dir Ey ates 
ROE ee ae ot AP Ga TF ee VSS eed 
= F 4 ae) < 4 -] 
on the Biononucs of Southern Nigerian Insects. 333 
touching that he should speak as he does of work which 
gave me quite as much pleasure as it gave him. 
“The submarine statistics naturally have most interest 
for those about to go home. I do hope I may get safely 
through and back, but if not it cannot be helped. Before 
I close, however, and in case this might be the last of me, 
I would like to thank you again for the great and kindly 
interest you have taken in the little bits of things I have 
been able to do, not to mention the patience with which 
you have tried to guide me. [ve no doubt if I get no 
other chance to do better, somebody else will. [Aug. 14, 
LOLS." 
But he felt, after his long stretch of twenty-three months 
on the West Coast without a leave, that “‘ three months 
at home is something worth taking a risk for,” and he was 
longing “ for a sight of Scotland.” 
The memories of survivors, recorded in letters and in 
“ West Africa’ for October 12 and 19, 1918, bring before 
us a vivid picture of a voyage in the Great War. The 
“ Burutu”’ left Lagos on September 2, a day later than 
Farquharson had supposed, and reached Freetown, Sierra 
Leone, on the 7th. Here labour, reduced by influenza, re- 
quired twelve days for taking in coal, water, etc., and the 
mails were transferred to the Escort-ship of another convoy. 
When they sailed on September 19 the “ Burutu”’ was 
one of nine steamers, including three troopships. The 
voyage was uneventful until about October 1 when it 
became very cold and the sea rather heavy. At about 
this date destroyers met the convoy and took six steamers 
to southern ports, the remainder being escorted north by 
one destroyer and two “ Mystery ”’ ships. 
At about 11.0 p.m. on October 3, cold and wet with a 
rough sea, the “ Burutu,” steaming without hghts, within 
three hours of Holyhead, was run down in the darkness 
by a larger vessel, the ‘ City of Calcutta.” Then came a 
second collision with the same steamer, and this cut the 
boat clean in two and she sank in eight or nine minutes 
after the first blow—‘‘lost just as fully through the 
Germans’ unspeakable sea practices as if they had torpedoed 
her.” 
Some boats and gear were carried away, others capsized 
when lowered, and, although the “‘ City of Calcutta ” did 
what she could, it was only possible, in the heavy sea and 
TRANS. ENT. SOC. LOND. 192].—PARTS III, Iv. (JAN. 22) Z 
