The Diary of Dora Colby

Below are my great grandmother's journal and comments on the Colby family's trip to Los Angeles 100 years ago last November.  The use of the name "Girlie" was my grandma Langton's nickname as a young girl and even into later life depending on who you were talking to.  "Jack" refers to my great grandpa Colby (John Colby) while "Jackie" refers to John Colby, Jr., my grandma Langton's eldest brother and my dad's uncle Jack.  Miss Perkins is the family nanny and housekeeper brought along as part of the family, although not related in any way, to assist with caring for the children.  After the children were grown and had left home, she remained in California residing in Hermosa Beach.  She always sent out fruit cakes to everyone each and every Christmas.

THE DIARY OF DORA COLBY

November 1913

Comments, incidents, and description of the journey by John and Dora Colby and family from England to Los Angeles, CA.

Left mother’s on November 11 for Southampton. Stayed the night at the Flowers Hotel and started for the boat which we boarded about 10:30. Mother and (Auntie) Lil came with us and settled us in our cabins and we said good bye to them at 12 o’clock and started off for Cherbourg. We soon found we were in for rough weather and after lunch Girlie and I retired to our bunks where Jackie soon joined us. Girlie had a nice sleep and Jackie was not sick whilst he kept quiet. Miss Perkins soon gave in and had to lie down and was very bad and about 4 o’clock Eric, who up to then was in highest spirits, came to lie down.

I was quite all right thanks to Mothersells (sp?) and Daddy was quite well on deck. The waves are very big and we pitch and toss about dreadfully and some big waves keep washing right over the porthole, but we hope for the best.

Jack has come to lie down, and seeing everyone ill has made him qualmy. Poor Jackie very bad and Girlie had to come to me she felt so seedy. We all felt qualmy until the boat reached Cherbourg Harbor when we had a blessed respite and all perked up wonderfully. Had some dinner and walked about the deck.

A lot of emigrants came on board and we were very interested in watching them. The women carried all their worldly belongings in striped bags on their backs and many had little babies with them. None wore hats, but a few had shawls over their heads. I got the children to bed comfortably and we left the harbor at 8:30. John and I soon came to bed to, to get settled before the pitching and tossing began again.

It is a beautiful moonlight night and the lights of France twinkle in the distance. It was very rough all night and we only slept in snatches. In the morning we all felt qualmy and Jackie and Miss Perkins very sick. After lunch it was less rough, and we all, except Miss Perkins, sat on deck.

We reach Queenstown [Ireland] at 5 o’clock and were all charmed by the beautiful harbor. I photographed Roach Island and the children were much amused with the hundreds of seagulls that followed the boat. We had a long talks with Mr. Fry, the first officer, and watched the old Irish women come on board to sell lace, pipes, etc. We had letters here and took in over 1200 bags of mail as the Mauritania could not get into the harbor for them the day before as it was too rough. We all had dinner at 6 o’clock, roast gosling and ice cream, which later the children all enjoyed. I got them to bed before the boat started. Miss Perkins perked up and came on deck, and we thoroughly enjoyed a stroll on deck in the moonlight, talked to Mr. Fry again, and watching the various lights flashing. We returned in good time in case of bad weather. The steward had left one porthole open until he went off duty at 9 o’clock.

Saturday Since the night before last when the steward closed our porthole, I have been very busy lying quite still to keep off seasickness. Mr. Fry’s prophecy came true. About 2 o’clock Friday morning we began to meet the full force of the Atlantic and the rolling, tossing, and pitching with the screw coming out of the water was awful. Jackie soon started filling his tin and when I move I was sick so kept quiet as when I lifted my head up it whirled and I think Jackie’s did too. Eric was as lively as a sand boy, also Girlie. Jack got up on deck twice, but mostly lay quiet, thus he wasn’t ill. Today it is rough, but not quite so bad as through the night when we seemed to sink down into the depths and then slide up and then shake all over. Jackie says he shall never come back again. He’s had enough of the sea to last a lifetime. Eric played about on one bed then on another till 4 o’clock when he suddenly said, “Oh Jackie, I do feel so ill” and the two of them took it in turns till the tin overflowed and I rang for the steward in a hurry. No more was heard from Eric and the steward had to carry him back to his cabin which he shared with Miss Perkins who hasn’t left her bunk yet. It’s so rough I must stop.

Sunday The gale was worse than ever and the engines went dead slow as the waves were as high as 60 feet; they washed over the captain’s bridge. It was baby’s birthday, and what a day. We pitched and tossed so much she couldn’t stand out of her bunk, but she was very good lying there with a picture book. Jack got up on deck for a few minutes and he said the waves were awful and everything awash. The forward screen was washed away and all the forward hatches were battened down as they were flooded with water. For an awful 10 minutes the engines stopped, the condenser had broken, and everyone wondered what was the matter. Then we started slowly again pitching, tossing, and rolling. Girlie’s birthday menu was very nice, but we were satisfied with chicken and ices. We had one or two crockery smashes in our cabin. All night the storm raged and all day Monday when the engines stopped for repairs.

Tuesday wasn’t quite so bad and I managed to get Girlie out her birthday present from Auntie Mary, a box of bricks, and they amused her for hours building on my hat box. Wednesday was much better and everyone was thankful. The captain never left the bridge Sunday or Monday. It was an anxious time. She is such an old boat and only makes one more voyage before she goes into dock for three months of repairs and then goes on a slower line. The third officer took a good photo of the waves and gave one to Daddy.

The sun shone on Wednesday and most people got on deck to enjoy it after a week of storms. We carried a record mail, nearly 6000 bags as it had been too rough for over a week for the boats to put in at Queenstown for them. Wednesday night we had a concert, and amongst other items, was a performing ape belonging to a gentleman on board. Her name was “Cantata.” She smokes, plays the piano and various other things. One girl danced twice, and there was heaps of singing. Thursday was cold and choppy, but we all got on deck and were very pleased to see Nantucket lighthouse which we passed at 8 o’clock.

Everyone was up early on Friday morning, breakfast at 6 o’clock as we steamed up the harbor, passed the Statue of Liberty, and docked about 10 o’clock. We passed the doctor and got through the customs very well though it took over 2 hours. All our luggage with us was opened, but not muddled about. We walked a little way and then took tickets for the 2 o’clock ferry, and while waiting, got something to eat, but things were horrid, fishcakes in red sauce and pickled cabbage and onion. Ugh! We crossed the ferry which took twenty minutes and got our train for Chicago, a nice drawing room, comfortable and everything most luxurious. We slept one night on this line, the Erie, and hope to reach Chicago at 7 tonight.

Boiling hot at Chicago. Got the train for Los Angeles which was packed and found there was no drawing room reserved for us. The conductor was very kind and after arranging for our sleeping as best he could and got us a private car the next day. We all enjoyed the 2 ½ days run to Los Angeles especially the latter part where the mountains were magnificent. We spent a little while at Albuquerque and inspected some Indians and their weaving. Arrived in Los Angeles at 2 o’clock Tuesday, where Godfrey Edwards and Tom and May Plumb were waiting for us at the station.