30 Jul - 11 Aug 1942, Rev. Buuck's autobiographical notes

The boys enjoyed making use of the elevator to its seven decks and the pool on the lowest level, which actually they were not to do but boys have a way of not noticing signs and getting away with it.

It took us several days until we were able to find our way around the ship without too much difficulty. Our cabin was toward the bow of the ship which at times gave us a bit of rough sailing.

The dining room for our section was one deck down and a thrill to behold with its tablecloths, napkins, and the best of silverware. Each morning the Swedish cooks prepared boiled eggs, fruits and delicious pastry; at lunch the fish, steak, potatoes, and olives were a real treat. We also had ice cream and the best of Swedish desserts. Now we really began to regain some lost weight and fill out our clothes.

The direction of our journey at this point was south, taking us around the Cape into the southern Atlantic, so that at the beginning of August we were in deep winter. Around the Cape the seas were angry and ran high so there were days when we were not permitted to be out on deck; however the closer we came to South America the warmer it got and the calmer the seas became.

One evening we noticed that the steamer was slowing down and making a turn. Everyone rushed to the top deck and beheld an eerie sight. We were circling a freighter, burned down to the water level, still smoldering. As they could find no survivors we sailed on.