On Sunday there was the usual parade of officers, sailors, and servants, 149 in all, most of the sailors being Lascars, dressed in white gowns, red turbans, and sashes, presenting a clean and picturesque appearance.
The vessel is a fine one, wonderfully clean, and with all modern improvements, including electric lights.
The doctor is a young and handsome man, and spends most of his time with the young lady passengers, who seem to require much medical advice. I notice that on most of the ships where I have been the doctors are very attentive to the ladies.
One night I slept very soundly in the upper berth, but in the morning found my room flooded from the open port-holes, sofa, floor, and baggage wet, but no great harm done, my clothing being hung up. In the morning I knew the sailors were washing the deck, for the water leaked through and struck my face, but one learns not to mind such little matters when travelling, and I turned over for another sleep.
It is rather hot on the steamer, thermometer eighty degrees, but the punkas are going in the cabin, and we are all quite comfortable.
We came from Bombay on the steamer Assam, arrived at Aden on the 6th, and were transferred to this ship, and unfortunately there was not time for us to go ashore, but I think we lost nothing, as it was a poor-looking place, nothing but rocks and fortifications.
We now see for the first time the coast of Arabia, big hills evidently of volcanic formation, and long reaches of white sand. The native boats crowded around the ship, offering ostrich feathers and various things for sale; boys were diving for silver pieces thrown into the water, and generally succeeded in getting them.
The run of four days up the historic Red Sea has been full of interest. One day the air was full of locusts flying over from Arabia to Africa, many of them falling on the deck. They looked like small birds when flying, but were not larger than katydids, and brown in color.