March 12 Thursday – At the Princess Hotel in Hamilton, Bermuda Sam began a letter to Dorothy Quick that he added to on Mar. 13, and 16. Sam relates activities of this day, as well as time spent on Mar. 10 and 11.
My poor little Dorothy, I hope you are well again, & will write a line & tell me so. I wish you were here—you would be on your feet right away.
We are to be here about 20 days yet. We sail for New York April 1.
It is very pleasant. There is always something going on. Yesterday it was a large garden party at the governor’s, & there was music by the best band in the British army save one—the Horseguards. I have not heard such lovely music except at the King’s garden-party last summer, when the Horse Guards band played.
Day before yesterday I spent the day on a British cruiser, & had a screaming good time (the screaming was laughter over yarns in the officers’ mess). And yesterday Miss Lyon, & 5 other ladies were the cruiser’s guests, & they had a screaming good time too.
To-day five of us men drove to St George’s, over beautiful roads with charming scenery & the wonderful blue water always in sight—distance 12 miles—& we dined at the hotel. However, on the way there we visited a wonderful cave that was discovered in December by a couple of black boys—the most beautiful cave in the world I suppose. We descended 150 steps & stood in a splendid place 250 feet long & 30 or 40 wide, with a brilliant lake of clear water under our feet & all the roof overhead splendid with shining stalactites, thousands & thousands of them as white as sugar, & other thousands & thousands of them brown & pink & other tints. All lighted with acetalyne jets.
Every Friday night there’s a ball in the hotel; & I look on. I go out to teas & lunches, but not to dinners. I stay at home, nights.
There’s a lot of lovely sailboats, & we often go sailing in them. They are wonderfully handled by colored sailors. You dear child, if you were only here! There’s a little bit of a donkey-cart, & a little bit of a donkey named Maude, & we would make trips to Spanish Point. It is 3 miles, & Maude can go there in an hour & a half. There is a pretty beach there, & the water is crystal- clear. But you can’t bathe there, for lack of bath houses [MTP; MTAq 119-20].