There was talk of leaving the Hitachi where she was, with some weeks’ stores on board, with her coal exhausted and her wireless dismantled, the Wolf to send out a wireless in a few weeks’ time as to our condition and whereabouts.  If this had happened, there was further talk among us of a boat expedition to the Seychelles to effect an earlier rescue.  The expedition would have been in charge of the American Captain, some of whose crew—­neutrals—­were helping to work the Hitachi.  There was also mentioned another scheme of taking the Hitachi near Mauritius, sending all her prisoners and German officers and crew off in boats at nightfall to the island, and then blowing up the ship.  Lieutenant Rose admitted that if he and his crew were interned in a British possession he knew they would all be well treated.  But all these plans came to nothing, and as day by day went by and the Wolf, for reasons best known to herself, did not go out after another prize, though the Germans knew and told us what steamers were about—­and in more than one case we knew they were correct—­it became evident that the Hitachi would have to be destroyed, as she had not enough coal to carry on with, and we should all have to be sent on to the Wolf.

But the married men protested vigorously against having their wives put in danger of shell-fire from a British or Allied cruiser, and on October 30th sent the following petition to the Commander of the Wolf:—­

“We, the undersigned detained enemy subjects travelling with our wives, some of whom have already been exposed to shell-fire, and the remainder to the risk thereof, and have suffered many weeks’ detention on board, respectfully beg that no women be transferred to the auxiliary cruiser, thereby exposing them to a repetition of the grave dangers they have already run.  We earnestly trust that some means may be found by which consideration may be shown to all the women on board by landing them safely without their incurring further peril.  We take this opportunity of expressing our gratitude for the treatment we have received since our capture, and our sincere appreciation of the courtesy and consideration shown us by every officer and man from your ship with whom we have been brought in contact.”

He sent back a verbal message that there was no alternative but to put us all, women included, on the Wolf, as the Hitachi had no coal, but that they should be landed at a neutral port from the next boat caught, if she had any coal.

We were still not satisfied with this, and I again protested to our Captain against what was equivalent to putting our women in a German first-line trench to be shot by our own people.  He replied that we need have no anxiety on that score.  “We know exactly where all your cruisers are, we pick up all their wireless messages, and we shall never see or go anywhere near one of them.”  Whether