The Prescott daily news., 1915-12-29


 den Tells of His Dislike of Rarnegai and Describes Hardships That Affect the Men-Fresh Vegetables Hard Co Get. and Food Is Not Good.
 Life is one damp, cold thing after an- other for the crews ot the British blockading fleet that lies outside our three mile line waiting for the German ships that never come out. According to at least one ot the sailors, it is worse than life ill the trenches The monot Ony of loafng in the swell Of the sea watching for some little freighter from South America that must be held up and searched is getting on the mems nerves.
 Their food is Of the old fashioned lime luicer quality except when some daring sea grocer manages to bring q cargo of supplies alongside. and even then, with December seas running it's gamble whether the fresh vegetables from Barnegat or Norfolk will reach the cook or Davy Jones,
 One of the British cruisers engaged ill the peaceful blockade of our north Atlantic ports is the Sydney. which ran the German raider Emden ashore on an island in the Indian ocean and shot her to bits. After that the sydney roamed the North sea looking for German sub marines, and last month she was or dered off New York to relieve he cruis- Tt.fa
 clew In ZeaIandia Mystery.
 The letter below, written by mem Der of the Sydney's crew, seems to throw light on the Zeaandias advcn- ture but it is more interesting in show ing how the British seaman hates the job of watchfu waiting off our nearly neutral snores:
 Tt looks as though we were to spend another Christmas on the briny deep
 Tt has been terribly cold out here, and we have had hard time of it.
 'The other night we ran short of coal and had to shoot down 10 Bermuda and after getting there had to wait long time for a collier. We got our bunkers filled next day and had to come back here.
 "Of all the places in the world, Bar negat, or whatever they call it, is the worst.
 If it ain't blowing it's showing or raining, and there is continual swell running that keeps your inSides snug against your main companionway for days at a stretch.
 There's s nothing to do but hang on and off. watching for some bug of freighter that's expected up from some where in South America
 The only excitement we've had was the funeral of poor old Rob Siddons. You remember we three were together in Chatham last year. after had been invalided home from the sub patrol on the Dogger? Rob has been ailing for months, but he wouldn't quit To tell you the truth. he was too bloody old to stand the strain. So we dropped him over, and there was hardly dry eye aboard
 We sank a shot with him and his hammock, and we could well spare it, because we don't ever expect 10 need any off here
 Give me the life in the North sea chasing perrys Submarine periscopes, You could get a bit of thrill doing that and it was worth while getting hit. Out here you might as well be on a training ship
 Men Sickly and Unhappy.
 The men are mostly sickly. and you can't exactly call them happy. 'They have nothing to think of except the ar rival of the cutter with papers and let ters. Lord save us from another job like this
 "l suppose you heard how we lost Il man over the side who was reaching for sack of lettuce or something. He shot down between us and the rotten little tug so quick that there was no chance to save him.
 Norfolk may be all right for those tnterned Germans, but it's bad place from which to ship us greens in this sort of weather It was much better when we laid off Sandy Hook We got things regular then. They say we will either have to go down around Calves ton. stay here or go to Halifax if we want anything like rest, If you get news of where We are to go. as you probably will. send some note paper so can write my Christmas letters.
 "l wonder if you heard about any ship being run down about three days ago not far from Sandy Hook We had narrow squeak, although we laughed afterward about it.
 Guns Brushed Her poon