Diary of the Wood Family
Journey on the S.S. Lake Manitoba (CPR ship)
From Liverpool to Canada - Rimouski, Ottawa & Winnipeg
May 16 - 26, 1905
[Note: Travelling party consisted of:
These
cabins are nicely fitted up, of course I'm speaking of my own in
particular, but I suppose the rest are all similar. We went into the
dining saloon about 2:30 and our party of nine choose our places at one
end of a table all together - 4 on each side with Mr. H. at the head. We
at once commenced dinner, with sheep’s head broth, after which came
roast beef or boiled chicken & vegetables, then apricot tart & cream &
various other sweets finishing up with biscuits & cheese.
There are quite a lot of little
children on board & we also have several good bred dogs which seem very
contented. At 4:40 we dropped our ropes and stood out for the middle of
the river with waving of Handkfs. & Hats. Just before doing this I had
hoisted up to me a small packet containing the photos of Ada Williams 2
children. Poor Ada seemed very sorry at parting with us & tears could
plainly be seen filling her eyes. At 5:30 the tea gong sounded & once
more we dived below. We had boiled tripe, grilled steak & onions & cold
meats washed down with good tea & accompanied with bread & butter,
plenty of it & well served. We have gone all round the ship by now &
have found a nice smoke room for our use if too cold on deck. The sea is
beautifully smooth & we scarcely feel the motion of the boat.
The moon
has now risin & is a fair height although quite day light as yet. The
gulls are following us in scores & look very pretty. At 8 o'clock we are
out of sight of land completely & have been for some considerable time.
We are all now going down at 9 for supper & having had bread & butter &
cheese with hard biscuits for a variety we have, the table cleared & Mr.
& Mrs. H. & Wife & self sit down to a game at Whist which was not won by
the former.
So taking
it so far our trip has been a success in every way. After a trot on deck
& a last pipe I turned in to my bunk about 10:45 Jenny having retired
about 15 minutes earlier. Then began the fun, we could hear the folks in
the various cabins trying to scramble into the top bunks which is no
easy matter (mine's a top bunk) & there was no end of laughing & joking.
We settled down to sleep at last which I got in bits, what with the
vibration of the engines & other strange noises.
Wednesday
(May 17)
At 4:40
(am) I was up again & on deck. I believe I was first on top & we were
then passing Belfast Lough with its fine lighthouse & Bay. We should be
quite 5 hours in passing the north of Ireland with its fine view of the
Giants Causeway, whilst on the opposite of the boat Bonnie Scotland
seemed close to us. Both in Ireland & Scotland house & other objects
were quite distinct. At Breakfast we were well catered for commencing
with porridge, fried plaice & chip potatoes. Grilled steak & onions with
hot rolls & buttered toast washed down with tea or coffee, all of us for
the time living at the rate of £500per year.
The sea
has been like a duck pond up to now with a hot bright sun & not a bit of
wind with never a single one sick out of about 1000 passengers. We are
now rapidly leaving the old country behind us with what I hope all our
troubles & vexations & are looking ahead to a happy reunion & a brighter
prospect. All of our party are good health & are eating like thatchers.
We are
just passing a very pretty island with signal station & Lighthouse, the
rocky coast of this is very fine.
Dinner,
Wed. 17th: -
The
dinner gong having sounded we go below and as by this we are fairly out
on the broad Atlantic we are for the 1 st time enjoying a gentle ground
swell, we all went down but Jessie feeling dicky declined with thanks
anything to eat & quietly left the table. Beatie was next to go before
she had had a bite. Gertie did manage to stay dinner out but scarcely
touched anything although everything was very nice & inviting. All the
rest of our party enjoyed their dinners and are now on deck enjoying the
delightful weather.
Shortly
after dinner I went into the smoke room & got about 1 12 hours sleep
when after a nice wash & a game of deck quoits we all adjourned to the
saloon for tea. Beattie was first to go, then Mr. Howard followed suit &
retired as it turned out afterwards for the night. Mrs. H., myself &
George H. were the only 3 to take supper ¬at 10:30 we all turned into
our bunks for the night. Just before doing so we had run into a thick
fog consequently we had to keep sounding our hooter. This shortly
afterwards ceased so I concluded we had run through it all.
My wife
had a very sickly bout the 1 st part of the night but eventually got to
sleep & had a fairly good night. I slept well only waking once, at about
7 I went out on deck and this commenced
Thursday,
May 18th:
Only 3 of
us sat down to breakfast myself, Mrs. H. & young George. During the
morning 2 whales were seen spouting. The sun shone beautiful & warm & we
were playing deck billiards & deck quoits. At dinner Jessie, Beattie &
Jennie were still on the sick list & would not touch anything to eat.
