The Atlantic Ocean

The Cunard RMS Umbria mesmerized Mozoomdar, who appears to have forgotten much of his anxiety during his week on the Atlantic. He wrote for  _The Interpreter_ that the ship was not so much a floating palace as a floating city, accommodating over 1000 passengers and personnel.

Cunard Line Royal Magesty Ship Umbria, 1896,
Cunard Line Royal Magesty Ship Umbria, 1896, Public domain image.

He spent his time amid sumptuous food, lavish salons, and lively galleries, complaining only that his quarters were “dark, stuffy, and overcrowded.” Note: 47Mozoomdar, “On the Way to Chicago,” 50. Yet PCM had cause enough to occupy himself elsewhere. In the same article, he marveled at a close encounter with an iceberg seen off the starboard side, describing in detail how its proximity figuratively and literally chilled those on deck.Note: 48Ibid. Perhaps the clearest evidence of his merriment is that Mozoomdar wrote only one brief note to Saudamini while on the ship. He reported good health, feeling refreshed by the sea air and free from seasickness, and mentioned a much warmer reception by these shipmates than he felt aboard the SS Khedive.Note: 49Mozoomdar, Letters, 41-42. Mozoomdar gave two lectures in the RMS Umbria’s galleries, each attracting hundreds of listeners who applauded him to the point of embarrassment.Note: 50Mozoomdar, “On the Way to Chicago,” 51. On September 2, Mozoomdar greeted the shores of New York.


  1. Mozoomdar, “On the Way to Chicago,” 50.
  2. Ibid.
  3. Mozoomdar, Letters, 41-42.
  4. Mozoomdar, “On the Way to Chicago,” 51.