100 years of the Murray Cods: Murray Bridge’s rowers journey home
Follow the Murray Bridge rowing crew’s journey to the 1924 Paris Olympics and back through the diary and photos of cox Bob Cummings.
From the notes and diary of R.A. Cummings, lightly edited for clarity, courtesy of the State Library of South Australia and the Cummings family.
September 8-14, 1924
We arrived at Port Said okay at 6am, loaded up and left again at 8.30am.
A few passengers went off, but it was too short a stay.
All day through the Suez Canal it was very warm, 102 on deck, 135 down below.
It was very interesting through the canal in daylight; we passed lots of ships and trains on the way.
Arrived at Suez at 11pm and did not stay, came straight through, then we had four hot days in the Red Sea, passing a P&O liner which came close over to us.
Games on board have started but it’s rather warm.
We’ve played for two or three dances now and they seem to like our music as well.
Arrived through Perim at midnight on Saturday night.
The journey so far has been real good but now starts the heat and the long days travelling without any interest.
We arrived at Aden – a nice place I don’t think – early on Sunday morning and transshipped mails for India and passengers to Bombay and the Persian Gulf, 46 passengers in all.
It was hot.
Several people went ashore but didn’t stay long, it was too hot and not interesting.
We left Aden at 2.30pm on Sunday and I was glad to leave.
We’re supposed to arrive at Colombo on Saturday.
We have a swimming tank on board; some of the chaps make use of it, but it is rather small in size.
We have had a boat drill twice since we left.
About 97 passengers alighted at Colombo.
We’re putting on the clocks every night now.
Plenty of sharks have been seen, and dolphins.
Peculiar: at Aden we weren’t troubled with natives selling their goods, because of Sunday perhaps.
Reading books the from ship’s library is in full swing and drinking plenty of iced squash and cool drinks.
September 8, 1924
I met two folks on board today; one, Miss Hurley, I used to work with her at Stirling exchange years ago – I thought I recognised her when we left London although I was not sure.
Strange that after all these miles, the world is not so big after all.
Dancing is the popular routine again on board the ship, although this is not to be compared with the Ormonde and especially the band.
Thomas et cetera played last night and they liked it immensely, danced to it to on the lower deck ... all went as to plan.
The Mooltan is 21,000 tons, the largest one of the mail ships that go to Australia, and is a fine boat to travel on.
We passed her sister ship, Maloja, at Marseilles – two fine ships.
They do about 15 knots carrying first and second class passengers travelling later and is equal to first on the Orient line.
Stewards are all colored-race lascars in the majority, but do things in good style.
All the chaps are well.
Three bicycle riders and a wrestler of the team are travelling with us home.
September 7, 1924
We’ll pass Stromboli today sometime and then the Straits of Messina.
It’s getting warmer now as we proceed to Port Said.
We expect to arrive there on Wednesday sometime.
Had a church service today.
