Thursday May 11th At Sea.
Plum duff day. Hooray! We drifted thirty two miles away from Flores last night but away from Fayal. Have tossed on the water all day, becalmed. The sea is pale blue, Corvo and Flores a shade deeper. The Cap't put up an awning on the house top and we have lounged all day with books & journals & cards, underneath it. Mr Adams says it is like the Mediterranean off their isles. To me it is dreamy and languid and happy. We would wander forever and never return to real life. Everything is a delicate blue, sea and land and sky, an occasional sail on the horizon, a turtle on the water, a fish flying past that is all - Heavenly - Mrs Lee, Mr Bicknell, & Mr Phillips are asleep in steamer chairs as I write. Adams, Dr. & Townsend are at the main top. Grace dreaming & talking with Wallach, Miss Smith & Mrs Robertson watching the men go up to the top - the rest dreaming. I follow to dreamland.
There is quite a business in taking Portuguese emigrants to the States, smuggling them on board. The law is very rigid which compels them to army service at 20 years of age, for 7 years. They all hate it - and at night when the ships are not at sea they come on board in small boats. The poor clan adore American.
A most beautiful sunset. Flores disappearing in violet & the sun just behind Corvo. Finished the Shadow of the Sword. We were bunking about 10.30 when Grace appeared in dressing gown & bandanna - She heard us laughing & could not restrain her curiosity. We talked over the jokes of the day for an hour or so and Grace had great trials getting back to her room, rows of men's heads popping out of the dining room quarter.
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