“Inoculation for enteric began to-day with a dozen fellows.  Results rather alarming, as they all are collapsed already in hammocks, and one fainted on deck.  It certainly is no trifle, and I shall watch their progress carefully.  I can’t be done myself for some days, as I was vaccinated two days ago (after the first unsuccessful attempt), in company with Williams.  We went to the doctor’s cabin on the upper deck, and afterwards sat on the deck in the sun to let our arms dry.  After some consultation we decided to light a furtive cigarette, but were ignominiously caught by the doctor and rebuked.  ’Back at school again,’ I thought; ‘caught smoking!’ It seemed very funny, and we had a good laugh at it.

“It is a gorgeous, tropical night, not a cloud or feather of one; a big moon, and dead-calm sea; just a slight, even roll; we have sat over pipes after tea, chatting of old days, and present things, and the mysterious future, sitting right aft on the poop, with the moonlit wake creaming astern.”

Inoculation was general, and I was turned off one morning with a joyous band of comrades, retired to hammocks, and awaited the worst with firmness.  It was nothing more than a splitting headache and shivering for about an hour, during which time I wished Kruger, Roberts, and the war at the bottom of the sea.  A painful stiffness then ensued, and that was all.  My only grievance was that two dying horses were brought up and tied just below me, and dosed—­lucky beasts—­with champagne by their officer-owners!  Also we had the hose turned on us by some sailors, who were washing the boat-bridge above, and jeered at our impotent remonstrances.  In two days we were fit for duty, and took our turn in ministering to other sufferers.

We were a merry ship, for the men of our three corps got on capitally together, and concerts and amusements were frequent.  They were held al fresco on the forward deck, with the hammocks of inoculates swinging above and around, so that these unfortunates, some of whom were pretty bad, had to take this strange musical medicine whether they liked it or no, and the mouth-organ band which attended on these occasions was by no means calculated to act as an opiate.  Of course we had sports, both aquatic and athletic, and on the 18th Williams and I conceived the idea of publishing a newspaper; and without delay wrote, and posted up, an extravagant prospectus of the same.  Helpers came, and ideas were plentiful.  A most prolific poet knocked off poems “while you wait,” and we soon had plenty of “copy.”  The difficulty lay in printing our paper.  All we could do was to make four copies in manuscript, and that was labour enough.  I am sure no paper ever went to press under such distracting conditions.  The editorial room was a donkey engine, and the last sheets were copied one night among overhanging hammocks, card-parties, supper-parties, and a braying concert by the Irish just overhead, by the light of an inch of candle.  We pasted up two copies on deck, sent one bound copy to the officers, and the Montfort Express was a great success.  It was afterwards printed at Capetown.  Here is an extract which will throw some light on our dress on board in the tropics:—­