Sea travel in the 19th century as reported in the letters, journals and memoirs of passengers on the world's first liner, Brunel's Great Britain, a ship with a lengthy career as transatlantic mail steamer, troopship and Australian emigrant carrier. For the majority of passengers, whether emigrant or soldier, sea travel was a novel and exotic experience, and a surprising number of Great Britain's voyagers recorded their impressions in letters home or journals. Every aspect of this curious world was found worthy of comment, from the food - including the livestock shipped to provide fresh meat and milk - to the onboard entertainment, not to mention the dubious, colorful and eccentric characters encountered.