Saturday night, Jan’y 29/98.
Strange it feels to be so far away from home on Saturday night. It is now 8:15 local time, & exactly 6 your time, & I can reasonably imagine whats going on amongst you. Well, it’s been a very pleasant day in the Red Sea. We are a long way into it now, & due at Aden on Sunday afternoon. Today there’s been many amusements on board: games, cricket, quoits &c. &c., then a blindfold competition, very amusing. A huge sketch of a pig is chalked on deck floor & a big eye formed, & they who could walk blindfolded, chalk in hand, first having been turned around 3 times, & spot the eye, won. 3 got within the circle, 12 competitors, & these had again to compete, when 1 only succeeded & was much applauded. Then a Potato & bucket game, many entered for this. 2 lines along the deck of [1:79] 8 potatoes each at equi distances, say, 4 feet, & a bucket for each line at one end, then they off full speed, & he who first had returned the 8 into the bucket won. Only 1 potato had to be picked up at once & put into the bucket. This was a very exciting & very keenly contested.
The 2nd had dancing last night & they have a concert tonight, & all 1sts very cordially invited. I’ve spent the most of the day in my chair on deck reading & enjoyed myself. The only diversion being witnessing now & again the sports.
It’s very breezy now & this is acceptable. The punkas[1] for the first time were going tonight during dinner, a long bamboo rod above & the length of each cross table with a drop curtain on each, & these are moved at the far end of Saloon by boys. We are told by old travellers to expect very hot weather tomorrow. The thermometer in the shade this afternoon stood at 74 ½ (this was beneath the awning).
[1:80a] I’ve been preparing a letter for Andrew[2] today, ready to post with this at Aden. Possibly it contains (I’ve forgotten) something omitted in this one but likely he will send it to you to read.
Now I shall try & give you the usage of daily life on this steamer. Very early morning, the Lascars are piped up & decks are washed from end to end (these Lascars don’t follow the rules of 4 hours on & 4 off. They are on duty all day & till work is done, but are liable to be called at any time during the night if required) & these during the day are constantly working about the decks in batches. Some washing, as Albion called, “Soojee Moojee”, others cleaning brass & metal work, others sweeping up soot smuts, dirt, if any, & so on. These men are under the Bosun[3] but between he & they are Lascar overseers called Serangs d these do little work but direct the others.[i] [1:80b] The Lascars all wear a kind of turban, blue, long smokes [sic] with a fancy kerchief around the waist, & white trousers, bare feet, & when a group of them are working at one job, as they oft are, its a picturesque sight. I think I got 2 shots one day soon after we sailed. (The wind is getting stronger & ship begins to roll. It has been very common for the wind to increase between sun set & 8 or 9 o’clock, otherwise it’s a lovely night, bright & beautiful moon).
There are also, 10 I think are the number, quartermasters, all English. They steer & keep look out, & occupy a somewhat better position, say, petty officers, & there are many officers. One fresh face I saw today for the first time, & 7 engineers. 1 was sent ashore at Malta, broken arm, got while oiling the steamer steering gear. He was 5th engineer. The Chief dines in saloon. So do the ship’s officers, [1:81] & they distribute themselves about the saloon just as vacancies occur or as they please. Breakfast is at 9 o’clock & here’s a sample menu:
Breakfast
Porridge
Fried Soles, Butter Sauce
Grilled Chops, Chip Potatoes
Vienna Steaks
Broiled Bacon, Shred Potatoes
Omelette aux Tomatoes
Kidney Steak & Mushrooms
Cods Roe Curry
Collard Head
Milk Scones
(Always oranges, toast & cake, buns, small loaves, rolls &c. &c)
Tea & Coffee
Promenading then commences, then reading, quoits & other passtimes [sic].
The band plays in the music saloon every forenoon, 11 to 12. Piano, 2 violins & cornet, & at other [1:82] intervals, ladies will entertain, either alone or to friends. Lunch at 1 p.m. (the bugle sounds ½ hour before every meal & again at the minute for assembling).
Menu
Pea Soup
Veal Cutlets Spinach
Kofta Curry
Cold Corned Brisket Beef
Roast Shoulder Mutton, Mint Sauce
Melton Mowbray Pie
Pressed Ox Tongue
Spiced Prawn
Galantine Chicken
Mayonnaise Salmon
Cheese Salad
Mashed Potatoes
Currant Buns
Always fruit of some kind: grapes, apples, oranges, raisins, almonds, shell, nuts &c.
[1:83]
Then a general rest, gossip or other light indulgence to help digestion.
Afternoon tea at 4 punctual.
Tea pot set on each table. Cups, sugar, milk, cake, buttered bread, biscuits, help yourself style & it’s refreshing at 4. I enjoy it, I think, best of all my meals. During this & dinner, reading or enjoying a chat, promenading or loitering about the deck.
The dog watch[4] is observed by the officers & quartermasters 4 to 6 & 6 to 8. Ship’s bells are struck at intervals of ½ hour & with due punctuality. Very early after noon (12) ship’s position is recorded on a card for purpose, fixed in companion & a chart there too is marked, the spot where we are at noon, & it’s interesting to follow the course daily. Then the temperature & density of the sea water is taken every 4 hours & recorded for scientists, [1:84] & at night, when the bell is struck, the 2 look out men (1 quartermaster & 1 lascar) shout out, but I’ve not yet made out what they say. “All clear” or some such, I expect.
Now dinner & here’s a sample menu:
Consommé à la Nivernaise
Filets de Barbue à l’Amiral
Gigot de Mouton au Jus de Groseilles
Grenadins de Veau aux Petit Pois
Tomates a la Provençal
Chapon Ròte à la Savoyard
Tarte de Cassés
Dames d’Honneur
Dessert
Café
Programme of music on back of menu:
Overture “Dame de Trefle”, Herman
Waltz “Soiree d’ete”, Waldteifel
Selection “Carnivalia”, Warwick William
Entraefe a Russian féte dance, Bon heur
Waltz “In Old Madrid”, Meissler
March “Washington Post”, Sousa.
All the forgoing are fair samples, only [1:85] daily varied menu with every meal (except tea), always chutney & all other sauces on the table, & any & every kind of liquors & beer & waters can be had, & much is consumed.
Baths hot & cold, morning & night, & these are freely used.
[1] A fan invented in India and used by the British. It was a large fan made from cloth, fastened to a long rod and attached to the ceiling. The rod tied to a rope was swung by a boy, or a “punkha wallah.”
[2] Andrew Whitehead, third son of William Whitehead, apprenticed as a Chemist in 1898
[3] Also called “Boatswain”
[4] Either of two short periods of watch duty, from 4 to 6 p.m. or 6 to 8 p.m.