progressive. No business is done and shops close between 12.00 and 2.00 o'clock every day, and there is a holiday about once a week. The money is weird stuff and really worth nothing, only paper money being used, being mostly old Russian paper. The rouble is now worth about .11 cents. It was worth about .50 cents before the War, and its value fluctuates from week to week. The Trans-Siberian Railway is in bad shape and is operated under great difficulties the rolling stock is in bad repair and the operatives seem to only work when they feel like it. 1 should think it would require millions of dollars and very energetic management to put it in good shape.

Our quarters are at Goumestai Bay, an inlet off Ussuri Bay, and about 12 miles from Vladivostok by road. The troops are very comfortably housed and the building we occupied is new and had never been occupied before, and was built as Officer’s quarters by the Russians. In this part of the country there are barracks sufficient to accommodate about 75,000 troops. The country is very hilly and reminds one of Alberta in appearance and climate, every day in winter is bright and sunshine, although rather cold, but more pleasant than Manitoba. We are in the midst of most modern and strong fortifications. Every hill almost has heavy gun batteries, and there all kinds of huge magazines, tunnels, etc., and a network of military stone roads, which however is now all failing into disrepair. The scenery here '3 lovely and there is a grand view across the Ussuri Bay of the mountains on the opposite side, 1 have a bedroom to myself and my window looks south-west with a good view across a

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