Wednesday morning, Ja’y 26/98.
We have had a very rough night. The ship rolled heavily & every movable thing in our berths topsy turvy. No sleep after 2 a.m., & there was a very poor muster at breakfast. Every table had the fiddles[1] on and yet every article was rolled about: cups upset, food shuffled off the plates & a terrible uproar, the ship now & again trembling dreadfully. Rolling is, of course, not so bad as diving, but the discomfort is a quantity to be reckoned with. It’s very cold too, & no promenading on deck.
It is nearly noon with us & the letter box is fixed for clearance at noon, ready for Port Said. We will arrive latter by some hours than we had anticipated & we [1:62] won’t be sorry. Now I will close as there is nothing to record of special interest. I will post again when opportunity occurs.
You will have got Malta letter ere now, & you should get Brindisi letter tomorrow.
Good morning.
Posted at sea, noon, 26 Jan’y, on board P&O SS “Victoria”.
It’s looking very murky all around us & the steamer still labouring.
[1:63]
[1] A device (as a slat, rack, or light railing) to keep dishes from sliding off a table aboard ship.