When the obelisk was almost touching The Dessoug, half of us were ordered to go around to the top of the obelisk & push it into the ship. I was using all my might. The men around me were grunting & sweating from the
They made a hole in the ship so they could fit the obelisk inside!
I did not think the obelisk would fit inside. But it did, just barely & at a crooked angel. The obelisk takes up most of the ship’s hold. After the job was done, we were ordered to wedge it in on both sides with planks of wood so it wouldn’t slide back & forth when the ship moves.
The Dessoug is big. I could see there is room inside the hold for me to hide. Nobody has asked me to join the crew, so I guess I will have to sneak aboard. Maybe today.
This obelisk must be very special for the Americans to go threw all this trouble. But if they can bring this big rock to America, they can bring me to America with it.
JUNE 10, 1880
Two guards watch The Dessoug all day, so I had no chance to sneak aboard. Soon the Americans will replace the plates that were removed & close up the hole in the side of the ship. I will have to move fast.
I watched the men guarding The Dessoug all day. At sundown, one of them left his post. That left just one guard, a small man who had a gun at his side at all times. But he doesn’t seem all that attentive, & I think he is a drinker. Even in the dark, I could see him remove something from his pocket, put it to his mouth, & tilt his head back.
I am hiding behind a wagon & watching him carefully as he walks back & forth in front of The Dessoug. He takes another drink, & another. He walks wobbly, mumbling something to himself. He is drunk. I am going to make my move as soon as he—
JUNE 11, 1880
I am aboard The Dessoug! I have nothing more than the clothes on my back, but I do not care. I am where I want to be—on a boat that will
JUNE 12, 1880
I was awakened by sunlight streaming thru the hole in The Dessoug. Then there was the sound of metal plates & banging. Workers riveted the plates back on. It didn’t take long for them to fill in the hole. Nobody noticed me hiding in the cargo hold.
Now it is near total darkness in here. I know my handwriting is even more crooked & hard to read than usual. I write these words by the faint light coming through a thin crack between two planks above my head.
It must have been around two o’clock in the afternoon when steam whistles were blown & we shoved off. I felt the boat creak, scrape against something, & then rock gently on the water. An engine rumbled to life, & then the propeller. I heard whistles & cheering, or maybe it was jeering, until it faded away into the distance.
I am finally on my way to America! I have heard stories about America. Stories of poor men who became rich, & rich men who lost everything they had. I guess that is why some games are called “games of chance.” There is the chance you will win, & the chance you will lose. But in America, at least you get a chance.
JUNE 13, 1880
I wish I had taken more food with me. It has been a full day at sea now. I am not feeling well. The Atlantic is larger than I expected. I am getting hungry & thirsty. I don’t know how long I can hold out. There is nothing to eat or drink down here. Just a very big obelisk covered with wood, & some crates of stuff.
& a bucket, thank goodness. If not for this bucket, well, I would be in even worse shape. I am sure it smells pretty bad down here. But I don’t notice it anymore. They say you get used to bad smells after a wile.
But the darkness is getting to me. I can barely see my hand in front of my face. I hope we get to America soon. Maybe we are going to New York City. I have always wanted to go there.
JUNE 15, 1880
This date is approximate. I do not know the exact date. I have lost track of night & day. I am so thirsty & weak I can barely sit up to write this. I must reveal myself or I am afraid that I will starve down here before we even get to America. I am going to bang on the ceiling. There is no other choice. These may be the last words I write.
JUNE 16, 1880
The men who pulled me out of the hold were angry. I was afraid they were going to throw me overboard. They speak many languages, & a few of them speak English. From what I understand, they were so angry because they have a very limited amount of food & water, & they don’t want to share it with me.
They asked how I snuck onto the ship & I told them the truth. I begged them to let me live, & so far they have agreed. They gave me sips of water & a little food. I don’t know what the food was, but I accepted it gratefully. It tasted like potato. When I get to America, I am determined to try a hot dog. I don’t really want to eat dog, but apparently that is what people eat in America.
My leg is now chained to a pole so I cannot escape. Where do they think I will go? There is nothing but water as far as the eye can see. At least they did not take away my diary. The Americans have not decided what to do with me. I will try to act as young as possible, so maybe they will be kinder & take pity on me.
Despite everything, it is a pleasure to be up on deck & breathing fresh air.
JUNE 17, 1880
I have learned that we have not even reached the Atlantic Ocean yet! We are still in the Mediterranean Sea. It seems as big as an ocean. We passed the island of Malta today. The waters are gentle & as I watch the clouds slide by in the sky, it looks like we are making good progress, about 7 knots per hour. I heard one of the men say “New York City,” so I guess that’s wear we are heading.
The man in charge seems to be an American who the men call “Commander Gorringe.” Or at least I think he is in charge. When he tells the men to do something, they do it.
This Gorringe fellow has seen me. He knows I am here. We have not spoken yet. I believe he is trying to decide whether to keep me here or have me thrown overboard. I suppose he does not want to get to know me so that he can throw me overboard & not feel guilty about it. But I am determined to be very nice to him, & to all the crew, in order to win them over. I will help them any way I can. They can keep me alive.
I have noticed something very curious. Regardless of the language they speak, the men who work on this ship move their mouths even when they are not eating or speaking. I do not know why they do that.
JUNE 18, 1880
I figured out why the crewmen move their mouths even when they are not eating or speaking. They are chewing something they call “gum.” You do not swallow it. You just chew it & spit it out at some point. The whole thing seems silly to me, but the men must get some enjoyment out of it.
We did not have gum in England when I was growing up there. But apparently it is a rubbery substance that has licorice or other flavoring. The crew call it “Black Jack.” I asked one of the men if I could have a piece, & he took it out of his mouth and handed it to me. I chewed on it for a while, but it was utterly tasteless. I do not see the attraction.
JUNE 19, 1880
The Dessoug suddenly slowed down around noon today for no reason that I could see. Commander Gorringe gathered a group of crewmen around him & they disgust the situation. I could not hear their conversation, but I did hear the word “leak” repeatedly. Finally it became clear that there was a leak in the boiler that heats the water to power the engine.
I new why everyone was so worried. If the boiler fails, the ship stops dead. If you are stuck in open water for days, your food & water supplies will dwindle to nothing. Unless a rescue ship happens to come along, everyone onboard will die.
I was foolish to stowaway on this ship. I should have waited for another one. I could have stayed in Alexandria. I could have done so many things differently.
