Monday, Jan. 13‘“, 1919 Passing through the Saugan Strait, between the Islands of Yego and Hippo, Japan

Dear People At Home - We are now drawing near to the end of our trip as

we are only about four hundred miles from Vladivostok, and though our old steamer has only one propeller, we should make destination in about two days time. We had a nice passage, only a few days of bad weather, and though the accommodation was not as we would like to have, it to make an ocean voyage, l for one am not picking at it and I would be willing to make the trip over again if an opportunity presented itself.

As you know we left Victoria on the day after Xmas, most of the fellows were sick during the first few days, but I fortunately never felt the slightest inconvenience because of the roll, except sometimes when the other fellows wouldjump from the table and not have time to reach the deck before their whole meal would come with a rush. This too gradually passed away and now everyone has been in the best of health and spirits. This was the seventeenth day out and till today we have not seen land or sign of another ship on the whole ocean. Saturday though we saw some whales spouting away about a mile or so, and also got a glimpse of a small one, though he appeared to be about twenty feet long, with tail about eight feet across.

Today we have passed through the Saugon Strait, great. rocky mountains on either side about four or five miles away, could even see the spray breaking on the rocks and all kinds of birds from eagles to the common duck flying about. Later on we also passed on our port side another mountain rising out ofthe sea,just like a

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