What follows are some transcripts of a few letters that my great grandmother, Margaret McInnes, sent to her family in South Australia from South Africa in the months just after the War. She was a young school teacher who volunteered to come to South Africa to teach Boer children; many had been in-turned in concentration camps during the War.

WRITTEN ON BOARD THE TWIN SCREW STEAMSHIP “MEDIC”

The Indian Ocean
August 18th 1902


Dear Ma

There are so many things to tell you I hardly know what to start at. Annie will be home before this and will have told you all our Melbourne experience so I can begin from the departure of the Medic.

First Act.
Take notice everybody I’ve not been sea sick! Lee won’t believe it I know but it’s true. The Medic left punctually at 12.00. We all stood on deck and watched and watched till it was too dark to see any more. It was an awful feeling. I seemed to forget it was only Melbourne I was leaving and think only of home. When the tea bell rang we went below to explore. The Medic’s alright except the cabins which are dreadfully crowded. I can’t get used to dressing in a space 6ft by 2.

Friday was very rough – only three ladies faced the deck. Margaret Morison and 2 others. I got on splendidly till after dinner. I went downstairs for something when the cabin door slammed on my finger. It was awful. I crept up on deck again and collapsed. Some gentlemen administered whiskey. I spent a couple of miserable hours but got up and played cards in the evening.

Next morning everybody was very sick but those same three. We had to dress and feed lots of them. They call me “nurse” on board. I have one patient still on my hands. She is from S. Australia and has had an awful time. Sick every day. Just lives on champagne and dry biscuits.

Sunday we had church. There are two clergymen on board. Church of England and Baptist. One takes morning the other evening service.

Monday people were getting better and began to be dissipated. A sports committee was formed and they keep things going. Everyday there are amusements of some kind. Quoits, deck billiards, cricket, ping-pong and races of all kinds. I won the nail-driving competition.

We have two pianos, violins, banjos, flutes, tin whistles so there’s plenty of music.

There are about 400 passengers all very agreeable and notwithstanding some discomforts we have a very good time.

Coronation Day everybody was very excited. Sports in the morning and a special dinner at one o’clock we all went below. Everybody stood up and sang “God save the King”. Drank his health in champagne and then had a jolly good dinner. In the evening there was a fancy dress ball. The deck was beautifully decorated with flags and pot plants. It looked just lovely. So different from anything on board.

Mr & Mrs Bethel go out with us. He’s the secretary of the committee who selected us and is sent out to see that we are properly treated when we reach S.Africa. He’s very nice and his wife just perfect. She has been so good to all the sick ones. Its been an extra rough trip they say but this boat is so steady the motion is no worse than the express train except when its very rough sea. One day the sea was dashing right over the bow but I didn’t mind a bit. The rougher it is the better I like it. The teachers all seem agreeable. Special provision has been made for them. We have reserved tables and special food is prepared for us. Our appetites are dreadful. We eat all we can & pocket the rest for we’re hungry again long before meal times. There are several Adelaide people on board & they’re real good to each other.

Margaret

Mountain Villa Hotel
29 Schoonder Street
Gardens, Cape Town

25 August 1902

Dear Annie,

Cape Town’s lovely, grand, magnificent. Words simply fail. I never thought such beauty could be. Sighted land on the 23rd at 3pm. People went nearly made. Just stood and gazed at it for the rest of the day. Great hills mixed up with the clouds. Were in sight of it all day.

Sunday – entering Table Bay at 4 or 5pm. It’s magnificent. I couldn’t take my eyes off for hours. The authorities came on board but we were not allowed to land till this Monday morning. Got ashore about 9.30. Met by a lady from the Education Dept. and driven to the best hotels in the town. Here we are issuing our orders with all the assurance of Australians. Oh, it’s wonderful; people of all shades & dresses some of them so quaint. The dark women wear brilliant coloured shawls tied round their heads; and little black children in such queer garments. The streets are so narrow, not room for cars to pass. One has to draw up till the other goes by and the drivers take it so calmly, don’t even swear. One place our conveyance had to wait till they cleared a heap of stones off the road.

We are here for two days and then go on to the Transvaal or Orange River State. A special train is to take us there and a lady – Miss Noble goes in charge. We’re just going to set out to view the sights & do some shopping. Oh I do wish you were all here to see too. I feel selfish seeing it on my own. There are 5 – our special set all together. We hope to be stationed near one another. That’s to be decided tomorrow.


Capetown. Wrote Annie about our arrival. Since then we have our appointments. I & my special pals go to Pretoria. Everyone tells us that’s the best place in S.A. We leave tonight for our place of abode. Special trains. A week on the way. We’re put up at the best hotels & while on the train are allowed 15/- a day for food etc. Not bad is it?

Today we went to look over Cecil Rhodes’s house. It’s wonderful. Will write a description later. I’m too excited to settle to anything. Everything is so strange & beautiful. There’s no mail to Australia for a fortnight so you’ll get several letters together.

Good bye for now.

Heaps of love to everybody,

Maggie

Address: c/o Director of Education
Pretoria
Transvaal, South Africa

*More letters to follow as they are transcribed.

Hello Mark,

Let me be the first one to thank you for these wonderful posts. It was a great pleasure to read these letters.

An amazing insite to post war South Africa and the adventures of a young woman doing her bit for the children of the country.

Excellent.

Thanks and Regards

Adrian

Hi Mark

These letters are a wonderful addition to this forum and I look forward to reading more of them.

Regards
Brett

Thanks, Adrian and Brett,

I'll get the train trip up north up tomorrow morning.

Best,

Mark