The second installment of Annie’s diary…

We left New York August 9^th 1900 at 8am.  I had a good view of the harbour leaving as we were on the bridge and could see well.  The Pilot left us at Sandy Hook at noon and then we are off.  Our first stopping place is St Vincent Cape Verde where we have to get more coal.

We have on board a couple of young pigs and two dozen fowls, so as to be provided with new laid eggs and later on fresh meat.  In the early morning one would almost fancy they were in a farm yard, with the cock crowing, hens cackling, and pigs grunting.  Harold soon makes friends with all on board and gets quite nautical in his talk.

For about a week or 10 days we have splendid weather and we spend all our time on the poop.  I have a table made so to hold my machine and get through quite a lot of work.  Harold and his Dad both have hammocks where they have their afternoon sleep.  It makes me feel dizzy and queer lying in them so I content myself with a book and rocking chair.  Harry has taken our photographs several times, some have turned out fairly well, others have been spoilt as the water and weather was too warm to develop them properly.  The time passes very pleasantly, it is a real  holiday for me.

About 10 days after leaving New York the weather changes and we get it dull with head winds; sometimes it blows too hard for us to go on deck, then we have to be content in cabin or chart room.  On August 22^nd we sight the land, the mountains of St Antonio, one of the Cape Verde Islands and later on, St Vincent.  There is nothing much to see except barren mountains until you are quite close when you see the town tight in the bay.  There are several ships at anchor there taking coals.

At 3pm we anchor and the Doctor comes off in his steam launch and about a dozen other small boats manned by coloured men in khaki trousers, blue shirts, broad brimmed hats and red sashes.  One boat was filled with naked black boys who would dive after coppers thrown into the sea for them.  Harry had to go on shore to do his business but I did not go as it would have been awkward to take Harold and as everyone was busy I could not leave him.  Harry said, however, there was not much to see on shore, the inhabitants are principally Portugese with a few English at the coaling stations.  The clerk who came off to the ship to do our business was a Bristol gentleman, a son of Mr Denning the Minister.

Harold and I amused ourselves with watching the fish with which the bay seemed to be full.  We put out a line to try and catch some but were not successful.  We were told that rain very seldom fell at St Vincent, it being about 5 years since they had a good storm.  Here our farm yard was increased by a black sheep, but as we hadn’t any food for him he was killed next day and we soon made short work of him.

Soon after midnight we had taken all our coal and were once more on our way.  We passed between other islands the next day but the weather being misty we could not see them plainly.  I saw a volcano on one but it was not active; that is the last land we see until we sight the Cape of Good Hope.

The days, as we approach the line, get much shorter, the sun sets about six o’clock and there is no twilight as there is at home.  It is getting cold too and we have put on extra clothing.  Harold had been told such a number of tales about Father Neptune and the tar and feathering that it was quite a relief to him that we crossed the line about midnight August 29^th and all danger for him was passed.

The weather now became rough and boisterous and on September 7^th it was blowing quite a gale.  The waves would roll right over the ship and to me it seemed as if we should be swamped.  Harry laughs at my fears and says “Wait until the end of the voyage, there is worse weather before us”.

On 7^th September we signalled a Castle Line mail boat homeward bound from the Cape.  I wonder if she will report us.  Harry took a couple of photographs of the sea dashing over the bow, it was rather awkward fixing the camera where it would not get wet with the spray – so the result was the best we could manage.  We were off the Cape of Good Hope on the 10^th September being then 32 days from New York.  I got a good view of Table Mountain and Harry took a photo of the Cape, it being 4 miles away.  We signalled there and the weather was beautifully fine.  Here I saw a couple of whales, or at least grampus (I believe whales are almost extinct) and flocks of Cape pigeons, and albatrosses follow the ship making fine sport for those who possess firearms…