Here is another letter written by Trooper Lempriere, this time whilst on the voyage out, on board the Troopship Kent.
Llandudno Advertiser, 2 Mar 1900
Troopship "Kent",
Las Palmas,
Feb. 15th.
Dear Stan,
You will see we are now getting on the way for South Africa. We have been having a very rough time through the Bay of Biscay, and worse weather outside. The ship has been rocking all the time for the last four days, and it is the poor horses I feel for, they are placed in boxes only just big enough for one, and they run all down the length of the ship like a dog show, but not much room; eight of the poor beggars are dead and have been thrown overboard, and I fear we shall lose a lot more before we leave the ocean for Cape Town. We have had a lot of men sick, in fact, very few have escaped sea sickness. I think, Tom Davies, Owen Roberts, Georgie Goodwin, and myself, are the only 4 of the boys who have not been bad. It has done me good and I am as cheeky as ever I was in my life. Tom Williams and E.O. Williams have been very bad. E.O. Williams and Oliver Jones are bad now. I will give you a rough outline of what we have to go through We sleep in hammocks, slung up to rafters just close enough to each other to get a nice little bump every time the ship lurches, which does so about every ten minutes, and then the poor horses plunge and stamp so as to make sleep impossible to a light sleeper. Then in the morning a gent kindly comes round the ship and play a most interesting tune on a trumpet, at which we have to tumble out for stable duty, a very lively job. I am glad I do not have to do that, being officer orderly to our Colonel. I only have to answer my name at roll call and then I am off all the day, and only have the Colonel to look after. Now just fancy the poor boys having to go between the horses’ legs to clean them out, and they are so close together that several of the men have been kicked and bit by them. We have the Compton Horse Troop with us under Lord Compton, and the Leicester men under Lord Cowley, and several noblemen amongst the ranks. After stables, breakfast, hot meat, porridge, coffee and tinned goods, then a short parade, and then a few hours to ourselves to walk or sit about deck and smoke. Dinner at one o’clock (good too), stables at 3 o'clock, tea at 6 o’clock, smoking concerts on deck after that till 9-30; then we have to turn in and sling our hammocks for bed. I should like you to see the men who go down deck for the grub trying to carry it back, and down the stairs to the mess tables sometimes; the ship gives a lurch and some of the men will go sprawling on deck or down the stairs and upset the dinner to the amusement of all, except the men at the table whom the dinner was for.
I must now conclude with love to all at home and best wishes.
I remain, your old chum,
C.R. LEMPRIERE.
P.S.—Thirteen horses dead now.
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