large sharp pointed rock pitched in the middle of the sea. The scenery today has surely been wonderful and is much grander than I anticipated. We had been led to think of Japan as a country of perpetual summer with their little paper houses and semi tropical plants, but when one sees those great snow capped peaks, those illusions are quickly dispelled. This morning the cry of "Land Ahead" brought most of us from our blankets, and when the sun came up the sight was worth coming a distance to see. It. is nothing in comparison to our Rockies but they surely looked good to us after being so many days on the ocean with nothing to see except water, water, everywhere.

Last Monday 6th, in the midst of a bad snow squall one of our propellers (we began with two) went A.W.L.. She hardly made any time at all while the storm lasted, for a few days the best we made was about a hundred miles a day. Since the sea smoothed though, we have been going at the rate of nine or ten knots or an average of two hundred miles per day. While the storm lasted there was some talk of putting in to Yokohama for repairs, but since the time lately has been so good the decision now is to keep right on. We would have been glad to ge_t a glimpse of Japan but of course our wishes count not in the least. They say Vladivostok is quite a large city so we will be glad to find out all we can of that place.

Of course our wireless news comes every day so we can keep posted on the doings outside. The general impression is that we will have no actual fighting over here, and that we will be home at the latest by next Xmas. I agree with this also, as the USA. has withdrawn her troops from Russia and there will be not much use keeping a small force in such a place where millions of men could easily get lost.

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