Edisto (AGB 2) - Naval Cruise Book

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Before undertaking our voyage to the ice we were forewarned by the experience of GLACIER and EASTWIND that we would encounter a dollop or two of heavy weather around the latitudes of the screaming southern sixties-that portion of the wild South Pacific which brooks no transgression from man afloat without exacting a substantial fee. However we passed the voyage with only the most minor nautical gyrations. On the evening of 24 December the most widely-discussed question aboard concerned the chubby little man with the red sleigh. In the southern half of the world did Kris Kringlr me from the south pole or, as tradition has it, its northern counterpart. The question was sr ed when he didn't come at all. - one who had a desire for company on Christmas Eve gathered in the mess deck and Every the few colored lights from a small tree reflected on the faces of carol singers, accompanied by E'DISTO'S two guitars. Later, after carols had been exhausted, the watch on the bridge announced over the IMC that the first iceberg of the cruise was standing, a silent sentinel, off our Starboard bow. Our mess cooks provided holiday refreshment, hot chocolate, and the evening was spent group singing. Mr. Deming's hollow spoonbone put the finishing touches to a gala evening and that night as we dropped off to sleep, visions of sugar plums were just beginning to dance in our heads when we were awakened for the O4 to O8 watch, thus bringing us rudely back to our haze grey world. On Christmas Cirignano and Castleberry were on hand to pass out packages of cigarettes and a warm Christmas greeting as we filed past for our rations of tom turkey, and appropriate holiday accoutrements.

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the task begins