Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1898-07-23
on BOARD STEAMSHIP sERvIA

Correspondence Alexandria Gazette
ATLANTIC OCEAN, July 12-I want
to write some account of my sea voyage
and life on board ship, which is such a
new experience 10 the first place it
seems almost impossible to do anything
but eat and sleep. Upto to-day l have
felt as if had not strength enough to
clasp my fingers around pen, but |
have determined to overcome this SEN
sation that You may hear from us as
soon as il is possible to mail this letter
We saie'' Tuesday at little past nine,
and to day is Sunday. This morning
the captain held service at hall past ten
and ii was very interesting. A sweet, but
solemn bell tolled and we all adjourned
TO the saloon, the captain occupying
the head OF the centre table with cusb-
ions arranged to make reading desk.
We all had service books and Bibles,
and the Church of Eng land service was
ad with two lpssons-5lst Isaiah and
II h Romans. IL was very solemn and
Impressive. All the officers and crew
Were present as well rs the passen-
gers. The first hymn, "All People
who on Earth do Dwell" seemed
most appropriate to the occasion. as |
suppose many, if not all, natiot alities
ere represented. The prayer for the
Q ;een was said and after q little
.,ause the President of the United
States was Included A good choir
a,,A cnln - a
ru,aem, the Holy CITY," was beautiful.
Altogether it has been the most i'm
pre- ssive and interesting scene we have
witnessed. The ocean has been like a
grea1 lake calm, as | never knew il
could be; almost without exception
each passenger taking all three meals
in the dining room. We have wished
some of our friends were with us to en-
ioy the delicious sea air. We have made
such good time because there has been
no weather to hinder. Sleep pursue
you all over the ship-if you sit down
to read you fall asleep, if you sit down
to look ut the sea you dream away, if
you walk about the snip you grow
sleepy, if you 60 to bed early you sleep
late. | should think the best cure
| for insomnia would be to go
to sea. One day we saw four vessels,
two ships and two steamers. Some Of
the company said they saw a whale !!
We are told that if the fine weather
continues we will reach Queenstown on
Wednesday night by ten o'clock. |
will be glad once more to set my fee
on Terra Gotta" as Mrs. Parliugton call
it. The Service" on board is excellent.
Our cabin steward reminds us of Sam
Weller and ! am getting accustomed to
having attentions Of this gentleman of
the bed chamber. We eat seven times
day if we like-anything yu
like when you first awake, then break
fast at half-past eight, beef tea at eleven,
lul cheon at hali-past one, afternoon
tea at four, dinner at seven, and later,
ahout ten, anything you call for in
J 10 rat on. l am conc rned to tell
YOU that we have met no one from Vlr-
GINA yet.
Las night we had concert on board
aud it was very entertaining. some
talent and much good nature prevailed.
A newspaper, the Fog Horn" has heeu
started and is quite racy with its pei
sonals," editorials, &c. The news from
the seat of war is particularly inspii-
ing. We are looking forward with
keen interest to meeting the New York
Herald at Queenstown. Last night at
the concer; we had the Star Spspgled
Banner" and after that "God Save the
Queen" The Anglo American spirit
pervades the entire ship. l am begin
1iug to feel "drowsy Incidence" steal
i,g over me so l think l had
better stop writing. There is really
very little to write about. There
are four Episcopal ministers and one
Roman priest on bosrd-one or two
''parties" bound for the continent and
the rest are he general public" like
ourselves. The older one grows the
more one is struck by the limitations of
life and more specially by the ljmita-
tons of shipboard. The sea alone
seems illimitable yet even here we are
met with the thus far and no farther"
Sleepily yours, CUNARDA.