Wednesday morning, Nov. 23/98. Steaming up the Irish channel 9:15.
We passed the Fastnet light at 7:10, 3 hours’ steaming from there to Queenstown, excitement all the while looking for lights on Irish coast. Passed Kinsale light, next the light ship, after which we saw the tender’s lights ahead & we gradually came closer together. The sea here was rather rough & took nearly half hour to get close up. It was found too rough to land the passengers bound for Queenstown, who were all ready. Mails only were put on board & within 10 minutes steamed away, 10:35, for Liverpool, 12 hours’ sail. I had sent 2 telegrams, 1 for home, 1 for James, a letter containing diary up to date for Mary, this to test how long a letter takes after landing mails in Queenstown, a post card for Andrew. Great amusement when the Queenstown passengers returned to saloon. They will be sent back by the company from Liverpool.
This morning I got up at 7:30 with the gong. It had been a rough night, & ship rolled much. I had a very comfortable night, but many were complaining at breakfast table they had not slept a wink. One of my packages was rolled into the middle of our berth during the night, so “Majestic” had evidently pitched & rolled a bit. Now we are nearing our destination & hope to land safely on the landing stage, so well & world wide known. After a very good voyage across the stormy notorious Atlantic, I must speak well of it. And now my long tour is nearly closed, a trip around the world commencing January 14th last. Many changes has occurred since that date as my papers & letters informed me, & my trip has consequently been mixed with pleasure & sadness. My dear, dear father, who to all appearances was well & likely to enjoy life still longer, but alas a few weeks from that time, he passed away to that place from whence no traveller ever returns. I shall never forget the saddening influence that possessed me after reading a home letter at Colombo, Ceylon, informing me of his illness, & with little or no hope of recovery, & even then at that date (mid-March) he had been dead some weeks; the sadness & depression all the way to Hong Kong, where I could next receive any news, & then not till I had been up to Amoy & Swatou, & on return to Hong Kong received the sad news of his death, with all particulars of his last end. Oh, I was bad! Never did father & son so love each other, a very David & Jonathan, & now I return to see that cheery face no more, but the vacant [chair?]. God’s will be done. Other friends too have passed away & many faces so well known I shall see no more.
I feel grateful & thankful to my Heavenly Father for so many blessings & for His protecting care during my long absence in many foreign lands & on many oceans. “All’s well that ends well”.