June 25th, 1882

June 25th. Barque Sarah. At Sea!
Sunny. Grace’s birthday, 21! A fresh breeze with little motion all the morning, freshening in the afternoon. Ever since Monday we have had a succession of calm days when we had drifted with the current 62 miles a day – until yesterday which was disgustingly rough, a headwind. I spent the day in my bunk, Miss Smith was “enthusiastically ill” and even Mama had qualms of conscience. Before that time the days were alike, Mrs Lee & I have fringed a dozen towels between us. I have offered to assist her on them and she has made me a present of one, proposing that I race the Fayal stitch on it with her and use the same when done for my bureau at home. I have finished Mill on the Floss and begun Chas. Auchester. Every I have learned one of Heine’s poems and every afternoon have read aloud Tristram Shandy to Miss Smith, and we have played Whist and every evening we have sat out until late – on Friday evening until 12 o’c, sitting on the spanker boom watching the sea and stars and moonlight. Mr Moses Bensaude has sung for us several evenings, from the Italian operas and we have had choruses from Townsend, Wallach, Kent. Mr Adams has appeared on deck again, rather subdued but obstinate still, - he has helped me to fringe my towels and to begin rigging a miniature ship. Miss Smith is making the [?] for it. We are both polishing our porpoise jaws. Mr Lee is decorating his sea chair. Mrs Robertson has been taking care of her husband who has had a spree[?] and been in bed for five or six days. Mr Townsend & Mr Lee have been with him at night. The former is Dr. for the steerage and cures all their diseases instantaneously with bread, pills and lemonade gargles. The Jewesses have flourished [?] a l’ordinaire. I have discovered my Flores friend among the steerage passengers. Grace has been in bed three days, Mama is knitting and apparently happy. Mr Kent is reading a mysterious book which he said was “Caesar’s Virgil” in his embarrassment, when I came upon him suddenly and asked what he was reading. Everybody jokes about it. He gives a great deal of gratuitous information about the course of the ship, and the prospect of good winds, etc. Mr Wallach has been snubbed on his whistling and works off his superfluous energy over Sting[?] and climbing to the top gallant mast. The Capt. has ordered a bucket with 6 fathoms rope for me to fish for nautilus and seaweed here in the Gulf Stream. For the past three days we have seen any number of nautilus, seaweed, and jelly fish and six large whales in one day. Jumbo[?] has given orders that we shall have no more “lemonade as a beverage” as he cannot afford to give us water or sugar. Now that he has distinctly told us what we must not have “Dirty Louis” has been promoted to “Lemonade Louis or the Pride of the Pantry” and puts a glass in every one’s room at 9 o’c each night. We have to be very mysterious about it as the Jewesses are prime observers and bear witness against us.

A good joke on the Dr. One of the “beach combers” fell from the rigging and broke his arm. The Dr. put it in splinters and fainted during the operation from exhaustion. Two days after the “beach comber” was [?] the waist. We have about 300 steerage passengers and all day long there is singing and dancing and yelling from them. They lie in the waist. We have all made bets to when we shall get to Boston. I am betting on the 10th or before.

A wind – sail as seen by moonlight 11.30 P.M. Friday, the 23rd from the Spanker boom. Mrs Lee, Miss Smith, Mr Adams, Mr Wallach & I -

The fastidious Grace while ill in bed spent her time washing her waits, straps, etc. and consented to my surprise to take beef tea for breakfast, as I afterwards discovered that she might dry her straps around the cup. Miss Smith & I have had beef tea breakfasts in our bunk at 10 o’c every day.