Halifax Sunday, Feb. 21.

This is a diary to my dear friend Alice.

As the clocks of the city struck 6 o'clock the S.S. Megantic pulled out from the wharf and anchored in the stream alongside H.M.S. Glory. We are to wait here until the remainder of the contingent have embarked and then to proceed to sea with our escort of battleships. The regiment that George Greening is in is on board another liner astern of us and the 24th Victoria Rifles are preparing to embark on the Scandinavian. The weather here is very cold but bright and pleasant. The food on board is good. This morning for breakfast we had porridge, fish, eggs and bacon and marmalade. Dinner - soup, roast beef, potatoes, peas, fruit pudding, ice cream, one orange and one apple. Supper - stew, jam, peaches and rice. Pat said this afternoon that he had written a long love letter to Lily, did he send it? Our accommodation is excellent. We are berthed in the second-class cabins amid ship and we have a porthole in our cabin. There are four of us in this cabin - all very nice. They are as follows: Archie Gordon, Pat Bombadier, O'Neil and myself so we are all O.K. Good-bye for the present. This is not a letter, just a diary. Everyday I shall add something to it.