Ahoy Shipmates

This is a letter from Frank B Lesher an Electrician on the USS Virginia:

"Colombo, Ceylon
December 15th, 1908

Dear Papa,

We are now at anchor in the harbor of Colombo, lying behind the finest breakwater that we have seen this cruise.

More anon-
On the eighth of December as we were passing through the end of the Straits we had quite a rescue scene from this ship. Two men were lost overboard from the USS Rhode Island which was the fourth ship ahead of us, the three ships ahead lowered their life-boats and we also lowered ours, the man was passing by our ship as we lowered the boat and we were just in time to get him. The other fellow must have hit his head on the armor belt of some other part of the Rhode Island side as he was not seen after he passed the second ship from the R.I.

Altogether the trip from Manila to this port was a most delightful one, interspersed with beautiful moonlight nights. The mail brought me three letters from you, dated Oct. 23rd, Nov. 17th, and Nov. 4th. All of which I was very glad to get, also got a letter from Mr. Clendenin, and the papers from home giving all the election news, also the Putnam magazine. Received a Xmas and New Years card from Mr. and Mrs. Brewer addressed to me at Colombo.

Have not been able to see Harry Lesher on the Kearsarge as the men of the fleet do very little visiting, as after a days work they feel more like taking it easy than to visit around.

The sun rises about six-thirty and sets about six pm.

You must have had a most enjoyable time at Fredericksburg, Md. Taking in the battle-field and monument exercises.

I did not get any China shawl for Mrs. Ramsey, but suppose I can scrape up some thing to give her out of my assortment. Will use some of the Xmas stickers and gave some away to my friends as you suggested. I will certainly take in the Sanatorium when I get home. I thought about Fusi Tsukimoto, when we were in Japan, but did not know in what part of the Empire she lived. I remember her very well, and the chop sticks that she gave to us.

Am going ashore tomorrow and 74 miles inland to visit the capitol of the Island “Kandy” and will tell you more about it in the next letter. Sent you some cards with pictures of the city upon them.

Upon the arrival of the fleet outside of the breakwater we had to split up and wait until the pilots could come out and take us in as there are only six pilots in the corps. It took the greater part of the day to anchor us inside the sea-wall, and we certainly helped to swell the number ships in the harbor, which at all times is a busy one.

Colombo is a city of 200,000 people. The principal exports of the Island being precious stones, tea, spices, coconut oil, and other tropical products. The inhabitants are the native Singhalese, and a number of Parsees, Tamils, and Malays, and a mixed population of Dutch, English and Portuguese.

Each day the fakers come out to the ships with their stones, fruit, post-cards, ebony boxes, snakes, and other merchandise. They try to sell you all sorts of bad stones. Don’t think I’ll invest.

The weather is most delightful, and there is a cool breeze blowing all the day. We coaled ship yesterday and took aboard eleven-hundred tons which will run us to Suez together of course with what we have now. Will Close for this time, and will write in several days informing you of what I saw on my trip.

Love to Mother,

Affectionately, Frank"

Cheers


Sean