Vic – Mother: 28 Mar 1917

At Sea
28/3/17
Dear Mother
This is my second letter since we left, but it may reach you as soon as the first.  Of course you will understand that the most interesting news is not alloud to be put in letters.  We are not alloud to say where we are,where we are going, or how long we think it will take to get to the end of our journey.  The sea has been very rough since I wrote my last letter and it has been much colder than I have ever known it in N.Z.  Snow is again falling tonight and it is pretty hard to keep warm.
30/3/17
Today is pay day.  We are paid short from the 10th of March.  You will be able to draw from that date.  There are plenty of albatross round the ship and a lot of other birds I have not seen before.  There is plenty of amusement on the ship and I think it is far ahead of camp life.
1/4/17
Plenty of wild duck were seen today  They came close enough to the ship to be hit with pieces of coal thrown from the deck.
6/4/17
The sea is a lot calmer now and it is not so cold. We have plenty to do during the day when the weather is good, exercise in the morning, boat drill with lifebelts on and rifle drill in the afternoon and boxing for those who want it in the evening. Five Hundred is the popular card game, they have the same rules except that tricks are not counted after reaching 450, to prevent going out on tricks. There is a brass band, a mouth organ band and an orchestra, & we have musical evenings nearly every night.
11/4/17
This will be the 12/4/17 in N.Z. and this is our 30th day. day at sea.  I would like to describe where we are and where we have been but this is not allowed.  We have had all sorts of weather but I have never been sea sick and my health has never been better.  I will close this letter tonight so that it may be cencored in time for the first mail.  The war news is published every day, so that we know how things are going on.  The only thing we miss is the fresh water for a bath, for salt water is worse than none at all.

Vic