“The labels tell you where they are going,” she commented.
“Look at this one. . Barlow, Passenger to Melbourne. I wonder what J. Barlow is like? Mrs. Craddock, Passenger to Bombay. I don’t see ours. I wonder if it is in our cabin now. Oh, just look at this! Luke Armour, Passenger to Sydney and Casker’s Island.”p>
She turned to me, her face alight with interest.
“Imagine! He’s going to our island! There can’t be many people on board who are doing that.”
“It’s nice to know there is one.”
“Luke Armour. I wonder what he’s like?”
“I think it is very possible that during the voyage we may discover.”
We returned to our cabin to find that our luggage was there. We unpacked, washed and went down to dinner. We sat at a long table with several others. There was some conversation and we learned a little about our fellow travellers, but they were too tired to talk a great deal and, like ourselves, overwhelmed by the effort of getting on board.
As soon as we could, we returned to our cabin.
The movement of the ship told us that we had set sail; and we lay in our beds talking until Tamarisk’s voice grew more and more drowsy and at length faded away.
I lay sleepless, thinking of poor Aunt Sophie’s tear-filled eyes when she had said goodbye, and of James Perrin, who had made up his mind that I would soon be back.
But chiefly I thought of Crispin with that look of hopeless longing and pleading which I knew I should carry with me for ever.
Looking back on those first days, they seem a little hazy to me. There was the adventure of getting to know the ship on which we were continually losing our way. There were so many rooms to explore, so many people to meet, so much that was new to us.
I remember well the roughness of the sea after that first night.
Tamarisk and I lay in our beds and felt at times that we should be thrown from them, and then we wondered whether we had been wise to come.
But that passed and we were on our feet again, ready to take an interest in our surroundings. I was greatly comforted to have Tamarisk with me, and I am sure she felt the same about me.
We were assured by Jane, our very attentive stewardess, that we should feel differently when the weather changed. The Bay of Biscay was noted for its habit of playing tricks, fcif&iftft fl ut she has known it smooth as a lake.
“It just depends on the way the wind blows. Well, ladies, we’ll soon be out of it and when we are, you can start enjoying yourselves.”
She was right, of course. The turbulence passed and the adventure began. It did not take me long to realize that, although I could not stop myself yearning for Crispin, to plunge into an entirely new and unusual experience was the best way to distance myself from it so that I might see it more clearly. It was also gratifying to see how Tamarisk was benefiting from the adventure.
We dined each day at the long table with several others and were soon all chatting together in a friendly fashion. Most seemed eager to talk of their experiences on other ships and to tell us where they were going. Very many of them would be leaving the ship in Bombay; they were in the service of the Government or Army and were going back to India after a spell of leave. Most of them were experienced travellers.
There were some who were visiting relatives in Australia or Australians who were returning home after staying with family or friends in England. We had yet to find anyone who was going to Casker’s Island apart from Luke Armour, and he was just a name on a luggage label to us at that stage.
The Captain was genial and made a habit of talking to the passengers whenever he had an opportunity of doing so.
He liked to hear where everyone was going and when he heard we were bound for Casker’s Island he raised his eyebrows.
I told him we were visiting my father there.
“Is that so?” he said.
“Not many of our passengers go there. I suppose you have it all fixed. You’ll be leaving us at Sydney, of course.
There’s a ship leaves the same day for Cato Cato and from there you’ll get the ferry boat to Casker’s. Quite a journey! “
“Yes, we had heard that.”
“No, don’t get so many people going there. I think the ferry might not leave very frequently from Cato Cato. It takes goods over, and passengers if there are any. But you are going to your father, you say. I suppose he’d be in some business there. Copra, I’ll guess.
There’s a lot of business from the coconuts. People don’t realize what a useful product they are. I believe they produce the main industry for Casker’s. “
“I don’t know. I only know he’s there.”
“Well, we’ll take care of you till Sydney. Then we shall be there for a few days before we start the homeward run. How are you liking my ship?”
“Very much.”
“Everyone looking after you, I hope?”
“Yes, very well thank you.”
“That’s good.”
After he had left us. Tamarisk said: “It seems our Captain thinks we are going to one of the most remote places on earth.”
We had arrived at our first port of call, which was Gibraltar. And by this time we had made the acquaintance of Major and Mrs. Dunstan, who were going out to Bombay where the Major would join his regiment. They were seasoned travellers, having made the journey to and from India several times. I think Mrs. Dunstan was a little shocked to find two inexperienced young women travelling alone, and was determined to keep an eye on us.
She told us that when we reached Gibraltar, if we wanted to go ashore, which she was sure we would, it might be a good idea if we accompanied her and her husband. A small party would be going from the ship; they would hire a guide and see a little of the town. We were delighted to accept.
I awoke in the morning to look through the porthole and see the Rock of Gibraltar looming up ahead of us. It was an impressive sight. We hurried on deck for a better view and there it lay before us in all its glory, like a defiant fortress at the entrance to the Mediterranean Sea.
Major Dunstan came and stood beside us.
“Magnificent, isn’t it? Never ceases to make me proud that it is ours.
The ship will move round to the west, I expect. You’ll see. Oh yes, we’re moving now. “
We stood there watching. We were now on the west side of the peninsula on which Gibraltar stood. The slope here was more gradual and tiers of houses stood above the defensive wall. As we came into the bay we could see the dockyard and the fortifications.
“Have to defend the place,” said the Major.
“Busy down there, isn’t it?”
I gazed in wonder at the small boats which were coming in to greet the ships. From one several small boys were looking up appealingly at us.
“They want you to throw coins into the water so that they can swim around and catch them. Shouldn’t be allowed. It’s a dangerous practice.”
I felt sorry for the boys. They looked so eager. A few passengers did throw down coins and they darted about like fishes triumphantly holding up the coin when they had retrieved it. We could see the town now. It looked colourful and interesting. Neither Tamarisk nor I had seen any place like it before.
The Major was saying: “We have to go ashore in one of those little boats. The ship is too big to get closer. You’ll be safe with us. You have to watch these people. They are inclined to overcharge the tourists.”
We crossed in one of the little boats under the care of our friends the Dunstans, and the rest of the party. It was an exhilarating experience and I could forget everything just for the moment, and I knew it was the same with Tamarisk. It was good for us both to have such respite, however brief.
Ashore we were caught up in the crowds. Several people from the ship were there, mingling with the natives. There were Moors in their loose robes and fez hats or turbans which gave an exotic atmosphere to the place. Other nationalities were there Spanish, Greek as well as English. They all seemed to make a great deal of noise, shouting to each other as they passed along.