APPENDIX 4 
     
    
   
   
    
     Diary of Major W.F. Howland with 
     
     expedition C.E.F. (Siberia) 
     
    
   
   
    
     Thursday, Dec. 26th, 1918 - After about two months in 
     
     Victoria, BC, where the Staff 16th Inf. Brigade, C.E.F. (S) 
     
     arrived on October, 23rd, the remaining troops of the Brigade 
     
     embarked on 8.8. "Prolescelaus" and sailed for Vladivostok. 
     
     The troops on board include H.Q. 16th Inf. Brigade, two 
     
     Companies 259th Batt., 260th Batt., Det. R.N.W.M.P., 16th 
     
     Field Ambulance, Ordnance Det. and other details, making a 
     
     total of about 1900. The other two Companies, 259th Batt. 
     
     (Fr. Canadian), sailed with other troops on 8.8. "Teesta" last 
     
     Saturday for Vladivostok. 
     
    
   
   
    
     The ship cast off from dock at Victoria at 6.25 pm, but the 
     
     embarkation of the men was complete by 4.30 pm. and 
     
     commenced at 1.30 pm. We were through the Straits of Wan 
     
     de Fuca by midnight and there ran into some heavy weather. 
     
    
   
   
    
     This is a ship of about 15,000 tons and has a speed of about 
     
     14 knots. She is a freighter and has no passenger 
     
     accommodation so that all accommodation for troops had to 
     
     he specially built. Mens quarters are fair, but Officers 
     
     quarters poor. There are four narrow bunks in a room, (all 
     
     occupied) and the rooms open off Officers mess room. There 
     
     are no springs in bunks and mattresses are filled with straw.