Mr. ——, an ex-second officer of a captured British steamer, who was an invalid who had just come through three months' siege in the hospital on the Wolf, and I, had gone into the details of an enterprise of this kind, but unfortunately while this Britisher had the heart of a lion, he was physically unfit for anything as strenuous as this undertaking, and the matter was dropped, against his will, although he would admit that he might keel over any time. If the British army has many chaps like this in it, Kaiser Bill is surely going to catch hell. It is my belief that at this particular time, owing to certain conditions that existed, four good two handed men could have taken charge of the Igotz Mendi and probably would not have met with much resistance, except possibly from Lieutenant Rose, and I am sure it would have been a pleasure to tap him on the head.
The co-operation of the Spanish crew could not be depended on at this time, as they believed that in a couple of weeks they were to be free again, after coaling the Wolf at Trinidad Island.
AMERICAN SCHOONER "WINSLOW" BEING TAKEN INTO SUNDAY ISLAND AFTER CAPTURE BY THE SEAPLANE ON JUNE 7TH. IN THE BACKGROUND IS THE NEW ZEALAND STEAMER "WIARUMA" GOING OUT TO SEA TO BE SUNK BY THE "WOLF".
THE BLOWING UP OF THE AMERICAN SCHOONER "WINSLOW." 566 GROSS TONS. CAPT. TRUDGETT. SUNK JUNE 21ST OFF SUNDAY ISLAND BY FOUR BOMBS AND THIRTY-NINE SHELLS.
After the Trinidad Island disappointment, conditions were such that the taking of the ship by any of us, even with the unreliable co-operation of the Spanish crew, was not feasible.
The weather now was intensely cold and we all suffered intensely, as there was no heat of any kind in the cabins. Our bedding was continually wet and garments taken off on going to bed would be sopping wet in the morning from the "sweat" that gathered on the walls and ceilings. Personally I beat this part of the game by taking my clothes to bed with me. The food question, too, was getting serious, as owing to the cold weather we required more food to keep our bodies warm. The statement has been repeatedly made in the papers in Europe that on the Igotz Mendi the prisoners had the same food as the German Commander and crew. Let me show you how it was in reality. Eleven of us sat down at the first table with Rose at the head. The one platter started with him. He helped the party (a friend of his) on his right first, himself next, and passed the plate to the party on his left. This man was a glutton, and was without shame. These three people got very nearly and sometimes fully half of the contents of the platter; what was left was divided amongst the remaining eight, including five males, two women, and a little six year old child. If we asked for more, we were reminded that we were short of provisions and had to make them last. If the platter of food had been equally divided, and we had all shared alike, it would not have been so bad, but under this heads-I-win-tails-you-lose division I have got up from the table actually hungry. It is an awful sensation suddenly to realise that you actually covet the food another person is eating.