ON THE WAY TO THE FRONT.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 153, 24 November 1914, Page 7

ON THE WAY TO THE FRONT.

•i IWiITH THE EXPEDITIONARY FORCE. (By lOnc of Tliem.) Tuesday, October 20, 1014. ' It seems hard to realise as I sit on ■ the upper deck of the , a onetime passenger lioat. now a hardly recognisable troopship, that we are on our our way to take a part in the struggle which is convulsing the civilised world. From the sheltered life of tranquil New Plymouth, before the advent of the tramway sdheme, to tile vortex of international strife is a startling transition, and one which takes some realising, and have still a vague idea that if I open my eyes I shall see Devon street, and I find it most difficult to remember to address my letters "New Zealand." We arc within about IS hours' sail of noon tomorrow. It is a ibeautiful evening though the sea is just a little ■choppy from the landjbreqza whicih las sprung up and'tlhe beat is alive with kliaki-clad figures and the rigging hung with washing which our sol--1 dior boys do now with almost the hand 'of t'lie expert. Astern of us steams another transport, and astern of her three of (he ten transports whicOt steam day after day in two lines of five, orderly and measured as a colinnp of infantry. Ahead of our lines steams a fine cruiser, and around and behind our lines so far out as to be .just visible, though ever vigilant. are a Japanese cruiser and two other war vessels. These are our convoy to Australia where we. are to pick up'the Australian transports and the remainder of the convoy which is'to escort us to our destination.

AVo left AVellington in glorious ■weather, after two months of training, and a period of delays and false starts which tried our patience somewhat. On our transport arc some 1300 men. comprising the whole of the Wellington Infantry Regiment, a. squadron of mounted rifles, field artillery and machine gun men. Among the infantry there are, of course, the Taranaki men, who 1)V this timfl are assuming a soldierly appearance which would doubtless astonish many of their friends. Incidentally they are all growing moustaches. in accordance with some section of the King's regulations winch has escaped my memory. At any rate, the moustaches are there.

Our quarters, now we have se'ttled into them, are remarkably comfortable, if not overwhelmingly commodious. Some of our cabins or cubicles accommodate eight, and some twelve men, and in the morning*, we dress in turn because the floor space is not big enough to allow all to dress at once. In my cabin is an acrobat who lives up in the to]) berth out of sight, who puts one foot on the edge of iiis bunk and one on the edge of that across the way and laces up his boots, but such gifts are not for all of Us. AVe have our meals, or mess, in two sittings, ami the, food is excellent and plentiful. The various batches of cabins in which we live, by the way, are ironically called after various hotels, to save confusion, and we of the United Service Hotel, have the Ritz above ns and Warner's below. The nomenclature makes tip fur any lack in splendour.

Our days are well filled, for there is amply space on (leek for drill and the routine runs nmch the same as in camp, except for the absence of field work, while onr leisure is spent in reading, writing and boxing, there are two strenuous bouts in progress by me as I write), pillow fighting, and speculating as to our destination, and our chances of reaching the fighting line. We get ft little war news by wireless, and short bulletins appear outside our orderly room each day. This is our only communication with the outside- world. Ship's time i s a continual puzzle to a lot of us. and the constant latering of the clock is confusing even to those of us who discoursed most learnedly of latitude and longitude, flreenwich and mean time. Trifles make the sum of life to ar even greater degree on ship-board tlia . on land. Soon we will reach our first port, where we make 'a brief stay for water and sundries, and while these are being taken in, lvc are having a in a reli of two hours round flic town. To this variation from ?hip life we arc all looking forward keenly. Our young army is on (he water speeding to wonderful, perhaps awful experiences, and nlthought young, it is emblied with the right spirit, and none shall say that New Zealand was ashamed of her representatives.