The Henson Journals

[225]

Friday, November 22nd, 1912. "Baltic".

Another glorious day, & smooth oceans,

'which now hath quite forgot to rave

While birds of calm sit brooding o'er the charméd wave.'

We breakfasted comfortably, & then went on deck: where I began the day by playing a ship's game with three of my compagnons de voyage. Then I was tucked up on my deck–chair, & read Churchill's 'Crisis'.

The weather showed signs of deterioration as the afternoon drew to its close, but still we proceeded without any serious inconvenience, save for a certain apprehension.

I wrote several more letters.

The Captain appeared at dinner tonight. He is a stout, pleasant man. He said the warmth of the atmosphere was due to the Gulf Stream. Rather to my surprise, he said that the Atlantic passages throughout this year had been unusually smooth. My vis a vis at the table turns out to be a Harrovian & Trinity College, Cambridge man. He said he had been an intimate friend of Frank Pember at Harrow. How small the world is! Or rather, how widely does an English Public School extend its influence!

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