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+The Project Gutenberg EBook of The Incomparable 29th and the "River Clyde", by 
+George Davidson
+
+This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with
+almost no restrictions whatsoever.  You may copy it, give it away or
+re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included
+with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org
+
+
+Title: The Incomparable 29th and the "River Clyde"
+
+Author: George Davidson
+
+Release Date: May 5, 2008 [EBook #25342]
+
+Language: English
+
+Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1
+
+*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE INCOMPARABLE 29TH ***
+
+
+
+
+Produced by Jeannie Howse, David Clarke and the Online
+Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net (This
+file was produced from images generously made available
+by The Internet Archive/Canadian Libraries)
+
+
+
+
+
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+    +-----------------------------------------------------------+
+    | Transcriber's Note:                                       |
+    |                                                           |
+    | Inconsistent hyphenation in the original document has     |
+    | been preserved. This document has unusual spelling that   |
+    | has been preserved.                                       |
+    |                                                           |
+    | Obvious typographical errors have been corrected. For     |
+    | a complete list, please see the end of this document.     |
+    |                                                           |
+    +-----------------------------------------------------------+
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+
+
+
+[Illustration: POINT OF GALLIPOLI]
+
+
+
+
+THE INCOMPARABLE 29TH
+AND THE "RIVER CLYDE"
+
+
+
+BY
+GEORGE DAVIDSON, M.A., M.D.
+MAJOR, R.A.M.C.
+
+
+
+ABERDEEN
+JAMES GORDON BISSET
+85 BROAD STREET
+
+
+
+
+Dedicated
+TO THE
+STRETCHER-BEARERS OF THE
+89TH FIELD AMBULANCE
+IN WARM ADMIRATION OF THEIR CONSTANT ZEAL AND PLUCK
+AND IN REMEMBRANCE OF THE MANY EXCITING TIMES
+WE HAD TOGETHER
+
+
+
+
+PREFACE.
+
+
+I had not the slightest intention of ever publishing these notes in
+book form while jotting them down for the sole purpose of giving my
+wife some connected idea of how we at the Front were spending our
+time. I found, to my surprise, that keeping a diary was a great
+pleasure, and I rarely missed the opportunity of taking notes at odd
+times--and often in odd places.
+
+Several of my friends read the parts as I sent them home, and it is on
+the valued advice of one in particular that I now offer these scraps
+to the public. I make practically no change on the original, but in a
+few places, for the sake of sequence, or more fulness, I have made
+additions. These are always in brackets.
+
+Some of the remarks in the original might safely be published fifty
+years hence, but at present the war is too recent for these to see the
+light of print.
+
+                                                 GEORGE DAVIDSON,
+                                                    R.A.M.C.
+
+  TORPHINS, ABERDEENSHIRE,
+    _June, 1919._
+
+
+
+
+DIARY.
+
+
+_March 16th, 1915._--After serving for five months as a lieutenant in
+what was at first known as the 1st Highland Field Ambulance, and
+afterwards, as the 89th Field Ambulance, I left Coventry, our last
+station, to do my little bit in the great European War, our
+destination being unknown. We had heard well-founded rumours that we
+were going to the Dardanelles, or somewhere in the Levant, and our
+being deprived of our horses and receiving mules instead, and helmets
+(presumably cork) being ordered for the officers, all pointed to our
+being sent to a warmer climate than France or Belgium, where the war
+is raging on the west side of the great drama.
+
+Leaving Coventry at 1.50 p.m. we reached Avonmouth about 5, to find
+that our boat was not in. The men were put up in a cold, draughty shed
+for the night, where they had little sleep, while the officers took
+train to Bristol, nine miles off, where we dined excellently at the
+Royal Hotel, but, there being no vacant rooms, we went to the St.
+Vincent's Rocks Hotel, overlooking the Clifton Suspension Bridge and
+the great gorge of the Avon.
+
+
+_March 17th._--Returned to Avonmouth and wandered about inspecting the
+huge transports lying in the docks, and H.M.S. "Cornwall," just
+returned for repairs from the fight at Falkland Islands. She had
+received three shell holes in her hull, one under the water line, and
+a large number of perforations in one of her funnels.
+
+We then got on board our boat, the "Marquette," of the Red Star Line,
+built by Alexander Stephen & Sons, Glasgow, of over 8000 tons, and
+said to be a good sailer. We lunched with the captain, a Scotchman of
+course, hailing from Montrose. At 5.30 we got the men on board, and
+all spent the night in our new quarters.
