C Ihe Ladies c cu. V'VVAN - History and Classics, Department of

Appendix 1 199from Vyvyan's field notes, Dorrien Smith's are quoted innotes.SATURDAY 15 MAY 1926Left Southampton Empress of Scotland 1:30 PM May 15 About7 heard the engines stop + going up on deck found ourselvesinside Cherbourg harbour: in the embrace of 2 long stonypiers. Grey town grey evening white-gray cliffs. Cold wind.Acquitania at harbour mouth silhouetted on orange sky.Gigantic, 4 tunnelled, raised up out of the water as if she wd.assert her independence: funnels sloping backward made herlook like some monster about to spring: a wonderful eveningsilhouette was that ship against the orange sky. Man's power outlined onGod's beaug.On the other side of us the tender was landing (bringing on)emigrants: shawled women children in striped garments, mencarrying little wooden chests or bundles Czecho-Slavs + heavenknows what medl,,), of E. European nations. They berth forward:under the name of" continental emigrants" (but the French are notincluded as a rule). We have 2nd class cabin but 3rd class meals +deckSUNDAY 16 MAYSunday. Church in 1st class. Hot sunshine basked on upperdeckMONDAY 17 MAYCold + calm saw a whale + his tail came right out before hesoundedTUESDAY 18 MAYCold enough head wind WretchedWEDNESDAY 19 MAYCold + less rough How the hours drag.THURSDAY 20 MAYEngines stopped dead last night from 2-6 + every now + then abell tolled mysteriously in the silence. So weird without throbof engines after these throbbing days. Went up on deck afterb'fast a gray-brown sea + a gray fog all round us + a strangebriny smell w. a tang to it as if some sea monster were breathingout ice + frost. Engines stopped again + we drifted or wallowed inthat ~sterious gray silent world. Presently a little iceberg camedrifting snow white + blue w. a spout like a teapot rolling in thewaves Every now + then nearly submerged + looking then like aline of foam. Later, on ourportside, the air grew deadly chill + thefog denser + as we tried to pierce the fog we cd see (or 1/2 see) aline of foam on the horizon or was it a low cloud, (then itseemed) like 2 spouts of steam changing (now + then) to adarker patch. Mysterious + the longer we looked the less clear it seemed.Drifting nearer + nearer it took form + at last came qUicklyeven with us: it was like a monstrous island in ice like a huge bitof mainland cut off + drifting: the most sinister thing of snowwhite peaks + edges with dark caves in the face of it + breakersrolling up against it + clouds of fog smoking w. foggy steamrising from the breakers. Never thought any cold thing cd. beso diabolic + sinister + all that day we were looking out for thoseevil white wisps on the gray (+ clouded) horizon. We driftedmore or less till stewardess calls us "In cabin a little ice boxmost refreshing". we being only ones w. open chink Gwen'sfists mercifully strong enough to open any porthole. Eve + itseemed as if we had been drifting for centuries. Then the fogcleared a bit + we went ahead. All day the cold was penetrating +we cd. not sit still for long even w. 3 layers of clothes. Talked agood bit to a 1/2 mad Irishman Digby Hussey de Burgh.FRIDAY 21 MAYCold but sun shone now + then. We have seen gulls with white spots onwings these last 3 d'!Ys We passed Cape Race 2 hrs after midnightthence 46 hours to Quebec so weget in tomorrow night. About 7-45 to 8.45when it got darkish we saw the whole island of Anti Costi awonderful gray outline with much snow on flattish high top +the gray face of it streaked with snow + a gray sea + a gray. sky.Most impressive. We have put back clock 40 mins. each d'!Y 60 mins. 1stday Passengers more sociable came up in sun like butterflies. Long chatwith red-hot Irishman Digby Hussey de Burgh + others. islandPacific ideal emigrantsSATURDAY 22 MAYGold but sun'!)! all d'91 we steamed along the gulf of St. Lawrence awide Calm sea R. bank hidden almost in haze or distance L. shorea dismal country patches of snow among brown trees + onbrown grass + lines of huts or dwellings along the shore: a brownrepellent land with even line of hills cutting the 59. Saw a large whale someway off + II Eider ducks in flight. Passengers swarmed on deck in crowdsstrange freaks we had never seen before like spawn upon the decks. At sundown