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Date: June 22nd 1917
To
Mother
From
Herbert Smith
Letter

My Dear Mother:
Quite some time now since we left Halifax, hence no news from home during that time. For three days we have been travelling in a dense fog which has only just cleared now into a fine, warm day. This letter will probably be posted somewhere in Cape Breton. We were up on the Newfoundland coasts for a day.

Of course being at sea all the time we have no news of a commutative nature and I have only to say that we are all well and are having a splendid voyage. The sea has been quiet and the weather ideal except for fog.

Almost every day we call in at some port and quite frequently we have shore leave for a few hours. 'Mac' and I were out to Glace Bay wireless station a while ago, spent the evening there and looked over every part of the establishment. It's the largest wireless station on this coast, doing only trans-Atlantic work. We could hear Cuttano, Italy, as plain as almost a person talking. Glace Bay works mostly with Cliften, Ireland. We spent also an evening in the famous old town of Louisburg, Cape Breton, and were out to see the old fortress, famous at the time England took Canada from the French. The old graveyards, resulting from the battles are still there.

This coast is terribly rough and dangerous and especially so in fog. It's fortunate we have a couple of good navigating officers aboard.
This is the first hour of my watch, from 12 to 6 a.m. Just at this moment I can hear a big passenger ocean liner working somewhere east of Sable Island.

It's lovely on deck now. I have been sitting and lying around up there all morning. On hot days, or when we have a royal party aboard they put an awning over the entire decks. Then the ship is a real summer resort.

Dutifully Yours,
HERBERT.