"...The Heat Has Been Gradually Increasing Day By Day As We Have Come Along..."

A 19th century photograph taken outside Victoria Gate, Valletta. Victoria Gate can be seen from the Grand Harbor. The foundation for the Gate was laid  27 May, 1884, several months before Charles King sailed by the island of Malta.  From Times Malta January 9, 2022. Article entitled Valletta Street Hygiene in Early British Malta by Giovanni Bonello. 

Page 19 continued

 "...I think Malta is a lovely place the town of Valletta rises in streets or terraces running parallel to the harbour & are broken here and there with a large church or other large buildings.  The Government House is a very bold feature from the harbour. Here are (laying?) craft of the merchant services of many nations...Here are also a (training?) ship of the....

Page 20 

British Navy...Here are Men of War ships & occasionally one or more from a friendly nation...There is the dock yard with its busy steam hammer & machinery. We are now surrounded by a host of (?) boats hawking various wares of almost every transportable sort & kind...grapes & other fruits of vary kinds & qualtitys (sic) are offered...tobacco and cigars are offered and very cheap they are at Malta & altogether in about an hour after our arrival our ship presents a lively appearance swarming with Maltese...a few staff officers of the garrison bring off the dispatches & exchange greetings & as the ship is going to coal Tommy Atkins mustn't go, so he is left to enjoy himself aboard & you may guess they are not slow to do this. It is a remarkable sight to see these Maltese diving.  Just throw out a threepenny piece over the side of the vessel & it isn't many seconds before...

Page 21 

  ...(?) has got it and brings it to the surface...Visitors to Malta on their homeward journey generally avail themselves of the opportunity of purchasing something at Malta as a memento of their visit but we were going the wrong way for that (the following was crossed out ----but not withstanding this we were swarmed with Maltese offering almost every conceivable ware for sale as well as fruits food & other commoditys (sic) useful and ornamental---)  I always remember with pleasure my visit to Malta & whilst I am on the subject I may mention that Malta is the place where St Paul landed after being shipwrecked on his voyage to Rome, but you will notice (?) reading the account as given in the Acts of the Apostles  the island is given as Melita...I do not know if I may be right in my assumption, but I have a strong suspicion that the chief town of Malta, has had the original name of the island corrupted & applied to it for the similarity is at the least striking, Valetta, Melita.  We are now ready to resume our journey having...

Page 22

 ...coaled our ship & taken in what necessary provisions we need...we are about right for the remainder of the journey by sea. We have spent the major part of the day at Malta and as we are steaming out we get the full benefit of the bay (?) sun the heat has been gradually increasing day by day as we have come along, but we have not felt it so strongly as we have not been ashore since we have left England but still we are being prepared for our landing at Alexandria.  We notice several forts on the island in passing out & after getting well clear of the harbour we put on full speed & on the third day after leaving Malta we begin to think about reaching Alexandria.  We notice a look of anxiety of the countenance of the Captain & Officers & the whisper goes round that we are out of our course which however proves to be utterly incorrect for within an hour after the low lying coastline becomes faintly visible, & for two or three hours after all eyes are fixed on the object before us & every now and again fresh visions break..."

 And here the writings of Charles King transition to his experiences on the Nile  while stationed at Korosko  and Akasha, also written on the back of the Bazaar flyers. I almost feel like we are missing a page or two as his writing seems to fade off in mid sentence, and then picks up with a near drowning incident on the Nile. Fortunately, we have Part II which does pick up once the Rewa docked in Alexandria. 

  He wrote Part II in a small notebook, and in pencil, and then recopied this portion to a larger notebook and used pen.  Much easier to read and transcribe, thank goodness!...... In the interest of keeping to his timeline, I will start with Part II in the next post in which he describes his experiences in Alexandria and Cairo.   I will piece together his Nile experiences as best I can into Part II so that they make sense within the expedition narrative.  For some reason he excludes these Nile experiences from Part II altogether.  Perhaps near drowning, boils, frogs, flies, wolves and hyenas were just too much for his audience at the time! 

*******************************************

 Just a few notes on Valletta and Maltese history......

A modern view of Valletta from Marsamxett Harbor. You can see the large dome of the Basilica of Our Lady Mount Carmel. Originally built in the 1570's, it was bombarded in WW2 and subsequently demolished. The current basilica was built in 1958.  The steeple of St. Paul's Pro-Cathedral stands to the right of the basilica.  Built in 1577 it survived the bombing in WW2. 

