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There will be four posts (Part 1, 2, 3, & 4) for this group of diaries that I have belonging to Alexander Watson Dunlop. On our podcast, Diary Discoveries, we devoted 4 episodes to this man’s life. After we released them I received several requests saying they’d love to read the full transcript from his diaries, so what better place to put those complete transcripts, then here. You can also see even more photos from this group on our Diary Discoveries web site on the links I’ve provided below.

Alexander is going to sea! Fifteen years following the “Fenwick Escapade” (Part I) his boyhood wish is becoming a reality. His medical training and time at school has finished and after graduating from the University of Glasgow, he has a short internship at the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons, or as Alexander calls it, “The Royal.” Soon after his internship, Alexander signs up to be a ships doctor on board several different ships which travel not only to America but one of his journeys takes him to the great Nordic Island country of Iceland in 1888 (Part four).

When this 2nd diary begins, Alexander is on board the S.S. Phonecian recounting his last days at the Royal before he boards the ship heading to American for the 1^st time.

Enjoy reading, real stories, about real people in their words….

“Private Log belonging to Alex. W. Dunlop, Surgeon whose home address is 1 Somerset Place, Glasgow. Should this book get out of its owner’s hands the person who gets possession of it is requested to curb his curiosity and return it to the above address without reading further.”

“This book is entitled “A Log” and it is verily a log inasmuch as it shall deal at any rate in great part of voyages. It is not a log in that it will not record daily events and but just getting of what shall seem at any time to be worth recording. In the first place it must be for a good time retrospective, because, though I have all along wished to note my coming and goings in diary form, I have never done more than just take a note here and there. These I will probably put down just as they are but I may extend them as I see fit. I also have preferred to jot down things just from the present but I think it may interest me by and bye to have a sort of consecutive account of my trips and if that be so I will need to go back a bit and start from the month of May when I made my first voyage in the Phoenician.

I left the “Royal” about the last week of April. My time was up on the 14^th but Barney my successor worked a weeks holiday so I stayed on at Dr. Knox’s urgent request for that time. I say “urgent request” because I was not at all willing to do so. I had a blazing row with Dr. Thomas about the disturbing of a patient by Miss Thomas and had complained to the committee in formal manner detailing the circumstances. How’s that when I complained to Dr. Thomas he had treated me in a high handed way and accused me of interfering with the officials of the House. Needless to say I got no satisfaction from the committee and hence my reluctance to stay. But my chief was good enough to request me to remain and I did so because I was not willing to do an unfriendly thing to him and I wished moreover to oblige Barney. However I will not further allude to the circumstances of this now, as I half purpose at some time to devote a little space to the doings in the Royal. It was the happiest time of all my life that I have to look back on and the memories that I have of it will ever I know remain fresh and so will it be with the whole of our little band. I never meet one but what we drift at once into recollections, hardly recollections either because so recent; and even the nurses sigh over the good time last winter. But I mustn’t go on with this or I will not stop till I finish the book. Better far to give myself leave to bring in odd things at odd intervals as they are suggested and the present record only commences when I am supposed to leave the house. I will only mention my leave taking – Most of my fellows had gone – McEwen in March, Thompson in March, Adie at the beginning of April and Robinson in the middle and the majority of the men in the House were new. I had managed however to initiate them somewhat in so far as they would be initiated into our little ways and they were very decent. Fox too was back from the Maternity and was an old and a tired spirit. I was to leave on the Monday, and on the Sunday as is the custom, I went round the house at night to bid farewell to all the nurses with whom I had been friendly. To Ward IX I went of course first to bid goodbye to the best of all, my favorite nurse, Nurse McGee, who was with me so long in XXVII of that goodbye I need not speak. One of the kindest, best and purest women I have ever known. May God bless her for all her goodness to me. I look up at her photograph now on the side of my cabin and see the same honest trusting face who has so often presented itself to me in the morning and made me ashamed of the previous nights outing. How many a time I have longed when I have awakened out at sea to have that same bright presence come near me and wish me a cheerful good morning and all I can do is to look over to the semblance of her pure self and bless her. That night I left her I did not know how to speak to her. We always had a perfect understanding that our relation was purely that of an intense friendship but often, often it will cross my mind that, that relation was not satisfactory. I have expressed that doubt more than once but she used to invariably stop me and say “O don’t talk of that, of course I know.” Nevertheless I was not always quite satisfied and the last night I could not help saying to her that I hoped to God I had not been unfair to her. But all she would say was “No, no” and would not let me speak further. After my farewell to nurse I went round to all of the other night nurses – Nurse Mrs. Blane 29, Nurse Laura Searth 26, Rose Mitchell 24, Nurse Simpson 16, Nurse Durey 18, and one or 2 others. The day nurses I trusted to see the following day. It was pretty late when I had got through these and my own, sitting as I did some time with each. And my goodbye to Nurse Anderson, my own nurse was necessarily long. But I got over them at last and then I rethought (?) me that I would like to look up the fellows individually. I had some in “the dug” so I filled a couple of flasks and started commencing at the Medical House. I went to every one, Cook, Edgar, Meikle, Ersetine, Bowker, Fox, Clark and Farquerson, France and George Thomson – all nearly new men but good fellows. I had drink with each. I retired to my hospital bed for the last time as the Cathedral bells were ringing half past 5. I felt very sad over it all but all my old lot had gone. That night I packed up, ordered my cab for 10 and went down to the dining room at half past 9 to have my last tea. The fellows were all there and insisted upon me waiting until eleven. They took the law into their own hands and countermanded my cab. They then went up to my room and fetched down my “cello”, and I had to go to Cook’s for a last symposium. There was plenty of Dumbleg (I believe this isa kind of bread) provided and needless to say though the time was short both it and us were well filled up. I had to sing my old son of “Willie” that Adie and Goff used to laugh at, and altogether we had an immense time. At 11 my cab was announced and the fellows took me up and formed procession, Meikle in front with the cello and the others 2 by 2 behind singing the “Dead March” as they bore me slowly down the stair. It was exceedingly well done and Meikle just happened to strike the right chords. All the nurses crowded out attracted by the strange music and I had the pleasure of waving a last goodbye to nurse McGee at the door of 9. It was not a sad one however, crowned as I was with an old hat of Fox’s which they had tried first to eviscerate and then sat upon. Slowly across the quadrangle the procession wended its way to the surgical House and up the stairs to my room which I was thus to visit for the last time as possessor. I really felt much impressed by the whole proceeding and not least by it’s manifest spontaneity. I thanked the fellows briefly and presented Cook with my “tatoo”. We formed up again and went down stairs and had the pleasure of receiving three hearty cheers as I drove off. The memory of that last night and the way the fellows treated me will always remain. It was sincere and thus sad yet there was a good deal of the comic about it. Not the least comical but I daresay was my own appearance – togged up in my fine sack coat but with the battered ball hat on my head and a short black clay (?) in my mouth. Such was the last night I spent in the Royal – Exit God’s poor surgeon.”

