April 18th 1901

S.S. Tongariro

April 18th 1901

Dear Mother

Just a line to tell you we expect to reach Fremantle Sat 20th. I am fairly well thank God except a bit of cold. I think 90 percent of the men have. Several have had to go in hospital it is a complaint of influenza or something of that sort. We have not had the plague, so I do not suppose we shall have to go in quarantine.

We have had some rather startling experiences, we had fine weather for seven or eight days, then it started to be rough getting gradually worse, till it was very rough indeed. One night she couldn't face it, they had to turn round and drift before the storm. They only did 35 miles in the 24 hours.

There is about a thousand on board and a lot of jolly hard cases among them there has been any amount of fights and the other night the officer had the lights turned out, to see if that would stop the rows. Then there was a riot about 400 or so went on deck hooting and shouting and threw bottles and pieces of coal at the Saloon and at the Wheelhouse. Things began to look very serious but at last order prevailed and things quietened down. Next day several ring leaders were arrested and it has been quiet since.

I do not suppose I shall be home for some time yet perhaps a month it will take the most part of a fortnight to get to Brisbane and then they may keep us a while, they did with the first contingent we hear.

I am in bad form for writing so will not say more. I hope you got the tin box I sent with Mrs Pedder and trust you are all well and that the drought is over and the crops doing well.

Believe me ever
Your loving son
Ted