Anon. DIARY OF AROUND THE WORLD CRUISE. 1903, February 23rd, one Volume manuscript, "Fay, George and Myself start on our tour.....", approximately 300 pages closely written ink, unfortunately finishing in Toronto on July 18th. Included is a 'Candian Pacific Royal Mail Steamship Line Passenger List' for the voyage from Yokahama for Vancouver. Quarter leather bound, quite worn and chipped, but contents clean, with a 'Colombo Apothecaries' label on the front endpaper.They first travel to London for a couple of days where they leave "baby very well" with Mrs Wright, "an excellent nurse", who is relieved to see them go- apparently Fay had been very ill. The author shows some concern about leaving the baby for such a very long time, but soon shrugs the feeling off. They take the train from Victoria to Dover, then on to Calais and Paris, where they take a bus to the hotel with their hand lug-luggage having booked the heavy stuff through to Marseilles. An early morning train sees them in Marseilles that night in a noisy hotel. In the morning they go to P. and O. dock to board the SS Chin, under the command of Captain Angus, with 150 first class passengers, some headed for India via Aden, many for Cairo.March 3rd, they arrive at port Sais and remain for the night; the SS Isis pulls alongside in the morning to transfer post etc. They hear from respective Mothers, and "had a good account of baby", and they go ashore for some shopping. Next they pass through the Suez canal and dock at Aden on March 8th, where there are more mail transfers, and passengers for Bombay leave the ship."Left Aden at 10.45. A lot of natives with ostrich feathers came on board who seemed to do a fair trade....Lady McKenzie Capt Beresford and about 30 people got off, she is going with him to Somaliland to shoot lions".Then we get a real sense of the cruise atmosphere, with much description of the weather, the distance travelled, various deck games and evening entertainments.March 14th they are in Colombo shopping; 17th on the train to Kandy, where they take a hotel and go sightseeing (and shopping). The 29th they are at sea again on the Coromandel, arriving on April 2nd at Penang, and the 4th at Singapore, where they take an excursion a "giniricksha"April 9th sees them arrive at Hong Kong (shopping).April 11th, "Spent most of the morning in the shop of Chang Woo Queen St. where we bought a set of 5 red lacquer tea tables, a roll of 20 yds crepe silk, green embroidered and ditto plain light blue silk, a box of ivory chess men, carved ivory balls with seven inside and a dozen grass cloth handkerchiefs. Table was 35$ the embroidered silk 40$ the plain 32$ ball 7.50$. Handkerchiefs 4$ & chess men 14$ for which we paid 126$ including packing, I think they are good value"."....afterwards went to the theatre a fine building inside and out and saw the Geisha by Pollards Lilliputian Opera Coy of Australia. Most of the actors are quite midgets they were certainly very fairly good but the singing which was rattled through at top speed and in squeaky voices however we enjoyed it but did not stay to the end".April 13th they sail on a "little screw steamer", reaching Canton at 6.00am the following morning, where they take a number of sightseeing excursions- Wuchow, Samisha, etc with few shopping opportunities!April 8th they are back in Hong Kong, pleased to get rooms at the Hong Kong Hotel. The 19th sees them rushing out shopping again, with only a minor distraction- "Had a telegram today to say Baby all well sent from Bath".April 21st is their last day in Hong Kong, so a quick bit of shopping, before settling up with their shippers, "roughly I think we have spent about 500$ here and at Canton or a little over 40£ and got some very nice things for it". the 22nd they join the CPR ship Empress of India, "every berth taken", and head shopping in Shanghai on the 25th."April 27th. Reached Nagasaki..... there are three Russian men of war in the harbour which I should think rather annoy the japs." The 30th sees them in Yokohama- shopping! They spent several days here, making a number of excursions by carriage and rail, and there are extremely good descriptions of various parts of the interior of Japan. With the aid of Murray's Hand Book and some local guides they visit Kyoto, Osaka, Ikuno, Hiroshima ("...the small steamer touched at several small towns, the largest being Hiroshima"), Kobe, Nagoya etc. By far the most interesting part of the diary.May 20th, "We stopped at 10 oc at a nice little tea house for coolies to have their chow and bought a laquer tray well carved for 2.50 but after we had got it the man said he could not sell at any price as it had belonged to his family for a long time. I packed it in my bag & we all walked on & left Hori to struggle with him he gave him another yen and cam,e away the man he said very angry we had gone in. We amused ourselves on the way killing snakes which were plentiful three or four different sorts the largest crossed the road in front of us measured 5 feet we killed 14."May 27th. "....saw the young Mikado and his suite going to Osaka exhibition long before they came in sight a policeman insisted on my taking off my hat and Fay getting out her rickishas and putting down the parasol the sun being very hot they came past in rickishas and the men in uniform the ladies in Paris dress. The Japs are the opposite to us when royalty comes along they are all quite silent their heads bare and standing up long before the royal party almost have started it is rather trying in the rain...".June 11th. 'Our last day in Japan....settled and paid Arthur and Bond and all our things eight cases are shipped today. they should be at Bessingby in 10 weeks. Also settled up with the Banl. Have spent in Japn £309...."June 12th they sail for Vancouver, and settle into everyday life on the waves again, "Found a rather enthusiastic chess player in Mr E. Hamilton Sharp a professor an old man of about 65 who has lived most of his time in Japan and the rest in Canada I don't know what he is professor of but he lectures to jap students at Tokyo however we had a good game which I eventually won he being very blind is greatly handicapped and is continually mistaking bishops for pawns and queens for bishops...."they arrive in Vancouver on June 23rd, enjoying various excursions and shopping trips, before taking the train to Toronto on July 15th. Only July 18th they leave Totonto on Steamer Kingston, a paddle-boat on Lake Ontario. " Weather very threatening. Blew a gale soon after starting and had a very rough night frightened we would turn over"...which is the last entry.
