Arose at 3 am to get a good shower bath before the ladies got up. We got one of the sailors to turn the shower pipe on us thereby getting a rattling good bath. To-day is primrose day which we held up by wearing a bunch each. There has been […]
News and articles
AB Steele’s Shipboard Journal – 18 April 1886
Sunday morning. Arose at 5 am. The Stewards have what is termed “European” suits on – short jacket and cotton trousers. I wish I was the same for I am almost roasted. I fancy we shal be more like “dried herrings” than human beings. The heat is so great that […]
AB Steele’s Shipboard Journal – 17 April 1886
Arose at 6.30 am and found we had just got under weight and to find that the sun was blazing hot. The sailors being busy pulling up the awning to protect us from the rays – for it was rather hot I can assure you. We had a miscellaneous concert, […]
AB Steele’s Shipboard Journal – 16 April 1886
Arose at 6 am and found we had just got under weight and were entering the Gulf of Suez. We could see Mount Sinai, it being easily discernable from amongst the other hills in consequence of it being somewhat higher. The mail came down on Board. At 4 pm we […]
AB Steele’s Shipboard Journal – 15 April 1886
Arose at 7 to find we were getting ready for the tedious passage through the Canal. We cast anchor in the bay having 16 hours to wait for the mails, so a lot of the fellows went ashore, and got the natives to take them to Suez for 7/- each, […]
AB Steele’s Shipboard Journal – 14 April 1886
Awoke at 5 am. Passed the little town of Ismaltia where General Stewart landed his troops during the Egyptian Campaign. We could see but very little of the town, it being some distance inland, but from what we could see of it, it appeared to be quite surrounded with trees. […]
AB Steele’s Shipboard Journal – 13 April 1886
Arose at 5 to find we were nearing Port Said, arriving there at 9.30. We cast anchor close to the shore, and very soon the ship was surrounded with small boats to convey us to the shore. We visited most of the special principal buildings; but it appears to be […]
Spreading Branches archive
We’ve just completed the transfer of past editions of our newsletter, Spreading Branches from our My Connected Community (mc2) site to this one in preparation for the scheduled closure of mc2 in June. We have Issue 91 (February 2012) to Issue 59 (February 2004) available to download here in pdf files. There’s lots […]
AB Steele’s Shipboard Journal – 12 April 1886
Arose at 7 am a beautiful morning. There was a death on Board; a little girl a few months old. It was intered at 5 pm 4 sailors carried it to the ship’s side on a stretcher covered with a Union Jack. The Minister read the burial service and when […]