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berth for Van Dyke and no washing facilities in the cabin. Investigation showed a common washing room with rows of basins and a common bath room with one big bath and a number of small foot tubs. Later we found that the mode of procedure was to take a sponge bath in the individual tub and then rinse off in the big bath. There were several times during the voya·ge when bath day was announced and water was available for those who chose to go. There was no reason why any casual passer-by shouldn't look in, and I think the bath-steward went in and out as he pleased. In the room with basins, there was one hour of fresh water a day-half an hour in the morning and half an hour in the late afternoon-both times at children's meal times, so that I had to wash napkins in salt water and keep a pitcher full of fresh water for rinsing. The pitcher was one Mr. King had kindly given me in the Nam Ping hotel and we had used it for clean boiled water and also for tea. Clyde had a different coloured ticket from us and we found he was in a cabin with a private bath in the first class. The cabin was occupied by Mrs. Gates and three children, one a baby. Mr. Gates was assigned to the steerage with the other men. There were three berths. The babies were not provided with berths, so that made one short. Fortunately, the Gates' had brought a private crib. Of course I had the offer of sharing the private bath and though it seemed miles away from where we lived, at the extreme "aft," it was worth the journey for the luxury of a hot salt bath. A lady who had been interned in a French convent handed me a package sent by the Spanish priest. He had kept his promise and must have walked the five miles from town to Felix Villas and another five miles return on order to pick up a few photographs. But amongst the photographs, there was a tiny booklet of texts from the Bible for each day of the year. It had been given to me as a girl by a dear friend of mine, and owing to the brown cover must have escaped the eyes of the looters. I wish I could send a "thank you" message to that priest and tell him the inspiration I had from that little book.
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