Over My Shoulder

Chapter 8—To Australia

“We have prospects for a pleasant voyage,” remarked Elder Palmer as he helped Mabel and me stow our suitcases and blanket rolls under our bunks. The Palmers and their 6-month-old baby, Pansy, occupied the two berths on one side of the cabin. Mabel had the top berth on the other side, and I the lower one. OMS 68.1

“And, look,” I exclaimed, “our porthole opens onto the lower deck! We can keep it open all the time without any danger of getting a salt-water shower bath.” I could not conceal my delight. OMS 68.2

We had no time for the cabin now, but bounded up onto the deck to join the crowd at the rail, waving hats and handkerchiefs. The dinner bell rang, but who wanted to stop to eat and miss the last fading sight of our dear America? We watched as the Golden Gate city and the shoreline became dimmer and dimmer, until the scene finally melted into the horizon, leaving nothing but blue sky and blue water above, below, beyond, surrounding us on all sides. OMS 68.3

For all of the first day and part of the second, great white gulls followed the ship, their powerful wings spread wide as they dived for scraps of food thrown overboard from the ship’s kitchens. OMS 68.4

“How can they stay up in the air so long? Don’t they ever stop to rest?” I asked one of the sailors. OMS 68.5

“Oh, yes,” he answered. “At night they transform their bodies from flying boats into seaworthy sailing vessels. They tuck their heads under their folded wings and sleep, floating on the surface of the water. Their closely packed oily feathers keep the living seacrafts waterproof, and they rest at ease.” OMS 68.6

The third day out the gulls left our vessel to attach themselves to one bound shoreward, leaving the porpoises as our ship’s only traveling companions. Hour after hour these remarkable creatures swam alongside the steamer, as if challenging it to a race. Now and then, schools of flying fish leaped from the water, their fin-wings glistening as if sprinkled with diamond dust. After a brief moment they quickly dropped from sight again beneath the surface. In the evenings we enjoyed standing at the stern of the vessel, fascinated by the phosphorescent waves of light churned up by the propeller. The glistening cascades thus created fed a shining stream that rested on the surface of the water in the ship’s wake, and seemed to reach nearly to the horizon. We were told that the sparkle was due to millions of phosphorescent jellyfish. OMS 68.7

Another enjoyable pastime was watching the sailors scramble up to the top of the mastheads. They seemed as quick as monkeys, never making a misstep or losing their footing. And there was the great engine to watch, and the firemen down in the furnace room, stoking the flames that heated the water, that made the steam, that moved the pistons, that worked the machinery, that moved the great ship over the water, carrying us to our new home on the other side of the world. OMS 69.1

In the evenings there were entertainments in the dining salon with singing and music, and sometimes impromptu programs by the passengers, to which Mabel and I contributed musical selections or recitations of poetry. OMS 69.2

Much of the time Mrs. Palmer was too seasick to take care of Baby Pansy, and Mr. Palmer was more accustomed to making and selling books than to tending infants. But that all pleased Mabel immensely. She gloried in her favorite occupation as nursemaid. At her request, Brother Palmer would spread a blanket on the deck floor, carry the baby up the gangway, and commit her to Mabel’s care for the day. OMS 69.3

We were to stop at Hawaii, and after nearly six days of smooth sailing, we were awakened one morning by the cry “Land in sight!” It took only the proverbial jiffy for us to rush up on deck, where we could watch the dim outline take definite shape and grow larger and larger, until palm trees and cottages were visible against a background of green hills. OMS 69.4

We drew up at the Honolulu dock and were soon surrounded on all sides by brown children splashing about in the water and shouting, “Penny, penny, penny!” Coins were flung over the side of the ship, and splash! all heads disappeared. Then came happy shouts from one direction and another as the children bobbed to the surface. The winners held their captured trifles high above their heads for an instant, then popped them into their mouths and called for more. So the fun went on, with a steady accumulation of dimes, quarters, sixpences, and shillings. Steamer days were days well improved by the resourceful youngsters of Honolulu. OMS 69.5

While the vessel rested, uniformed bands gathered on the wharf and treated the passengers to a concert of festive national songs with guitar and ukelele accompaniments. The musicians presented a romantic scene, but not more so than did the beautiful Hawaiian women, barefoot, in brightly colored silk gowns, gorgeously festooned with garlands of flowers. OMS 70.1

Mrs. Kerr, the wife of a prosperous businessman, and an Adventist, sent her carriage and brought our party to her home, where a banquet was set out for us. Next there was an impressive service at the little Adventist church. All too soon the steamer’s shrill whistle announced that it was time for departure. OMS 70.2

