Travel Diaries and Journals

Edinburgh August 13th 1857

In the morning called at Macfarlane's bade Mr Young & the rest good bye at the head of Infirmary Street. Met several students & while standing speaking to them, Saw Sophia & James Forbes coming down. Walked down the Bridge with them, left S. to go to D. Thomson's & J. F. & I went to see Fred at the Brewery. J. F. & I in the afternoon went down in the Leith coach & called on John Moore. Saw Mrs M. bade them good bye. Walked along to Trinity & dined there. Fred did not come down. Went down to the greenhouse to smoke got a fuschia which S. wrapped up for me, bade Mr. R. good bye. Maria asleep. Did not awake her. bade Mrs. F. good bye. S. came to the door, nearly broke down at last on leaving all my dearest friends [good bye--2 lines drawn through this] for how long? had to run off to the train. J. F. with me. We called again on Fred & then I went home. Oh such a trial I had, tried to keep off the evil moment to the last but the hour came

Edinr. to York

I must part with my mother. Oh what a trial to leave & part with her whom I loved [struck through: better than] so dearly & my father too & Jessie Mary, Robert & William I assumed composure I was far from feeling. My heart was ready to burst but I must tear myself away. the hour has come & I must go My father Robt. Wm. Taylor, Fred, James T. Banks at the station bade me good bye & off we went Left N.B. Station at 9.15 Stopped Dunbar 5 minutes Berwick 10 minutes . I went outside the station at Berwick but it being dark I could see very little, however I saw the Tweed & could make out the general appearance of the town We stopped again at Newcastle & York at the latter we had 20 minutes & I went into the refreshment rooms to have a cup of coffee for which I paid 1/ rather scalped. I saw the Cathedral A young fellow sitting opposite me in the train & I went to see it, it is a

London. As I had nothing particular to keep me in London I told him I was quite ready to go down to Southampton on the Friday night- we went through Guy's Hospital & St Thomas' An operation was going on at Guy's at which I think they would have been nothing the worse of the assistance of some of our Edinr. Surgeons. With proper teachers the students in Guy's ought to make good practitioners as they see an immense deal of practice both dispensary & Hospital. I was astonished to see the number of patients waiting I never saw anything like it in our Infirmary. I went through some of the principal thouroughfares in London & then returned to the waverly to dinner What a continual bustle & stir is going on in London every part you can turn your eyes to presents the same scene was very anxious to call at Morrison's warehouse but I was told by so many different people differrent directions to Fore Street that I was obliged to give up the search in case I should run short

As they use with the fire engines in Edinr roses like those in a watering pan are attached to it A sailor gets in the top of a hatchway with this in his hand. While a dozen natives work at the pump. You get under the roses & have a first rate ducking Your shower baths in Edinr are mere childs play compared to this At 8 o'clock Am. we saw a ship ahead. We soon gained upon her. We hoisted our colours they returned the tricolor so that she was French. We were not near enough to interchange any more signals. We soon lost sight of her far behind At 3 o'clock this afternoon we sighted one of the Canary islands Palma for my part I could not think it any thing else than a cloud the Sailors however said it Was land & that it was the island Palma. We also saw dimly the Peak of Teneriffe which was very high out from the sea 12300 feet we guess more than 100 miles distant from Teneriffe & about 18 from Palma. On the latter we could see some houses apparently built among the rocks. I did not see that

clearly shown after the service. Several parties took to novels & some to playing cards &c which I think they would not have felt much inclined to do if they had heard one of Dr Browns Sermon instead Lat. 24.19 Long 19.23. Distance Me 182

Monday Augt 24th 1857 The ship has been rolling more heavily last night than it has done at all as yet. We have changed her course & are sailing against the waves which account for it. I was nearly rolled out of my berth 3 or 4 times last night & today the ship rolls over as if she would pitch us all into the sea. We are steering off the Coast of Africa (100 miles from it). A flying fish came on board to day & was picked up by one of the officers it is exactly like a Macker [Mackerel] with wings in addition. I believe it is a common thing for them to come on board when the sea is rough. I have now got acquainted with a good many of the passengers & the time passes more pleasantly the Scotsmen more especially fraternise. The Cheif engineer of the ship is a Scotsman & our Surgeon studied in Edinr. he passed last