Corinthian, Wednesday, Sept. 30th, 1914._

MY DEAR MOTHER AND FATHER:--

We are now steaming down the St. Lawrence. No one knows where we
are going.

Our fleet is a wonderful sight. All the ships are painted war
gray--sides, boats and funnels. We are expecting to pick up the
warships which are to convoy us across at Father Point, somewhere
near where the Empress of Ireland was sunk.

Quebec looked very fine. The big guns were being hoisted into
boats, horses embarking, and battalion after battalion arriving
and going aboard. Those who came from Valcartier have had a rough
time. They actually look as if they had come through a campaign.
It gave me thrills all day to see these fine men come through the
dock-gates with a steady swing. It is a magnificent contribution
to any army. It's good to think of all these men coming at their
country's call.

Some day, if I get back, I want to paint a picture of the fleet
assembled at Quebec. The grays and greens looked really beautiful.
Quebec, the city of history and the scene of many big battles,
views with disdain the Canadian patriotism in the present crisis,
and we had no send-off, no flags and no bands.

This letter will not be mailed for ten days, until we are well on
the way over. We are crowded, and if we are going through the
tropics we shall have a bad time; it is cold now, so we don't
notice the congestion.

We had one hundred and forty horses aboard and two batteries of
heavy artillery, besides our own armored cars. All the transports
are crowded. We were passed by about ten of the other boats, and
as they did so we cheered each other. The thin lines of khaki on
all the ships will make a name for themselves. I'm proud I am one
of them.

We've had a big dose of vaccine pumped into our arms to-day. This
will be the last letter I send before I arrive, wherever we are
going.

The Corinthian sailed from Quebec to Father Point, where a patrol boat
arrived with orders. We then sailed into the Gulf, but toward evening we
turned into the coast. When we passed Fame Point Light a small boat, which
afterwards turned out to be another patrol boat, sailing without lights,
flashed further orders to us. The Corinthian immediately turned round and
headed back. The minute the patrol boat's signal light went out we were
unable to distinguish it f