I went to the “Maternity” in a day or 2. I remained there for about 10 days as Indoor House Surgeon taking Connell’s place. I had a jolly time there and got on very well with the Matron, Miss Gordon and made great friends with Nurse Drury. I was made exceedingly comfortable and was quite sorry when Connal came back. Beveridge, the outdoor man was an exceedingly decent fellow and we had good times. It chanced too that it was a busy time. I had 14 cases, three of them forceps and one craniotomy, the last performed by W. L. Reid, and done well too, though the women died, having been too exhausted when she was sent in. I had also the care of Cameron’s successful Cesarean section. But a fellow can’t forever remain in Hospital though the life is so pleasant and I began to look out for a ship so that I might see the world a bit. And this now brings me more particularly to the Log.

I chose the Allen Line on account of the number of ports at which their vessel called. My intention being to vary my voyages as that I might see as much as possible in a short time. I had not long to wait till I was appointed to the Phoenician sailing for Boston but I will start afresh at that point.”

“S.S. Phoenician. Sailed from Glasgow May 25, 1888.

The record of this voyage must be brief as I write entirely or almost so from memory. It was my first voyage and I felt myself in rather a responsible position as supreme medical authority to 570 people for at least a fortnight. Any emergency may arise among so many people in a short time and there is no skilled assistant. The horrible thought of incapacity must come over one. Yet there is again the comfort, very commonplace indeed but still a thing to be clung to that one can only do his best. And I had the further comfort that I felt I ought to do the work ordinarily well – at least it would not be the fault of my training if I did not. I felt some small advantage in the recollection of Willie’s and Johnnie’s gossip when ship surgeons. I knew what my duties were, and the obstruction that I would be likely to meet with. I may say this that from the moment I stepped on board I commenced my work like an old hand. I found the situation of my Dispensary and got a padlock put on the door, of which I took the key. I also went over my drugs and instruments. Everything is supplied in this Allen Line and supplied in an exceedingly perfect way. The government officers came on board at Greenock and their investigation is no farce. The doctor looked into the Hospitals, and went over the drugs and instruments with great care. The whole crew was mustered on deck and passed before the surveyor with a view first to number and know to officiating. The signals were also tested and the guns tried and then a boat was ordered to be lowered and rowed around the ship. The steerage’s were measured and the space per passenger calculated. The water also was seen to and the WC with the flow in each. Everything in fact is seen to as perfectly as it can be and ought to be. It was night before we got away from Greenock and I retired to sleep in a bunk for the first time very tired. I slept exceedingly well and did not awake until we were steaming up Logue Foyle. My cabin was in a deck house and I could hear a group of Irish women outside my port remarking on the purty purty country and one even asserting that “Och, she knew it was ould Ireland for she felt her heart give a jump.” But indeed the country is pretty at any rate about Moville. The houses are well spread over the district and have an air of room around them. Just before we came to anchor a fireman was carried along to me. He had fallen down the stoke hole and sustained fracture of 2 ribs and a scalp wound. This I have since learned by experience is a usual proceeding of firemen one day out. When the tug came down from Londonderry with the passengers I sent him back in it to the Hospital. We got away from Moville in the afternoon. We had taken on a pilot for the going round to Galway where we arrived next day. We had, had moderately good weather and though a great number of the passengers were sick I had not yet felt anything further than a slight squeamishness which I hastily curbed with B. and S. Indeed during the voyage I felt nothing more, the truth being that I had too much work to do. I had no time for the nursing of the mal de mer (which means seasickness). The sail up towards Galway is really beautiful, though the land on either side is so desolate. Bare hills and rugged stones form the principal features in the landscape. But as one reaches the town itself the scene is really fine. Galway lies right at the top of the Bay as it were and bends round the Northern extremity of it. There is plenty of wood about it and the air above is clear and wholesome looking. The place was swarming with fishing boats and altogether the life looked very still and pleasant. A big barracks frowns down however from the slope immediately above the head of the bay and reminds one that two elements enter into the action of perfect peace – the dignity, nobility, and charity of nature itself and the dignity, nobility and charity of men.“

