Diary

A very unsatisfactory day waiting for letters and now after spoiling our morning I find the Japan will not be in until afternoon. George is very impatient today and as soon as we are in a shop wants to go out again. We muddled it this morning and everyone was vexed. The box is repacked and I did not get the two little articles I wanted a medicine box and a Japanese tea set but it cannot be helped. It might have been worse. Ronald went off at 2 pm to get my letters and at 4:30 has not returned. I hope to hear from Ted as my last letter was dated October 10 the day before we sailed and the time has been very long. I fancy it will be uncomfortable getting on board in the wet - sent some flowers to Mrs. Hellyer and Mr. MacArthur sent me some lovely violets. It was very kind of him. At 5 p.m.just when we had sat down to write our letters George changed his mind and wanted to go on board at once so we put away our writing material and put on bonnets to start. Ronald

had not yet returned. But he can dine and come with the Roses later on. We got on board at 6 p.m. from a launch A wharf unlighted. George met Ronald just as we were leaving the hotel and from the launch they had to carry all the hand luggage on board. Certainly this ship does not seem to devote as much time to passengers as the Empress of India did. The Captain seems to be in bad health, he does not like his officers to waste their time talking to passengers. Letters from Mabel Hutchison, Mrs. Beddows, Aunt Alice, Kate. None from Ted for me. I am bitterly disappointed. I hope the 24 boy is well. A lovely fine morning and I would like to go ashore and get some little ivory carvings and my tea set. After breakfast we thought we could go ashore but no person could find out when the ship sailed. So we stayed here all day half a mile from Kobe. Certainly this ship has a sick or ill tempered captain who does not

want the any interference but certainly when you are kept on board for no reason except that it is no person's business to find out how long it would take to unlade the ship. Out here the coolies will not work in the rain. So a lot of cargo that should have be[en] embarked at Yokohama was brought on here and it was 12 at night before we sailed. A day on board with a lot of disappointed passengers is a lost day on a journey 25 around the world. Passing through the inland sea is very pretty much like the Muskoka and Georgian Bay region. The islands are wooded and seem like the Lanterns at Nara without end & cannot be numbered. We saw the fortifications & some Russian, English and Japanese war ships lying at anchor. Many of these islands are inhabited by a half farming half fishing population & the waters are studded with trading junks & fishing boats with their yellow sails. Thery are so pretty. The fish enjoy a great reputation with gourmets.

We are to get to Nagasaki in the morning about 6 a.m. As the vessel coals here we will have a few hours. This coaling is done by both men and women. It is said to be the best and quickest in the world. The coal is all in small baskets, round, and handed from hand to hand from the lighter to the lader top. And it [is] wonderful to see how quickly it passes from one to another. The empty ones are passed underneath. The coolies only get wages at the rate of 5 cts a day. Women and even children all work 26. alike. We got to the shore early at 8:25 so we have until three o'clock. We walked over to the Dutch Settlement which was the earliest in Japan and saw the fish market. George wanted to get peper [pepper?] boxes and failing that would not let me get anything. I wish we had laid over here for 2 or 3 days. The harbour is lovely and is said to be the Second in the world. Sidney being first for natural beauty.

An inlet about 3 miles in length indented with numerous bays and surrounded by wooded hills. It is thoroughly sheltered and affords anchorage for ships of all classes. The entrance is only 1/4 of a mile in width. Just outside the harbour is the island Jappenberg where it said thousands of native Christians suffered death rather than trample on the cross. They were driven up to the high cliff and were thrown into the sea. These are said to have [been] R. Catholic converts. This and Netzumi-Shimi are the favourite islands for picnics. The religious fetes of Nagasaki have always been the finest in Japan. We got off at 4 p.m. in a light shower of rain. Leaving one sees the forts and hills the sunset rays it is seldom you see more beauty for the hills are terraced almost up to the top and vegetation seems so rich. We watched the islands until darkness shut them out from our view.