ration: SAILING DOWN THE ST. LAWRENCE, NEAR BIC.]

By Sunday noon the ground swell had driven some of the officers to deck
chairs, while the others marshalled the troops on the rear deck for
Divine service. Service over, we watched the celebrated Perce Rock
fading in the distance and knew that Canada now lay far behind us. A day
later and Newfoundland too lay in the distance, and the magic circle of
the horizon closed around us.

Interest now began to be taken in things nautical. The sextant, compass,
and log were the cause of much discussion, and the usual bets were made
on the daily run, the stakes being held by the chaplain.

Three days out and the ship's library was taken by assault, and the
sevenpenny novels that formed it disappeared into the cabins. In vain
an officer was appointed librarian with powers to search and to seize,
but conditions were not bettered.

Lectures, physical drill, and other mild duties relieved a little of the
monotony, for the journey was a slow one, a condition made necessary by
the horse transports, one of which rolled in line ahead of us.
Occasionally a stir would be noticed on her decks and a horse that had
succumbed to _mal-de-mer_ would be unceremoniously dumped overboard.
Such occasions were marked by a fusillade of pistol shots from each ship
as the carcase drifted past, for, contrary to traditions, most of us
carried revolvers for the first time in our lives and were anxious to
display our prowess.

Nearly a fortnight was thus passed gazing in singular apathy at the most
remarkable demonstration of the command of the seas that military
history of any age affords.

In three long lines, roughly a mile apart, the transports formed an
armada such as Philip of Spain never dreamed of.

But about two days out from England a black column of smoke was seen to
port, and presently the contour of a heavy battleship could be
determined bearing down on us. There was wild excitement till the
Cross of St. George could be distinguished at her masthead. It was the
ill-fated _Queen Mary_, our latest and finest battle-cruiser. At an
almost incredible speed she overtook us and passed up our lines with her
crew manning the decks and her band playing "The Maple Leaf."

[Illustration: CHURCH PARADE.]

From then on we always could see the smoke of heavier battleships in the
offing, and knew we were getting close to somewhere.

We passed the Scilly Islands about 4 o'clock in the morning, but as