The British Association's Visit to Montreal, 1884 : LettersRayleigh, Clara, Lady
History
The British Association's Visit to Montreal, 1884 : Letters
Rayleigh, Clara, Lady
Canada -- Description and travel; United States -- Description and travel
_Tuesday_.--Mr. Cleland Burns of the Cunard Company, an old
acquaintance, came to see me with many kind offers to arrange everything
for my comfort, as he and his daughters were going in the _Oregon_,
and also Mr. W. Cunard, and his son; a Mr. Morgan, a banker and friend
of Mrs. Pruyn's, has put off coming unfortunately, for from all accounts
he is much to be liked; he called twice, and the second time I was able
to see him. I remained quiet, but saw many visitors, and many I was
obliged to decline seeing; the _sons_ both went out to dine.
_Wednesday, 12th_.--At half-past ten we started with baggage for
ship, got all on board comfortably, found one lady in my cabin, and I
spoke to Mr. Burns, who said he would arrange for me after we had
started; lots of people came to see their friends off. Mr. Neilson,
brought me some beautiful butter for the voyage! Mrs. Pruyn telegraphed
and sent me the biscuits; Mr. Hall, a brother of Mrs. Edlmann, and Mr.
Eyre, friends of Dick's came, and Mr. Carpenter an acquaintance from New
Brunswick, and Mr. Whitehouse, a literary acquaintance. At six o'clock
we started in the fine ship _Oregon_, in which I am now writing. It
was a lovely _Indian_ summer day, _clear_ as we rarely see it
in our Islands, sun shining, and so we saw the splendid Bay of New York
to great advantage, it seemed wonderful to us after our experience going
to Quebec, to see how calm and blue the great Atlantic _could_ be.
Mr. Burns put me into a cabin to myself near _them_, but
unfortunately it was also very near the engines, and after two nights, I
sneaked back to my own berth, and put up with a very quiet little lady
in preference! Mr. Burns placed us at their table, and I have the
benefit of his cheerful company and his lively daughters, as well as the
champagne and good things he shares with us, and we are a very merry
party, and enjoyed ourselves much, until Friday, when the weather
changed. A Mr. Clinton, a fine looking man of six feet six inches, son
of Lord Charles Clinton, a Mr. Dickson, a very gentlemanlike nice
ex-guardsman, a Mr. and Mrs. Drake, who are very musical, and he plays
the flute better than anyone I ever heard, all sat near us, but for two
or three days we had the _old story_, and the waves beat and rolled
us about, and the passengers disappeared like mice to their holes, and
we could not go on deck.
LIST OF SALOON PASSENGERS PER R. M. S. "OREGON," (CAPTAIN McMICKAN,)
NEW YORK TO LIVERPOOL, Nov. 12TH, 1884
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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