On the early morning of the eighth day--it was Palm Sunday--the
mountainous cliffs of Tristan could dimly be discerned. My husband had
gone up on deck two or three times while it was yet dusk to see if land
was visible; while I kept looking out of the porthole, although it was not
a very large outlook. At about four o'clock he dressed and wrote several
letters. At six o'clock, accompanied by Rob, I went on to the lower deck
and could see Tristan enshrouded in mist. At about nine o'clock we arrived
opposite the settlement. A high wind was blowing and the sea was rough.
But this did not prevent the islanders setting off in two of their canvas
boats to board the steamer. It was with great interest I went on deck to
speak to them. I was greeted by an Italian, who in broken English said--

"It not very comfortable for a lady."

They said it was too rough for us to land at the settlement, but that if
we went back eight or nine miles round to another part of the island
landing would be possible. It did not take long to steam back, but it took
many hours to land the luggage. This was done under the direction of the
third officer by a ship's boat manned by several passengers, who were most
keen to help, and by the two island boats. But it was done under
considerable difficulty, "a dangerous swell running on to a steep pebbly
beach." Twice the ship's boat filled with water, and once a man was washed
overboard, but was hauled in again. The harmonium was floating in the sea,
but being in a zinc-lined case took no harm. By the afternoon the sea had
quieted down a little, and it was decided that it would be safe for us to
land at the settlement. Personally I was rather disappointed at this
decision; but it gave, we believe, much satisfaction to the captain, who
did not seem at all to like the idea of landing us on the sea-shore, where