It seems to me that I am in a different world. When I stepped out of the boat yesterday, I felt like leaving wilderness. Everything just seemed to be other, nicer - the Italian soldiers are kind. We do not understand a single word of theirs but there is one thing we understand very soon: "Mangiare". I threw rags off my boots that I tied onto them to hide them from the spy-like Serb eyes. In the evening, we reached an Italian army camp and got rice soup from cans with meat and biscuits. Oh how I enjoyed those few spoons of hot, salty and greasy soup! I hadn't eaten salty soup in more than 20 days! We slept on a hill. It was freezing at night so we set out at 5 in the morning not to freeze. We were not allowed to light fires. We are going to Valona. We can see the beautiful Valona bay as early as noon.

The port is beautiful, there are about 7 large steamers. About 4,000 prisoners are crowded at the port, they push forward, step on one another and fall to the sea. The Italians have fun throwing pieces of biscuits among them and watching the prisoners fight just as dogs fight for bones. Finally, at 10 p. m. I managed to get to a motor boat that took us to a large cargo steamer - "Armenia" from Marseille. It's a cattle ship, there are troughs in it. I sleep in the hold.

My breakfast was a cup of coffee and a biscuit. How I enjoyed coffee, nice and sweet, that I had not had for so long! My lunch was rice, meat and some wine. People are like cattle - the Italians are nice but good manners just don't work with our fellows. They only obey a whip. At four, the anchor was lifted and we set out. I am seasick, can't sleep the whole night.

This morning, they drove us to the upper deck, stripped us, bathed us and dressed us in Italian uniforms. Meanwhile, they cleaned the lower deck - threw all our things to the sea and disinfected all rooms. They threw away all our things - shoes, blankets - I just managed to save my diary that was already on its way out. Things that the men had to drag all through Serbia and with which they didn't part even in Albania are now floating. But, unfortunately, there's more that they throw to the sea - the dead: there were 20. Our ship is still cruising along the coast, accompanied by two more: Sinai and Danten. So, yesterday was the end of that unlucky year 1915, in which I put so much hope and which disappointed us so much. Everyone of us believed that that year would bring us liberation - and, instead, it was a year of the worst tribulations and misery. The last three months were the worst, more than 4,000 people died and those who stayed alive look like skeletons. Today, free of those rags and in clean underwear once again, we look ahead on the new year with new hopes. Will it bring me what I long for - peace, freedom and escape?

When I felt bad or good, the memories of my home always gave me strength and patience.

Now, so far from you, my dear ones, somewhere near north of Africa, I am wishing you and myself much happiness and good health in the new year! May God fulfill my only wish - may we all meet again and stay in good health!

I wish I were free and at home today, just as I were two years ago.

The night was cold, we have no mantles or blankets, but no lice either. The meals are poor - a bowl of soup with a few macaroni and a few bits of meat for 10 people. This is to be divided among ten people hungry like wolves!

Many people die of exhaustion and being seasick. They just throw them in the sea and that's it. Nobody cares about their names.

We keep sailing and we are still hungry. There was no supper, just 3 spoons of macaroni for lunch. That's a strange beginning for a new year. The ship doctor said we mustn't eat much as we are weak. But we are weak because we are hungry like wolves!

Today we landed on an island. About 8 large steamers are anchored here. We are so hungry. They give us less and less food every day. Many dead men were thrown into the sea again today. They think they can stop that dying by giving us less food. The lunch was very poor. They keep giving us biscuits instead of bread. I am looking forward to a piece of bread so much. I am as hungry as I haven't been since the Albania days. Lunch is 5 spoons of soup, supper is just coffee. We are completely hopeless. We lie in the hold, many a sick among us. I saw one who could not eat macaroni and vomited them. A Croat came and picked the macaroni from the vomit on the floor.

At noon, they started discharging us on the Asinara island where we are supposed to be for the quarantine. It's a small and bare island, just rocks and shrubs. Thousands of prisoners are camped here. Everyone of us got a can of meat and biscuits. I made soup from the sea water. I met Salomoun and Hruska. We sleep in one tent. Also Roubik, Cerny and others are here.