All rest were at dinner & eat heartily.
Tea time
found Jessie & Beattie still sickly & about this time we ran once more
into a lot of fog which made it rather cooler. Mr. Howard turned sick
just before tea & has been in his cabin up to suppertime.
Friday
morning (May 19) Beattie who had been very sick all night got up about 4
- her mother took her on deck. We are having a rougher sea running today
& most of the ladies are indisposed & also many men as well, but taking
the Journey all together we are going well. For the first time I am
feeling a bit dicky, so good night.
Saturday
morning (May 20) Today has been passed in much the usual way with the
exception at about 4:40 P.M. we passed a Manchester Trading steamer who
signalled to us they had passed through a lot of ice. We, steering a
little more to the south than heretofore, have missed it. We are all of
us now past our bout of sea sickness except Mr. Howard who complains of
dizzy head.
Sunday
(May 21) We attended service in first class Saloon & had a good old hymn
or two in which all joined. Mr. Howard is still a bit off. The sea
during the night was very lumpy, but we are all eating well. Had bath in
morning.
Monday
(May 22) Although this is our 7th day at sea we are still out
of sight of land. The air is very icy & I believe we are in the
neighbourhood of icebergs but as yet have not seen any. All our party
are now well & got accustomed to the boat pitching.
Tonight
we have had a concert at which I was elected chairman & I think
everything went off most successfully. Weather still very cold
especially so on deck. Had a few hands of Whist then off to my bunk
about 11: 15.
Tuesday
morning (May 23) I was up by 5:45 after a good night’s rest went on deck
& for first time saw an iceberg. We are now passing several others. The
morning is beautifully clear & bright & my breakfast of Oatmeal
Porridge, Steak & onion & Ham & Haps went down with a big relish. Lots
of fog during the day - so bad at times we had to stop the engines &
keep the hooter going. Bed
time at last & off to our bunks.
Wednesday
morning (May 24) Up by 5:30 passed Cape Race in Newfoundland at 6 AM &
saw another small steamer the 2nd ship during the voyage.
Thursday
(May 25) Passed Anticosti & met Allen Liner Victorian bound for
Liverpool.
Friday
(May 26) All day we are sailing up the St. Lawrence River. Have taken &
dropt mails at Rimouski. Luggage is all being drawn up out of the hold
in readiness for landing ashore. Weather rather dull but all our party
is still well.
Went to
bed about 10:30 not to sleep but to suffer the torments of Dante’s
Inferno for no sooner had we laid down our heads than the engines
stopped & we dropped our anchor which was the 1st startler we
had. Then commenced the working of the donkey engines pulling up other
cargo, so what with this and the larking of the fellows in adjoining
bunks, we got little or no sleep.
(Saturday, May 27):
We were
up again at 4 and had to pass the doctor. This occupied a rather long
time & as the cabin was the place where we underwent examination it was
so overdoing with the heat that Mrs. H. fainted away.
 |
| Purser's Report: confirms the dates and times
mentioned in the diary. Record of G. H. Howard (age 19) matches. Unfortunately, many entires not visible due to faded ink. |
Saturday
(May 27th ): I
forgot to say we got off the boat about 7 A.M. and were at once in the
station (at Quebec City). It
took us from this time till 2 P.M. before (we) got on the train. We got
fairly under way for Winnipeg at 3:30 P.M. All along the line was dotted
with pretty little villages each one having an ornamental church. We
turned in to sleep at 9 P.M Up to now we had had several stoppages & we
climbed down to stretch our legs & gather strawberry & bilberry bloom.
The ferns & foliage are fine & the lakes & rivers are immense.
(Sunday,
May 28)
at 2 in
the morning reached Ottawa. Here we stayed an hour to buy more
provisions & although it was Sunday morning, a brisk trade was done.
Left Ottawa Station which is a very large one at 3 A.M. & began
to get among hills, lakes, rocks & wood.
Monday &
Tuesday: (May 29 & 30)
Passed
for some hundred of miles in & out on the shores of Lake Superior. Here
the scenery was of the wildest. Tunnels through the solid rocks, through
pine forests many of which had been burnt by forest fires, then close
down to the water’s edge, up hill & down till at last we reach Rat
Portage Station in the Wabigoon district-
Continuing we past the Lake of the Woods, Keewatin &
(Wednesday. May 31): at 4 in the morning roll into Winnipeg Station -
here we were shunted until 7 am when we were transhipped into a CNR
train, which will take us 100 miles further than we could have gotten by
the CPR.
[Note:
The remainder of the Journey was not recorded.]