By Mandyy88 - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=113500980

HM Dockyard, Malta, 1865.  Iron sheers were used as a lifting device. 

 The Knights of Malta established dockyard facilities pre 1800's.  When Malta became a British protectorate in 1800 these facilities were consolidated by the British Royal Navy. A steam factory with machine shops and foundries was added in the second half of the 1800's.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malta_Dockyard

 A Gozo boat in the Malta Harbor WW1. Gozo boats carried passengers and cargo between islands.  Trips from Gozo to Malta generally carried agricultural products such as fruits and vegetables, as well as poultry and eggs. On return trips they generally carried manufactured goods such as cement, soft drinks or beer. These may be the type of boats Charles referred to that greeted the Rewa when it entered the harbor. 

By Frank Henry Algernon Mason - http://media.iwm.org.uk/iwm/mediaLib//178/media-178226/large.jpgThis is photograph Art.IWM ART 3120 from the collections of the Imperial War Museums., Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=31607279 

 

  Christianity has almost 2000 years of history on Malta. Tradition says that the Apostle Paul was shipwrecked on the island while on his way to Rome to be tried as a political rebel.  He and over 200 passengers swam to safety where they were warmly welcomed by the islanders.  He learned the name of the island was Malta.  While there he was bitten by a snake, but suffered no ill effects. The islanders took this to mean he was a special man. Paul lived in a cave and eventually converted Publius, Rome's leader on Malta, to Christianity. Publius became the first Bishop of Malta. https://www.visitmalta.com/en/a/st-paul-in-malta/

  The name Malta may be derived from the Greek word Meli "honey".  The Greeks called the island Melite meaning "honey-sweet".  Valletta was named after its founder, the respected Grand Master of the Order of St. John, Jean Parisot de la Vallette.  So, Charles didn't have the name origins quite right.  But, any way you look at it, Valletta is a magnificent fortress city built by the Knights of St. John and is a masterpiece of Baroque art and architecture.  It was named a World Heritage City and is one of the most concentrated historic areas of the world. https://www.visitmalta.com/en/a/info/valletta/

   Charles King sailed past Malta at a time when Victorian expatriates, writers and artists made the island their home and British citizens came to visit because of the climate. Malta's importance as a Naval base also brought troops, officers and their families. Even Queen Victoria's aunt, the dowager Queen Adelaide, came out in the winter of 1838 and funded the Anglican church St. Paul's Anglican Co-Cathedral.  The Queen's second son Alfred became Commander of the Mediterranean fleet and had a long connection with Malta. His third child, Victoria Melita, was born there in 1877; she was named after her grandmother and after the island of Malta.  https://victorianweb.org/history/empire/malta/2.html

 The journey from Malta to Alexandria by air would be almost 6 hours.  By ship it was 3-4 days.....Google maps

"This immense Fortified Rock".....The Journey From Gibralter to Malta

Keystone View Company, P. The Rock of Gibraltar, an important strong-hold of the British Empire. Gibraltar, None. [Between 1860 and 1910] [Photograph] Retrieved from the Library of Congress, https://www.loc.gov/item/2020680548/.

The 100 Ton Gun  (also known as the Armstrong 100 ton gun). Two guns were installed in the British Overseas Territory of Gibralter, one at Victoria Battery and one at Napier of Magdala Battery in Rosia Bay.  The guns arrived in 1882 and 1883, and the first firings took place in 1884.  This is one of the four guns produced by William Armstrong's manufacturing company for Gibralter and the island of Malta; only two are left.  You can view them today on Gibralter and at Fort Rinella on Malta. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/100-ton_gun

  

Page 17 continued

"...We were now privileged to steame (sic) up the straites (sic) with land clearly visible on either side until the Rock itself is sighted, here we naturally expected to be greeted with some friendly faces from this immense fortified Rock. The first familiar face that was distinguished on the Rock itself was that of Armstrongs 100 ton guns just looking at us with his mouth wide open & with such a solemn gaze as though saying I would like to but I dare not. I am told that this gun if fixed in such a position to command the whole of the straites (sic) both from the Mediteranean (sic) entrance and the Atlantic approach, & that it is quite an easy task for it to throw a projectile across to Africa, a distance of 10 miles. (according to the website Welcome to Gibralter gibralter.com it was said that the gun's range was 8 miles but conservative estimates put it at around 5 miles).  We did not put in at Gibralter so were disappointed in meeting some of our old friends who we knew on the rock...but still in passing we had a fairly good view although to get a good view of the rock...