It seems like a feast today - I am sate once again. The day is beautiful and warm. The worst thing is that there is no water. We walk very far to get it - somewhere in the rocks, we have to dig a hole and wait till the water appears and then take it out with a spoon. It's bad and muddy, but what can you do when you're thirsty! We get l meat can and 3 biscuits daily. I signed up with two groups so that I get a double dose.

Disease is spreading among us. The water is to blame. Canned meals are salty so people drink muddy water - even sea water. Then stomach starts to ache, diarrhea comes and as people are weak, sometimes they are dead on the second day. These are the consequences of Albania, all that strain, suffering etc. People get as far as here and then die. We sleep under tents without blanket and it's cold at night. We make campfires, there is abundance of wood. About 140 people died in our camp last night. It is terrible to look at those slim figures.

The meals are all the same every day. It is very windy today, the wind tears down our tents. I got a cape today. They identified the disease - it's Asian cholera brought from Albania. People who lay down healthy are stiff in the morning. We are crammed in tents by five and the infection spreads very fast. You can see a poor creature in spasms behind every shrub. They are all very thirsty, so they crawl to the sea, drink and soon they're dead. Drinking water is extremely rare. A few feeble springs in the rocks are besieged by the thirsty all day. The sick get here, drink the water that kills, then they get in the shrubs and die, unrecognized and unidentified. Our island is not large; it is near Sardinia and it's but rocks. They say that Turkish prisoners were here years ago, building wide stonewalls. Our camp is in the middle of the island. On one end of the island, there is a camp called "Real", ours is called "Streti" and then there is "Tamborina".

There are more and more sick and dead every day. Doctors examine us every morning, everyone must put their pants down and show their shirt. People deny that they're sick because otherwise, they would be separated immediately. Doctors are our countrymen but they have no medicine. They promise us all the time that they will cook meals for us but they keep feeding us from cans. To our surprise, we got a loaf of bread each instead of biscuits today. I liked it so much!

Feldwebel Salomon is in charge of newly established hospital. I moved along with him to be a cook. We make coffee but it's difficult to get any water. I fetch it at midnight! Croats started bargaining with water. They walk among the sick, selling water for biscuits and robbing the sick. We set up night watches. We got 30 cans for the sick; the wind tore down our tent and someone stole the cans. I have good times, there is coffee and bread enough. The disease is rising still and more and more men die day by day.

We cooked hot meals for the first time today - rice and meat and rice soup in the evening. The meat is frozen, from Argentina. Salomon organizes coffee parties - there are more and more frequenters day by day. Each platoon prepares coffee for its members. The camp is now divided into groups named after the ships that brought them - Sinai, Armenia, Dante, Regina, Elan etc. Each group is divided into platoons of 50 men. The men are divided by their nationalities.

Cholera is raging horribly, the number of the dead is peaking. Today, they counted about 1,800 of them. They gather them in piles and then bury them in one grave. Nobody tries to find out the names of the dead. Frantisek Saroch died in the other camp (a neighbor from my place of birth, Vrany near Peruc); he was brought along with the sick and died on the third day approximately. Cannot get any news about Tonik (my stepbrother).

The Italians bring water on ships, also meat and rice or macaroni every day. Cholera seems to have stopped somewhat. Today I met Karel Reichl, he told me that Kulma had died there.

What makes the boys suffer the worst is that there is nothing to smoke. They smoke dry leaves or grass - anything they can. They pay 1 Serb Dinar for 1 cigarette. Anyway, the value of the Serb money dropped greatly. Ferdinand sold a 100-Dinar banknote for 15 Lire. The rate of dying is decreasing, so at last, the disease was stopped. What helped most was change of the food they give us and the drinking water that they bring in here. Many lives could have been saved! They let us out on a barren island without water, and they gave us canned food that made us very thirsty! Everyone was feeble, when they got a can, they ate it raw immediately and died by the next morning.

"The fate lead us to Italy. The cholera Asinara was our lot. On a barren and contaminated island, cholera killed many a man among us mercilessly again. And finally, when we were able to count the Czech survivors, we all felt distressed. Out of the proud 33,000 Czechs in Serbia, there were only three and a half thousand left of us in a year. We were thinking profoundly about the horrible facts - while Italian sun and sea were miraculous cures for us, back home the Austrian persecution raged, our countrymen filled notorious prisons, even gallows were built - into the stringent environment ...."

