CHAPTER II 
OUTWARD BOUND 
We boarded the ‘‘Niagara’’ at 7:30 on the evening of May 19 
in order to get settled in our state rooms before sailing. We were 
allotted three comfortable staterooms, with ample space for our 
luggage and ourselves. <A state room in a modern liner is a mar- 
vel of compactness and convenience. There was a small wardrobe 
for each of us, separate wash basins, a place to hang our watches 
where they would be safe and easily reached, pigeon holes of 
various sorts for toilet articles, several small drawers, electric 
lights, call bells, electric fan and a full length mirror on the door. 
It was evident that we were to be comfortable on our voyage of 
5215 miles to Fiji. 
In the morning we found the ship tied up to the dock at Vic- 
toria, Vancouver Island. At breakfast we made a party of eight, 
including six Iowans and two ladies we met on the train coming 
from St. Paul to Vancouver. We had time for a stroll ashore and 
saw something of the city of Victoria, the capital of British Colum- 
bia, with its beautiful and stately public buildings. The day was 
clear and quite chilly and the snow capped Olympic Mountains 
stood out against the clear blue sky in the distance. 
We passed out of the straits about 6:00 P.M. and then headed 
directly for Honolulu, our first port of call, after which we took 
coffee in the lounge and smoking rooms, both of which were com- 
modious, and comfortably furnished with small tables, capacious 
chairs and divans, where men and women could meet socially and 
become acquainted. The brilliantly lighted saloons, state rooms 
and decks afforded a most agreeable contrast to the state of affairs 
when we were last at sea which was during war time when all 
was gloom after night settled down and not a flicker of light 
visible on deck. At that time it was a crime to strike a match 
and the man with a lighted cigar was promptly squelched. Thus 
the roomy brightly lighted decks of the ‘‘Niagara’’ were symbolic 
to us of the vast difference between war and peace, and we felt 
a sense of security that had been lacking during the voyage to 
and from the West Indies in 1918. 
22 
