Monday, 15 March 1858
Rose at 8. Weather bright & fine ― & sea moderately calm. Off Matapan. Breakfast. Cerigo. ― Squalls of rain. When fine, walked, & read [G ] &c. Crete in sight at 12 & nearly passed by 4 ― long chain of rocky heights. Wind in our favour all the morning, changing now. ― Meet the steamer from Alexandria. Dinner. Distracted by rolling & noise ― nearly mad. Rain afterwards ― & when clear again ― we walked or sate on deck till 7. Then wrote this ― but the terribous noise of this vessel is most horrible & wonderful.
[Transcribed by Marco Graziosi from Houghton Library, Harvard University, MS Eng. 797.3.]