187
Ship "Reigate"
at Sea
Sunday May 8th (1881)
My Dear Mother
I am glad to tell you we have a fair wind at last and I now begin to write my voyage letter to you. It is a beautiful day so I have turned my bed out for an airing. We live very comfortable in our berth and get on very well together in the dog watches. We take it in turns to play. Wilson plays his fiddle and I my whistle so we pass the time away very pleasantly. Mr Ritchie [First Mate] has kindly been teaching me a good many things in the seamanship way and on Monday I am to go to him in my watch below in the afternoon and spend an hour at arithmetic. I have been wearing those old trousers and dungarees on weekdays and blue cloth suit on Sunday
Sunday 15th. Dear Mother, we have had a fine fair wind all this week and are on warmer weather. Now I am glad to tell you we are all quite well. I have been getting on very well at sea. Mr Ritchie has us in the cabin every other afternoon teaching us arithmetic. Yesterday night I stowed the mizzen royal for the first time on the voyage. This week we have been making boat covers and Father has been teaching us the way to sew. Father is very kind to me and Wilson and I get on very well together. We have finished nearly all our little store up. I have only one onion left. The steward has just brought us in a piece of plum pudding left from the cabin. We have not taken long to eat it. I am keeping a little log in the pocketbook Ada bought me.
Sunday 29th. Dear Mother, this week we have had doldrums and head winds yesterday night I went up to stow the mizzen Royal and in getting along the yard my belt unhooked and went flying overboard. It has been a great loss. This week I have washed all my dirty clothes. It is very hot now so I am wearing my duck trousers and a flannel shirt. We caught some bonitos yesterday and all had a good feed of fish
Sunday June 5th. Dear Mother, the weather has been very squally this week Last night it blowed hard and we reefed top sails for the first time. I got wet through three times during the night. It makes six times I have been wet through this week. I wished I was at home in bed last night.
187
Ship "Reigate"
at Sea
Sunday May 8th (1881)
My Dear Mother
I am glad to tell you we have a fair wind at last and I now begin to write my voyage letter to you. It is a beautiful day so I have turned my bed out for an airing. We live very comfortable in our berth and get on very well together in the dog watches. We take it in turns to play. Wilson plays his fiddle and I my whistle so we pass the time away very pleasantly. Mr Ritchie [First Mate] has kindly been teaching me a good many things in the seamanship way and on Monday I am to go to him in my watch below in the afternoon and spend an hour at arithmetic. I have been wearing those old trousers and dungarees on weekdays and blue cloth suit on Sunday
Sunday 15th. Dear Mother, we have had a fine fair wind all this week and are on warmer weather. Now I am glad to tell you we are all quite well. I have been getting on very well at sea. Mr Ritchie has us in the cabin every other afternoon teaching us arithmetic. Yesterday night I stowed the mizzen royal for the first time on the voyage. This week we have been making boat covers and Father has been teaching us the way to sew. Father is very kind to me and Wilson and I get on very well together. We have finished nearly all our little store up. I have only one onion left. The steward has just brought us in a piece of plum pudding left from the cabin. We have not taken long to eat it. I am keeping a little log in the pocketbook Ada bought me.
Sunday 29th. Dear Mother, this week we have had doldrums and head winds yesterday night I went up to stow the mizzen Royal and in getting along the yard my belt unhooked and went flying overboard. It has been a great loss. This week I have washed all my dirty clothes. It is very hot now so I am wearing my duck trousers and a flannel shirt. We caught some bonitos yesterday and all had a good feed of fish
Sunday June 5th. Dear Mother, the weather has been very squally this week Last night it blowed hard and we reefed top sails for the first time. I got wet through three times during the night. It makes six times I have been wet through this week. I wished I was at home in bed last
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