Visiting our only prisoner, I found him to be a clean-cut, alert man of apparently more than average intelligence. I made the poor devil as comfortable as possible, but was obliged to go through his baggage in search of any incriminatory evidence and to take any weapons away from him. These consisted of three razors, which were turned over to H. Q. Thompson, the prisoner, is, I believe, an actor—probably a super. He expressed a strong desire for a bible, so sent him the Chaplain later. He thanked me very profusely for this. I exceeded orders and allowed him to be on deck four hours, instead of two, as the day was stifling and his cabin not the coolest place in the world.
At night all singing was stopped as they say sound carries for a long distance over the water.
The life boats have all been swung out and men assigned to them. I am commanding officer of boat No. 21, starboard side, or the alternate No. 22, port side. Which boat is launched depends upon which side we are struck and how the ship lists.
Being the Fourth of July the dinner had an extra course and a few extra British and American flags about. In the evening we assembled in the Second Cabin for a smoker, only no one was allowed to smoke as all ports being closed you could cut the atmosphere. However, cigars and cigarettes were passed around and, I suppose, were used later. We had the usual burst of song, but it was such a beautiful warm night with a full moon that every one hurried on deck. I made my last round at eleven p.m. and turned in for a sound night's sleep.
July 5th. Another wonderful, hot day with only a mere ripple on the ocean. I turned over the old shooting iron to Floyd, and was jolly well glad to be rid of it. We have boat drill at ten a.m. I am captain of my boat. The orders are that in case of torpedo we man the starboard side first; if the ship is so listed that we cannot launch that side we take the port side. My boats are 21 starboard and 22 alternate port. I have three lieutenants and fifteen men besides certain members of the ship's crew. My boat is farthest astern; we are cut off from all commands on the bridges, and if we have to go over will practically have to work on my own initiative.
At four p.m. the stern gun fired three practice shots at a smoke target. The target was allowed to float about a mile leeward. The first shot was over, but the second and third were bull's-eyes. It was very pretty to see the shell ricochet. It made thin splashes in the water. In one it was markedly deflected to the left.
No smoking on decks after nightfall, and the smoking-room is so hot with everything locked up that one rather went without than sit indoors. It was a beautiful moonlit night and Russell and I sat on deck till twelve p.m., then turned in where I found McWilliams snoring peacefully.
July 6th. An uneventful day. Trinder is drilling the officers for an hour each afternoon. The parson tried to talk philosophy with me in the cabin. I was tired and these old sex problems bore me to death. He has just read one volume of Havelock Ellis and heard a lecture on psycho-analysis and is full of it. I told him the only philosophy I had was "live and let live," and all this analysis of a man's daily action was a damned bore as far as I was concerned. He left me in a huff. He is just bristling with uplift, but on the whole a good fellow.
Turned in about eleven and read "Captains Courageous" for a couple of hours, but got dreaming about subs and could not sleep. The ship's company on the whole seem more or less concerned, but all keep cheerful. My only hope is, that if anything happens, I won't lose my head.
July 7th. A cold, gray day, but a very pleasant change after the past six days of suffocation. General inspection in flannel shirts at nine a.m., and it was cold standing around. It was the first time I had seen the men all drawn up together and they looked well. The parson is peeved. He would hardly speak to me this morning, but it will probably wear off in time. This is an awfully good, tame crowd. There is none of the old freebooter spirit we had in '98. All older is probably the answer. But even the younger men are very quiet.