These photos show the village of Galway during the time Alexander was coming into port. I found the photo showing the steamer (on the left) on a website titled “Windsong.”

“Great care is required at this port and indeed at all the Irish ports to keep all boats well away from the ships side. Men and even women will swarm up the anchor chains or any other part where they can get a hold or a footing and stow themselves away. The women who come on board selling oranges and the men who come selling blackthorns are carefully watched and seen well off the gangway. Our passengers came off in a tug accompanied by Dr. Rice and the government surveyor. We had to go through a further inspection here before we were cleared but Dr. Rice’s inspection was not much. I had often heard of him from Willie as a man filled with `Irish wit and humor and I found that his usual character or characteristics had not been misrepresented. He carried on his jokes and pranks the whole time he was on board and nothing seemed to please him more than to make fun of his numerous band of retainers, whom indeed he seemed to keep for that very purpose. At the same time he looked well after their creature comforts and they all showed a quite ordinary capacity for stout. We steamed away down the Bay again in the evening passing the Isles of Arran on our way out. This was the last land we saw as we shaped our course right out and felt that the voyage had really begun. All the officers and the engineers dined together in the mess room. This is not a very pleasant or comfortable arrangement especially in hot weather. A small table covered with dishes and completely surrounded by feeders and the lot opposite you coming steaming up from the engine room, mopping their heads with waste. However they were a jolly set of fellows and there was always good fun. The Chief Officer, Mryte, took the head of the table. He was rather a weak individual, a good deal concerned about his digestion. He used to bother me about the digestibility of nearly every food upon the table until I finally told him one day, “Oh damn your digestion, eat it and if it disagrees with you don’t eat it again and if you do you ought to have the hose played on you.” This rather settled him. The second officer, Mellaby, was an exceedingly good sort. He and the Purser and I were good friends. He was a properly manly fellow and full of fun. Mr. Leish the purser too was thoroughly decent. Nearly every night in the Dog watch we would come together to have a “rough house.” McLeish with his banjo and Mellaby shouting out “Way down upon the Swanee River” or “Nelly was a Lady.” My regular routine work was much as follows. Breakfast at half past 8, a short smoke and down to the Dispensary shortly after 9. Here I saw any sick who were able to come along. The Steward came about 10 and we commenced the morning inspection. W. Cr. (abbreviation for something, not sure what) intermediate and steerage and saw any sick that might be in their bunks or had been put in Hospital. Everyone had to get upon deck unless by special permission they were allowed to remain. Its there was a good deal of trouble getting them out and the stewards would manage but they especially went at my order, if not I hauled them out by the feet. It is very necessary with a large crowd of passengers that the steerage should be thoroughly cleared for a good time every day. After the inspection was over I gave the steward any special orders that were required, ie. stimulants, diet, &c and made up any medicines. Then a smoke and quite time till dinner. Meantime the steerage dinner was sent me for inspection. I again went to the Dispensary at 2-30 and again at 8-30. My work though it took some little time to do was very easily and pleasantly got through. I had a special steward to wait on me at the Dispensary and do all my little messages &c. He was a very useful fellow, well educated and smart, very civil and an ambulance man to boot. I never hardly rose from my seat in the Dispensary. He gave out the things to my direction and selected and handed the bottles for making up the prescriptions. A cook was sometimes supplied esp with the BlackDrought jar. Usual dialogue. Enter patient, in strong Irish, “Doctor I’ve been very sick and I feel very bad indeed and I’ve eaten no mate at all since I came on board” and in a modest whisper, “I’ve had no passage in my bowels ye honour since I left.”