+
+
+_March 18th._--After getting numerous details on board during last
+night and to-day, amounting to about 1300 men, 60 officers, about 700
+horses and mules; besides 20 tons of explosives and 50 tons of barbed
+wire, and wagons by the hundred, we set sail at 10 p.m. under sealed
+orders. No lights were allowed owing to the danger from submarines
+which had been busy within the last few days in the Bristol Channel
+and about the Scilly Islands. As escort we had two torpedo-boat
+destroyers, one on each side and slightly ahead. These left us after
+twelve hours, when we were in less danger, and 100 miles west of the
+usual course, sailing W.S.W. into the Atlantic.
+
+
+_March 19th._--Beautiful day with slight breeze, but biting cold at
+first; ship pitching and rolling moderately, a few officers a little
+sick early, and about 80 per cent of the men, the latter suffering
+badly from the close atmosphere in their deck, in which their hammocks
+are slung as close as sardines in a tin and all port holes closed. The
+electric light had been shut off so that no one might be able to show
+a light.
+
+Dr. K----, the ship's ancient doctor, is a curious customer, full of
+stories and quaint remarks. Captain Findlay is very communicative but
+will not reveal any private orders. He is directed to steer for the
+Mediterranean by a certain course. About 5 p.m. to-day he altered his
+course from W.S.W. to S. At 5 an order was issued to have the iron
+shutters put over the port holes, otherwise no lights to be allowed.
+
+Very little shipping has been seen to-day, although several ships of a
+small size have passed at a long distance on our port side. One of the
+reasons for choosing this course was to avoid ships that might carry a
+wireless installation and signal our movements to the enemy.
+
+The captain, when swearing at the head steward about some
+forgetfulness, gave what he considered proof of the superiority of the
+memory of the lower animals over the human in a little story. He had
+carried Barnum and Bailey's menagerie once from America and
+occasionally fed a young elephant, Ruth by name, after President
+Cleveland's daughter, she taking apples from his pocket. After three
+years he came across her again, and calling her by name, she came up
+and put her trunk into the same pocket as of old. On the trip over he
+carried 1200 animals, only two dying, one being the giraffe which fell
+down a hatchway and broke his neck in two places--somehow a very
+fitting death for a giraffe.
+
+Saw several porpoises playing and jumping beside the boat. A wireless
+message to the captain tells of the appearance of a German submarine
+at Dover last night.
+
+Towards 6.30 two very large steamers crossed our bows, coming out of
+the west, while we went slowly to avoid them. One carried no lights
+and was probably carrying troops from Canada.
+
+Had an amusing talk on the boat deck with the old doctor. He was
+telling us about three padres who left our boat just before we
+started, preferring to go by another as they did not like travelling
+with so many animals. There being no parson for the coming Sundays
+they requested him to hold the services, but he replied that there was
+no use asking him, he could not pray worth a damn. He explained that a
+ship rang eight bells at 12, four at 8, and one for each half-hour
+after these, as one bell at 4.30, two at 5, three at 5.30, and so on.
+
+Beautiful night, stars clear, and sea very smooth for the Atlantic and
+the Bay of Biscay, where we now are. The equinoctial gales usually
+begin on March 20 (to-morrow), so the captain says. We have averaged
+12-1/2 knots since we left Avonmouth. A small bucketfull of water is
+taken from the sea every two hours, and its temperature taken to see
+if we are near ice.
+
+
+_March 20th._--Weather to-day typical of the Bay of Biscay, half a
+gale all day, and blowing furiously at 7 o'clock, bottles, glasses,
+etc., flying off the dinner-table. Sea-sickness very rife, almost
+every one suffering more or less. Saw only two passing ships to-day.
+The captain prophesies warmer weather to-morrow if the wind remains in
+the east as at present. It will then be off the land, we being
+opposite Finisterre about 8 a.m. to-morrow.
+
+The orders to the captain are to remain sixty miles off land while
+skirting Spain and Portugal. By wireless we hear the Allies still gain
+ground in Flanders, and of a railway collision in Lancashire.
