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The vessel is a good one. It was built by the Bosche in 1914 for the Australian trade. She is a slow boat [[strikethrough]] [[?]] [[/strikethrough]] ^[[constructed]] for comfort and is well put together as I judge from what experience I've had in ship material. The average speed is 12.5 knots an hour so with wind against us it has been -- one day especially reaching a 40 mile gale when every ^[[indoor]] stairway and sheltered companionway was a mass of officers -- we only make 300 to 315 miles a day.

we have an abandoned ship drill every day or so when at first call we stand fast, second call go to bunks, put on life preservers and sweat in the hold, and third call file out to assembly places. To keep the spirit of the times everybody assembles on [[being?]]