Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1897-05-04
OVER THE SEA.
The Trip Across the Atlantic
OF the Portland Party
Which Is to Spend Next Six Months
travelling in Europe.
First OF Series Of Letters by Mrs. Hermann
kotzschmar Of Portland.

At Sea, on Board Steamer Partisan.
have our dreams indeed become reality
ana are we actually going to Europe,"
| exclaimed e., with breathless delight A
pHsSiui smile an ecstatic embrace, was
the only answer necessary But before
writing further. we wish to explain our
use of the first person plural. 1t is by
no means the conventional editorial I'VE,
put bona tidc one, consisting of two
| distinct indiyidualities: w, the elder: T..
the younger uniting such perfect sym
| PATTY in tastes and mutual comprehen-
| sion, that for us it is an ideal we" who
are TO see together the wonder and the
| glory of the Old World. Besides this
| close personal we to speak with the
mathematical exactness of the immortal
| Wordsworth. I'VE are eight The Port
| land papers have made such slight (?)
| reference to our party. that for the bene-
| fit of those who may have missed seeing
| the occasional Cd notice. we will particu
i larize our members: Monsieur. Madame
| and Mademoiselle. The Traveller and
| close beside her Miss Dot, Mrs Tapley
| ta cousin of Mark. determined to make
| the best of everything) and I'VE" Those
who have experienced the stir and eX
| citement of getting ready" will under
| stand what the few days preceding the
| sailing of the Partisan meant to us the
deciding of the momentous question.
what to take, what not to take. the
| struggle to induce a fair-szed trunkful
| to compress itself into small enough
| space 10 make a respectable looking
| "hold-ail The realization of the many
thoughtful friends we had. so frequently
| impressed upon us in the receipt of nu-
merous packages. each containing "the
very thing we wanted most" and yet
through all those dear, delightful days,
we kept having such strange sensations
| in our throats. We Were told later that
they always come, when two go and two
are left behind. The day SO long ex-
pected. the Sth of April. dawned through
cloudy skies, but We were confident the
| heavens would give us smiling goodby,
and sure enough, when on board and
ready to start the sun was shining bril-
| liantly-at least we think it was-per
| haps it was the cordial good wishes. the
CHEEKY words from hosts of friends that
| made everything look so sunny. Surely
the one event most delightful to expert
ence in ones life-neXt to being married
| is to leave Portland on the steamer
Partisan for European trip of six
months No words can half express the
feeling of our hearts; We had no concep-
ton of the tender regard in which We
were held by our friends. We were all
dazed bewildered and literally embow-
cred in flowers roses, pinks and violets
galore. while books and daintieS were
heaped upon us. TO add to the pleasure
and comfort of our voyage. AS the mo-
ments few and the hour for sailing came,
our friends crowded the pier for more
than the vessels length. At last the can
non doomed. the engine throbbed, and
with an almost imperceptible movement
We Glided out into the bay. At that mo-
ment we knew that the heavens above
and The earth beneath were misty. Each
gaZed al the one dearest face till every
thing was but Il blur. Then the widows
of the party looked at each other biankly
and endeavored to smile. but it was d
| miserable, watery failure.
From Thursday evening, after leaving
Portland until the following Tuesday
thick fog, alternating with rain and
snow. was our portion, When we reached
Halifax. the streets and houses We're COW
cred with snow. AS we came to the dock
we noticed Il crowd of 80 or more stew
dores evidently waiting for work, but
the moment the ship made fast. they
wheeled about and marched off with
military precision. The captain told Us
later that this was their inYariahle Gus
tom They always congregate to see the
coming Of the ship. Immediately leaving
on her arrival. at about o clock, to get
their Suppcrs. thus saving an houf or 50
in loading freight. As it was, 1900 bar
rels of APPLES and IL carloads of lumber
kept them busy until daylight. Saturday
morning at 10. we sailed forth to see the
place to which bores and troublesome
individuals have been consigned lre1a
time immemorial. Whatever beauties
Halifax may possess in summer. they
are not in evidence in April, but the ram
falling or limp fish, withered cabnaSeS
and the like did not induce us to lihger
long. In three hours we pStdIt sum
GENTLY acquainted with Halifax, and re
turned to the steamer. amusing ourselves
iwth watching the various newcomers;
At o'clock. amid Misunderstanding ana
handkerchief-wav the farlsleh
weighed anchor-onc more we st@Fte".
Land was soon left behind and Tor the
first time we realized that we were aiaF
and afar on an ocean.
Thursday April 22-lt IS a week, 70
dav since we left home, and while since
Monday we have had pleasant sunny
DAYS vet the captain tells us there IS
more rolling motion to the snip IMAM ~
has experienced for two years, except
during storms. probably owing TO the
way in which the freight is stored. Peo-
pie have much to say about the resltul-
ness of an ocean voyage. but to us II Is
exasperating to the nerves. Whatever II
may he to the body: -,
ourselves with reasonable degree OF
certainty. and If we choose 4 SeltilS
posture not to he made to stahd' WHY
nilly, by downward DIP OF me ,ec IN. "
If We think we would like a short walk
be compelled 10 sit in a humiliatinG heap
We are confident St Paul must nave had
ono of his many voyages in MIND. Whea
he wrote. 1.-The things that | would do
not and the things that ! would not those
/ do" We have all proved good sali ti3
but the little one She mas e s pe1 ia
mer." Everyone has been thoughtful
and the chief steward kindness lisei, out
If ever there We're an anger ulSSulseu Win
white hair and snowy side whiskers nat
angel is the man Of the party. When
the Mothers in Israel felt that notn-
ing could save them but mediation III
the fresh air on deck, the Fathef was
on duty carrying hot water bags, ana
bathing the sufferers head. We Know
now that when Il man is sympathetic ana
heInful he far exceeds a woman. VI
colIrse among 90 saloon passengers ther2
are some oddities; but we are fortunate
il, having very quiet, agreeable Noya-
aeurs That gentleman in the corner ilts
. nenchant for collecting souvenir Spoons
and is displaying some is or more that
he has Just purchased IN Portland anu
Halifax. while he wholly eclipses the
'.fat boys fame, by being able to steep
standing on deck with the snip ar an
angle Of As degrees. our Vis-a-VlS AT
table. is Mr. Smith. an interesting young
nan who has travelled extensively. aNd
talks we'll The bellies of the SNIP are
two sisters. dark handsome girls, fun OF
vivaeitv. making all the life and excite
rent there is We have Romeo with
ms in the person of young man with q
ye,y aouiine nose. who looks about ~
wears old He was married Two montns
ago n runaway match, parents sun OBJ
d1irate. so the young groom taheS ~, islt
ocean voyage until matters are alniI,tyE
adjusted The passengers are Iroii fiaii-
FAY ST. John. Fredericton ana Mohtreai-
with Il sprinkling from OLD h,ngithd: q
,orre nroportion are young people, VINO
.,,S,,sa themselves promenading. piaNl1g