+
+
+_March 21st._--Sunday.--Good news by wireless of the progress of the
+war. Wind changed to S.E., showery in the morning, and pleasantly
+warm. Church parade at 10. "Old Hundred" by the congregation, led by
+Serg. Gibb, the Lord's Prayer by Serg. Gaskin--as much of it as he
+could remember--a chapter of Matthew by Capt. Stephen followed by some
+words of advice, when the attempts of the audience to look solemn were
+all in vain--then off to the deck with "The Innocents Abroad".
+
+During the day the weather has been very variable, occasionally very
+heavy rain showers, but very mild; strong gale all day right in our
+teeth which must retard our progress. At dinner--7 p.m.--the captain
+said we were not quite opposite Lisbon, but nearly. With a few
+exceptions all have found their sea legs.
+
+
+_March 22nd._--Being Orderly Officer I was up at 6.45 and inspected
+our unit's breakfast at 7.15, expecting a repetition of the grousing
+about their food which has gone on since we came on board, but to-day
+all are satisfied for the first time. They began with porridge which
+looked palatable, though sloppy for a Scotchman's taste, and was said
+to be without salt, which would certainly be the case were the cook an
+Englishman. Then each had a cup of coffee which looked fair enough and
+smelt good to a hungry man like myself, with two thick slices of bread
+with salt butter and jam. I feel as fit as a fiddle, and believe the
+equinoctial gales at their worst would be none too much for me. The
+feeling that I am to sink to the bottom of the ocean when the boat
+pitches has entirely gone.
+
+Stephen and I are wondering what our folks at home are doing, and if
+they are always looking for letters from us by the next post. If so
+they will be disappointed for many days yet. A good many of our horses
+are sick, and two died yesterday and were thrown overboard. The poor
+brutes have very cramped quarters.
+
+The sea was fairly rough during daylight and the ship rolled so badly
+that at lunch and dinner "fiddles" had to be put along the tables to
+keep the dishes in their places. In the evening the wind fell to a
+very gentle, balmy breeze, when a number of us spent some time on the
+boat deck watching the phosphorescence of the jelly fish, which we saw
+in many hundreds.
+
+
+_March 23rd._--Got up early and on going on deck at 7.30 found we were
+making straight for the sun. Most glorious morning, sun bright, sea,
+except for the eternal swell, perfectly calm. We had changed our
+course and were heading 8 degrees S. of E., making for the Straits of
+Gibraltar. At 8 the captain, wishing to be sure of his longitude,
+began bawling out to some unseen person, "Mark 23, 22; mark 23, 19,
+add another 1; mark 23, 25". He explained that he took the reading
+three times then struck an average.
+
+In time land hove in sight, faint at first, but gradually the rocky
+coast of Spain, north of Cape Trafalgar, became distinct, then this
+cape itself came out of the mist as white as snow--so white that the
+purser said he believed it actually was snow. Then higher hills beyond
+appeared with others of a similar nature on the African coast. All
+looked forbidding and barren. Swallows were flitting about, and would
+have meant summer at home, but I fancy they are here all winter. The
+heat of the sun was intense, and I observed that his altitude seemed
+as high as I was accustomed to see him in midsummer.
+
+The captain soon pointed out "The Rock," and after passing the white
+town of Tarifa on the Spanish main it got clearer and clearer, but to
+our disgust our boat kept towards the south side of the Straits, and
+all were disappointed we were not to have a chance to post letters
+here as we expected. Tangier in the outer part of the Straits was
+invisible from mist. The Rock was not quite as impressive as I
+expected, nor could I with certainty make out more than one gun
+position, although I saw several black spots where guns may have
+frowned at us.
+
+A gunboat came after us and made us turn about in a circle till she
+was satisfied of our identity, the ship's number being invisible
+through the mist to those on shore. Ceuta with its snow-white houses
+lay on the south coast almost opposite Gibraltar. Some large buildings
+could be plainly seen, and between the town and the sea, on the
+north-east side the fortified hill held by the Spaniards since they
+lost Gibraltar.
+
+Later I found we sailed directly east, our next halt being as yet
+unknown. All roll has entirely departed from our ship, which almost
+seems unnatural after the tossing we have had. What struck me most
+to-day was the rocky nature of both sides of the Straits--we might
+have been among the rugged mountains of Ross-shire. Apes Head seemed
+to be made of rugged and split masses of limestone. The rocks with
+their bright colours were a great relief to our eyes which had rested
+on nothing but water for five days.
