July 3rd. First day at sea and beautiful weather! The food and service are excellent. The whole ship is run in the usual routine manner, and it is increasingly hard to believe that the sea is filled with pirates bent on our destruction, or that we are on war bent. The nurses have taken off their street uniforms and donned summer girl clothes, which further adds to the delusion of a holiday excursion.
At noon General Headquarters are established in the foyer on Deck 4, with typewriters clicking away. There is much issuing of order and proclamation. McWilliams is made officer of the day and totes a cumbersome revolver lent him by Floyd and which is the badge of office.
Captain Trinder, the Adjutant—a bully fellow full of punch and go—gave the officers a talk on some of the elements of their duty in the lounge room, and was listened to with marked attention as every one is keen about mastering the details of his work.
Thousands of questions are asked about the most elementary details, because we are an absolutely ignorant lot as far as the military end is concerned. What little drill knowledge I picked up in the Troop or in the Spanish War has absolutely vanished.
An edict has been put out from G. H. Q. that no rum is to be sold on board and we are reduced to ginger ale and soda water. I managed to pinch just one cocktail the first night, and it was good.
The afternoon dragged along. We were ordered to get out life-preservers and carry them with us wherever we go. This is an absolute rule and we cannot be separated from them for an instant. The officers and men walk around with the preservers strapped to their backs, carrying them even to meals, where one kicks them under the table between one's feet while eating.
The rubber suits were gotten out and fixed on. I don't believe they can ever be adjusted in a general excitement which is bound to ensue in a smash-up, and then besides if there is any leak in the rubber, such as a pin prick, they would slowly fill with water. I shall depend on the old life-preserver.
The night is wonderful. Officers and nurses sit on deck singing. And they sing well. A beautiful full moon.
July 4th. My turn as officer of the day which, among its other duties, entailed dragging around "Rollo" Floyd's Colt automatic, and this blunderbuss grew heavier each hour of the day, so that by night-time it weighed nothing less than a ton. Was given a detail of twenty men out of which I appointed, as per instructions, two Acting Sergeants, one day and one night; two guards were assigned to Q. M. Ward; three to Headquarters and six to prison guard. It being a holiday the Headquarters and Q. M. guard were dismissed at noon, the prison guard being the only one maintained.