 | Lady Layard’s Journal Go to a Date Search the Journal |
|
Previous Entry
|
Following Entry
| |
26 November 1908 — San Antonio Palace, Malta | |
Thursday. 26th [November 1908]. The details of yesterday’s tragedy are very sad. It appears that 120 souls are missing & 118 were saved. The Duke went off to town to visit the sick in the hospital. They say the steamer still burns, outside on the rocks. At breakfast this morng the Duke told us how when he joined the army they all wore leather stocks & absurdly thin boots & clothes. He said that when in Russia he had seen the officers wrap silver paper round their feet for warmth before putting on their boots. He thought he would try it & did so when the troops had to line the streets of London in honor of the Duke of Edinboro. At first it was all right but soon it snowed, & then rained & boots paper & all were soaking & he never was so cold before. He never tried it again. He said pipeclayed gloves are fearfully cold & that once at an inspection by the D. of Cambridge after remaining at attention for a long time when the order to carry arms was given more than half the men could not move their hands at all. He said he remembered that when the officers returned to their barracks they all began to clap their hands to restore circulation & in a moment the air was thick with pipe clay from every ones gloves. After lunch the Connaughts went off to play golf. I drove in to Valletta to pay Mrs Pornis a visit it being her day. She has a nice old house—built by an old knight 219 Strada Reale– In a large dining room are life sized busts of the G. Masters. I went to Cook’s to find out abt the Italian railways—they are still interrupted—& he advised me to take the boat to Naples on Monday wh reaches Naples on Friday! I called on Mrs Pornis & she showed me her nice old house built by a Knight of Malta & in the dining room there are busts of the Grand Masters on brackets on the walls. She talked much of old Constantinople days. Her rooms are all hung round with carpets &c from the East. I went from her to call on Lady Blunt but did not find her at home & so I went back to San Antonio & found the party all at tea– In the evening we went to the Theatre Royal & saw the last act of Puccini’s Bohème. | |
|
Previous Entry
|
Following Entry
| |