to make the water enticing. The lie was put on the "The water's fine" when we saw the wince caused by a careless jellyfish. I got cleaned up later in the manger and felt fine. I wasn't sore or stiff, just plain tired. I stayed on deck until nearly eleven o'clock with the gang. It started to rain then and I went below.