+
+
+_March 24th._--A quiet uneventful day; colder than yesterday in the
+Atlantic. I find that all along we have sailed with only two lights
+showing, both faint, one on either end of the bridge, red to port and
+green to starboard. In the last twenty-four hours we covered 286
+miles, and going east fast, the clock being now advanced twenty-three
+minutes daily. We left Avonmouth with 1500 tons of coal on board, and
+we use sixty-five tons daily. We carry a poultry yard and get fresh
+eggs for breakfast, one some one had to-day was so fresh that
+according to the date written on it it was laid to-morrow (25/3/15).
+We have a lot of Irishmen on board which explains this Irishism. We
+had a concert in the evening, got up by Col. O'Hagan, the O.C. the
+West Lancashire Field Ambulance, when we had many amusing songs and
+tales. The sea was as smooth as a duck-pond all day. Towards night the
+wind rose, strong enough to cause a big pitch had we been still in the
+Atlantic, but here it is hardly noticeable. The south-east corner of
+Spain was seen in the morning and a peep of Africa got in the
+afternoon.
+
+
+_March 25th._--Just returned from the engine room, having made up to
+the chief engineer, who took me over the machinery and stokehole. The
+three cylinders develop 4500 horse-power. The largest is 96 inches in
+diameter.
+
+All day we have been in sight of the African coast, the Atlas
+Mountains making one continuous range. They reminded me strongly of
+Ross-shire, the whole outline being rough and rugged. Mount Atlas,
+which we did not see, is 14,740 feet high. About 9 a.m. we were said
+to be near the town of Algiers. Great snowfields were visible on most
+of the highest mountains. These were very picturesque with the sun
+shining on the snow. We have seen little shipping, one large oil boat
+passed west. All are taking the lack of news philosophically, nothing,
+as far as I can make out, being heard to-day. Code messages from
+battleships speaking to each other are received but are unreadable.
+
+Helmets were issued to the officers to-day, but the wind is too cold
+to make these necessary.
+
+As Sanitary Officer for the day I had to go over the whole of the
+horse decks with the Military Officer of the ship, Lt.-Col. Hingston,
+R.E. The alleys between the horse lines, all of which had to be
+traversed, must be nearly half a mile in length, all the heads of the
+horses projecting in double lines into the narrow passages, which
+makes tramping along these dark ways anything but pleasant. The close
+stench is very sickening, and I was glad when our journey came to an
+end. We have lost four horses so far. The mules are hardier and have
+stood the voyage well. They are besides accustomed to the sea, all
+having come lately from the Argentine.
+
+
+_March 26th._--An ideal day and the sun delightfully warm. We had the
+African coast in sight the whole time till early afternoon. Passed
+Cape Blanco, which in the distance might have been part of Deeside,
+hills with stretches of verdure which looked like forest with brown
+spaces between which were probably sand.
+
+Helmets were issued to the men to-day. These with their broad brims
+look very serviceable against the sun. One man coming on a friend who
+had just donned his, yelled: "Hello, man, come oot o' that till I see
+yer feet".
+
+At the present speed we should reach Malta at 6 a.m. to-morrow where
+surely we'll be able to post letters, but they have a long way to go
+to reach home. At 5 o'clock we were opposite Pantellaria, an Italian
+penal settlement, and about 140 miles from Malta. On the north coast
+of the island the settlement is visible, big white houses at different
+levels on its rocky face. There are very steep rocks on the east side
+rising straight out of the sea.
+
+
+_March 27th._--My first peep at the East--although it is perhaps not
+the East proper. I rose at 5.30 to find Malta right ahead, and Valetta
+only a mile or two distant. The sight was gorgeous, the rocky land all
+tints of yellow, and the houses of divers colours, flat-roofed, domed,
+and altogether Oriental.
+
+Two warships, which turned out to be the "Prince of Wales" and the
+"Paris," were steaming rapidly from the north-east, and we were
+ordered to lie to till they entered the harbour, then to follow. The
+scene on entering this harbour baffles description, with its cliffs,
+forts, and frowning guns and numerous warships. There were signs of
+war preparations everywhere. The entrance to the harbour was guarded
+by booms, only a small opening being left where they were folded back.
+A short way inside came another row of booms. Then came a French
+warship on our port side, coaling at its hardest, from which came
+shouts to our decks crowded with troops of "where are you going"? The
+reply had to be "We don't know". Immediately to starboard we had
+another French ship which turned out to be the largest in the harbour.
