8

S.S. Coleridge^[1]

21st March 1890

My dear Mother,

As soon as I was safely on bord at Southampton, with all my luggage, I sent you a wire to let you know that I had started.

As the rain was falling steadily, the work of getting the things onto the tender, & thence to the steamer, was very disagreeable. We sailed abt. 4 o’c. & had a smooth run down Channel, but next day the Bay of Biscay justified its reputation by giving us a stiff gale.

The waves washed the deck, & the water came through ventilators & between planks, in copious streams, into the cabins, wetting everything & putting everybody in a bad temper. For two nights I had to sleep in the saloon. The third day we sailed into calm water again & the sun came out bright & strong. All the beds & bedding, cushions, curtains, coats, rugs, were taken up & spread out on deck, or hung on lines, till the place looked like the side garden at Ashley Avenue on drying-day or during the Spring house-cleaning.^[2].

Fortunately my things escaped without serious damage, though my dress-clothes, new coat, & tall hat ran no slight risk for some time, as there was not a dry place on the ship. Now all is pleasant again & we may expect fine weather & calm seas for the rest of the voyage.

My cabin is a large one & well ventilated & my companion is a decent fellow who keeps his chattels in order & does not get sick. There are some 60 passengers (saloon), a somewhat mixed lot at first sight, but I can’t say much abt. them yet.

I shall tell you more abt. the other passengers in my first letter from Buenos Ayres.

The Dr is a jolly fat little Irishman from Dublin. He gave me a sprig of shamrock which I wore on the 17th in your honour & St. Patrick’s.

Here I may take this opportunity to send my best wishes for Annie’s birthday.^[3] Some time ahead, but you won’t get another letter from me till beginning of May. You may hear from D^ee that they have had telegrams from me.

The steamer ought to reach Montevideo any day from the 7th till the 10th or 11th & the Company have undertaken to wire you on her arrival.

We are just abt. to anchor now at Madeira, so I must cut this very short. While the vessel was rolling & pitching it was absolutely impossible to write.

I am very well indeed, & have not been sea-sick. On Tuesday evg. I was one of four passengers, out of sixty, who turned up for dinner.

To my great joy & satisfaction the plumcake, safe in my waterproof hold-all, passed uninjured through the ordeal, & I now have two big pieces a day. It is excellent, & my cabin-companion, who gets a slice at night, praises it enthusiastically.

I have had some of the sweets & they are tip top. With this big tinful (one l or two?) I hope to make friends with some nice children on board, particularly with one baby of two years, really a nice baby, very different from ordinary babies.

I intend getting some stamps on shore & shall decorate the envelope.

This is written in a hurry, so don’t be critical.

Hope you are all A¹

Best love all round.

Your affectionate son Jack