Mayer Hoffer describes his journey to Canada:

In Sept. 1906 rather left for Canada, I stayed behind to finish the Agricultural course. and on March 14th a group of twelve boys from the school G left for Canada. We were all given new suits of clothing boots and underware (sic), and short sheepskin coats ... $12.50 Canadian Dollars, and papers, but not official pasports (sic) as the Austrian government refused to let us go out of the country ... We were told by a special agent not to say a thing, where we were going to, and not show any papers

Mayer's diary then describes his journey across Europe, the English channel and England to the port city of Liverpool. His diary continues:

We stayed in Liverpool two days waiting for the boat. We finally got on the boat and this was a cattle boat fixed up with cabins. Like stalls for four immigrants to a cabin with two lower and two upper beds made of plain boards and straw mattress and straw pillow. The name of the shipp (sic) was Siberia an old slow boat it took us 14 days to cross the Atlantic, on the third / I took sea sick and was sick for days rye bread went mouldy (sic) as well so I had to throw it out. The oranges and lemons did not last. The brandy held out a little longer. I ate very little and we were fed mostly herring and potatoes, some soup. But the smell of the ship was so bad that I could not stand it.. on the seventh day I thought I will never see land again. One man died on the ship, and found his grave in the sea. On the 12th day at night the ship hit something and distress signals were sent out all night by blowing a whistle.. at midnight we were ordered to put on life-guard belts ... The people started to get pa nicky ... The women and children started to cry, it was a pittyfull (sic) sight to see and to think that maybe only in minutes more and some of us or maybe all of us will be feeding the fishes.