The Henson Journals
Mon 2 September 1901 to Fri 6 September 1901
Volume 150, Page 27
[27]
Monday, September 2nd, 1901.
On Saturday I caught cold in the tram returning from our expedition: & this morning, after a miserable night, I found myself nearly speechless, & generally in a dilapidated condition. In deference to the Reichels I went to a doctor, & got some mixture. He was Prof. Wising, 4 Vasagat: & charged 20 kronor for my consultation. I bought a peasant's apron for Carissima, & a brooch for Marion: also a Tauchnitzch edition of Miss Fowler's last novel for reading in the train. Then I spent the day as best I could, packing, loafing & reading an unclean, little foolish book which had been making a flutter in England – 'The visits of Elizabeth'. It bored me. As the afternoon advanced my head began to ache so badly that I abandoned the purpose of travelling, & resigned myself to bed & a warm bottle. This craven performance lasted until noon the next day: when I got up better but still rather a wreck.
On Tuesday Septr 3rd 1901 I began my return journey by leaving Stockholm at 8.40 pm and travelling to Malmo, where I got on the steamer and went to Copenhagen, which we reached at 10.35 a.m. on Wednesday Sept. 4th. After getting my bags to the Railway Station I had the day before me. The time went heavily as the wheels of the Egyptian in the Red Sea, for I was tired by the night's journey.
However I got through the day by driving round the town, visiting the Thorvaldsen Museum, dining &c, and at 7.25 p.m. started again on my journey. The passage between Korsor and Kiel was fairly comfortable: but the steamer was very much crowded, & my cabin was stifling. From Kiel I went on to Hamburg and arrived about 9 a.m. on Thursday Sept. 5 at the Closterthor Station. Then I killed the time in divers ways until 2.35 p.m. when I started in the Schnell–zug for the Hook of Holland. The journey was without incident: at the Hook we straightway went on board the steamer & started for Harwich. The sea was smooth: there was no wind: the steamer excellent. I elected to remain on deck when I found that my cabin was in the bowels of the vessel; and I did wisely. The sun rising was beautiful, and we got into Harwich half an hour before we were due. Then train to London, & hansom to Westminster & I am at home at 8.30 a.m. on Friday Septr 6th.