After seeing the stokehold, the engines, and the laundry, we visited
the kitchens. The feeding of the passengers is an important point, for
on board are no fewer than 200 first-class, 230 second-class, 800
third-class passengers, and over 300 officers and crew--more than 1500
people altogether.
The voyage to Australia takes nearly six weeks, so you can imagine
that a pretty large amount of food has to be carried on board to take
the ship out and home again.
Tons of fresh meat and vegetables, butter, and eggs are stored in
ice-cold cellars. Each day a supply is brought up and put into iced
larders for that day's issue.
Here are some of the amounts taken in the ship for one voyage: 5 tons
bacon, 50,000 eggs, 6 1/2 tons butter, 45,000 oranges, 9000 lb. jam.
In the great kitchen are a dozen cooks at work preparing the meals for
all classes--the cooking is exactly the same for all. Also the quality
of food is the same, except that the first-class get more variety and
choice of different dishes. In the bakery is made the daily supply of
bread for the whole ship, and also baked puddings, cakes, and
sweetmeats.
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