Roland Bryant was sailing to Peru, his first voyage as an apprentice sailor, when he wrote a letter to his parents during a moment of homesickness. Aged 17 he describes how terrible life is on board the Denbigh Castle. As a 'first voyager' he is given 'all the dirty rotten jobs to do' and 'the Skipper hates the 1st Mate and therefore we get hunted round the decks like sheep.'

As a practising Christian, Roland is shocked by the 'swearing & blaspheming' by both officers and crew as well as the 'smoking and all sorts of wrong things'. This leads to him being teased and named 'Saint' but he assures his parents that, 'I am glad to say what none of the others can say that I read my Bible every night & say my prayers.'

Roland further describes the 'dirty weather' and awful food, 'All I had was a hard piece of bread 1 biscuit & a cup of fousty water. After 3 days leaving Antwerp we have practically been starved.'

The letter reveals his feelings of loneliness and his longing to see his family again, 'when I think to myself like this it makes me feel as homesick as anything. And people can't realise what that real feeling is until they are placed in such a position as mine'.

Sadly, Roland never returned home because the ship sank off the coast of Bridport, Dorset in 1913, losing all its crew and cargo.