CANADIANS EMBARK.

Timaru Herald, Volume CI, Issue 15502, 12 November 1914, Page 3

CANADIANS EMBARK.

HARD NIGHT MARCH. GUNS STUCK IN MUD. PRECAUTIONS AGAINST SPIES. The following description of tihe departure of the Ganad.an troops from Quebec is published by tne Vancouver 'News Advertiser": Quietly the transports slip mto the docks. Quiex-ly tho nawsers are unloosed, and the great grey ships steam up or down, awaiting the word to litf anchors and sail' towards tQie sea. ; From Vaicartier the long troop trains still come hurrying into the c.ty and down to the basin. Up on the terrace, women stand ana watch, wondering which ship bears the loved one j to wuom they have said good-bye. j When this: is read, the transports will be far out to sea, and with them will be a fleet of long, grim cruisers, protecting them from any vagrant German warships that may be roaming the lanes of the Nortth. Atlantic. It took nearly a week to complete the embarkation. ( MANOEUVRES CANCELLED. The month of rumours had come to ! an end, and the camp knew a week ago that any day wouid see the commencement oi the movement. Ail that delayed is was the arrival of the transports, and uhey were closing in from east and west. The entire routine of the camp had undergone a great change. The manoeuvres had been cancelled. At the range all was still. The crackling of thousands of rifles 110 longer was heard echoing against the wooded hills. Instead the thousands of men were taught how to pack and carry their kit, 1-. fl.es were collected and packed away and inspections of equipment were held. The artillery moved - first, that is, i after the remounts, several thousands ! of whidh were driven to the city previously. This was no simple operation, and an epic might be written of the experiences of the men who brought these animals down the long winding valley road. It had been raining m a desultory manner for two days. Tiiough the camp had felt lffctle, discomfort, the roads had become softened. and, never the best for heavy guns/were little better than ploughed fij.ds. Headed by a band playing the air that every man in camp knew, the air that is rarely 'heard except when troops ate, on the march, the guns on one I - long line rolled', along the, roads. •Thousands-took up the words, "It's a Long Road to Tipper'ary." Three hours later the second brigade moved out. ROADS BECOME CANALS. What a road! Darl'ness came early that nig.it, and with the darkness came tne ra.n. The roads, became canals. The darkness that covered the Egyptians wrapped itself over the ..and. ilie landmarks were biotted out. Men and horses, soaked by the downpour strained their eyes to see what mg'nt be just ahead. But it .was useless. The leaders felt about for tiie. road. Wiien they, were ankle-deep in mud they thought'' they were on it. When they were i»p to their knees they were aertain. Til ere was nothing to clo but go on. There was no shelter; there was no hope of light for hours. And the ra.n continued. Hordes fell; thev were helped up and urged forward. The heavy "guns skid-' duel into liie ditches and washouts that seemed muffled by the ■ steady rain; the. drivers them on. Meji climbed down in that horrible mess of water, sand, and weeds, and put tlieir suoulders to it. An animal stepped sideways _ and began to fall. An officer was riding h:m. Quietly, almost slowly the horses's right foot sank in the boe. The officer slid too. When they found him his face was buried. Hnndfuls of mud were lifted out of ,his collar. ACCIDENT TO DRIVER. Up arte ad a horse neared. The columns were sliding down a hill. The man on the an mai was thrown. Tho horse behind planted a heavy foot on tne man o iitwd. In some way ta« column was stopped and the bleeding, unconscious figure was extricated. < .hus was loi'u almost oif. For hours, until Quebec was readied, the rain fell on the bandaged head and inert form. He is on boaid sh p now. That little incident- did not stop him. There will be ho forced marches in the campaign that is ahead w.th greater (hardships, than that n:ght's journey to Quebec. It was a stupendous achievement, considering the lttle training the men and horses have had. And yet, that was not. ail. Dawn had come when the guns rumbled over the bridge that cro-s js the St. Charles. The people came to their doors and windows and shouted words and hope, and with widening eyes remarked on the number of guns. And' th?n the dock was reached. The men were tired, wet and hungry. Mud encased them like. a garment, and under the mud was ttheir heavy clotlhing dripping puddles where they stood. At the dock was the ship on which they would sail. All they bad to do before going to bed was to "load all tihe horses, the gnns, the limbers, the equipment, and themselves. They did it. All morn'ng and well 1 into the afternoon ."they worked. Finally, the last piece was stowed in the hold. Every man went to his bunk. In i five minutes practically everyone was i fast asleep. Some of tihem forgot, wth the novelty of having nothing to do, that they were wet. They slept in their clothes. INFANTRY COME BY TRAIN.

This was the big picturesque movement. Tiie infantry came in by tra n. It had been planned that they should march down, but the roads made this impossible. Battalion after battalion slipped into tiie tra ns, and in an hour were at the dock, where the transports awaited them. Every entrance to the basin was guarded, and a pass was necessary to get through. Getting a pass was as easy as getting lioul of a five-dollar note at the bank: All the telephone f.nd telegraph lines had been cut. Mails were collected from the boats, but they were held until 't was thought wise to release them. Here was a real necessity for silence. Many' may have been the pathetic scenes. " At first relatives and' friends believed that they would be able to vis't the transports to say a last farewell. . When they learned that there could be no pass issued; when they that the ship would sail, anil that they, far up on the terrace, would have to wave their hopeful farewell, the tears came. But tears availed tliem noth : ng. They faced a stern and imperative rule.