voyage. When he became tired, the brute on the opposite side took up
the refrain, so that it seemed like Morse signalling on a large scale.

We reached Colombo on the 13th January, and found a number of ships of
various nationalities in the harbour. Our convoy almost filled it. We
were soon surrounded by boats offering for sale all sorts of things,
mostly edibles. Of course no one was allowed on board.

After arranging for Major Stewart's accommodation at the hospital, we
transferred from the ---- to the ----. The voyage was resumed on the
15th. When a few days out, one of the ships flagged that there were
two cases of appendicitis on board. The convoy was stopped; the ship
drew near ours, and lowered a boat with the two cases, which was soon
alongside. Meanwhile a large box which had been made by our carpenter
was lowered over the side by a winch on the boat deck; the cases were
placed in it and hoisted aboard, where the stretcher-bearers conveyed
them to the hospital. Examination showed that operation was necessary
in both cases, and the necessary preparations were made.

The day was a glorious one--not a cloud in the sky, and the sea almost
oily in its smoothness. As the hospital was full of cases of measles,
it was decided to operate on deck a little aft of the hospital. A
guard was placed to keep inquisitive onlookers at a distance, and the
two operations were carried out successfully. It was a novel
experience to operate under these conditions. When one looked up from
the work, instead of the usual tiled walls of a hospital theatre, one
saw nothing but the sea and the transports. After all, they were ideal
conditions; for the air was absolutely pure and free from any kind of
germ.