Transcription
Dear Papa,
I have not received any mail since I wrote(?) you last. So I guess the Se[?]mans must have got some of it. The parcel(?) has not yet come with(?) the [??] it but may yet, and may have been(?) delayed ch[?]ge of [?].
I have struck things fine here. I've(?) come here on Monday last, a party(?) of 24, of which [?] three [?] the red compass(?) and [????????????????].
I received some money from the Bank yesterday as I [????????] me some when the [?] arrived. Papa, it was awfully nice of you(?) to spare me $50. [?]. I know you haven't much and am [?] you sacrificed to spare me that. I won't need to ask for(?) any more as this will do me [?] I draw my allowance and [????] pay. But I wouldn't have asked(?) you(?) if I hadn't been in desperate need of money, so I knew I would need some here during the five weeks I am here, as I do not draw pay here and it is [???]. So for appearances sake, I had to have some money to pay my debts, and [????] the other [?] had any to spare [???] as bad off as I was.
Conditions here are splendid and I am comparatively happy. First, as [?] our quarters. There are no [????]. I am writing this in the afternoon of the officers' [??] where we eat being treated as officers. The room is [?] up like a club-room, with[???????]. The sleeping huts are [?] officers, partitioned off into rooms for two or three. I live with a [???] named Kirkman(?), an awfully nice [??] returned from the [?]omme where he was [?]. Our room contains two low straw(?) beds, two [???], two chairs a [??????????????????] I am perfectly comfortable. [???] cleans our boots, buttons,[???]. we have absolutely no work to do [???] which is a pleasant(?) change from [??] where we had almost more that we could manage to do [?] get any studying done.
Our first parade(?) is at 9 a.m. so I don't have to get up till 8.a.m although(?) I do. We work till 11 when we break off for half an hour, and then continue till 1.p.m. In the afternoon we parade(?) at 2 until 4 when we break off for half an hour for tea, then continue till 6:30 or 7. When we are [?] for the day. Dinner (?) is at 8 pm. and is formal, lasting till 9:15, a [?] the [?] are light [?] to the scarcity of [?]. [???] meaning(?) [??] and "slacks", that is, [?]. My new ones are fine.
[??] plain(?) is a huge affair. You(?) [??????????], not like a plain(?) out west in Canada. There are [?], the [?] which I don't know, [?] once in a while. Whether they are the burial places of ancient Britain or of(?) the [??] the numerous [????] battlefield, I don't know. But the [????] is only about a mile and a half away from my [?], in plain view. [???????] worshiping the priests of the ancient Britain(?) still standing. It(?) was right about 1700 years B.C. [????] it this afternoon. [??????????] each pair of pillars being c[??]ed with a [?] laid across. How they ever(?) got those huge stones(?), [???] high and [?] thick [??] into the plain in(?) the burial(?) place, and the equally huge [?] stone on top in(?) the second place is a mystery. [?] is almost [?] feeling of [???] upon them and [????] what those ancient stones have [???] landed on this island.
We have also [?] the Australian camp which [?] ours. The Canadians have a camp too but some distance away. I am going down their [??]. We saw(?) lots of captured Se[?]man in their uniforms working(?) in the roads. They looked at us quite int[??]ly when we passed.
We are to(?) have a lot of [?] here. I have always got used to seeing the shells burst(?) and hear their scream during flight. [??] it during the whole flight. We have [?] had any firing yet. This [?] is to last [????], and I have already put in a week. [?] hardly seems [?] I have [????] the time has passed so quickly. Yet it seems ages and ages since I left.
Well there is no more [?] this time but I will write [?] from here. I [??????????????????????????????????]
Harry
...?...Transcriber
Mia LaguerreLanguage
English
