COBOURG HEAVIES ARE FORTUNATE.
Gunner T. C. Lapp, who went overseas with the 8th Cobourg Heavy Battery draft, writes as follows to the Brighton Ensign, of which he is proprietor:
The Cobourg Heavies were fortunate enough to be given staterooms with comfortable births - springs, mattresses and pillows, and in our dining room there are no hammocks slung over the tables for beds - as is the case with most of the men on board. Things are kept in a very sanitary condition and an inspection takes place every day by the ship's officers. If anything is found neglected the men are ordered by their officers to rectify the same at once. Much to my surprise, Col. Williams, formerly Rev. C. G. Williams of Consecon, who delivered an address to the Canadian Club at Brighton a year ago last winter, is with us; and Sunday night delivered a very interesting address. Divine service was held Sunday morning and the sermon was fine. Sunday afternoon a splendid concert with a two hour program was given and most of the numbers were extra good. The eatables are of a very good quality and plenty of them. For instance, on Sunday, July 1st, we had - for breakfast, oatmeal porridge, liver and bacon, and 'oleo' and coffee; for dinner, barley soup, chicken, vegetables, steamed pudding containing lots of raisins and currants, with sauce, and two good apples each. The apples were cold and had just been taken from cold storage and tasted fine. For supper we had headcheese, pickles, jam, bread 'oleo' and tea. Anything left over is thrown out. Waste is amazing.
The first few days aboard, the majority of the battery were feeling miserable as a result of the vaccination, and I didn't escape. It certainly 'took' on me. We have a good sized hospital aboard - also an isolation hospital. There are four lady nurses aboard, who, with an Army Medical Corps on board are busy. There were at least 100 cases- in hospital when I went down to get my vaccination dressed. Four men that I know of have been buried at sea, but that is nothing unusual, as in a town of this size, there would be as many deaths in the same time.
We don't have all the time to ourselves although there have been plenty of amusements. Most every night there is boxing bouts and the night before last, the winners were presented with prizes.
We get an inkling of the news every day by wireless. The instrument catches it in transmission; but our ship does not send out any messages. Things are different from when the first contingent crossed. Every move is made with the greatest precaution and the rules governing all soldiers are very strict. For instance a man was put in the clink a few nights ago for lig4ting a cigarette after the forbidden hour."
