Page:Travel letters from New Zealand, Australia and Africa (1913).djvu/475

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with three other women. The "Maunganui" was a favorite; the "Canada" is a new and unknown ship struggling for recognition from the traveling public. Moral: Keep away from favorites; they will always impose on you. . . . Another pleasant thing about the "Canada" is that there is not a single Englishman on board. There is no Sports Committee, no loud talk, and no noise. About half the first-cabin passengers are Americans, and they are so well-behaved that I am proud of them. The others are French and Italian, and they are also quiet and modest. . . . When we look down on the lower decks, we see a seething mass of humanity: Italian and Sicilian emigrants. Fortunately the weather is fine, and most of them are on deck; only a few of them are seasick. Some people can't go on a millpond without becoming sick, and we have a few of this sort in the first cabin. The three or four hundred passengers in the second cabin we cannot see, as they are on a deck under ours. . . . This morning I saw four barbers at work among the emigrants; barbers who are going to the United States to work at their trade. The barbers charge four cents for shaving, and six cents for hair-cutting. The barber in the first cabin charges only fifteen cents for a shave, and he is a good workman. The emigrants eat on deck, now that the weather is fine. Each one seems to get a loaf of bread, and a bucket containing soup and meat. A cheap wine is also given them; also macaroni. They are well treated, as the Italian government has a commissioner on board to look after their interests. This commissioner sits on the captain's right in the dining-room, and has one of the best rooms