At two o’clock we passed the famed St. Abb’s Head, which we had so longed to see on our first voyage to Scotland. I read a few stanzas out of Marmion, giving an account of the voyage of the nuns to Holy Island, and saw the ruins of the convent on it; then Bamborough Castle, and a little further on the Ferne Islands. We were very sorry to hear that poor Grace Darling had died the night before we passed the first time.
Friday, September 16.
We heard that we had passed Flamborough Head at half-past five in the morning. The “Black Eagle” we passed at half-past eight last night, and we could only just see her smoke by the time we came on deck. At half-past nine I followed Albert on deck; it was a fine, bright morning. We had some coffee, and walked about; we were then quite in the open sea; it was very fine all day. At five we were close to the “Rhadamanthus,” which had been in sight all day. We had a very pleasant little dinner on deck, in a small tent made of flags, at half-past five. We passed Yarmouth at about a quarter to six—very flat—and looking, Albert said, like a Flemish town. We walked up and down on deck, admiring the splendid moonlight, which was reflected so beautifully on the sea.
We went below at half-past seven, and I read the fourth and fifth cantos of The Lay of the Last Minstrel to Albert, and then we played on the piano.
Saturday, September 17.
At three o’clock in the morning we were awakened by loud guns, which, however, were welcome sounds to us, as we knew that we were at the Nore, the entrance of the river. About six we heard the “Rhadamanthus” had just passed us, and they said we were lying off Southend, in order to let the “Black Eagle” come up. It was a very bright day, though a little hazy.
The shipping in the river looked very pretty as we passed along. At ten minutes past ten we got into the barge and landed. The Duchess of Norfolk and Miss Matilda Paget and the equerries were all there, but the others we knew nothing of. Sir James Clark had been on board the “Trident” with us. We drove off at once to the railway terminus, and reached Windsor Castle at half-past twelve o’clock.