6.  I sent an officer on board to see the captain, and in view of the large number of prisoners and wounded, and lack of accommodation, etc., in this ship, and the absolute impossibility of leaving them there, he agreed that if I received his officers and men and all wounded, “then as for such time as they remained in Sydney they would cause no interference with ship or fittings, and would be amenable to the ship’s discipline.”  I therefore set to work at once to tranship them—­a most difficult operation, the ship being on weather side of island, and the send alongside very heavy.  The conditions in the Emden were indescribable.  I received the last from her at 5.0 p.m., then had to go round to the lee side to pick up 20 more men who had managed to get ashore from the ship.

7.  Darkness came on before this could be accomplished, and the ship again stood off and on all night, resuming operations at 5.0 a.m., on November 11th, a cutter’s crew having to land with stretchers to bring wounded round to embarking point.  A German officer, a doctor, died ashore the previous day.  The ship in the meantime ran over to Direction Island to return their doctor and assistants, send cables, and was back again at 10 a.m., embarked the remainder of wounded, and proceeded for Colombo by 10.35 a.m., Wednesday, November 11th.

8.  Total casualties in Sydney:  killed, 3; severely wounded (since dead), 1; severely wounded, 4; wounded, 4; slightly wounded, 4.  In the Emden I can only approximately state the killed at 7 officers and 108 men from captain’s statement.  I had on board 11 officers, 9 warrant officers and 191 men, of whom 3 officers and 53 men were wounded, and of this number 1 officer and 3 men have since died of wounds.

9.  The damage to Sydney’s hull and fittings was surprisingly small; in all about ten hits seem to have been made.  The engine and boiler rooms and funnels escaped entirely.

10.  I have great pleasure in stating that the behaviour of the ship’s company was excellent in every way, and with such a large number of young hands and people under training it is all the more gratifying.

It will be seen from Captain Glossop’s despatch that he was on escort duty with the convoy under the charge of Captain Silver of H.M.A.S. Melbourne.  This convoy was carrying Australian and New Zealand troops to the scene of the great conflict in Europe.  The act of self-denial on the part of Captain Silver in sending the Sydney to engage the Emden, instead of taking that duty upon himself, certainly deserves to be noted.  This officer denied to himself and to the officers and men under his command, the privilege of dealing with the notorious raider, and in so doing he was actuated solely by his high sense of duty and the responsibility that he owed to his country.  In his judgment the Sydney was the more suitable ship, so she was sent, and the Melbourne remained with her convoy until the affair was concluded.