Nice weather continues. Got back from the Mainland (Maple Ridge) about noon today. Went over to have a BBQ with M's cousins, some from thge area and two from New Zealand. Feasted on fresh caught crab and bear whilke sitting out on a dock in Indian Arm. Then the BBQ and some games and visiting. Good time. Oh yes yesterday am I goto bowl at Maple Ridge on their artificial turf.

  Eventually the fortnight passed and the entire family was at dockside when the RMS ‘Aquitania’ was escorted by two small tugboats to her berth. They watched as the passengers disembarked; more than a hundred ladies first, Doctor Pearce said that they were British War Brides, they  followed shortly by several hundred returning soldiers. The family went inside where all the offices were and after several inquiries found the embarkation desk, they learned that the ship would not be loading passengers for the return trip for three more days. “Cleaning, food supplies and bunkering first mate, dontcha know.” Then an added, “Passenger loading starts at seven am sharp, only carry on whatcha need, the rest will be in steerage.”

  If time had been passing slowly, the next two days seemed like eternity.

  However the departure day arrived, the alarm went off at five am, the taxi that had been pre-ordered arrived at six and they were first in line at half past six. After checking in and leaving their large cases with the ticketing agent, they were directed to a holding area where they were told they would be loaded alphabetically, “Probably won’t be for a couple hours, sorry.”

  Mrs. Pearce sniffed in a manner that indicated her frustration, then reached into her bag and pulled out a bag of apples and said, “Here children, this will be your breakfast, I have a half loaf of bread as well, you can wash it down from that water fountain over there.”

Finally just before ten o’clock, a steward called their name and they filed out and joined the people in line ahead of them. The passenger list was not long and once on board, they were quickly escorted to their two staterooms one deck below the promenade deck.

  John wanted to hurry out and explore the ship, but his father said, “No, John. It will still be busy out there. When we hear the whistle that says departure is imminent, we will all go out and then later you can explore about.”

  Finally at twelve noon, there were two long blasts of the ships whistle, everyone but Mrs. Pearce hurried out and up to the promenade deck. They found a spot along the rail and watched as the lines were cast off and the same two tugs slowly maneuvered the ship away from the dock. The ship trembled slightly as her idling engines engaged the massive propellers and she slowly moved ahead under her own power. The tugs stayed alongside looking like two tiny bugs escorting a large animal. The ship’s headway remained dead slow under the control of the Harbour Pilot then after exiting the harbour and clearing the headland the pilot’s tender came along side, control was returned to the ship’s Captain and the ‘Aquitania’ surged eastward into the Atlantic swells.

   John was quick to follow up on his father’s permission and in that first afternoon gained a thorough knowledge of the ship’s layout. Not being shy he approached different officers and soon wangled an invitation to visit the bridge. His reputation spread quickly through the ranks of officers, hands and stewards and in the first twenty-four hours had visited not only the bridge but the engine room, had a tour of the ship’s galley and received extra large portions of desert at meal times. He shared his family’s story with the captain which resulted in an invitation to his family to sit at the captain’s table and his father being pressed into relating their escape from China, their years at Pender Harbour and the highs and lows of their current journey.

  On the third day out an Atlantic storm descended on the ship, it was of a force strong enough to force the Captain to reduce speed from “Aquitania’s” usual twenty-three knots down to eighteen. Mrs. Pearce and the three girls all came down with sea sickness as the ship in spite of her nine hundred feet rolled dramatically as mountainous waves pounded her starboard quarter.