January 1st 1903.
All boats left ship at 5.30 & sea rough. Surf boats from shore refused to work under 10 rupees a trip. The large lighter brought here by Pomone broke adrift & went ashore in heavy surf. Troops saved her contents. Pomone’s & Perseus boats severely knocked about. Surf inshore too rough for boats so stores from Haidare were took to Pomone, so that troopers could clean away. Boats returned at 6.30 pm.

2nd  Cutters left 5.30 am. Finished unloading stores & troops from Haidare & Pomone.

3rd  Party went ashore to blow up rocks to make a safer anchorage for the boats of fleet.

4th  Blowing up party landed 1.40 pm. HMS Naiad arrived. Perseus ordered to prepare for sea at once. Left 16 hands on Pomone. Weighed and left with the mails at 6pm for Aden.

5th  Came across SS Swaverdale ashore. 10 boats from Aden assisting her. HMS Speedy had had left her the day before. We were under urgent orders so could not stop to assist her.

7th  Exercised small arm. General Quarters. Arrived at Aden 5pm. HMS Speedy here.

8th  Coaled ship 375 tons.

9th Provisioned ship. Divers away recovered a gangway lost last Nov. Took inboard surf boats. Chartered steam tug Dolphin.

10th  Took on board stores for Obbia also stores for Italian warship Caprera.

12th  Took two camels & a horse on board for Obbia. Party went to tug Dolphin. Left Aden for Obbia 11 am with mails & dispatches for Obbia. Took Dolphin in tow.

14th  Speed slow owing to towing tug. Usual routine.

15th  Hawser parted, another one bent. Arrived off Bander Alula & heard that natives were inclined to raid on SS Swaverdale. Natives severely cautioned by Perseus. 7.30 Weighed & proceeded. Weather very bad.

18th Sunday.  Arrived Obbia 8am. Naiad, Pomone RINS Canning & target transport Ranee here. We were ordered to lower all boats & assist in landing troops & stores at once. Canning brought two lighters here from Bombay.

19th  Cutters away 5.30am., one staying for repairs till 9am. General Manning here in command. Boats employed all day landing camels, tug towing boats back from shore to transport. Weather very bad.

20th  Cutters away 5.30am. Work resumed on transport.

21st  Work carried on the same. Surf not quite so bad. Large number of camels landed.

22nd   5.30 boats commenced as usual. All ships dressed. Boats finished the Ranee & returned to ship 2pm.

23rd  A cutter went away with divers & found several anchors that had been lost by tug & lighters. Newark Castle arrived from Durban with horses & mules aboard.

24th  Cutters away 5.30 am carried on unloading Newark Castle. Boats returned 6.30. Sea very bad. Tug got hawser round screw but natives cleared. Captain informed hands that we were on active service.

25th Sunday.  Boats away as usual. Transport Gaul arrived with stores and Boer contingent from Dunbar. Half the boats commenced unloading her. Weather bad, several seamen injured while getting horses into water. Lighter broke adrift total wreck on the rocks. One of our boats adrift during night. Tug found her drifting out to sea. Boat was seen from the ships with searchlights. Several animals drowned today.

26th  Cutters away 5.30. Pomone’s steamboat total wreck on rocks. Boats badly knocked about.

27th  Work with boats as usual started on SS Gaul. Weather bad

28th  Cutters away as usual. Transport Nowshera arrived loaded with camels. Newark Castle has 2,000 tons of stores aboard.

29th  Carried on landing camels from Nowshera. Weather bad. Sheik of Abbia arrested.

30th  Fulwell arrived with mails.

31st  SS Nowshera left with mail. Boats away as usual.

Feb 1st  SS Gaul left. Boats clearing Newark Castle. Weather bad.

2nd  Weather too rough for boat work. Ship rolling heavily. SS Ikhona arrived with 600 camels.

3rd  Weather still too rough.

4th  Weather very bad

5th  No boats lowered

6th  Weather moderated. Boats away & landing camels from Ikhona. Several drowned today. Boats returned 6 pm.

7th  Boats away as usual SS Wessman arrived with mails & wireless telegraph party from England. One seaman from each ship landed for telegraph. 350 camels landed today. Pomone left 10pm for Aden with mails.

8th  Boats away as usual. Weather bad. Finished Ikhoma she leaving at 9pm. RIMS Canning arrived with Camels and stores.

9th  Boats away as usual. Weather bad. Boats having to return at 4pm.

10th  Boats were away as usual. SS Siras arrived 2,500 tons of stores.

11th  Boats away usual time.

12th  Weather too rough for boats. HMS Cossack arrived with mails. Boats lowered at 2pm. Work carried on. HMS Cossack left 10 pm. with mails.

14th  Boats away as usual. Weather bad. Finished Newark Castle. RIMS Hardinge arrived 7.45pm. Boats fetching canteen gear from Hardinge. Newark Castle left

15th  Boats away unloading Sersa. RIMS Canning left.

16th  Boats working on SS Sersas. Italian gunboat Caprera sent coalbags to Perseus to be filled..

17th  Boats engaged coaling Italian warship Caprera. Dolphin turned over to Hardinge. Prepared for sea.

18th Feb  Left Obbia at 10 am with mails. Exercised Tube Cannon.

19th  Met HMS Pomone & received 18 men from her, they belonged to Bombay Defence which is now broken up. At 10am arrived & anchored off Elig. Lowered cutters & commenced sweeping for our lost anchor & cable. No results.

20th  Anchor & cable found & we left Elig at 3pm for Aden.

21st  Sats Routine, turned in boats.

22nd  Sundays routine.

23rd Gen Qrts. Carried out half Quarters firing. Acting QG fired.
Ran torpedoes. Arrived Aden 5pm. Ships here, Fox, Hermione, Intrepid, Cossack & four torpedo boats. Intrepid & Hermione attached from Straits.

23rd  Usual routine.

24th  Torpedo boat 103 left for Berbera.

25th  Fox left for Obbia at 7am. Intrepid & Hermione left for Quarters firing. Pomone arrived & coaled. Prepared for Coaling

26th  Coaled ship 260 tons. Intrepid & Hermione arrived. Torpedo boat 104 arrived.

27th  Execised Gen. Qrts. 5 Russian torpedo boats arrived. Concert aboard Hermione. Perseus invited. Letter read from Admiralty congratulating Perseus on smartness of ship.

28th  Sats routine.

29th Sundays routine

March 1st

2nd  Clear for action. Pomone took in upper deck cargo of stores. Diving party away searching for lighter lost by Pomone. Painting ship French Grey.

3rd  Two Russians arrived and anchored outside.