They moved us to another hospital. I am in the kitchen again, along with thirteen other people. They are Hungarians, Romanians and Dalmatians. Oberkoch (chief cook) is a Hungarian who can speak some 7 languages. Theft is flourishing here. They have real feasts here at nights while the rank and file starve. I loathe to act thus. They eat all sugar and bacon themselves, and the men eat macaroni without any grease and drink bitter coffee.

Our pay is 20 Centissime daily. I am to get L 4.2O and I chose to get paid in kind - a bit of sausage, 2 oranges and some wine. I still have a lot to do.

I got a little sick today, the weather got ugly. The Italians never let anyone into the healthy camp without a test. They've got glass alembics, everyone must give a piece of their .... into it, and then their doctors examine it for cholera or dysentery bacilli. Dysentery keeps on raging, those who suffer from it get so weak that they barely can walk. I saw boys who tied themselves to the latrines not to fall over - so weak were they!

We got Italian cards so I am writing home. The last time I wrote was October 1, 1915.

All the "Jonio" camp left for the healthy, and our chief cook left too. I don't miss him, the bastard. The Italians are building large tents for the sick. The weather got nasty, bad winds and rain. I pay my dues in the kitchen - it's open air and standing in rain, wind and smoke all day isn't easy! There is snow at Sardinia.

Spanish consul is to come for a visit tomorrow, they are cleaning everything. I visited the camp of the healthy today. I was surprised how nice it is all managed there. Tents are lined up, there is a small garden near each tent, the streets are covered with sands and they bear numbers and group names.

Larger areas are adorned with beautiful memorials and various sculptures. It is all concrete and nicely adorned with shells and colored sea stones.

Our hospital was divided into three departments: "The Suspect", "The Bacilli Carriers" and "Cholera". One man died in "Cholera" today.

There is still great shortage of water, they bring it in little barrels borne by mules. Dr. Atzelt makes us feel like in the army all day now, walking around with his cane and hitting the sick and the nurses alike. Today, the ship "Foseton" arrived from Dratch with 120 Austrians and 30 Bulgarians. Most of them are sick and frost-bitten; they brought along bounty of cans, sugar, flour, rice etc. All of it comes from an American mission in Dratch.

The headquarters exchange Serb money - for 10 Serb Dinars in paper, you get L 6.50 and for silver, you get L 7.50. I write home every week, to Usti sometimes, too. Our chief cook was accused of bargaining with sugar; Dr.Atzelt came, paid him with cane and brought 5 people to the kitchen from the foundry instead of us.

I am with the "Foseton" group, but not for long. I applied for the "Sinai" because all my acquaintances are there.

After the alembic test, we move to the healthy camp and I go to Sinai, to the tent of feldwebel Roubik.

We have nothing to do, days are long ad so we dwell in politics for a long time. Fresh news arrive every day but no one knows where they're from. We call them "latrine rumors" and yet we like listening to them. As we have been left without any news from our home for more than 6 months now and cannot talk to the Italians much, we fabricate, combine and distribute these "latrinenbefehle"!

Someone from Real brought us the news that F.J.I. (the Emperor Franz Joseph I.) ordered Italy to immediately release us to neutral countries - the Swiss or the Americans, and that, reportedly, Austria pays nothing for us. Someone else heard from the "freiwillige" (volunteers) that they will bring us to Italy to work in factories as civilians.

A piece of news arrives every day, and it's always guaranteed!

We write home every day but wait for replies in vain. Only a few lucky ones got money by postal order. We are well provided with underwear, uniforms and shoes. Everyone has two good blankets, a cape and two sets of underwear. There might be a little more food, though, especially bread, and what the boys miss most is money for tobacco and cigarettes.

There is a specialty here - daily markets. You ask, what for, here on a barren island? Just about anything. If you stroll at Piazza Vittorio Emanuello in the evening, you can buy a portion of meat for 10 Cts., cheese for 10, biscuits for 20 Cts., bread for 30 Cts., coffee, rice, macaroni - just about anything. The sellers, mostly Serbs and Croats, choose rather to starve just to have some money for tobacco. It is a wonderful sight, this spirit of trade. We gather stones to build a wall around the cemetery. One thousand and four rest there, those who, having suffered through all the woes of Albania, thought that they were saved.