+All her crew and band were drawn up on deck, and the latter struck up
+"God save the King". We at once stood at attention, all in silence,
+but when the strains ended every man hurrahed at the pitch of his
+voice. The band then gave us "It's a long way to Tipperary".
+
+On going a little farther we were moored to a buoy in the middle of
+the waterway, with all sorts of shipping round us, mostly French
+warships, there being at least a dozen of that nationality, the only
+British men-of-war being the two we saw enter. The transparency and
+greenness of the water are remarkable. The whole harbour is dotted
+over with "bum boats" which are said to be peculiar to Malta, and have
+high boards at their stem and stern, and are worked by one or two men
+standing upright. Most sell fruits and odds and ends to those on
+board, while others convey passengers to and from the land. The houses
+about the harbour are largely forts or connected with the army and
+navy. They rise tier upon tier to the top of the surrounding rocks
+which may be about 150 feet high.
+
+After lunch permission was given to the officers and N.C.O.'s to go
+ashore. There was great excitement of course, and all asked for leave
+forthwith. Being "Officer of the day," whose duties applied to the
+whole ship, I decided not to remind the C.O.--Col. Hingston--of this,
+but our C.O. mentioning at lunch that I need not look for leave I
+could not sneak off as I had intended, and was to be permitted only if
+I found a substitute, which, of course, I failed to do. Every one has
+gone to stretch his legs on land except the "Captain of the day" and
+myself. Still I hope to get a short turn ashore before we sail at 6
+p.m. which is announced as the hour of our departure--and our
+destination? we wish we knew.
+
+8.30 p.m.--Fiddes very kindly returned early to relieve me and I
+spent two very enjoyable hours in Valetta, wandering about its narrow
+and stair-like streets. There were goats everywhere, many being milked
+on the doorsteps as I passed. I bought some pieces of Maltese lace,
+which is pretty much of one pattern, generally a Maltese cross
+surrounded by flowers. The inhabitants are plainly of Italian descent,
+but if you ask if that is their nationality, they always deny it and
+say they are Maltese. The shops are totally different from anything I
+have ever seen, and except in the best streets, have no windows,
+merely a huge, gaping doorway. The weather was very close and many of
+the inhabitants and the children generally, were bare legged and well
+bronzed. The women's dress was very peculiar, all being in jet black
+with a strange lopsided head-dress. The edge has a stiff hoop and
+projects well in front of the face.
+
+The plants were all tropical--palms, cacti of many sorts, and masses
+of a deep purple flower that covered large expanses of wall. All trees
+were in full leaf, but they would be mostly evergreen. Worthy looking
+padres in their shovel hats were plentiful, also monks in dark brown
+cloaks, rope girdles and sandal shoon, and usually bareheaded,
+although a few wore a tiny cap, little bigger than the top of an egg,
+which it resembled in shape.
+
+I was much interested on discovering the reason why all the women in
+Malta wear black, which seems to be commenced about the age of eleven
+or twelve. Napoleon and his army had exercised great liberties with
+their sex during a visit, and in consequence it was decreed by the
+Pope that all women in Malta should go into mourning for the period of
+a hundred years. This time is up but they seem to know that their mode
+of dress is very becoming, and it looks as if the decree was to hold
+good for all time.
+
+It is impossible to go round the stair-like streets, which abound in
+Malta, with a milk cart, hence you find all over the town a man or
+boy with about half a dozen goats, shouting something or other, when
+the women appear at their doors with jugs into which the men milk the
+quantity required, as they sit on the doorstep. This is all very
+quaint and picturesque, especially when combined with the bright
+clothing of the men and children, the bright projecting upper windows,
+and the altogether foreign and tropical appearance of the whole town
+and island.
+
+All the officers thoroughly enjoyed what was a new experience to most
+of us, all returning to the boat laden with parcels, and being
+unusually lively at dinner, and the wine flowing more freely than
+usual among a body of men who rarely drink anything but water--and
+very flat and unpleasant water it is too.
+
+We left Malta at 6 p.m. _en route_ for Alexandria, as I am told by the
+captain, who says it is no longer a secret. This is evidently to be
+the place of concentration of the 29th Division. Another transport,
+the "Kingstonia," left half an hour before us, amidst great cheering
+from the warships and us. We too had a right royal send-off from all
+the warships we passed, their decks being packed with cheering
+multitudes, and our French friends of the morning played the National
+Anthem again in the usual silence. We half expected it this time, but
+its coming so unexpectedly in the morning made it most impressive.
