"B" Company, No.2 Cadet Battalion New Court, Pembroke College, Cambridge, October 19, 1916 Dear Friend: - Since I saw you on the train in June, I have had a most excitable time. As I had planned I came to England with a draft from the Overseas Training Company arriving in Liverpool on the 'Olympic' on August 30th. After a week's holiday in London, I reported at the War Office to enlist in the British Army. On account of my knowledge of Arabic, they sent me here to take a three months' course in Persian, after giving me an oral exam in the former language as well as in French and German. The object of this course is to qualify the class, in which there are ten, as interpreters to go to the East. Perhaps they will prolong it, but we are all doing our best to get our commissions at the end of that time and continue the work wherever we happen to be sent. We have about three hours a day with our professor and his Persian readers, reading and speaking the language. We also take some history. Our only work of a military nature is learning to ride, for which purpose we use our officers' horses and spend two hours, three afternoons a week. Our work will either be with the staff or the cavalry; in either case we will be riding most of the time. Cambridge is the best place to live in I have found yet. A walk through any of its ancient streets past the old colleges, through the parks, or along the picturesque River Cam is splendid recreation. I spent the last hour before tea, just after the afternoon lecture, going through the botanic gardens with one of the other cadets. They cover about thirty acres and there is an immense greenhouse. After tea I built a fire in the fire-place in one of our sitting- rooms which so far I have to myself. The fire is burning nicely and I feel very much like doing an evening's work. Outside, the infantry cadets are going to their evening lecture. Before long the other members of the Persian class will be back here for work also. Earl Packham came on the 'Olympic' also. No matter where one goes, where there are many Canadian soldiers he is ~ sure to meet an acquaintance. Edna, who by the way is a cousin of Percy Olmstead by marriage, sent me his address and I wrote to him yesterday. Perhaps the most exciting time of my trip was leaving home. I was there on a two weeks' harvest furlough and at the end of four days I got a day's notice to be in Toronto to leave for England. I packed up at once, went to Jordan that night to Edna's and the next forenoon spent in St. Catherines, where I had to attend to a bank account. I also called on the Brays just before leaving. After dinner there, I hurried away to the train and arrived in Toronto with only an hour to finish packing up. By the time you receive this I hope to be at my last month's work. I like England very well, but of course am quite anxious to get away. I would be very glad to hear from you at any time. Yours sincerely, Cadet D.A.Lane.