It's my name day, a rather sad one as I'm penniless, but still its jollier than the previous one that I spent in Djevdjekia, Serbia. I bought three portions of cheese and one bread. The Italians are rather worried, they are missing some 600 people and they don't know where they are. It looks like back in Serbia. They make new lists. We have noticed one interesting thing - there are really many who have a rank. People who were privates in Serbia are corporals and sergeants today, and former corporals are feldwebels now. We call them "Albanian Ranks".

We can recognize sergeants - they have a June ribbon on the cap, but you can also tell them by their large bellies: They get "extra mangiare" and 20 Cts. daily. Those who can speak a bit Italian have golden times here. In our "Sinai" there is also one Serb narednik who beat several prisoners to death on the way through Albania. He never gets out of the tent, or else he'd get beaten.

They vaccinate us against cholera, now that four quarters of us are behind the cemetery wall. It is getting hotter during the day.

The Italians keep on building one house after another, we carry brick, stone and planks. Some get receipts from home, mainly Jews. We had a visit today: 3 pretty ladies, all the camp was upside down - it has been almost five months since we saw a woman for the last time (except for hooded Turkish women and ugly Albanian ones).

The ship Sinai boarded 1,570 people - 200 died on the ship, 254 died on Asinara and 291 are missing, i.e. died and were buried without identification, that is 754 - one half of all!

Today, flour arrived for the finished bakery which, however, had collapsed once before "thanks" to the "crafty" Italians. Mail arrives very seldom it's always just a couple of German post cards. I am unhappy, four Jews from Sinai have already got money from home; they also get mail (of course it's German). We got one more set of underwear each, and also belts, needles and combs.

Mr. Vlcek came to visit me today - he's in the other camp and has received money from home - 36 Lire. Meeting him really made me feel happy, we revisited those beautiful times in Usti in our memories. He gave me 2 Lire and a piece of cheese. A good boy.

We were on duty in the camp today, and we lost as bad as we could. A private and a corporal were arrested. The Italians are experts in punishing - they arrest one for ten to fifteen days without any bread. Our Mr. lieutenant collected Serb bank notes, went to Rome and when he came back, he said they were worth nothing. And yet he goes round the other camps and buys them still. A real good officer!

The bakery worked for the first time today. Our cook stood in for the baker. I was to go to the kitchen but I thanked them. The second vaccination. I am still waiting for a letter from home, but it's in vain! Mail arrives very rarely. Still there are news that peace is near. They say we'll get 15 Cts. daily.

Our meals are all the same - at noon, it's rice or macaroni, and in the evening it's soup and a bit of meat. No potatoes or vegetables, I dislike that food now. Rice is boiled down to a glue and it's never greasy, and macaroni are the same. Coffee is but a little dirty water. Vejvoda from our platoon and Ryba from my tent got some money from home. The priests here make a secret list for Austria. For teachers, they set up a special group like for one-year volunteers.

It is ordered that everyone must have their hair cut to the bald to get rid of the last few lice that still resist here and there (mainly among Croats). Mail arrives every day. How I wish for news from home - I didn't get a single line for 7 months!

Our daily pay will be 15 Cts., corporals' and sergeants' 30 Cts., feldwebels' 50 Cts. Italian prisoners in Austria get the same. Today I was in Rial and spoke to Eman Ruzicka. They have a beautiful memorial there "In Memory of the Suffering of the Austrian Prisoners in Albania" built by a prisoner. It is a man's stature looking towards the sunrise which stands for suffering. The statue makes a great impression on each viewer.

Vich (who used to live in Vrany) told me that Frantisek Saroch had died in Fornelia several days after landing. I went there to learn something certain - but in vain, they also buried people without identifying them there. Later in France, Mr. Sis told me he had died by four hours. I can't get any news about Tonik.

They should pay us lohn (sold) but they keep postponing it day by day. Once the lists are not ready, then they have no change. We have to wait for payment bills up to 8 days. We received an order that every officer must sign to confirm his rank, so everyone started reducing their ranks, the stripes and stars fall down like rain.

