En route New York to Cape de Verde

Sept 10 – 1886                       

U.S.S. Juniata

 

Dear Alice,

                        I wrote a letter a few minutes before leaving Aug 16- intending to give it to Mrs Baker to mail, as she was on board up to the last moment, but while I was below just finishing it she left suddenly, so I have it here yet. Mamas letter of 15 Sunday a.m. was received just before we left, tug came from the Yard with a few things so fortunately it brought our last mail. I was surprised & disgusted with Woodbridges language & conduct. Sorry it all happened before all your friends, Corey, Walker, Stetson &c, they must have thought for the moment you had picked up a queer customer. I hope you & Maude gave W— a wide berth after it. It shows how careful you need be in making acquaintances & introducing people. And how necessary it is to go slow in forming acquaintances. 

 

I should like to hear how matters progressed & the outcome of it all. I think Walker showed an excellent spirit in not attending to him at the time. If he had just knocked him down & thrashed him well with the weapons nature had provided him 'twould have served him right. I am inclined to think that it would perhaps be as well if you dropped the Glen Ridge acquaintances. The W's are so queer, & this Woodbridge must be a coarse specimen.

 

            You have some very pleasant acquaintances in & around Brighton, I hope nothing has happened, or likely to happen to make any break in your circle of friends. I wish you had some agreeable young folks in the house, it would be so much more pleasant & agreeable.

 

            Dont forget what I wrote you about your music & French & your reading. Devote a little time to these matters, daily, & see that Frank reads something better than the dime novel sort of books, & also does a a little in French as well. he / may some day find it to his advantage financially, as well as socially. I hope your friend Walker is not gone back to England, and that you have not broken your acquaintance with him. I rather like him since that Woodbridge affair

 

            I send a piece of music in one of my letters, composed by a Lieut Barnes, our Navigator. This "Sweethearts & Wives" is a Saty night affair kept up on some ships, & some not. They have a supper, about 9 p.m. light or heavy, fancy things & solids, finishing with wine toasts & singing, sometimes they go off pleasantly, very often they end in the youngsters taking too much & getting noisy with late hours, then the Capt stops them to a certain extent. our last one was noisy, &c, & Capt may stop them, or bar the Mids from drinking after certain hour. I should not be sorry if he did for the last was too much of an orgie.

 

Sept 12            Still drifting along very slowly. If this light wind prevails until we have made our next sounding we will put into Funchal or Madeira. I hope we will go there, it is such a lovely place, & may not have another chance to see the place. I shall have a chance to send letters, but no chance to hear from you 'till we get to Cape de V, & then only two weeks letters. It seems a long time since we left the days drag along terribly from having so little to do, or to be interested in. Somebody raised the cry this a.m. 7 that there was a whale blowing near by, every body rushed to the poop & looked anxiously, but no whale. Usher Wood &c caught a dolphin & a gray shark some days ago, which gave the folks something to do for a while. Then Baker caught a Nautillus or Argonaut a very pretty one, perfect, it lived but a short time in our aquarium. he has a net out when water is smooth & moving along steady. Catches some singular looking shrimp. the days & nights are lonely temperature nearly uniform 78 to 80 night & day. We have our lightest clothing on, white pants, & jacket or blouse. Celluloid collar & cuffs, no ties. Helmet hat.

 

Sept 17—Still jogging along, slowly, very slow & very monotonous & still. it is a great deal better than rolling & pitching in a gale. /

 

5)         I suppose you are just about getting through with your supper now it is about 9:30 here, by the next week Saturday we will be pretty near Cape de V. if nothing happens, And our mails. Wood has been making some water color drawings or sketches of the Ranger Juniata in the gale & becalmed, and is now going to photograph some of them. if he does not want to send them all off I will try & get you one.

 

I wonder if Mrs Baker wrote you since we left. she spoke so often of it. I am afraid it is a good deal with her as with him, talk. He certainly does not pan out well as a caterer. Neither dirt nor foul odors seem to bother him one bit.

 

Sept 17—My birthday, rather poor fare to celebrate with here. Usher is going to make some ice cream, fear not. Baker promised me a plum pudding but that fizzled too. had to go without any dessert. I hope we will soon be at Cape de Verde. The wind failed us or we might have gone to the Azores or Madeira.

Sept 19—Sunday, we had our ice cream yesterday morning after our first breakfast, Steward, a Jap, / worked over it for a long time & it did not freeze worth a cent, so he left it in the ice machine all night. it was a queer mixture, not a success exactly, better luck next time, Usher says. We have the plum pudding today that Baker promised my birthday. They are excellent. (didn't get that)

 

            The folks have begun betting whether we will or will not find orders at Cape de Verde ordering us to the Mediterranean. some think we will. I wish it could be so, or else round the world either would be better than Valparaiso.

 

22 Sept            We are gradually getting nearer Cape de V. hope to be in this week, where I trust we will get our mails. I hope I shall hear good news from you all. I am heartily tired of this run, 40 days at sea without sight of land & such prison fare. I don't know what sort of a person Mrs B— would be to go to Europe with, but I am sick & tired hearing / him talk. he is a regular gas bag. If we are away long enough to save a little money I shall go over for a flying trip & see the folks, if there is any way of getting a leave of absence. About the time & route can't say yet but will go if only for a short trip. Am sorry now I did not go over when I got back from the Ranger. It is rather early to make plans for the trip, but you can keep up your French & read a little history so in case we have chance to cross the channel twould be found useful.

 

            I am quite anxious to hear how that Woodbridge affair came out, hope to hear from you of it when we get to Cape de V.

 

I am going to close this for I have not another thing to write about. / Shall drop a few lines after receiving mails. Capt is not going to remain there long.

I send you two copies of latest edition of Westward Ho! Hawk is name of one of the Middy's. The fight between a darkey & a Jap took place in steerage country.

The ice machine we had put on board in New York—Wood & a P A Engr got it up,—is a sort of a fizzle Made ice in N.Y. but not any since except a small cake a couple of days ago. The water spout & track chart & dates will interest George Jr.

 

Much love & best wishes

from                Papa.

 

give Maude one of the two copies of Westward Ho if you wish.

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