Now, on the first day, after my friends at Yokohama harbour were out of sight, I stood still on the deck, bidding good-bye to Japan. The last view of Japan was Mt. Fuji in the sunset. As I had used to admire the beautiful view of Mt. Fuji from my home, the view made me think more of home and I looked at it with unspeakable feeling, different from usual, until it became quite dark.

The next morning, when I woke I saw nothing but the boundless ocean, since then for sixteen days there was nothing to be seen but the heavenly bodies and the ocean. As for the change, sometimes the fog whistles alarmed us pasengers, and another unusual thing was that we had a double day, Oct. 4th, Wed. for two days, but the day was not welcomed when all were getting tired of the long voyage especially for sick ones.

I am thankful to say that I was kept away from becoming seasick by the earnest supplication of parents and friends. I kept myself busy in reading steamer letters by turn and in opening the packages which contained many interesting toys, according to my time table, but often I disobeyed the table in spending too much time in thinking of Japan. My funny mistakes in doing some American way made others laugh. The worst thing for me, was in the dining room, for I had never taken meal with so many different people, to add to the western food my seat was at the western people’s table. However I could land Seattle on the 13th of Oct. safely in good health.

In Seattle, before I took the 7:50 train to cross the continent certain lady of Y.W.C.A. took me to see one of my friends, who was on the third story for some business. I was very much surprised, when the little square room where I just entered, began to move, but soon I felt relieved by knowing that it was the elevator.

The trip by the train was quite different from the voyage, in the point of monotony. On the second day in the train, the scenery was so different from Japan, it was very interesting for me to see the wide untouched field, extenting miles and miles away, close to the sky, which we never could see in small hilly country as Japan. In the fourth night I changed the train at Chicago for Indianapolis and the next morning I was already at the Indianapolis station. So I hurried to Mrs. Lewis’s who is one of my teacher’s friends.

When I went to the stationary bed to take a nap in that afternoon of my arrival Oct. 17th I was very glad to think that my first, long strange trip had come to end at last.

Yuri Watanabe
Earlhamite: November 18, 1911

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