It's Good Friday today and we are not fasting, but I think that's not a sin as we, in fact, keep fasting every day. Roubik got a German postcard, I didn't get anything.

We set a table and bench in front of the tent. The heat is raising day by day. This Easter of mine is rather sad - what a difference between this Easter and the one two years ago! There was a mass in our chapel, teachers were singing, and our Croat parson had a sermon about the difficult road to Heaven. We have fasted enough, walked our Way of Cross long enough, but the Bible says that the Way of Cross leads to Heaven and this is anything but Heaven! We must have lost our way!

Today, I got the first letter from Ladies K and K from Usti (Mrs. Kohnova and Mrs. Kornfeldova, former employers). They sent me 40 Crowns and wrote that Lorenz is dead. They wrote to my parents, I'm very happy - this is the first letter in 9 months. Here, they search for craftsmen and farmers to work in France.

The first post card from home dated March 26, I'm happy that everyone is healthy. Karel was hurt on the Russian front and is home for his leave.

We get a whole loaf everyday so we can eat as much as we like. The second post card from home - from Anna Sarochova: She asks if I know about Frantik. They keep talking about an early departure for France. The Italians want us to get rid of all lice so they disinfect: Camps, one after another, go to Realu to bathe and clothes, underwear and blankets are steamed. About 70 parcels came. Ryba received one, so the tent smells of Virginia cigars every day. We make tea and chocolate.

Two post cards - one from home from Marka (sister). Today is a beautiful day, we swim in the sea. Selected craftsmen were placed in a special department. Some say they will go to Tunis or Algeria. They test us, we fill alembics and the doctors examine them. We have to fill them under control as even here people swindled. Usually, one did it for ten boys. In the evening, they took our boots and gave them to the selected ones so that they are ready to go. Everyone has two sets of underwear, two pairs of boots, a towel, a vessel for food, a cup, a field flask etc.

They pay us löhnung (war salary) every 15 days but there is a bad shortage of change. The Italians only send us five- and ten-Lire bank notes and nothing in the world can give you change for that here. Changing costs 30 Cts. Here, they keep bargaining, mostly with bacon. One buys 1 kg of bacon, cuts it to pieces 20 Cts. each, and from camp to camp and sells it. The same goes for cigarettes. One buys 30 Franc worth of cigarettes and sells them to get the change for his bank notes. Everyone keeps their silver half - Lire and the shortage of change is worse and worse. The weather got badly windy, our tent is torn down every now and then.

Some more news - they say that peace has been concluded and we will go home, so hence the preparations. Today again they collected towels and handkerchiefs for those who are ready to leave. In four months that we've been here, they gave us a pair of rags and now they want it back. Nosek keeps furnishing us with bacon, cheese, sugar and coffee from the storage. I make coffee three times a day. The Italians had the payroll signed from barbers and sergeants - and then drove them out and gave them nothing.

Many payslips were gathered, but the payments take incredibly long. You have to wait for ten days, going to the office every day and you get nothing every day. We just about assault the office hut but the Italians have terrible mess in that stuff.

Finally, they returned the collected Serb bank notes today, saying that these are no longer exchanged. And the Italian soldiers go round the camp and buy them for 4 Lire a piece. They tried to draft volunteers for the Serb army; many Serbs enlisted.

Today, Roubik was paid the money that was sent on March 23. It's Lire 19.07 for 25 Crowns. A news spread that our officers from the Isle of Elba left for Austria. All believe that the peace is here. Everybody is excited and they speak of nothing but an early journey home. I am looking forward, but what if we will be disappointed again. Lieutenant visits everyone to check if we keep the prescribed equipment. I get mail from home and Usti regularly these days. We spend days talking about journey home. But nobody knows where the rumors are from, and nobody cares, either.

At 10 a.m. there was a zeppelin on the east, flying towards Sasari. The entire camp watched the zeppelin with great interest. As it approached Sasari, suddenly it shook, flames burst out of it and it fell to the sea. Immediately, several steamers set out from Real to search for the drowned, but it was all in vain. We were convinced that it was a German Zeppelin but we were told that it was a French one. Two French high officers visited us.

