From Leonard Darwin to Emma Darwin 14–17 September [1875]

Dear mother

We had much better luck than I had expected in seeing Gib, though I did not see much of it. We came along side a little before six o'clock, just as the sun was setting and the Rock was lighted up in the most beautiful manner, with a full moon rising behind it. I went down and had half a dinner as quickly as I could and then got a boat and went ashore. I had written out to say that I was coming by by this steamer, and I had rather expected that two friends of mine would have come on board to meet me but as they were not to be seen I hired a man to shew me the way, and, after hunting about a bit I found my friends who were not on the look out for me as we had made one of the quickest passages of the year. They dined at eight o'clock, and I had to go through the painful process of two dinners within two hours of each other, a feat in which I succeeded in a way even to astonish myself. I could not have seen much even if I had wandered about as it gets dark directly the sun sets, and the galleris, the things worth seeing, are over the other side of the Rock. I had to start away again directly after dinner  It was one of the most beautiful nights I have ever seen, with a full moon shining full on the rock, the water perfectly still and a band just far enough away to make one think that it must be perfect music if near it.

*P [DIAG HERE] *Q

We did not see the rugged and picturesque side of the rock at all except as we were steaming away and then it was all in shaddow and the outline only visible (as above)  It is getting pretty warm now; at first two blankets and a coat were about the right thing but the temperature altered about $\frac{3}{4}$ of a blanket a night, till it was down to zero at Gib. I wish some one would invent a minus blanket (mathematical joke). Sept 16^th.

This is my last day on board, as we expect to arrive some time before midnight tomorrow, rather an awkward time. Yesterday it was really hot, with the sea as smooth as glass; it ought to be very beautiful in than state, but somehow it is the only state in which it is quite ugly; an ugly reflexion of an ugly sky. Ever since Gib we have had beautiful weather with hardly any motion  Last night it gave some false alarm as there was there was a little rain; and some of the most beautiful forked lightening that I have ever seen. It seemed to shoot up from a bank of clouds over the sea, and then break and scatter into *P [DIAG HERE] *Q twenty or thirty different directions  This ship is very well fitted up for hot weather; at all the meals we have punkahs going with punkah wallahs to pull them; the officers of the ship have punkahs pulled by steam going night and day over their bunks, an arrangement they might easily make for the whole ship. Some of the tall and slender Lascars look very picturesque when acting as punkah wallahs—they wear a red turban, a clean white robe, with a red sash tied round their waist, and bare feet  On Sunday there was a parade of the whole ships crew, all dressed in clean white clothes, but differently cut for the lascars, niggers, and chinamen

The chinamen are considered the best men on board, except that they are clumsy with their feet, and are never sent aloft. The niggers only do the stoking business; the lascars being the regular sailors of the ship; they say that the P and O have not got a single white sailor on their books, only a few quartermasters.

We met the homeward bound P & O yesterday, very much behind time, and as that is the ship that takes my letter from Gib, you must not be surprised if this gets first.

Sept. 17^th.

I shall wind up this letter now, and post it in Malta if the mail goes out soon after I arrive. It has been a very pleasant voyage, pleasanter than any I have had before. partly because I have been in no hurry to get to the end of it.

I have managed to read a good deal of French, and played a little whist, and loafed a great deal. The poor Major cant make up his mind whether to get out at Malta and is not going to decide till he gets there, where he is going to talk to some medical friend. And yet he talks about is as quietly as possible and has apparently no fuss in his nature, lucky man. If I get to Malta in time I shall write a long P.S., but if not, goodbye

Your affec son | Leonard Darwin.

A short PS just to say that I got in about 6 last night, found two RE lieutenants to meet on board and our servant, and so had not any bother getting ashore. Everything seems very comfortable here; four of us live in a house which we hire, called the RE house. There is a good club, and the RA and RE Messes are combined, and are in one of the best houses in Malta. I am off now in uniform to make my salams to Colonel Wray and perhaps to the Governour, and as the mail may leave any time I shall have to post this now

Address

Royal Enginee⁠⟨⁠⁠⟨⁠r⁠⟩⁠⁠⟩⁠

Malta