Doctor “Wood!”

Voui (?) p. outside, Sir. (I pee outside Sir)

Doctor, Here.

Enters and receives a look directed towards a certain corner, fills up a good stiff half tumbler or more, “Here drink this my man.” Doctor goes on with his writing.

The passengers on board were a very decent lot but not such as one could made even strong shipboard acquaintances. The only people I cared much for was the family of Murdoch’s in whom I had been previously interested by Mrs. Murdoch’s uncle at Greenock. Mrs. Murdoch was very nice and so was her oldest daughter, a girl of about 16. Then there was a Miss Jones from County Woodford, a pretty good sample, I should fancy, of an Irish lady. The rest of the people were pretty much respectable. There was plenty of fun however on board. There were concerts, informal ones, every night and one big one over which I presided. As we came over the Banks of Newfoundland we were much detained by fog. Captain James being an exceedingly careful man. In fact it is said of him in the company that he goes dead slow in a shower of rain.
We arrived out on Thursday 7^th June. We were met at the Quarantine ground by the Doctor and a lot of Custom Officers. I had previously examined all my people and vaccination and given those who were insufficiently done, a protection and I revaccinated those who were not. The Doctor passed all the people before him picking out a few here and there. The Steerages and hospital were also inspected and these I had thoroughly fumigated 2 days previously. With the customs officers I had rather a lively time. The Capt. left me to entertain them which I did well with B O S and Stout. They had a good time and were profuse in their expressions of good will and invitations to come and see them. I did go I may say a few days afterwards and was talked to over a desk. I did not wait long but left determining to reserve my civility in future until I saw some reason to exert it. An officer called the “Alien Officer” inspected and passed all the passengers before they were allowed to land. This is with a view to their being desirable citizens. No insane person, nor epileptic is allowed to land. Nor is any person not capable of making a living unless accompanied or sent for by people who are able and willing to support them. I have soon known a boy of 16 detained on board the ship until he got work because he came out just on spree with only 3/6 in his pocket. If they had not got him work we would have needed to take him back with us. They say that they have enough poor of their own manufacture and that they will not import them. I suppose they are so far right.“

“The approach to Boston is fairly fine though not at all striking. The river is good and is fortified to some extent from an island. A fine view of the city is obtained as you steam up to it, the most prominent feature is the landscape being the gilded dome of the State House. I was exceedingly glad to feel firm land beneath my feet again and paraded up and down the streets as soon as I could quit the ship with that peculiarity jaunting feeling which one always has after a voyage. The weather was very warm so I soon repaved to Tom Lowelles for beer. Spent 2 or 3 hours there and took rather much. But I felt a mad overpowering sense of relief at the freedom from responsibility now that all the passengers were landed.“

Part IV next, final Entries!

To hear this episode on our Diary Discoveries Podcast, clink the link below:

https://www.sallysdiaries.com/podcast/episode/7bea3e79/57-dr-dunlops-scotland-pt-3-exit-gods-poor-surgeon-1888

To See More Photos (including photos of family) about Part II, click the link below:

https://diarydiscoveries.com/2024/12/10/episode-57-dr-dunlops-scotland-part-3-exit-gods-poor-surgeon-1888/