Page 18

...it is necessary to enter the Harbour. It was after passing Gibralter & getting well out into the Mediteranean (sic) that we felt the roughest weather & for a couple of days our ship tossed about just enough to make a seafaring life uncomfortable & I was now blessed with my first dose of sea-sickness. Before leaving England I was careful to buy a fairly good supply of Lamplough's Pyretic Saline for use on the voyage together with a couple of bottles of Doctor Collis Browne's chroladine (sp. chlorodyne) for use in case of dysentery or other disorders consequent upon the change of climate, & here I found it necessary to open my Lamplough's and take which I did regularly for a few days & used it occasionally after as I required it. It was not however an unpleasant run up the Mediteranian (sic) although for several days we had no land on either hand save a solitary island which I was told was inhabited by French prisoners. After leaving Gibralter about 6 days on the early dawn of the 11th morning from England the welcome sight of the Island of Malta broke upon the gaze of the...

Page 19

 ...watchers although the general company was not astir by this time but as soon as the word was passed down the gangway the whole were soon on deck watching with all eagerness to scan to the utmost the coastline of Malta & about 1 hour after she hove in sight, (between 5 and 6 o'clock in the morning) we entered Valetta (sp. Valletta) harbour & were at once greeted by the hurrahs & shouts of many hundreds of troops & residents who had watched our approach. This was truly a delightful, a beautiful morning & a lovely sun rising over a delightful island...is a sight not always witnessed, even by those who are accustomed to travelling by land & sea."   Page 19 will continue in the next post.... 

 From The Railway Review issue no. 26 1881.  Pyretic Saline was an effervescent mix of citric acid with potassium and sodium bicarbonates that was marketed world wide as a remedy in case of cholera, small pox, tropical fevers, sea sickness and headaches. It was one of  the 'cure-all' patent medicines of the day, especially for travelers. 

Chlorodyne was one of the best known patent medicines sold in the British Isles.  It was invented in the 19th century by Dr. John Collis Browne, a doctor in the British Indian Army. Its principal ingredients were a combination of  laudanum (an alcoholic solution of opium), cannabis and chloroform...just the ticket for relieving pain or as a sedative anywhere in the Victorian Empire! Wikipedia: Chlorodyne

The route taken from Gibralter to the Island of Malta by the Rewa.  It was about 6 days of sailing. You can see the boot of Italy and the island of Sicily in the top right corner.   Google Maps. 

"It Was Quite a Pleasure Trip Up to This Time..."

 Indelible pencils, or copying pencils.   Described as an "ordinary lead pencil, but more permanent, as the marks cannot be erased with rubber".  These pencils are considered the predecessors of the ball point pen. They were "convenient (no need to continually dip one's pen into the ink well), provided firm pressure (superior to fountain pens of the time), and generated relatively permanent markings. Their usefulness is demonstrated by the wide range of applications to which they were enlisted".  From The Book and Paper Group Annual Volume 17 1998. The Copying Pencil:  Composition, History, and Conservation Implications by Liz Dube.  https://cool.culturalheritage.org/coolaic/sg/bpg/annual/v17/bp17-05.html

Page 13 continued

 "...At 5 a.m. the revellie (sic)  (spelled reveille: A bugle call, trumpet call, drum, fife and drum or pipes call most often associated with the military. It is chiefly used to wake military personnel at sunrise. Wikipedia.org) is sounded & we are soon on deck & with mop scrubber squeegee swab & broom we are quite busy at scrubbing decks, an exercise which we had to indulge in every morning at the same hour as mentioned above. Next comes our morning ablution (washing) & as we are on board ship our supply of fresh water is very limited & if you do not manage to be very soon at the ablution room instead of getting a wash in clean water you stand a chance of getting a good thick bath. We are getting still...

Page 14 

 

 ...nearer the Isle of Wight & it is whispered around that we are going to let down our pilot here & he will take ashore letters from the ship & not a few avail themselves of the opportunity of sending a few lines written hastily & in most cases with a black lead pencil, some having (provided?) themselves before leaving Chatham with an Indelible pencil are considered to be rather above the ordinary. We get breakfast served up at 7 a.m coffee & bread with a little butter.  Shortly after breakfast we observe a small sailing vessel making toward us but no land visible...this eventually proves to be the pilot cutter come out from Portsmouth to take off our pilot, so after a little anxious watching the cutter is skillfully brought alongside of our ship & the pilot taken off without the necessity of stopping the ship.  Nothing of particular note occurred during the first morning but after dinner....

