Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1883-03-27
A TRIP TO EUROPE.
Experience Of a Lady Who Kept q
Diary.
WeII-drawn Pictures Of Life on
ShipbOard.
Special Correspondence Ledger.

pledhuT6 VI mdhlUS NOuE luIOuSu
Europe, and the long looked for day
of our departure has at last arrived.
all preliminaries are arranged; the
heavy baggage is stored between decks,
and steamer trunks and all light srti.
cles required during the ocean passage
are snugly packed in ourlcommodiOus
stateroom. We have selected the
steamer Servia, after much investiga
tion, as the largest and fastest of the
Cunard feet. The din Of preparation
resounds on every side, and all is
hurly burly on the dock at the pier.
No. 40, North river. Passengers hurry
hither and thither to assure them
selves that everything is ready, and
make an inventory of their impedi-
ments. The steyedore has disposed of
the last pile of freight, and the stock
ers are already feeding the furious
fires, as we see by the clouds OF black
smoke rolling from the immense oylin
drical chimneys. To all the passengers
and their waiting friends it is an
eventful moment when the mammoth
engines commence their pulsations
and the propeller wheel churns the
water into feecy foam. Then the
last adieux are said, the lines are cast
off and we are slowly moving seward
on this stormy afternoon, and amid
the falling raindrops we lose sight Of
the pier, our last glimpse being a halt
acre of umbrellas covering the heads
of waiting friends and relatives.
We had given instructions to have
our letters mailed to the care Of the
"purser," on board OF the Servia, and
we hoped to get them before sailing,
in order to send answers by the pilot
boat from Sandy Hook. But the
"purser" is lofty parsonage, unap-
proachahle until his own good time.
and SC no mail matter is distributed
until we are far out to sea, and then it
is scattered broadcast over the tables
so that any one whs chooses can help
himself to any letters that suit his
fancy. Its quite an interesting matter
to select seats at the table, and some
passengers are very particular as to
their exact location. As for ourselves
we we're only anxious that our table
should be on the same side Of the ship
as our stateroom, and to be seated near
the end of one of the tables so that we
could conveniently reach our places
when the ship is rolling heavily. A
thick mist covers the shore and the
wind blowed from the southeast eaus-
log heavy chop sea as we pass out of
Sandy Hook.
AT SEA, March 2.
We are getting little accustomed
to the motion Of the huge ship as she
bounds over the billogs. The old
story of an ocean voyage Is new to US,
and we realize the impossibility Of
keeping our tempers serene and un>
rutiied during a storm at sea. No bet.
ter opportunity is ever offered to study
human nature than on a European
voyage. The selfish man is supremely
SO here, and even the most courteous
gentleman becomes unlike himself,
during the qualms of seasickness.
During the night the wind blew
gale and the ship rolled frightfully.
Qua trunks and everything movable
upon the fooF vent sliding from side
to side of the state room, and we
we're too sea sick to eve1 attempt to
secure them, and so we let them slide.
The donkey pump connected with the
refrigersting apparatus kept knocking
all night. disturbing our sleep and
comfort, but no doubt eHectgally pres
serving the provisions designed for
the beef loving Britons. This morn
ing, however, the sea Is less rough.
but L ..sty rain is falling, 50 that we
can see but a short distance from the
steamer. Toward noon the weather
became more clear, aud we enjoyed a
promenade ca the deck. The Servia
is $50 feet in length. snd walk from
stern to stem aud back is nearly
quarter Of mile, including the devia-
tons from a right line necessary to
make she passage. Many Of the pas
sengers Fecline or le!l upon their deck
chairs for hours together, a9d some
have all their meals brought to them
on deck By Charley the 6teFsTd,
who is a marvellous specimen of agility
and urbanity. How he manages TO
wait on so many exacting passengers
in such short order, we could never
determine. But whether the wind
blows high or low he Is aiTsys on the
run up aud down stairs With all sorts
Of delicate morsels to tempt the apes
tites of his constituents. We find it
quite difficult, even when nnladen, to
avoid an occasional collision on those
same stairs. One goHty Englishman,
who made pretense to some sort Of a
title, was only known TO speak ONCE to
any passenger and then he was coming
UP from the diniDgroOm, just as lady
was descending the stairs. A sudden
lurch OF the chip threw her against
him, when she sniiiusly begged his
pardon for her seeming boldHess. He
answered grufHy, "You don't need to
beg NY pardon, madam You have a
fright to come dgBu these stairs,
suppose, and | have 2 right to 90 ur
them; SO you needn't ask my pardon
marin" When the weather is too
stormy the ladies resort to the music
room, which is on the upper dock ovei
the nsip dining room, and which il
brilliantly ljgkted by the Edison cleo
trio light during the evening,
| March 3D..
The sea is more moderate thi
m0rning and the noble Servia, which
justiAes every commcndation, rushe
through the water swiftly and VERY
smoothly. The tremendous onRineI
Of 10000 horse power, scarcely max
any trembling or Earring motion, 8
noticeable in smaller steamers. Dur
ing the night we heard the sailor
singiHg az they hoisted the sails, afte
, which the ship Fap even more steadily