Life at Sea

Before I again suspend my recreation of Edward's journey I must make further observation on the differences in sea travel then as now. After leaving Albany and rounding the south west corner of Australia they once again encountered stormy weather...the gale became a perfect tempest: the sea struck our starboard life boat, tore away the davits and thus they lost the life boat. Shortly afterwards the maintop-mast snapped close to the cap and went over the side, with topgallant and royal yards across. According to Edward the few English sailors, now all on deck, made every exertion to clear and get in the wreck....while the shivering Lascars afforded but little assistance. He conceeded that some of the boldest Lascars did join in but when things got even tougher and orders were passed for the sailors to come down from the rigging the Lascars were quick to do so whereas the English reluctantly abandoned their task. The fore mast came crashing down immediately after so perhaps the Lascars were just more observant sailors. Or maybe they just thought "you guys get the big bucks -you can take the risk". Fortunately sail was only an auxilary means of propulsion for the Madras so the ship was still able to steam on but the contrast between this and a modern cruise liner is huge.

I'm sure ocean sailors still encounter conditions like this but it's unlikely modern casual passengers such as Edward was would tolerate similar. Today we have radios, Epirbs, virtually unsinkable life boats and rescue helicoptors. The Madras was on it's own.

Edward also commented on the wonderous dinners, fish, flesh, and fowl, curries, hashes, and ragouts, puddings, jellies, custards and pies that came daily from the small enchanted space that was the galley. Today likewise the food on a cruise ship is a wonder of both quality and quantity. Daily fresh flowers on the tables we were told were grown hydroponically aboard and I wondered if some of the abundant fresh produce was too. You don't get to see where the food all comes from but it was a delight.

In Edward's day I assume all wastes, both bodily and food just went over the side. Today with that strictly forbidden I couldn't help but wonder too at the volumes of waste that the 3000 or so people on board must produce and what went into it's ultimate disposal.

And of course today if we want to travel globally we just fly. Edward would have marvelled at that.