Page 15 

...we are told we are not far from Cornwall & that during the night we should pass the lands end so that afternoon and evening was spent in watching for glimpses of coastline in the distance & as night drew nearer there was more than a few sighs heaved at the thought of leaving behind entirely old England but there was no help for it & as the ship would not stop by being told she has (?) on at full speed after passing the Lizard & we went to bed. By the following we were nearing Cape Ushant the first bit of French coast sighted after leaving our own shores. Cape Ushant is a very formidable pile of rock abutting out from the main land and strikes the watcher as he gazes at it from the distance that this forms as it do a very formidable foe to storm tossed broken hearted vessels whose misfortune it is to come in contact with it." 

"A formidable pile of rock abutting from the mainland...."

Page 16 

"We kept the French coast in sight more or less until we reached the Bay of Biscay & in crossing we were privileged with very beautiful weather, so much so that the bay was like the proverbial mill pond...it was quite a pleasure trip up to this time. As you may guess, sea sickness was the order of the day among a large number of people on board, but personally I was permitted to escape for a few days longer. After passing through the bay of Biscay, we (were?) not long in sighting Cape Finisterre, which by the way we sighted on a beautiful evening when the sun was setting, with a beautiful crimson, a scene which made the cape show up to magnificent advantage." 

Modern day tourists enjoying the sunset on Finsterre, which literally means 'the end of the world'. It is the most westerly point in Europe. Raw Travel  https://rawtravel.com/walks/camino-de-finisterre/

 "This was on the evening of the third day at sea, and after this we did not loose (sic) sight of land for (?) time together until we had passed Gibralter on the morning of the fifth day after leaving England, the famous straits of Gibralter was sighted and as we approached nearer all eyes we (were) eagerly watching....(page 17)....our advance to behold at one & the same time, the two continents of Europe and Africa." 

The journey of the Rewa past the Isle of Wight, past the Lizard and Land's End in Cornwall.  Google Maps.

 Ushant to Fisterra to Gibralter.  Google Maps.

"The Various Routines of Military Life, as Endured From Day to Day by Tommy Atkins....."

Tin Soldiers, 1885 @  Victoria and Albert Museum. London.    These are tin soldiers manufactured and  sold after the battle of El Teb in the Sudan in 1884.  From an exhibition at the museum in 2013 called War Games, which explored the how worlds of warfare and childhood intersected and influenced each other since 1800. From the Newsweek article written by Andrew Romano and published 5/29/2013. 

A British soldier was often referred to as "Tommy Atkins" or "Thomas Atkins".

Page 9

 (the last few lines from page 8) "...Here let me say that as soon as we embark on ship our rations & pay increase.  Whilse (whilst?) on (beginning of page 9) home stations the regulation food allowed for soldiers is 1 lbs of bread & 3/4 lbs of beef (& bone of course) but on foreign service the ration is increased to 1 1/4 lbs of bread & 1 lbs of meat either fresh or canned...of course it is not always that we can get bread, so we are obliged to substitute ship biscuits for bread. It will be impossible for me in the space of time allowed for me reading this paper to deal anything like as fully as I would like to with the various routines of military life, as endured from day to day by Tommy Atkins nor is it the purpose I have in view at present but I find it necessary to (refer?) somewhat as I go on in order to make the necessary connections by way of uniting the whole subject. We will just go below for a little while & see what things are like there. The Rewa is not a vessel adapted to carrying troops so having received her charter from the Admiralty she has been hastily fitted up for the purpose.  But don't let me lead you away with the belief that we are occupying the whole of the vessel...

Page 10

...nay for we are only part of her cargo & therefore we have the fore holde of the ship (the front or the forward part of the hold of a ship) at our disposal so that we have to (utilize?) this space as best possible so you will notice a wood grating attached temporally to the underside of the beams of the deck, to these gratings you will observe a vast number of iron hooks screwed in... these are arranged to take the lashings of the hammocks which are slung up by night for the men who are allotted one of those commodotys (sic)  of a sailors life.  There are a great number of these hammocks but as the ceiling space is so limited every man cannot have a hammock, so that nearly half of the men have to sleep on deck beds immediately under the men who are in the hammocks. I will allow my listeners to judge the pleasure that is attendant with this kind of life, but in order to give a little idea of it I will mention one or two incidents that you may witness for yourselves...

