At 3 PM on that same day we marched aboard the Lapland and were led into the steerage and told that was our quarters for the trip. The Lapland had just completed a trip from Europe with a large number of immigrants aboard and she had not been fumigated. the steerage was "alive" with bugs and lice and the boys refused to stay there but marched back on deck. We were then put in the 2nd class dining room and slept on the floor for the night. Breakfast was served in the steerage. It was good but everything was dirty.

On October 3rd we steamed out of the bay. We counted 30 transports and 4 gun boats but this was later increased to 33 transports. We steamed in 3 long lines with gun boats on the flanks. We were at the end of the middle line. The next few days were spent in getting sea sick, getting better, get in vaccinated, kit inspection, boat drill, fatigues, guards and physical exercise. The order went out that we were all to grow a moustache. I tried but it wasn't much of a success. We had a concert and a boxing match to pass the time away and the rest of our off duty moments were spent in cards, crown and anchor and other cash reducing sports. One man, Pat Carral, made several hundred dollars at Crown and Anchor.