My dear Mother,

Well Musie, I suppose you were watching the papers to see when we landed in England but the fact is we are in barracks here in West Saint John.

We arrived here about 10 p.m. last Sunday night and spent the night on the train. Monday morning we got off and marched over here. Gee but there sure was some crowd out to see us.

I would have written you before only I understood that army mail past Moncton would be held until our arrival in England was officially announced. We will not be here long. I heard today that we leave on Sunday night for Halifax and go on board ship Tuesday morning. However that is only a rumour, so don’t pay much attention to it.

Just a minute. C Company just issued an order for all men to pack their kits, the guard men included. Maybe we leave tonight. I don’t know.

We are scattered all over the city. A Company is on an island out in the Bay of Fundy. B Company is at the armoury. C and D companies at Pier 4, Immigration Building, Carleton West, Saint John. Our barracks are fine—steam heated, electric lighted, hot and cold baths and straw ticks to sleep on. Not so bad, eh?

This is a wet province but they are not allowed to sell to soldiers. However some of the boys managed to get it but nothing to speak about.

How do I like Saint John and what is it like? It surely is a pretty place but hills—that’s all this place consists of. I never saw so many hills in one place before. They have some fine business places here and some beautiful residences. I can speak with authority as I have tramped all over it. All the drilling that I have done since I came here has been route marches (2 a day) through the city. The CPR bridge across the bay here is wonderful piece of engineering, the best by far that I have seen. One span is over 350 feet along and about 60 feet off the water. Also right underneath is a reversible falls. When the tide comes in it is one way and when it goes out it is the opposite. It surely is a heavy tide here.

We came down from Montreal on the I.C.R. [Intercolonial Railway]. Get out a map and see how far out of our way we had to come on account of the State of Maine. We passed through Rimouski, Quebec. The Empress of Ireland sank near there, you remember?

The air is quite damp here. Brass buttons are surely a nuisance as we have to clean them twice a day and then you have to make a good job on them or it will show.

We can get to Saint John proper every 20 minutes on a ferry. The fair for civilians is three cents, soldiers free. It sometimes pays to be a soldier, eh?

Your loving son,

James