Borden Camp
Oct 17/16

Dear Mother:-

I wrote a short letter the other day But didnt have any paper.

We are still at Borden and will Be here till next week sometime I guess. we all like it better then at Bramshott. I am going to try and go on pass to Edinborough Scotland with Him Savan The end of This week for 4 or 5 days. it will Be a Rest from around the camp. anyway for a while well I guess it is getting pretty cold There now at nights anyway But There has Been no frost here yet and is not cold. Some nights it is a little But not like it would be There But I guess it will Be awfull wet and Raw here all winter. They never have over 6 in of snow here and it is all gone by noon. But Then There will Be lots of mud and slush all the time and a Raw wind too. But we will get good clothes and I have new underwear. The sox and mits are all I need now. Thell Kate we get fed on Rabbits over here and the keep them till they get like Old Polly says a little high. well we got some yesterday and it was high allright. Say has any of my letters been opened when you get them. I dont think they open them. Yours are not. we got paid last night and I got a lb. Thats 4.80. and I went down town and got some ham and eggs and it made me as sick as a dog. it was clean and too rich I guess. we get for Breakfast 2 sausage half cooked a Bowl of porrige and a cup of tea 1 slice of bread and margirine for butter dinner is Roast Beef half cooked 2 small potatoes 1 slice of dough a cup of water sometimes cabbage. Supper is rice or Jam margerine and dough and tea so it is no wonder that a good supper made me sick. But now when I got my pound I can Buy some. all the lads are fine Jim McBain is in the transports with the mules so he is quite contented now. it is raining this after noon and it is our day off. we Just work 1 day and then are off for a day. But That is Just while we are here. we are the Best shots that ever shot at This place yet and when they went to put up Barb wire entanglements The Record was 24 minutes and our fellows put it up in 11 and I think we will get to the Trenches as a unit if we dont one company will Be together anyway.

Say I was on picquet one night here and there was 4 bunches of us with 8 men in each. There was 8 Regulars 8 Canadians 8 South Africans and 8 Scotch men form Scotland. The South Africans are queer looking fellows. Their skin is kind of yellow But they talk just the same as an Englishman. There is a lot of Australians around here and They are very nice so are the English too But The people here seems to like the Canadians the Best of all especially in London. The Australians are a little too Rough to suite them. well I should get my old chum This week and it will be mighty welcome too after we get to France it will be issued to us every day. as soon as we get Back to Bramshott Dan and Dunk and I are going to get our pictures taken. I never saw two men look as much alike as They do. only Dan is a far nicer fellow. well it gets me the way They have of working horses over here. you have saw pictures of a man with a cart and a wrack on it and an old horse. That is Just like They are over here. it is no more like Canada then day is like night. and where we are is all Bush. nearly all pine But it has all Been transplanted and looks nice it is a far prettier country then around there more it to see. But I would soon get sick of it Just the same. Well I guess I Better Ring off for now. I have to write to Jim and Aunt Sallie. tell Kate and Anna to write. what is paw doing I hope he is Better well I will say Bye Bye.

Love to all

John

write soon