4 ~ First week on the Dakota

Green ocean water coming over the bow.

September 24, 1905 ~ Sunday
Today is cold and windy. One of the missionaries came down to invite us up to church in the upstairs dining room at 10:30. Mrs. Wilson and I went up but decided we did not care to go again. Rev. Carson of Burma preached a very good sermon. A good many of the 1st Cabin people were present. There are a good many missionaries aboard, all but one going 1st Cabin. Miss Anderson, a Swedish woman sits at our table. She cannot speak very good English and does not get very much to eat. She has been in America six months and is finishing a trip around the world.

In the afternoon Yei took the children up to Sunday school in the children's play room. Marjorie wants me to tell Ruth that she did not miss Sunday school even when she was on the ocean. The rest of us read in the dining room all afternoon. There seems to be a number of nice people aboard. Dr. Cole has moved from our table but spends a good deal of his time loafing with us. There is a Chinese boy in our department going to Canton to take a position with a new railroad being built there. His name is Herbert Lee and he is 20 years of age. He wears European clothes, has cut off his queu and speaks very good English. Does not seem to be very much like a Chinaman.

We are about a thousand miles from Seattle and are running very far north. It is uncomfortably cold and we all wish we had heavier wraps. Will saw a dead whale this morning; also two live ones spouting some distance from the ship. We made 331.6 miles today, the best run we have had so far.

One of the Peace Commissioners began taking his meals with us today as he says he does not care to put in so much time dressing for meals as they have to do in 1st Cabin. Some consolation for going 2nd Cabin anyway.

A Chinese sailor died in the forecastle. They tell that one of the men went to wake him up when he did not appear and tickled the soles of his feet to wake him. Getting no response, he investigated and found the poor Celestial had gone to a better land. Heart disease so the ship surgeon said.

Mrs. Wilson, Miss Anderson and I went up to the song service at 8 but as we were snubbed so plainly did not stay long. The 1st Cabin people are very exclusive. Mr. James, president of the SS company with his family are aboard and things are just about so.

Some of the missionaries are so exclusive that they will not eat with the common gang but after the others have finished dinner they come down in full evening dress, low necks, diamonds, etc. and have dinner all by themselves. I can't for my part see any missionary spirit in such actions. Snobs I would call them. One of the missionaries has a $500 suite.

While we were gone Marcise and Marjorie got hold of the little bucket and almost emptied it. I was so provoked. Nothing is private when Marcise is around.

September 25, 1905 ~ Monday
Oh Dear! Oh My! It has been awful all day. Everyone was sick, even some of the sailors. Will kept going till evening but passed up his chance for dinner. We had all of our meals served in our rooms but did not care for very heavy meals. I have not missed a meal yet, but my dinner came up tonight. A great many of us "swallowed backwards" as Rollin used to say. The children were awfully sick. I felt so sorry for Baby. She kept saying "I did not want to come on a big boat. I wish this would stop." I kept saying to myself "Mr. Captain, stop the ship! I want to get out and walk."

The wind blew between 50 and 60 miles an hour and as the steering gear was also out of order we had quite a serious time of it for a little while. Water was dashed clear up over the flying bridge and the railing forward on the starboard side was smashed by the heavy seas coming aboard. A fish washed on deck and the carpenter has it in a bucket of water. Several of the men, Will included, lost their caps overboard. Chairs and everything movable were lashed fast. Some cargo got loose in the hold and danced around in great shape. It is generally conceded that we got the tail end of a typhoon.

While the seas were at their worst, Will was out making pictures. He got some fine negatives of the big waves. Everything was covered with salt spray when he came in. The Chinese sailor who died was put in a life boat aft so his spirit could go to Heaven. The SS Company is held by contract to deliver the body of all Chinese, dead or alive to the authorities at Hong Kong so cannot put them overboard as is usually done when anyone dies on shipboard.

September 26, 1905 - Tuesday
Today is smooth but cloudy and so cold. I don't feel very good but over my seasickness. Would give a small fortune for a box of Palouse apples. We have fruit only for breakfast and then it is doled out to us one piece to each person.

The children have fine times in the dining room. Yei helps me out so much. She has taken quite a fancy to Dorothy for as she says "White baby, I like, no likee brown baby". She has a two year old boy in Nagasaki, her husband was in the war and she does not know whether he came home safely or not.

The steering gear got out of order again this morning and we went around in a circle for about an hour. They had to change from the electrical gear to steering with steam gear.

We are passing through the Andreanoff Isle but can see only hazy outlines of them. Saw an active volcano far away on port side. Everyone trying to see land. First since we left Seattle and this does not count.

September 27, 1905 ~ Wednesday

Another windy rainy day. The equinoxial storms are surely hitting us hard. We are so far north as to really suffer with the cold. There has been no heat on at all so far as I could feel. No more northern circle route for me in the winter time. Last night we could dimly see the Aleutian Islands but today are far from land again. It is a standing joke among the crew that Captain Franke is afraid of lands and keeps as far from it as possible.

We have been out to sea just a week and in lots of ways it seems like a month yet each day goes by so quickly. Living on a ship is a lazy existence. I am the only one who pretends to work and have been stitching napkins. Upstairs I understand cards are popular. The Dr. came down to see us today and was lamenting the fact that the original plan of having 2nd Cabin Dining room for a cafe and general loafing place had been changed. He brought us down some magazines and was very cordial. Among other things he told us to be careful what we ate and drank after we get to Japan. And by all means let scotch and soda alone in China. Worms are another thing to watch out for, especially in the children. He thinks Shanghai is the best town in the Orient so I guess we are O.K.

I met the boilermaker, Mr. Nelis and his wife today. They are from Buffalo, NY and are making the round trip. I should judge they have not been married very long. Their rooms are in our hall and they eat at the little table with Dr. Cole.

September 28, 1905 ~ Thursday
We have crossed the international dateline so Thursday ceased to be.