Sunday Aug. 30th - Sept. 28th
The camp at Val Cartier is really a wonderful sight. There are about 30, 000 troops under canvas, which figure is above the division required of 20, 000. The camp is situated in the valley of the Jacques Cartier River, about 18 miles north of Quebec city. And is on the line of the Canadian Northern Railway. The beautiful Laurentian Hills surround the camp on all sides, and although hot during the day the evenings are very cool and the dew heavy on this account.
We have been going on with our usual work every day and each week a review is held by some prominent Staff Officer. I t is a grand spectacle to see the masses of men and horses and acres of infantry drawn up for review.
Mobilization is almost complete and after several unfounded rumours we have at last learned the truth and started for Quebec.
The Battery was fallen in at about 5 P.M. Saturday, Sept, 27th, and we left camp at about 8 P.M. by road, the night was of the pitch black variety which one often reads about, but seldom sees. Owing to the length of the column there was a continued jibbing, halting and trotting all the time. Horses bumped into guns ahead, and in halting, those in rear bumped into them in turn. The lead team of A. Sub Section shied, putting 4 horses and 2 men in a heap into the ditch. Mr. Ryerson, luckily had a small electric light, with the aid of which after a half hour of hard work we were able to disentagle men and horses and follow again in rear of the column.
The road was fair in spots, but on the whole, very bad. As we neared Quebec, the mud, of a clay type became about six inches deep and the approaches to the bridges, were nothing more than holes. One of our drivers had his horse fall on him and break his leg.
We entered the exhibition grounds at day-light, and slumbered where best we could. I fell asleep on a bench in the grand stand sitting up and had a stiff neck for nearly a week.
After some delay we watered and fed the horses and at about 10 o'clock the cooks at last served hot coffee, bread and jam to us all with bully beef on the side. This was our only meal until we reached the boat.
The Battery was fallen in mounted at 12o'clock and it was not until 4.30 that we received orders to move into the city. This march took from 4.30 to 5.30, at which hour we arrived at the docks and loaded men and horses aboard, the Allan Line steamship "Grampian". Our guns were left to go aboard another transport.
Monday.
At noon today we cast off, and went up the river to our anchorage.
We went down river today and arrived at Gaspe Bay on Oct. It is a beautiful sight to see our convoy at anchor. There are 32 transports and