+Eleven powerful searchlights were playing at the entrance of this
+important harbour--a harbour which must be one of Britain's greatest
+assets. When thrown on us even a mile off the light was absolutely
+dazzling.
+
+
+_March 28th._--Churning all day through a sea of ultra-marine hue,
+with a brilliant sun overhead and a fair breeze behind. We are now a
+long way east of the longitude of Greenwich, the clock at noon
+yesterday being seventy minutes before G.M.T. This means a daily loss
+of sleep and consequently much swearing. At one time in the Atlantic
+we were between fifty and sixty minutes behind G.M.T.
+
+There was a great fuss last night over the supposed discovery of six
+cases of measles in our unit. This morning a Medical Board sat and
+pronounced all the cases to be merely erythematous rashes following
+vaccination four days ago, and consequently the quarantine instituted
+last night has been relaxed, but only in a modified form, so as to let
+the guilty party down gently. As a result of all this unnecessary fuss
+the two field ambulances on board were nearly split into two camps.
+
+
+_March 29th._--Another quiet day and a calm sea.
+
+Three interpreters joined our boat at Malta, they leaving home two
+days after us by a P. & O. boat. These men have a thorough knowledge
+of Turkish, Greek, and French.
+
+The heat of the sun has been intense to-day, and a number of us were
+glad to don our helmets. These are not altogether a success, they are
+too heavy.
+
+We had a short lecture on "Turkey" by one of the interpreters, when he
+spoke about the roads, which seem to be few, woods still fewer, water
+supply and some other points likely to be of practical interest to us
+shortly. Rains usually cease in the end of March, and, except for an
+occasional shower, the heat of summer lasts till the middle of
+September, the temperature being just under 100° F.
+
+
+_March 30th._--Lying in the harbour of Alexandria, where we arrived
+about 3 p.m. The day has been perfect, the temperature moderate till
+we came near land when the sun simply scorched us. At sea there is
+always a breeze, but as we now lie at anchor in the middle of the
+harbour the air is absolutely still and oppressive. We seemed to
+describe the letter "S" as we approached from the sea, this course
+being likely due to sand bars. To one who has never been in the East
+before the sight of this town with its huge commercial buildings, its
+great palm trees which are visible not far from the water's edge, and
+a harbour full of great liners, and looking big enough to hold all the
+shipping of the world, is a great education. Three ships have entered
+since we came in, one being the "Kingstonia," one of our divisional
+transports, another full of French troops. We were, of course,
+surrounded by boats trying to do a little honest trade with us, but
+our men were strictly forbidden to purchase anything from them owing
+to the risk of infection.
+
+These boats were manned principally by Arabs in their peculiar dresses
+of brilliant hue and many wore the fez. All were burned as dark as an
+old penny. Owing to our being supposed to have had measles on board,
+although it was proved to every one's satisfaction that there was no
+reason for this suspicion, we had to enter with the yellow flag flying
+at the foremast. We had visits from official boats, one with the
+police flag, very likely expecting to hear that we had cholera or
+smallpox among us. At any rate the objectionable flag was soon hauled
+down and we half expected to get permission to land, but so far no
+orders have come from shore.
+
+The deep blue of the Mediterranean has been left behind for a time,
+which may be very short, and certainly cannot be long, and we now
+float on the light green waters of the Nile. The bugle has just
+sounded "the officer's mess," a sound that is welcome to me; the heat
+has not yet taken away my appetite.
+
+
+_March 31st._--We were towed to the wharfside at 3 p.m. Then the
+unloading of our great sea monster began, men trooped on shore,
+followed by the horses which, unused to daylight in the miserable
+dens they had just left, looked terrified and floundered down the
+gangways. It took hours for this procession of animals to end, the
+exit from Noah's ark must have been a poor show in comparison.
+
+Our men set off for their camp at Mex, three miles away, about 6 p.m.,
+I being left with a fatigue party of twenty-seven men to finish the
+packing of our stores on railway trucks, and see them despatched in
+time to arrive at Mex before the men, so that on their arrival they
+could set to and pitch their tents on the piece of land allotted to
+them, and which is said to be composed of equal parts of sand and
+lice! I feel that I have scored in having one night's relief from this
+plague--but we are in the land of plagues, the home of the Pharaohs.
