OFF TO FRANCE

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2789, 6 June 1916, Page 3

OFF TO FRANCE

"AS HAPPY AS LARRY" THE NEW ZEALANDERS EN ROUTE The following is tho copy ! of a letter received in Wellington by the mother of a member of the Seventh Reinforcements, who was a member of the Const Defence forces during the first low months of tho war, descriptive of .the voyage from Alexandria to "somewhere in i'rariee":—

"At sea, lltli April, 1916.—This time our movo has really como .to pass, and at presont we aro bound for a placo where all New Zealanders and Australians dearly hoped, yet hardly expected, to get; and our joy can hardly be e.v pressed. Just how strict tlio censorship will be when we land I don't know—perhaps I'll Do able to let you know where I ain—perhaps, letters will not be allowed at all.

"12/1/16—1 had to leave off last night to go up on tho bridge. I'm right in my glory now, mother. I've charge ot the signalling on the bridgo of our boat, and I feel quite at home once again, and as happy as Larry. There are six signallers, besides myself up here, and as wo are tho only soldiers allowed up here, wo consider ourselves rather honoured, because, being with the ship's officers, and having all the signalling pass through our hands, things aro very interesting, Continually, wo are running aguiusi eeouts—a oit of a yarn on the lamp or flags—and on wo go again. I think I should be at this game all the time if j had my way. The voyage so far lias been perfect ana the weather glorious. -Tho ooat is^doing about 104 knots only, net, owing to the continual zig-zaggin'g, ami will no lucky if we finish our sea -triji 011 Saturday, though -it is usually looked upon as a live days' run—that is lor troopships.

"We lett our old camp at 11 p.m. 011 ■.Friday, left our wagons behind, but tjrougut our horses and mules with us. There was a great bit of fun entraining tho beggars, but everyone entered into it witu u will, and wo weren't long get. ting everything aboard. Just at U a.m. Saturday (our dchedulo time for leaving) wo act off for . The journey was quite uneventful because it was all in the oark. was reached shortly after eight, rather a slow journey, but we slept all the time, so that didn't matter. Vvo soon had tho old nags out again and gave thorn a good feed. Then wo shartcd to get our gear on board tlio boat. Tliis took-most of'tho day, as tho boat was not to leave the wharf till 1 p.m., and wu hud a fair swag of stuff to get aboard. Wo had no time to have any sort of look round , but managed to got 11 couple of very decent cups of tea and some sandwiches at a littlo show, on tha ivharf, run by the Y.W.C.A. Sharp to time, we moved out, but stayed in tho stream all night, leaving finally at 6 a.lll, on Sunday. Our boat is the ; she has been doing a lot of trooping, and is very well fitted up for the job, especially for horses. The food is good, much better tliau we got in camp; the boat is ai steady as a rock, and as I said before, I'm right in my element, and as well as could bo. What more could a feilow waftv?

' s a S rca t difference botweeu this trip aud our last one—that is tlio Jact that we aro not entirely free from risk. Mo3t of tho chaps hardly realise it, I think, and I must say myself that it looks rather funny to see everyone getting round with their life-belts on all the time. However, we, up here oil the bridge, have seen and heard enough to assure us that we are not just playing ; and the squad of chaps I've got with uio prido thonißelves that they are doing their work up here as well as they possibly can, and aro not leaving anything to chance. Last night we had rather a scare over a wireless message we received (that was when I left off writing), and things were rather exciting for a while. All seems sereno again now, though, and we havo even ceased to zigzag for the time being. At night-time thero isn't a light showing, and we are not evon allowed to; striko matches on deck after dark. Down in tlio cabins the lights are all about half-way up tho wall, so that if; a portholo is accidentally left ■ uncovered, hardly any light will show. It's fairly warm down in the cabins, and nearly everyone sleeps on deck. Hammocks aro given us here— no bunks at all—and we are rather fortunate in having the pick of tho places, because we must all be handy to tlio bridge in case wo are needed. Wo work in shifts, two chaps .at a time, four hours on and eight off, day and night the same, except that the watch, from noon to '1 p.m. is broken up into two shifts of two hours each. My own hours are not ;'.t all regular, but I'd just as sooii bo tip hero ivith the flags and lamps as down below with a. book. The rest of the' chaps have plenty to do to look alter the animals, but all the other units seem ti> do nothing except the daily boatdrill and the cleaning of their quarters. ''iij/'l/lG.—Last night we called at — Wo did not enter the harbour, but just stopped outside while we got our orders. It was dark when we arrived there, so that 1 had 110 chance of getting any idea what tho island is like, except that it seemed to be fine low-lying country, beautifully green, but. practically devoid of trees of any sort. .1. forgot to say, when speaking of tlio ship, (hat the canteons aboard are very--detent; It's quite a treat to get. a pound of biscuits for (id. or Sd., instead of getting nine for a i.-iaitre. We've done with -Egyptian money now, and once again have goml old shillings and sixpences to deal wilh. "N/l/lli. —K's blowing a real bonser gale to-day—.a real typical Wellington breeze, and I've been -trongly reminded of the days like this that we liad out at Wellington Heads on the good little .Tanie Seddon. .Mail closes to-night, so we lira evidently finishing up our trip to-morrow all rig-lit."'