By noon, the ship was underway and, with a fair wind, began its journey to Calais. At almost the same moment the anchor was aweighed, the rain ceased and the sun appeared. A fine, fresh breeze blew, which must have been especially welcome to those passengers without recourse to cabins, soon out on the deck drying themselves and their belongings. The storm, however, had produced a rollicking sea, forcing those who had the means to resort to their rooms below-deck, and others, to the railing. Mr. Darcy introduced his wife to the captain, who promised the Darcys a tour of the ship as soon as they were fully under sail. Having completed their walk with the captain, they returned an half-hour later below-deck to offer Georgiana whatever small comfort was in their power. After providing her sister with a cool hand-kerchief and giving Darcy their medicine-box, Lizzy returned to her own cabin and took out her new escritoire to begin her correspondence. As she had promised her Aunt and Uncle Gardiner that theirs would be the first letter written en voyage, she began her letter to London:

March 13th
The King George

DEAREST AUNT AND UNCLE GARDINER,

We are to sea at last and—as promised—the first letter to reach the English shores from your adventurous niece is destined for those to whom we owe so much of our present happiness. As I write this, the packet rolls and dips, keels and lists with an alarming turbulence, but for the present, my sea-legs have kept me aright and I confess that I am rather enjoying myself, although I never was in such a tumble on the road as the ship makes upon the waves. As is my habit, I indulge my own pleasure, and care not how I may be wounding your eyes as you attempt to decipher the scrawls and blots, which I charmingly blame on the sea.

I shall amuse myself by describing our ship, the King George. There is little else to occupy me, excepting the prospect of a ship’s dinner, which, I fear, may warrant a whole letter in itself, and so you must both pay the penalty for my leisure and endure as lengthy and rambling a letter as I am pleased to send.