September 21, 1905 ~ Thursday
We awoke about six in the morning and when I first got out of the berth had a touch of mal de mer. I felt better as soon as I had breakfast but the children were pretty shaky. We had all of our meals served in our room and stayed inside all day. Toast and fruit were all we could eat. It had stormed during the preceding night and was cold and disagreeable on deck. The seas were running pretty high. Will went to the table for his meals and stayed up on deck most of the day.
The Dakota, owing to her size, does not roll but pitches the same as any boat.
We notice the throb of the engines a great deal when in our cabins. The fairy
tale they told us in Seattle about no water being slopped from a level glass
full set on the table is a mistake. I suppose a smaller boat would be much
worse but never-the-less you can tell you are on the sea even when riding in
the Dakota. The boy set our Tiffin on the wash stand and a lurch of the boat
sent it all on the floor and broke a plate. Several of the passengers were
quite sick. Upstairs they are tossed around worse than we are and the creaking
of the woodwork is awful. Several of the officers who have rooms upstairs have
moved down in our part of the ship so they can sleep. Late in the afternoon
Marcise came in. She has been sick most of the day but got over it sooner than
the rest of us. There is a pole in our room - in iron support of some kind and
the children had great fun sliding down it from the upper berth. Yei was so
sick but follows Marcise around and tries to look after her.
September 22, 1905 ~ Friday
The weather is better this morning and everyone feels fine. We went on deck just after breakfast and did not come down until Tiffin time. Our appetites are good and everything tastes fine. There is not much variety but everything is cooked good. All the work is done by Chinese boys. The chief steward told us this morning if there was any little thing we wanted just to let him know and we sure will. I have learned two Chinese words: cho=to eat, chit=a note. At four we have tea and toast. We sent a note to the chief steward asking for some fruit but the boy said he threw it on the floor. The boy picked it up and took it to the storekeeper and got some apples anyway. He is very indignant at the way the chief steward acted. The children play in the dining room after the tables are cleared and get along nicely together. Yei looks after them so I am free a great deal of the time. Marcise brought lots of play things and with those the children have kept busy. Marcise keeps Yei busy. She never holds still for one minute. Mrs. Wilson had her horoscope read when she was a baby and the astrologer said if the baby was named Marcise, since she was born in March, she would have good luck. Rather a pretty name I think. She is now 5 1/2 years old. Mr. Wilson is a dentist in Hong Kong. Marcise was born in Alaska. They have been in the U.S. visiting relatives for six months are now on their way home. Yei has full charge of the little girl and seems to take good care of her. She is paid only $12 a month. Help is cheap in the Orient.
After dinner we played whist for an hour. A son of Senator Piles was one of the players. Mrs. Wilson thinks he is just right but I think she is inclined to toady to people whom she thinks are somebodies.
September 23, 1905 ~ Saturday
Today is a beautiful sunny day and we spent most of the time on deck, reading and dreaming. The deck steward got us chairs and we are very comfortable. I have some new magazines and we are perfectly happy. Time passes so quickly. The children help to keep things interesting. Dorothy is a little afraid of Yei yet but Marjorie thinks she is O.K. We went throughout the intermediate quarters today and found them quite comfortable. Each room had four berths and that is about all they contain. I think there are only two passengers, the Austrian woman and a young man going to Manila.
Will has been all over the ship, in the engine room, through the laundry and in fact has seen everything. The engines are enormous, being 6000 horsepower. Screws were turning about 75 turns a minute and we were going about 13 knots an hour. There are about 450 on board counting crew and everybody. Quite a little village all by ourselves.
September 22, 1905 ~ Friday
The weather is better this morning and everyone feels fine. We went on deck just after breakfast and did not come down until Tiffin time. Our appetites are good and everything tastes fine. There is not much variety but everything is cooked good. All the work is done by Chinese boys. The chief steward told us this morning if there was any little thing we wanted just to let him know and we sure will. I have learned two Chinese words: cho=to eat, chit=a note. At four we have tea and toast. We sent a note to the chief steward asking for some fruit but the boy said he threw it on the floor. The boy picked it up and took it to the storekeeper and got some apples anyway. He is very indignant at the way the chief steward acted. The children play in the dining room after the tables are cleared and get along nicely together. Yei looks after them so I am free a great deal of the time. Marcise brought lots of play things and with those the children have kept busy. Marcise keeps Yei busy. She never holds still for one minute. Mrs. Wilson had her horoscope read when she was a baby and the astrologer said if the baby was named Marcise, since she was born in March, she would have good luck. Rather a pretty name I think. She is now 5 1/2 years old. Mr. Wilson is a dentist in Hong Kong. Marcise was born in Alaska. They have been in the U.S. visiting relatives for six months are now on their way home. Yei has full charge of the little girl and seems to take good care of her. She is paid only $12 a month. Help is cheap in the Orient.
After dinner we played whist for an hour. A son of Senator Piles was one of the players. Mrs. Wilson thinks he is just right but I think she is inclined to toady to people whom she thinks are somebodies.
September 23, 1905 ~ Saturday
Today is a beautiful sunny day and we spent most of the time on deck, reading and dreaming. The deck steward got us chairs and we are very comfortable. I have some new magazines and we are perfectly happy. Time passes so quickly. The children help to keep things interesting. Dorothy is a little afraid of Yei yet but Marjorie thinks she is O.K. We went throughout the intermediate quarters today and found them quite comfortable. Each room had four berths and that is about all they contain. I think there are only two passengers, the Austrian woman and a young man going to Manila.
Will has been all over the ship, in the engine room, through the laundry and in fact has seen everything. The engines are enormous, being 6000 horsepower. Screws were turning about 75 turns a minute and we were going about 13 knots an hour. There are about 450 on board counting crew and everybody. Quite a little village all by ourselves.
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