Spectacular Dessert

May 18, 1897

Our run at noon was 188 miles from Gibraltar and in the 24 hours 292 miles. Weather clear and calm. Nothing new. A lot of additional passengers got on at Gibraltar and beds are made in the bath tubs, in the smoking room, on tables, etc.

May 19, 1897

I stayed up late last night to see the full moon rise. It was rather late so went to bed resolved to make a heroic effort and get up before sunrise and see old Bal come up behind the Mediterranean. As a result I woke up about every half hour till 3:30 and then slept till past five and found the orb of day smiling at us about 15 minutes above the horizon. So we make another effort tomorrow which will be our last day on the K.Wm as we will reach Naples tomorrow about 6 p.m. Our run today was 347 miles. Calm and sunny. We passed one ship and a steamer. At dinner a special effort was made as it was our last one on board. The tables were prettily decorated. Swiss cottages, a foot or so high made of sugared cookies and transparencies of gelatine all gay with little flags, Chinese umbrellas, etc. adorned the table. When dessert was reached the waiters took these cottages away and in a minute the lights were shut off, then the band played a march and our 12 stewards came marching in, each one carrying one of these cottages or transparency all illuminated with candles and after a grand march around the dining room three or four times they put them on the tables and the lights were turned on. They then passed the cottages, etc. around, each one being flanked with blocks of ice cream, almond cakes, etc. with a flag or an umbrella in each.