Log Abstract… At: 6.48am (LT) St Helena arrival Weather: Light breeze, slight sea & swell, cloudy, fine & clear Passage: 4 days, 11 hours Voyage Distance: 2,158 miles Average Speed: 20.17 knots
Down the ravine toward Jamestown, St. Helena
[Photo: Caronia 1952: The Blouin Collection]
St Helena Arrival
T.R.S…
Arrived at St. Helena at 7am Friday, the 25th. A giant, volcanic crag rising from the sea. Sheer granite shoreline
around the entire island except one deep ravine where the only town, Jamestown, is located. High point is 2,700 feet
above the sea. Area 47 square miles. Population 4,700. Female population exceeds male by three to one. Mean temperature
between 70 and 80°F.
Napoleon held prisoner here in 12 acre tract for 6 years until his death. This tract is now French property and his
former home is preserved as a French shrine. Island is governed by a resident governor and an executive council.
Napoleon's former home, St. Helena
[Photo: Caronia 1952: The Blouin Collection]
Only products are flax and hemp, lace and handmade textiles. Jalopies and ancient trucks are the only motor vehicles.
Freight transportation almost entirely by donkeys. One native, a wealthy hemp-mill owner, is a world traveller, but
always comes back home to Jamestown.
Two ships a month stop at the island. One from England and one from Cape Town. Sale of postage stamps is a big revenue
producer.
Jacob's Ladder
Looking up Jacob's Ladder, Jamestown, St. Helena.
This steep stairway of 699 steps leads up from Jamestown to Ladder Hill Fort on the Western side of the ravine
[Photo: Caronia 1952:
The Blouin Collection]
T.R.S…
Saturday and Sunday, the 26th and 27th, were very quiet days aboard ship. Weather clear and bright and got quite warm.
On sun deck in bathing trunks, took a dip in the pool and met Dr. Stone, the ship's dentist.
He told me New York Times had editorialised that Cunard line was taking an unnecessary risk in exposing its passengers
to the international crises. The result of this publicity was one hundred reservation cancellations the last week
before sailing, including the regular dentist whose wife refused to make the voyage.
While the Egyptian situation now seems critical, Dr. Stone agrees that Caronia Captain Thelwell will sail us back home,
across the Pacific if necessary, rather than risk any hazards in Egypt and the Suez Canal. Speaking of hazards, we
looked off to the horizon and saw a bird soaring - 900 miles from Africa!
T.R.S…
Awoke Monday, 28 January, to find ship facing a strong South-East trade wind and swaying and pitching so much it was
hard to navigate corridors and stairs. Luckily our stateroom is located amidships, so we were in the centre of the
teeter-totter.
Several passengers confessed a queasy feeling, and several ate luncheon in their rooms rather than buck the ship's roll.
Most people acted “drunk again” including ourselves.
Mr. Curtis, the ship'a 2nd Steward, took me below to see the ship's kitchen and storeroom for provisions. Saw tons of
prime beef loins and ribs in deep freeze, the bakery producing bread loaves and rolls by the thousand, and fresh
vegetables, eggs and milk in the coolers - enough to last on a round-the-world cruise without replenishing.
Saw two tubs full of broken dishes tossed overboard, a routine occurrence. On next lower level is a fire control
section containing a panel board with signal lights, bulkhead switches, and other technical equipment for detecting and
isolating fires. Fire Chief demonstrated how smoke from a single cigarette passing through a minute delicate
“lung” could switch on a signal light and start an alarm bell.
A whole battery of carbon dioxide tanks can be focussed on one area and a sprinkler system put into action. Fire hoses
and nozzles were readily accessible in all corridors, lounges, smoking rooms, dining rooms, etc. Each tested daily and
ready for immediate use.