Page 11

..If you have the fortune (or otherwise) to go to bed in a man of war or troopship.  Thomas is not a bad sort of fellow taking him all around, but for some cause or other the youngsters are having a bit of fun with him so he gets a little rusty with them & if course that dont always do among soldiers, the motto is to be merry & take all things in good part, so on account of his crotchetness the youngsters decide that they will serve Thomas out tonight. The time arrives for lashing up hammocks so Thomas... to make quite sure he will avail himself of a couple of hooks...lashes his hammock early & having completed his task goes on deck just to watch the progress of the vessels & to have a chat before turning in for the night. The youngsters in the mean time avail themselves of the opportunity of his absence and tie a slip knot at the foot end of Thomas' hammock...the arrangement not occupying much time...

Page 12

...or causing the least suspicion...so presently Thomas comes below and prepares to turn in for the night...he is soon in & gets to eights (rights?) and eventually gets off into a sound sleep. Presently a consternation is caused at the sudden collapse of Thomas's hammock & lo the occupant is landed on the deck amongst his companions...who as you may imagine are very wroth (angry/incensed) at the sudden manner by which they are aroused & you may be sure Thomas comes in for no small share of indignation...but as you may suppose no (one?) knew how it occurred (Querie?) ....I cannot dwell further upon the inner life of Tommy Atkins but we will proceed up the gangway & on deck & you will notice that we are a good way down the Thames & evening is coming on. It is very pleasant for it is a beautiful evening & the ship is gliding along nicely, a few of us assemble ourselves on the poop & enjoy our first night at sea with some singing & conversation and as night draws on we eagerly scan the coast line for the lights...

Page 13

...which are distinctly discernable at southend on sea & other villages on this part of the coast and alltogether the first evening at sea passes of very nicely & bed time arrives & all becomes fairly quiet and whilst we are peacefully slumbering our good ship having passed out of the Thames puts on a little extra speed & in the silent hours passes Dover Eastbourne and the Kentish coast Sussex and by morning we are not far from the Isle of Wight....."

The path of the Rewa as it traveled down the Thames, around the Kent Coastline, and past the Isle of Wight through the English Channel. Google Maps

Crews hammocks; National Museum of the Royal Navy Hartlepool, England

 Poop:  Charles was referring to the poop deck or the deck that forms the roof of the cabin built in the rear or aft of a ship.  The poop deck provides an elevated position ideal for observation. Wikipedia: Poop Deck

 The term "Tommy Atkins" was used to refer to a common soldier in the British Army, possibly as far back as 1745. The following origin story occurred in 1794. 

The British Tommy, Tommy Atkins

by Ben Johnson

It is 1794 in Flanders, at the height of the Battle of Boxtel. The Duke of Wellington is with his first command, the 33rd Regiment of Foot, who have been bloodily engaged in hand-to-hand fighting, when he comes across a soldier lying mortally wounded in the mud. It is Private Thomas Atkins. “It’s all right, sir, all in a day’s work,” the brave soldier says just before he dies.

It is now 1815 and the ‘Iron Duke’ is 46 years old. He has been approached by the War Office for a suggestion for a name that could be used to personify the brave British soldier, to be used as an example name in a publication to show how a ‘Soldier’s Pocket Book’ should be filled out. Thinking back to the Battle of Boxtel, The Duke suggests ‘Private Thomas Atkins’.

This is just one explanation* for the origin of the term ‘Tommy Atkins’, now used to refer to a common soldier in the British army.

The term was used quite widely, and indeed rather contemptuously, in the mid 19th century. Rudyard Kipling sums this up in his poem ‘Tommy’, one of his Barrack-Room Ballards (1892) in which Kipling contrasts the mean way in which the soldier was treated in peace time, with the way he was praised as soon as he was needed to defend or fight for his country. His poem “Tommy”, written from the soldier’s point of view, raised the public’s awareness of the need for a change of attitude towards the common soldier.

 Kipling helped to change the public’s attitude towards the common soldier in the late Victorian era. Nowadays the term ‘Tommy’ is more often associated with the soldiers of World War I and is used with affection and respect for their bravery and heroism, much as Wellington had in mind when he suggested the name back in 1815. Harry Patch, who died aged 111 in 2009, was known as the “Last Tommy” because he was the last surviving British soldier who fought in World War I.

https://www.historic-uk.com/HistoryUK/HistoryofBritain/The-British-Tommy-Tommy-Atkins/

"She's a Fine Boat...Her Name is the Rewa....."

