19th Century Steinbeck Family Papers

flat on the deck, and smoking. All the men wear large white turbans. In the cabin they are receiving passengers doing business. No regard to the day. It is Sabbath. Friday is the Moslem’s Sabbath, and Saturday the Jewish Sabbath. This is an Austrian steamer.

Dec 12 Monday. The steamer did not sail last night until after dark. The motion of the boat is different from that of a sailing vessel. We could not sleep, and some were sea sick. Early in the morning we were served with coffee and a slice of bread. At ten oclock breakfast consisting of a variety of dishes unlike American food, often apples figs and nuts. Among the cabin passengers is a German gentleman with his wife who are traveling through Europe and Asia. They speak English. The Prussian consul and wife from Damascus, they also speak English. A German Jew who can speak our native tongue. About the cabin everything is nice, and comfortable, but the deck is covered with a motley crowd smoking eating and some asleep lieing flat on deck. There is a Mahommetan Mufti on deck who seems