+
+About 8 p.m. I set off on a visit to Alexandria, and from the docks
+passed up a street lined on both sides with our animals tied to picket
+ropes for the night, and at the top of the street came on a grove of
+many acres of towering palm trees. After a mile or a mile and a half,
+seeing no newspaper shops, nor anything resembling a British shop, I
+asked an Egyptian where a "journal" was to be had. We could not
+understand each other, even signs were of no use, so I tried again and
+the next man understood me, and directed my black Soudanese friend,
+who had attached himself to me as my guide, where to go, but from the
+deviations he took into narrow and remarkably gay by-streets, he
+plainly thought that this newspaper hunt was a ruse for seeing
+Alexandria by night. All this was very interesting all the same. I
+rubbed shoulders with many an Egyptian "nut" who made no pretence
+about his errand to this questionable part of the town. The many
+streets I passed through, and I must have penetrated about three miles
+into the town, seemed very familiar to me, they were so very like
+pictures one sees of this part. The cafés were crowded with Egyptian
+revellers, and occasionally I saw groups of our Tommies enjoying a
+drink among them. The former were all in their brilliant robes, and as
+they stood or squatted about, smoking their long pipes, they formed a
+most interesting picture. Their big pipes even blocked the pavement at
+times, the men squatted on their haunches with their pipes a couple of
+feet in front and a passer-by had to be careful not to upset and smash
+them. A fine picture was made by two old fellows squatting on a rug in
+the open window of a small shop, smoking and drinking coffee, and
+looking as if they could curse to fourteen generations any customer
+bold enough to disturb them in their innocent enjoyment of doing
+nothing. One of our officers who knows this town and its inhabitants,
+says if you curse a man he will only laugh in your face, but when you
+begin cursing to all eternity his brothers and sisters, father and
+mother, he begins to wax wroth, and by the time you reach the tenth to
+the fourteenth generation he dances about with fury and gnashes his
+teeth.
+
+
+_April 1st._--Up early and breakfast at 6.30. By this time the engines
+were rattling and new ropes creaking, while stores of all kind were
+being landed. Some acres of quay and side streets were covered with
+these, the horses and mules having been mostly landed yesterday. Then
+began the scramble for wagon poles, crossbars, etc., any unit finding
+itself short just seized the first it came across. We lost odds and
+ends and followed the recognised custom, known as "skirmishing," and
+in the end were only short of our full complement by a crossbar and a
+bicycle. I had a very busy day up to 3 o'clock when we started for Mex
+camp. We marched out, reaching this at 4.45 after a very warm tramp,
+tempered by a gentle breeze off the Mediterranean. The country through
+which we passed was barren in the extreme, honey-combed all the way
+from quarrying the soil, which is full of salt and soda with a white
+chalky base. There are everywhere deep holes full of salt water with
+salt-loving plants about them, practically the only vegetation to be
+seen; between these there is a mass of hummocks, and pinnacles, with
+occasional sheep that look like goats, feeding on I do not know what,
+unless it be a tuft-headed small grass which is found sparsely on the
+higher grounds. In front of our tents are larger mounds on which four
+camels are nibbling at this grass, these being kept by some Bedouins
+for giving milk. Seeing some dark-skinned rascals having a ride on
+them I went up to them and was offered a mount for a penny; then the
+urchin, who had an early training in fleecing, thought he might double
+his charge and held up two fingers to designate the amount and marched
+off his camel till I consented. The brute nearly broke first my neck
+and then my back, but I greatly enjoyed my short ride.
+
+Immediately after this an Inniskilling Fusilier raced Thomson and
+myself over these terrible salt pits to the sea edge where an
+unconscious man was lying, having been dragged out of the water after
+disappearing like a stone, although said to be a strong swimmer.
+
+
+_April 2nd._--A day of great heat, were it not for an occasional air
+from the Mediterranean. The whole of our camp is covered with ordinary
+soft sea-sand, and it gets very hot and very glaring. Immediately
+behind the more or less level ground on which the 29th Field Ambulance
+is encamped the pure white, chalky higher ground commences, peopled by
+camels, goats, and sheep. The last two are so much alike it is
+difficult to say which of the families they belong to.
