LUXURIES BARRED 



beer as they could pay for. One of the consumptives 

 was dropped over the lee rail in a box one stormy 

 night ; he lasted as long as the eggs kept fresh, and 

 he could have half-a-dozen a day. When they were 

 finished — he was. Poor devil ! he knew he was doomed, 

 and so did the young wife who saw him off. 



An interesting personality on board was Major 

 Thursby, a relative of Sir John Thursby. A sea 

 voyage is a wonderful cure of many things, and it 

 was delightful to see the gradual improvement in the 

 tall, retired soldier. He had as private physician, Dr 

 Young, who practised afterwards for many years at 

 Wimbledon. It was wonderful how the classic races 

 of the season were discussed. I made a silver book 

 on the Derby, but had to shell out on arrival in 

 Sydney two months after the race was run. In the 

 case of Major Thursby the plan was to knock him off 

 all those little delights of living in the way of luxuries 

 he had thought indispensable. There had been — in 

 consideration of the long sailing-ship voyage — all sorts 

 of cases of odd luxuries ordered from Fortnum & 

 Mason's. It was drastic treatment to leave all things 

 behind, and whoever was responsible committed a 

 simple outrage. There could have been no possible 

 objection to have a few odd things, but no — that 

 elderly gentleman was left to the ship's diet. We 

 can't all eat what they want us to after a hard life, 

 and why should we be forced to, when the cleverest 

 tacticians in the world can go on hunger striking 

 because prison diet doesn't assimilate to their artistic 

 temperaments ? It was wonderful to see Major 

 Thursby land in Sydney. I am a consulting physician 

 for the value of a long sea voyage ; if the brain can 

 withstand the petty trials the effect on the body is 

 Dcrmanent. 



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