midday
He then sought his first sleep in a comfortable house , with modern improvements , that he had found since he left London . Next morning he went early and secured transportation on the steamer , then returned and wrote a long letter to his girl-bride ; then engaging a rig took in as much of Sidney as he could . Next morning he cabled his wife that he was just going to sea again , and boarded the steamer early . The ship sailed promptly at midday , and as it passed out of the beautiful harbor the islands and shores beyond were just putting on the vestments of spring . Sedgwick had never before seen spring approaching in October ; never before had he heard the love-calls of mating birds at that season , and apparently had never before realized so keenly that he was on the other side of the world from those whom he loved and knew . After dinner he went on deck . He knew no one on board , and he was nearer being homesick than he had ever been before .