Sailing from New York City to Naples, Italy
We left New York City on the Hamburg American steamer, Cincinnati, promptly at 10:30 a. m., March 28. With a very stiff wind blowing from the West the boat gave us a good shaking for a start off. The waves rolled high, it seemed to us mountain high. We are having an enjoyable time, fine rooms and such good meals. They serve us with coffee every afternoon at 3 o'clock and also cake. We can not sit on deck very long at a time for it is still very cold.
I am writing this on the 29th day of March, our second day on the ocean and we are still O.K. and are having a fine time. We are becoming quite well acquainted, not a difficult matter for all of us are headed in the same direction and intent on having a pleasant time. Our accommodations are as fine as can be expected and the meals are of the best. Breakfast at 8 a. m. and about 10 a. m. they serve us with beef tea, the band at that time also playing. In the afternoon at 3 o'clock coffee, and, in the evening there is a concert from 9 to 10. People say "it is as fine as a picture," but we say it is finer than a picture, it is the real thing.
This is March 30; our third day. It has been rainy all forenoon, and has been very windy, rough riding in consequence, all of us more or less sea sick. The music did its part to cheer us up but we are glad to turn in at 1 o'clock after the concert.
March 31, and fourth day aboard. It has been a beautiful day, the sea has been on its good behavior, quiet and stiff as old Green River itself. (this is a river in Atkinson Township). A fine warm breeze from the gulf has brought us in touch with Cuban air. The passengers are therefore in good condition mentally and physically. Have enjoyed all kinds of games, the band has been playing at its best and the young people have been dancing. I can not write much of the ocean. All we see is water. I have not even spied a fish yet. We were four days without seeing a boat of any kind.
This is the first of April and our fifth day out. It has been a disagreeable one so far as the weather is concerned. It has been a pleasant one otherwise for the sea has been smooth and nice.
April 2nd was a cold and windy day and therefore a trifle rough riding. We are now passing the Azore Islands. We are so near that we can distinguish people as they are moving about on the shore. The rocks on the island are large and loom up like big thunder clouds on the horizon. It is now 11 o'clock which means that in Atkinson it is only half past six.
This is our seventh day out and has been a most interesting one because we passed between the Azores, of which there are a number. Some are populated and some are not. There was much fine scenery and we came so close to shore at times that we could plainly see the homes. The one we came nearest to is about 2 miles square. It is beautiful to look at.
This is our eighth day on the ship, but it is so rough we do not even attempt writing. We have not yet missed a meal on this ocean voyage.
April 4th; this is our ninth day and we are up early; we might be on deck to see land. We first saw the coast of Africa at about 5 o'clock. It was a glaring sight when the sun threw the first light on that beautiful mountain. It looked as though a big storm was rising up. You could see the desert far off, wide stretches without a thing: only sand and rock. The other shore was that of Spain and here we saw a cultivated stretch of land all nicely built up. At 10 a.m. we arrived at Gibraltar. It is a big rock set in the ocean a little way out from the Spanish shore. The city is most wonderful; it is built, as it would appear, on the very walls of the high and rough mountain. We went ashore in a small boat, the many rocks in the sea making it impossible for the steamer to come to a landing. There were flowers in abundance here of all kinds, this being a place of continual summer and a land of no snow.
We leave now for Algiers, Africa.
April 7 — tenth day of our voyage. It has been a very interesting day. Our journey has been along the African coast and we are now only about three or four miles from shore. It looks like a wild forsaken country, hardly any houses. The country is very mountainous, some being from 1000 to 3000 feet.
We arrived at Algiers at 2:30 p. m. and went ashore to see the city. This is certainly a wonderful city. It is a rendezvous of all nations and costumes of all kinds. We have enjoyed the moving pictures showing the Arabs, but here has been the real thing. We went through their streets which we assure you are no wider than the alley in the rear of the store. Their places of abode, most of them, are entered by doors no higher than three feet and in these they also transact business. The rooms are about six feet square. There is but a stone bench and no furniture. They sleep on the bench and eat on the floor. As for sleeping, it may well be said they do that anywhere on the streets or wherever they happen to be. The women appear to do all the work. It is a most disgusting sight to see the begging that prevails…
We are finishing this part of our letter at Naples where we are comfortably housed and fed in Hotel Bellevue.
Images
