We had many visitors to see us off, and left finally at 4.30 p.m., setting course for St. Vincent.
The next part of our journey proved uneventful. We crossed the equator to run into hotter weather, the sun being near its northern limit of declination. With a light following wind there was no draught, and the ship was covered daily with dust and ashes from the very dirty Ascension Island coal. So bad did it turn out that Kerr and his staff had the greatest difficulty in maintaining a sufficient pressure of steam, and the work of the stokers was consequently very hard. Young, Ross and Murray (a new hand taken on at Cape Town) stuck splendidly to their work during this uncomfortable and trying stage of the journey.
Photo: Wilkins
WEATHERPOST HILL, ASCENSION ISLAND, LOOKING EAST
The whiteness is due to the Laterite, which is a weathered product of Trachyte
Photo: Wilkins
A VIEW IN SAN MIGUEL IN THE AZORES