The peace enthusiasm has calmed down again. It's getting hot, we swim in the sea every day, but the heat is unbearable. The Italians didn't bring any water in 5 days now. They say it is rather expensive - 15 Cts. per liter. Daily, 280 hectoliters are consumed. A sailboat from Sardinia comes every day, bringing cheese, wine, lemons, cherries etc. for sale. Everything in the canteen here is incredibly expensive. Prisoners always just besiege it, buying mostly potatoes and onions.

Our daily dose: 4 liters of water, 700 g of bread, 137 g of macaroni or rice, 200 g of meat or cheese, 5 g of bacon, 10 g of Pomadore, and 12 g salt. A great visit came. Towards the noon, the archbishop Sardinia came to consecrate the church in Real and with him, about 5 churchmen, including a Swiss bishop. They visited all hospitals and asked thoroughly about everything. They also consecrated the cemetery and gave us blessing. Guards at the gate (prisoners) receive commands in Italian: "Attenti"! The Swiss bishop wondered that we had Italian commanders although we were Austrian soldiers. Well, them parsons really gave the Italians a proper licking. They gave us papal greetings, and everyone got a box of 10 cigarettes plus a cross or a rosary to remember. This means the cigarettes must have cost them more than Lire 6,000 and at least as much for the rosaries. The visit had a good effect. The Italians got a little scared and our situation improved somewhat. They pay the bills better.

Everyone is enjoying papal cigarettes. It's the first time that anyone sent us anything. The Jewish Community of Rome sent maces to the Jews here.

And some more excitement among the folk - some news. Prisoners from Russia are going home - ergo peace is certain! Our transport to France was changed reportedly - we'll go to Italy.

We were beaten again - General appeared suddenly in the evening and as some men had their blouses taken off (it's been real hot all day), our lieutenant Kakatchi arrested the lagerchef and 5 sergeants. The prison is a tent erected in the end of the camp: The convicts had wine brought in and feasted. At night, each of them went to sleep to their tents and in the morning, the daily corporal came with a courteous plea: May the gentlemen come back before the Lieutenant arrives.

Roubik and feldwebel Zwick were not at home but, having learned that, they went to the prison to join the others. Lieutenant's surprise and anger were great as he found eight convicts instead of six. Thereafter, the abandoned the punishments.

Today, the first transport is leaving - selected farmers from Real, Streti and Tamborin. There are some 5,000 of them, going to France reportedly - but everyone thinks they are going home! All the day is filled with talks about peace which everybody here takes for granted. Various rumors spread mouth to mouth but everybody is convinced that the peace is there. My neighbor sergeant Ferdinandi excels at that. I run away so I don't have to listen to it, and I don't believe it.

I got a parcel - a box - from home that arrived untouched. There were biscuits in it, some brandy, tea, sausage and chocolate. I enjoyed that very much: It came from my home! There was also a set of underwear, socks and a handkerchief. I am so pleased, oh I wish I could get back home soon and reward you for all that, my dear parents! Daily, hundreds of parcels arrive, as well as many payslips. The Italians wonder at how much money the "Austriaci" receive.

Our kitchen received a double dose of everything today - the storage is overfilled. The payslips are now paid much faster, as is our salary.

Again, transports leave us and Real. This time, they don't say they go home, but to Algeria instead. Reportedly, Gruenhut from Prague had it written on his ticket. They say that one ship sunk; a man-of-war accompanies each transport. Terrible heat every day.

Ferdinandi received more than 200 Lire so I made a feast dinner - fried potatoes and fried fish with wine.

They ordered us to go bathing to Real while our underwear and uniforms are steamed. We move to our old place. There was a gale at night that took away the roof of the storage.

Now I get mail often, both from home and Usti. Dysentery is spreading again due to the heat, almost everyone has colic. They line camps up by 500 men and do tests with alembics as before, under control to avoid swindle. They say we will get carried away - maybe to England. The time's up - otherwise we might get baked here on this "Ass Isle".

I was bored, and the sun shone so hot, so I committed the following "poem" and sent it on a card to Miss Anna to Usti. It arrived all right, and Anna wrote to me later that she burst into crying when she read it. Strange; I wanted to amuse her!

The "poem" goes like this:

Dear Miss Anne - to you and to Miss Fanny, I am sending a thousand warm memories.

