Diary: Isabel R. Farquhar, 1906.

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and start for the quay. We reached the "Cretic" in good time, to find that a large proportion of our 70 fellow (first-class) passengers had already arrived. I don't know how many second-class passengers there are, nor how many steerage, but of the latter there is certainly a crowd estimated by some at 2000 to begin with. There is a rumor that we are to stop at the Azores to take on 200 more steerage passengers. Mrs. L. and I had a little talk with the ship's surgeon, who told us of the difficulty he had in examining the eyes of the steerage passengers. There is a disease, very difficult of diagnosis in its early stage, which would however on arrival at New York be easily identified, and if a person is landed with such disease the company is liable for $1000. Therefore naturally many an intending emigrant is refused passage.

We got off about six P. M., westward bound, and though our hearts ached for the poor expatriated emigrants on board with us, we are ourselves all glad to be going home. There are nineteen "Arabs" of us aboard, most of the number at one dining-table. View of Naples and harbor going out disappointing. Volcano quite invisible.

Sunday, April 22nd. Weather bright and warm, and sea very smooth. We had land, Sardinia, on our starboard for some six hours the early part of the day. The purser read the Episcopal service in the dining saloon at half past ten, and the great majority of the passengers were present. H. and I spent a large part of the day reading Mark Twain's "Innocents Abroad" together.

Monday, April 23rd. Another glorious day, with as smooth a seas as one could want. There are at our table fifteen "Arabic" passengers,

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a remarkably pleasant set of people. The family of Mrs. Fletcher, who died in Cairo, are among them. Of course we have many reminicences in common, as well as varying experiences to interest us, and we have very good times. We have been playing Shuffle-board on deck with some strangers; also H. and Mr. L. tried another game (name unknown) which consists in throwing little disks on a board with numbered divisions. Read a lot of the "Innocents".

Tuesday, April 24th. We played whist last evening with Mr. and Mrs. Mager, and got so interested that we sat up really till a late hour (for me) but H. got up at dawn to observe the coast of Spain. The Sierra Nevada, if visible, were no longer snow covered. It was as smooth as any summer sea, and lovely and warm. Soon after breakfast we sighted Gilbraltar, though we did not pass it until after eleven. The sea was not at all a lonely place this morning, for we met or passed many a craft, and once we had to alter our course to escape collision with a transport that crossed in front of our bow. Soon after lunch we left Cape Trafalgar behind us, our last sight of Europe; and now, on the broad Atlantic we are wondering what it is going to do to us. We read the "Innocents" all afternoon, and in the evening we played whist again with Mr. and Mrs. Mager.

Wednesday, April 26th. This morning our stately boat was pitching rather badly, and I had the honor of being the only lady at our table at breakfast, though there was a better representation at dinner. No whist this evening.

Thursday, April 26th. We finished "Mark" today; learned an new game

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of solitaire, very fascinating because it is a game very difficult to win.

Friday, April 27th. We anchored about six A. M. off the Island of San Miguel, Azores group. H. on deck, as expected, to see the land as soon as daylight permitted. Breakfast at 7:30, to give us a chance to go ashore, which most of us did. The dozen of us who went over in the same boat kept together until we returned to the ship, Mr. Runkel acting as leader. He promptly hired a small boy to take us to the finest gardens in town, and we found them well worth a visit, even though, two months later in the season, we were obliged to say that Ponta Delgada is not nearly so charming as we found Funchal. One of the most interesting things in this place is the costume of the women, that is, as to the outer garment. It consists of a large hood covering the head, extending well beyond the face, ending in a long point at the back of the head, and reaching all in one piece to the feet. It is distincty quaint. We saw many bare-footed, wrinkled women, as well as barefoot boys. We visited the market, but found little there of interest. In the garden we found the ripening strawberries protected by glass chimneys, to force them, of course. We went into two tawdry churches, a great contrast in their poverty and ugliness to the richness of decoration and exquisite beauty of coloring we have seen in so many Italian churches.

Our guide took us to see a "buena vista," which proved to be one in reality, and which delighted H. Back to the ship shortly after eleven, as it was said we should sail at twelve. Our reason for being here is to take on 200 emigrants, making 2200 of them on board. We finally got off about one, and in two or three hours the island was out of sight.

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Others appeared, dimly, toward night.

Saturday, April 28th. Flores, the westernmost island of the group, visible from daybreak till about ten.

We have had a very good time today, playing "solitaire" a deux, which is by far the most interesting way to play it; chatting with our fellow voyagers, and --H. and I "editing" this journal, to clip away redundancies, etc. Weather fair, sea smooth, but with some swell.

Sunday, April 29th. No whist today, no cards played, except by the Melbourne girls, who left their game to go to the service in the dining saloon, and resumed it directly the service was over. Weather still particularly pleasant, and sea comfortably smooth. H. and I have read and corrected journal all day.

Monday, April 30th. Nothing of interest to chronicle today. In the words of Mark Twain; "Got up, washed, went to bed." Cards and chat, "walking for one's health" on deck, the order of the day.

Tuesday, May 1st. Weather, as usual, lovely. Cards and chat have for most of us, filled the day. Nobody at all seasick. This evening, in the course of some whist with Melbourne friends, we had a very severe thunder storm. Afterwards one of the Australian girls sang for us, and Mr. Loud finally yielded to entreaties and gave us a couple of songs.

Wednesday, May 2nd. Our fine weather and smooth sea still continue. Ran into a mild rain toward evening. Everybody eager to land in New York tomorrow, but hanging between hope and fear. Captain reticent as to the probability.

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Thursday, May 3rd. The usual excitement on ship board, incident to reaching port, prevailed today. Weather glorious and sea smooth. The pilots boarded us between three and four P. M. H. and I were on the upper deck about ten minutes before sunset, saw the signaling, and know that unless detained in quarantine we should be allowed to land. 2185 emigrants were inspected, which process naturally took a long time. About ten P. M. we nearly reached the wharf, but the tide being against us, though we had four tugs pushing us, we only actually reached the side of the wharf at eleven, and most of the passengers decided to remain on board all night, I among them.

Friday, May 4th. H. left last night, and I too left the ship, intending to return to it as soon as H. get through the Custom House. A missing piece of baggage had to be hunted up, and by the time he was ready to go to his train it was midnight. Then I went back to the ship only to find the gang plank removed, and no possible way to reach it left me. My husband was gone, my purse left in my stateroom, and for a moment I felt bewildered. But the Captain said the ship would swing around to her moorings about one A. M., and advised me to stay on the dock. One of the Customs officers showed me the way to the office, where we sat, engaged in pleasant chat, until the hour named.

Farewells to our fellow-passengers, whose paths may never again cross ours, and--our 1906 cruise to the Orient and Italy is history.

Isabel R. Farquhar