Another six days aboard ship brought us to our next stopping place, the island of Samoa. Here the steamer was unable to dock, because of a dangerous coral reef. From our anchorage in the bay, we saw a score of native canoes coming rapidly toward us. They were paddled by scantily clad Samoans, many of whom appeared to be wearing white nightcaps. Ropes were slung over the side of the ship and the rowers clambered up, hand over hand, drawing baskets of fruit and curios with them. Then business began. OMS 70.3

A basket of six dozen oranges was sold for a shilling (about 24 cents at the time), and a bunch of bananas cost little more. Close inspection proved that some of the men had their heads plastered with a thick covering of lime, which had given us the illusion of white nightcaps when seen at a distance. The lime turned their glossy black hair to a faded red, which was decreed by the beauty specialists in that locality to be the height of fashion. Their bodies were covered with paint and tattoo marks and weighted with earrings, nose rings, bracelets, armlets, and leglets, all made of brass. OMS 70.4

While the men carried on a brisk trade in fruit, curios, coral, and basketwares, some of the women amused the passengers with native dances. With remarkable agility the younger women went through their fantastic movements, while the grandmas and children sat on the deck floor clapping their hands and tapping an accompaniment with their feet. OMS 70.5

We would gladly have spent three days instead of three hours in this romantic spot. But the whistle was blowing. The natives gathered up their now-empty baskets, clambered down into their canoes, and paddled for the shore. OMS 71.1

On Monday, after our stop at Samoa, we crossed the dateline and lived two days in one. Here we parted with the North Star and its friendly family, the Big Dipper, and with many other star friends. We had reached the “other side of the world” and would now make the acquaintance of the Southern Cross. One night the ship’s steward pointed out a particularly brilliant star at every point of the Cross where Jesus was wounded—at His head, where the crown of thorns pierced His temples, one at each point, where nails were driven through His outstretched hands, one at the left side, where the spear thrust was received, and a double star at His feet. OMS 71.2

The last stop on our long journey was at Auckland, New Zealand. Here we were entertained by Brother and Sister Edward Hare and taken to interesting spots in the city and to Mount Eden, an extinct volcano with a crater extending about one half the depth of the mountain. OMS 71.3

On our first day out from Auckland we ran into a real storm. How our ship rolled and pitched and tossed! At times the propeller was lifted out of the water, causing the entire vessel to shiver from stem to stern. Waves rose mountain high—so it seemed to us—and broke in torrents over the deck. Lightning flashed almost continuously, and thunder boomed close behind. At times our ship would be riding high on the crest, and the next moment we would drop down, down, down into a trough between the huge waves. The movements were most severe in the stern, where our cabin was situated. OMS 71.4

To prevent being rolled around too violently, Mabel crawled into the bunk with me, and we wedged a blanket from her upper berth between us. That night all the lights went out, and we were in total darkness. OMS 71.5

There were a number of pets aboard, and during the storm they set up a terror concert. A parrot in a cage just outside our deck window began screeching, a dog howled, and somebody’s pet monkey screamed incessantly. The vocalizing continued through most of the night, finally quieting down enough to enable us to catch a few winks of sleep before daylight. OMS 71.6

In the morning Mabel and I left our bunks and half walked, half crawled along the passageway to the dining salon. As we entered, the piano at one end of the room was thrown first one way then the other. Finally, it fell over with a bang that threatened to smash it to kindling wood. At breakfast, little frames were placed around our dishes to prevent them from sliding. Waiters carrying breakfast trays walked slowly and unsteadily. We saw one of them slip and fall. Only the hardiest passengers ventured on deck or to the dining room. OMS 72.1

The storm continued for three days, becoming less severe, until on the fourth day it settled into comparative calm. Early on the fifth day we heard the now familiar cry “Land in sight!” A more welcome sound we had never heard, and all who were able to stand rushed onto the deck to watch the shoreline as we entered beautiful Sydney harbor. OMS 72.2

Verdure extended for miles along the banks of both sides as we slowly made our way through the narrow opening and up the bay, passing two old stone forts and two lighthouses. Beyond were grassy hills adorned with splendid residences. Yonder was Woolloomooloo Bay, where several warships lay at anchor. Trading boats, flying the flags of many nations, sailed in and out among the larger vessels. We steamed past Government House, the Botanical Gardens, and the city park. Then, quickly rounding a point, we drew up at the wharf. OMS 72.3

Soon the deck was a scene of noisy activity—chains rattling, trunks and boxes being moved about, officers and sailors shouting to one another. While Brother Palmer strapped up bundles and closed suitcases, Mabel dropped a few salty tears as she sat down on a bedding roll to hold Baby Pansy for the last time. When would she see the darling little girl again? OMS 72.4

I was scanning the crowds gathered on the wharf, searching for a woman dressed in gray carrying a gray purse. She would be looking for two little girls in blue sailor suits and caps. OMS 72.5

Presently I saw a gray purse waving. Three seconds and my cap was off and I was waving a happy response. OMS 72.6