I am glad that you remember those good old times that, alas, will never come back again!

You write that you'd love to travel far - but listen to me and rather stay home!

It's good everywhere but it's best home, says an old proverb; it's bad everywhere but it's best home is a newer proverb, and it is true.

I traveled through Serbia and Albania - and got to Ass Isle - the Asinara here in Italy.

God knows where we will come or what they will do to us; I say one thing and believe me: I would like best going home!

The heat is intolerable, no trees, we swim in the sea every day. We are killing our best times here - what I could experience home if there were not that damned war. We are well off, cook potatoes, make potato salad, buy fruits and various things that they bring in from Sardinia. Much wine gets drunk here - 1 liter costs 1 Lire - and we play cards. They set up one central kitchen for the entire camp - theft is easier that way. Sergeants get "extra" macaroni - all bacon, and the rank and file get some ugly brew.

Nobody wants rice anymore - it used to sell for 50 Cts. per cup and now you have to give them 10 Cts. to make them take it.

Strong winds brought sandstorm to the isle. Anyone in my platoon has got some money and I am penniless although two payments are on the way. My platoon is ready to leave for France but me, Roubik and Ferdinandi will stay.

The service is getting tough - we have to do pushups daily, doctors were searched and their paper and books taken away; the parsons got their entire suitcases seized. The Italians discovered that a Spanish barge used to come here with newspapers. The barges from Sardinia were prohibited to arrive here. They are scared of German submarines. All must be in their tents after 8 in the evening, no fires and no smoking. The gendarmes patrol in the camp, breaking up the gatherings with sticks.

This is a trustworthy sign that the Italians are now bad off; it was the same in Serbia: When the Serbs were losing we felt it with our backs. They bargain with bacon that Nosek brings us from the storage. Sunsets are beautiful here; I have never seen anything so beautiful and charming in my life. The nights with moon are charming too.

The Italians rage like possessed - they discovered that reportedly our fellows signaled to the submarines at night. In "Indiana" they searched the tents and arrested ten officers for "espionage". They seized all their things, ripped the collars and sleeves of their coats to see what's hidden in there.

There is a great mischung every day; they count us at 8 p.m., smoking at night is forbidden; and those who will be caught outside the camp lines will be shot immediately. We are also listed for departure and fully equipped.

Intolerable heat, we got our wage up to today. It's Corpus Christi today, everything must be blossoming back home and here there is a barren waste. All is burnt by the sun. Days pass by, we don't even know if it's a Sunday, remembering and longing in vain still. Will the day come when we break out of this slavery, free to enjoy the world in our homeland? I am ready to doubt that this will ever be.

They read the lists of those who will leave. I am separated from Roubik and Ferdinandi. They test our underwear and our sex. We were to leave today but no ship came. Mail works poorly now.

Finally, money from home arrived. I got Lire 25.90 out of the 36 Crowns that they sent. The next day money came from Kohn & Kornfeld from Usti - I got 32 L from 40 C. Ferdinandi got two parcels - cans, cigarettes, chocolate. The "Armenia" and "Regina Elena" camps left. "Dante" got a new lieutenant who requires order and discipline from his Serbs and Croats.

Many parcels arrive daily but a half of them is robbed. The Italians smoke Austrian cigars and cigarettes in the public. The large ship "Sinai" came today but the departure was delayed again. We are leaving tomorrow. We got an order that all must embark. The sick - there are many of them - will use a great Red Cross ship. They took our blankets and gave us backpacks.

Today it is exactly 6 months since we landed on Asinara, and we are embarking on a journey to France. The ship is huge, and is called "Seine".

Good bye "Ass Isle", you hosted us for six months and did us much good but much more bad. Well, we swore at you a good deal longing for the day when we would leave you. We were convinced that we will be free people but we are heading to be prisoners again. How will we do there? The anchor is raised, I look back to say Good Bye to our comrades beyond that white wall there, under the green grass. You poor ones, this is where you found the peace that everyone was looking forward to so much. Sleep tight, the tide will tell you about your distant homeland, and we will bring your greetings to it.

We are leaving the bay slowly, the isle is getting smaller, and the last contours disappear in an hour.

Following: