Tuesday, October 10th 1854 ~ Basle, Switzerland

Hotel du Laurage ~ The morning was passed in Strasburg. Soon after breakfast Alice went out with me to a dentist (the best and truly good one in the city) and had the tooth extracted that has been paining her so long. It was done under the influence of chloriform, so that she did not feel it at all. The dentists in Europe are not generally good. Their services are not needed, judging from appearances, as much as in our cake and preserve eating country. The best dentists in Europe are American. Even the French Emperor employs an American dentist. We visited the great Strasburg cathedral, celebrated for its immense spire, the highest (I believe) in Europe. It rises like a fairy dream into the air, so light that it seems scarcely to rest on earth. It is constructed throughout of columns of stone, so that the steeple looks like trellis work at the great height above us. The cathedral boasts also an automaton clock which sends out figures every quarter hour to beat the time etc. This is said to be a very curious piece of mechanism. We left Strasburg at one o’clock. The cars to Basle are very poor and the charges high. It would have been far better to have crossed over to the German side of the Rhine and taken the German railway.

Tuesday, September 26th 1854 ~ London

St. Paul's Cathedral.

London ~ My physician called again this morning and told me I had better leave London as soon as possible and breathe a purer air and there in accordance been making preparations to leave tomorrow. Today we visited St. Pauls cathedral, one of the largest buildings in the world. It is cruciform and of stone which time has made of a reddish brown color. The outside of St. Pauls is far more imposing than the interior. It requires 20 minutes to half an hour for driving around it and gives one a fine idea of the greatest of architectural wonders of past centuries. One does not obtain as good an idea of it however as if it stood in an open space instead of being shut in and encompassed by narrow struts. The interior is of course very magnificent from its vast proportion but is devoid of ornament and is somewhat broken by columns so that the size does not take in all at once. The dome is enormous, its highest point is 350 feet above the pavement of the church. The building is well lighted and has not the solemn grandeur that a soft light united with such vastness must give. In the crypt lies the body of the Iron Duke. I changed some of my English gold for French today at h 86 Cheapside.

Monday, September 25th 1854 ~ London

A horsedrawn "Handsome" carriage (Bettman archive).

London ~ This morning when the Doctor came he gave me permission to go out for a little drive, so Lizzie and myself got into a “Handsome” which is a one horse conveyance like a chaise except that there is a seat for a driver behind and above so that the reins pass over the chaise top, and the house (to those inside) seems to be without guidance. We saw the outside of St. James Palace of Buckingham Palace, drove around Hyde Park, St. James Park, saw “Temple bar” where the right of the Sovereign bows to the authority of the municipal authorities. Temple Bar was one of the gates of London and it still marks the terminus of the ancient city. It looks not unlike a small and somewhat defaced triumphal arch. The Dr. had forbidden me to breathe the atmosphere of the old city, so Temple Bar was an effectual bar to me. It seems a great pity. I should be thus laid up where there is so much to see, where every foot of ground, the name of every street recalls some story or history.

Sunday, September 24th 1854 ~ London

Have been up a little while today and am very much better but still very weak, scarcely able to stand. The doctor has been here twice today. Have had a very serious attack, which would have ended a poor constitution.

Saturday, September 23rd 1854 ~ London

I am still better today. The doctor has been here and pronounced me much improved, but I cannot get out of bed yet. When I rise for a moment my head swims and I am obliged to lie down again. He has called again this evening.

Friday, September 22nd 1854 ~ London

Last evening I was taken with an attack of cholera, which began by cold, shivering and colic pains. A physician was called in who by heating drinks and heat applied to the feet, threw me into a high fever, which lasted all night. Today I am better, but not of course out of bed. The Dr. called again this morning. Lizzie makes a fine nurse. This is the first time her abilities have been tested on my behalf.

Friday, September 8th 1854 ~ At sea

Pickled limes - an old-time New England treat.

At sea ~ Alice was taken again with cramps about ten o’clock last evening. Mary sat up with her nearly all night. She slept but two hours. Dr Gallup was very much frightened by Alice’s symptoms, and entirely lost his presence of mind, so that we were absolutely forced to expel him from her state room, he disturbed her so much by his agitation. Nature proved a good physician, administered a good nights rest and today she is much better. The weather is rainy and rather cold, thermometer at 58 to 60. We are at last on the banks, we reached them yesterday, and are now leaving Newfoundland on the west. We seem at last fairly clear of the new world and bound in earnest for the old. All indications are in favor of a long passage. We passed twelve vessels yesterday and signalized one, which should report us at home. Most of these however were fishing craft. Mary and the Captain, Professor Treadwell and myself had a game of whist this evening. We occasionally get up a supper just before retiring. Sometimes I ransack the pantry, sometimes the Dr. gets out the ginger preserves, or anchovies, bread butter etc. Pickled limes.

Wednesday, September 6th 1854 ~ At sea

A Whist Marker, used in the English card game "whist."

At Sea ~ Wind still from the East. We passed another Bark bound West this morning, and signalized her. There is very little sea today and we all are not only feeling well, but bright and in high spirits. My health seems to have improved already under the influence of the invigorating sea air. Dr. Gallup has made 36 pills for Lizzie, of monstrous size, all to be taken in four days! For general debility. She is about as well as usual and rather rebels at such a fare. Lizzie and Mary have begun writing home but as we have not yet reached the “banks”, there is but little chance of the letters being sent under two weeks.

About noon today we discovered a new ship on our lee quarter and have been racing with her all day. At present she is about two miles behind. She is about 2000 tons clipper built and Captain Knowles thinks she is the “New York”, on her first trip from N.Y. for Liverpool. If so she left N.Y. on the 25th one day before we left Boston. Which will reach England first? The Capt. Signalized her but she refuses to tell her name. We are both close hauled. We read today 11 weeks in Europe by Clark and had a game of whist in the evening.