Tilbury Docks across the Thames from Gravesend.  Google Maps 2022

Page 6 continued....

    "....But the time is come for us to be moving so up to our arms & baggage & let us move on.  We are now on the pier head & have a good view of the Thames ...the tender is along side but the vessel in which we are to sail is not in sight yet, she hasn't left London yet... someone says rather strange too...some one else says she has... but an old river hand on the pier soon puts matters right for he directs our attention to the masts of a ship moving...

Page 7 

 

down the river & tells us that this is the vessel that we are to go by... yes I can see the masts but I cannot see the vessel for she is a good distance up the river but of course we have a full description of her given us whilst waiting.  On the opposite side of the river is the new Tilbury docks, being constructed for the London Tilbury and Southend Railway Company & on the river itself all is motion as only those who are acquainted with the traffic on the Thames can rightly imagine. But now our vessel is drawing nearer & we are able to descerne (sic) the fine hull of her...she's is a fine boat...her name is the Rewa...one of the British India Steam Navigation Company's boats of 4117 tons...she is now opposite the pier & in mid river...drops anchor & embarkation on the tender proceeds.  We are each presented with a new testament from the good missionary from the "Thames Church Missionary Society" and a parting word being the last we received on shore in England...the tender pushes off with the first party for embarkation...."

   The tender that Charles referred to was generally a smaller ship that transported people or supplies from shore to a much larger ship anchored away from the pier. Tenders provided a link from shore to ship, especially if the larger ship was too large to tie up on the dock or if weather was rough.   

(wikipedia.org Ship's Tenders)

  Construction on the Tilbury Docks began on July 8, 1882 so Charles would have seen the progress being made from across the river at Gravesend where his train journey ended.  The first vessel to enter the completed docks arrived in 1886. The Port of Tilbury is now the principal port for London, and is located 25 miles downstream of London Bridge.  (Wikipedia Port of Tilbury)

  The Thames Church Missionary Society was begun in 1844 to "afford the advantages of a cruising vessel of worship and partial visitation to the vast floating population of the Thames".  Many times vessels were not allowed to proceed to ports of destination for days or weeks but had to wait their turn in the river to unload cargo, or had to wait for fair weather to continue their journey.  The Society's "great object" was to "supply their crews with spiritual instruction", usually with a ship fitted out as a church.  The Society  provided a lending library and also sold tracts, Bibles and prayer books at reduced prices.  (Lifeboat Magazine Archive The Thames Church Mission Sept. 1852 vol. 1 issue 6)

It looks like Bibles were handed out for free to the English Military on their way to Egypt in 1884. 

  The steam ship "Rewa" (ship No. 1) was built in 1882 by the British India Steam Navigation Company,  so was fairly new when Charles embarked on his sea journey in September of 1884.  According to TheShipsList website, the ship weighed in at 4, 017 tons, very close to Charles' estimate of 4,117 tons.  The ship was sold in 1905 to the Spanish government, later sold to Uruguay and was renamed Brasileno. 

https://www.theshipslist.com/ships/lines/bisn.shtml

  Page 8

    "I will leave you to imagine for yourselves the feelings that would pass through the minds & hearts of men on leaving English Terra-firma for the seat of war...I may say for myself that although I knew that possibility (?) (?) my return impracticable yet I knew that it was possible (& this hope was uppermost) that after events had terminated there was a chance of returning & this thought always on top impelled me to take courage & work with a will. I do not remember among all the party of having seen one man who shew any (signs?) of depression at the point of embarkation.  We are now alongside and one after the other we climb up over the ship side & on the deck of the vessel... at about 3 o'clock we are told off to our quarters & having the second party on board, the shipping baggage & c (cargo) we weigh anchor about 5 o'clock & slowly we commence steaming down the Thames. Soon after we are under weigh... as we have not had any meal since morning...we are served out with our rations and tea is prepared for which we are heartily thankful......"

 ....A ship is under weigh once it weighs up (pulls up) its anchor and begins moving. This spelling is now obsolete. (whitesmoke.com)

 Charles King's journey to Egypt continues aboard the Rewa in the next post.....

 This is the steamship SS America launched in 1883 by the British passenger line National Steam Navigation Company (National Line).  It was bigger than the Rewa, with a 6,500 tonnage gross,  but gives you an idea of what steamer ships with masts of the era looked like. Masts with sails were used to assist the engines when conditions were favorable and helped steady the ship in rough seas. (Wikipedia: National Line)