There he met a steward, who, after looking at his ticket, said: "You
will see the bunks down there, and can take any one that is unoccupied.
I should advise you to put your trunk into it, and keep the lid shut.
People come and go in the morning, and you might find that your things
had gone too. It would be just as well for you to keep it locked through
the voyage. I see that you have got a cord round it. Keep it corded; the
more things there are to unfasten to get at the contents the less chance
there is of anyone attempting it."

The place was crowded with berths, mere shallow trays, each containing a
straw mattress and pillow and two coloured blankets. They were in three
tiers, one above the other, and were arranged in lines three deep, with
a narrow passage between. He saw by the number into which bags and
packets had been thrown that the upper berths were the favourites, but
he concluded that the lower tiers were preferable. "It will be
frightfully hot and stuffy here," he said to himself, "and I should say
the lower berths will be cooler than the upper." He therefore placed his
trunk in one of those next to the central passage and near the door, and
then went up on deck.

The _Parthia_ was a Cunarder, and although not equal in size to the
great ships of the present day, was a very fine vessel. The fare had
been somewhat higher than that for which he could have had a passage in
a sailing ship, but in addition to his saving time, there was the
advantage that on board the steamers, passengers were not obliged to
provide their own bedding, as they had to do in sailing vessels, and
also the food was cooked for them in the ship's galleys.

The first meal was served soon after the anchor dropped, and consisted
of a bowl of cocoa and a large piece of bread. Half an hour later a