Page:Three Years in Europe.djvu/198

162 after midnight. At 2 we passed the Arctic Circle,—and now we were in the Arctic region! "Rather a widish range" from the tropics, in the words of a fellow passenger!

27th July. "What lovely weather!" "What a fine morning!" Such were the words which resounded in our saloon on the morning of the 27th. For the clouds which had obscured the sky for three days had disappeared,—or perhaps we had passed through the cloudy zone,—and a bright sunlight streamed through the windows into our beautiful saloon. I wish I could describe in a few words our daily breakfasts and dinners in the saloon. We dined at 2 and about fifty to sixty persons from the different countries of Europe sat down together. The continental people are not so reserved and taciturn as the English, and a confused murmur of many voices rose (as at a genuine Hindu feast!) when we sat down to dinner.

To our left a group of robust Germans vociferated in right gutteral accents! In front of us two or three Frenchmen talked and talked so glibly, that all my attempt to follow them was in vain! At some distance were groups of ladies and gentlemen hailing from America, some of whom made themselves heard, and their presence felt, from one end of the room to the other! One spirited young lady hung up an American flag over the spot where she sat.

The Sheriff of London and his wife and niece were of our party; and among the other Englishmen who were on board there were two who were members