Page 229 - Three Score Years & Ten
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“THREE SCORE YEARS AND TEN” MISSIONARY WORK IN CHINA
Amy Moore
given shelter from the heat and plied with cool drinks while we relaxed under the ‘punkah’. For those
who have never been out of Australia before, it was a lovely introduction to life in the tropics.
HONG KONG
Then came Hong Kong and here we had to stay longer than expected because our ship had to go into
dry dock for repairs. They put us up at the Peninsula Hotel on the Kowloon side for the three days
when it was impossible to sleep on the ship. Frankie celebrated his first birthday while we were there,
but unfortunately not only contracted measles but also was cutting teeth, so was quite unwell. How
thankful I was for the two big rooms our family were given at the Peninsula. I was able to put Frank in
a lovely big cot in a room by himself where it was quiet and cool. He was right off his food and was
quite feverish with very sore eyes. All he wanted was to sleep, so it was wonderful that we were not
on the ship.
Raymond and Alan enjoyed all the good meals provided for them in the hotel dining room, milk at
every meal and plenty of fruit and vegetables, so different form the ship food. Since the shipping
company were paying all our expenses, we made the most of everything.
Percy’s cousin, Les Andrew, was in Hong Kong while we were there and had actually been staying at
the same hotel, but when he found that his bill for the month was over £60 he decided it was too
expensive and moved elsewhere.
Frank did not enjoy his birthday at all, but by the time we had to get back on to the ship, he was
recovering and seemed more like his own bright little self again. He was a general favourite with
everybody on board. I often put him in his swing chair just high enough above the deck for his toes to
touch it and move himself back and forth. The old Scottish engineer liked to come up on deck
sometimes to sit near him, encouraging him by saying, “Kick ‘em up, Plugger Bill, kick ‘em up!” A
Japanese lady passenger was really delighted to see him looking so much better and told me she had
felt like crying when he was looking so white and listless.
By this time we had been six weeks on the Nellore and were all longing to get to Shanghai. Because
we were travelling when our country was at war, we had to black out our cabins every night. We were
not allowed to show any lights at all, and in the tropics this seemed to make it hotter than ever.
Lifeboat drill was taken very seriously, and we were told that if we were torpedoed, parents must throw
their children overboard first, and then jump in after them. There were no lifebelts for the babies
Frank’s age. I stood on deck and looked down at the dark green water far below, and could not
imagine ever being able to bring myself to throw my baby or any of our children into its depths.
Thankfully I was never called on to do it.
SHANGHAI
It was mid October when we finally reached Shanghai and were immediately thrown into a whirlwind of
re-packing and interviews with Headquarters staff. We were expecting to take Raymond to Chefoo
and see him settled in and also to catch up with Jess who was nursing in the hospital there. She was
delighted to think she would have her little nephew to care for, even though he would not be able to
live with her at the hospital in case of infections. In any case, he would be happier in the Prep School
with the children of his own age.
All this was not to be. As the Japanese were by this time holding all the coastal cities, it was decided
not to reopen the Language Schools for men and women at Anqing and Yangzhou, but to send all
229
Amy Moore
given shelter from the heat and plied with cool drinks while we relaxed under the ‘punkah’. For those
who have never been out of Australia before, it was a lovely introduction to life in the tropics.
HONG KONG
Then came Hong Kong and here we had to stay longer than expected because our ship had to go into
dry dock for repairs. They put us up at the Peninsula Hotel on the Kowloon side for the three days
when it was impossible to sleep on the ship. Frankie celebrated his first birthday while we were there,
but unfortunately not only contracted measles but also was cutting teeth, so was quite unwell. How
thankful I was for the two big rooms our family were given at the Peninsula. I was able to put Frank in
a lovely big cot in a room by himself where it was quiet and cool. He was right off his food and was
quite feverish with very sore eyes. All he wanted was to sleep, so it was wonderful that we were not
on the ship.
Raymond and Alan enjoyed all the good meals provided for them in the hotel dining room, milk at
every meal and plenty of fruit and vegetables, so different form the ship food. Since the shipping
company were paying all our expenses, we made the most of everything.
Percy’s cousin, Les Andrew, was in Hong Kong while we were there and had actually been staying at
the same hotel, but when he found that his bill for the month was over £60 he decided it was too
expensive and moved elsewhere.
Frank did not enjoy his birthday at all, but by the time we had to get back on to the ship, he was
recovering and seemed more like his own bright little self again. He was a general favourite with
everybody on board. I often put him in his swing chair just high enough above the deck for his toes to
touch it and move himself back and forth. The old Scottish engineer liked to come up on deck
sometimes to sit near him, encouraging him by saying, “Kick ‘em up, Plugger Bill, kick ‘em up!” A
Japanese lady passenger was really delighted to see him looking so much better and told me she had
felt like crying when he was looking so white and listless.
By this time we had been six weeks on the Nellore and were all longing to get to Shanghai. Because
we were travelling when our country was at war, we had to black out our cabins every night. We were
not allowed to show any lights at all, and in the tropics this seemed to make it hotter than ever.
Lifeboat drill was taken very seriously, and we were told that if we were torpedoed, parents must throw
their children overboard first, and then jump in after them. There were no lifebelts for the babies
Frank’s age. I stood on deck and looked down at the dark green water far below, and could not
imagine ever being able to bring myself to throw my baby or any of our children into its depths.
Thankfully I was never called on to do it.
SHANGHAI
It was mid October when we finally reached Shanghai and were immediately thrown into a whirlwind of
re-packing and interviews with Headquarters staff. We were expecting to take Raymond to Chefoo
and see him settled in and also to catch up with Jess who was nursing in the hospital there. She was
delighted to think she would have her little nephew to care for, even though he would not be able to
live with her at the hospital in case of infections. In any case, he would be happier in the Prep School
with the children of his own age.
All this was not to be. As the Japanese were by this time holding all the coastal cities, it was decided
not to reopen the Language Schools for men and women at Anqing and Yangzhou, but to send all
229