+
+About 6 p.m. I set out for Alexandria with four of our officers. After
+a little shopping and haircutting we had an excellent dinner at the
+Grand Restaurant du Nil, all considering some fried mullet to be the
+finest fish we had ever tasted. With a fairly liberal supply of wine
+the dinner for the five of us cost only about 17s. Then to the Moulin
+Rouge, which I should say is the counterpart of its better-known
+namesake in Paris. The newness of the whole show made it amusing.
+
+
+_April 3rd._--Apparently it never rains here after summer has
+commenced. I have been studying the ornithology of these bare chalk
+mounds, and find the birds are practically the same as our commonest
+ones at home--swallows, stonechats--which have been very busy
+to-day--our two water wagtails, and the wretched little sparrow. I
+thought the flamingo was to be found along the coast but have never
+seen a specimen on this inhospitable shore. I have also seen a bird
+not unlike a thrush, and a few small things apparently of the linnet
+family. Creepy animals are only too plentiful, the most objectionable
+at present is the common housefly which is a perfect plague. They are
+everywhere and are specially fond of the rope suspending my lantern.
+Unfortunately the place that is second favourite is one's nose.
+Locusts are said to be in greater abundance in Lower Egypt than was
+ever known before. Here I have seen but a few dozen, and at first I
+took them for small dragonflies. They have the same beautiful wings,
+but their style of flight is quite different, the locust alighting
+every few yards to have a look at you. Ants, great and small, are
+everywhere in the morning, but when the sand gets too hot most of them
+disappear. One big ant has a huge head, a fairly broad tail piece and
+small body. Lizards are very common on the chalk mounds, and yesterday
+I watched four huge specimens basking in the sun half-way down an old
+lime kiln.
+
+
+_April 4th._--Easter Sunday. We had a service suitable for the day
+from a Presbyterian Chaplain on the hillside, when there were 700 to
+800 present from different units. During the sermon we all lay on the
+sand, while overhead a lark carolled forth in notes more mild than are
+uttered by our British lark, but the habits of the two are similar,
+but ours soars highest.
+
+We have improved our field mess, stores having been got privately
+among us. By this means we had a very good one o'clock dinner,
+followed by a snooze by some of us, while others slept straight on
+till tea-time. I set out alone for a walk into a part I had not
+visited before, namely, along the seashore west of Mex Camp, to
+Dakeilah village. I passed an old fort with three very old cast-iron
+guns of 9-inch bore, lying uselessly on their sides, one labelled
+"loaded--dangerous". Beyond that the sand is a great depth, and the
+natives seemed to have it divided into allotments, each piece dug into
+a deep, wide trench from 6 to 12 feet deep, and along the bottom they
+have a row of tomatoes. These grow luxuriantly, apparently in pure
+sand, but there is probably a liberal supply of manure below. Figs,
+dates, and grapes seem to be the chief fruits grown.
+
+I passed in a corner shaded by tall palm trees a large well which
+formed a perfect picture--children frisked about, while women drew
+water, and all about were their big water jars. Just beyond that my
+walk took me through a native cemetery, all the tombs exactly alike, a
+big base about five feet long and nearly three high, and a five foot
+column on each end. These were the more recent ones, the old graves
+were merely rough hillocks of stones and clay, as the modern ones will
+be some day.
+
+I was much astonished to-day at the large number of botanical
+specimens I came across. For such a sterile part it is most
+remarkable. I should say 200 species could be picked up in a
+forenoon's walk.
+
+On returning we all had a talk with a very intelligent Arab boy of
+about twelve summers, and got a number of words and a few phrases
+from him. All the native children are very pretty, they have good
+features, splendid eyes and teeth, and look as sharp as needles. If
+you dare speak to one it at once gives him an opening to demand
+backsheesh. I omitted to mention that the only Moslem minaret I have
+seen so far was in Dakeilah. These may be plentiful in Alexandria, but
+I have never been there in daylight.
+
+The following are some of the words taught us by the young Arab, but I
+found it impossible to find a satisfactory spelling for most of
+them:--
+
+  Gatusheira        Thank you.
+  Daphtar           A book.
+  Chaima            A tent.
+  Muphta            A key.
+  Sigara            A cigar.
+  Salama lecho      Good morning.
+  Dasoyak           Good-bye.
+  Homar             A donkey.
+  Asioa             Yes.
+  La                No.
+
+The following Arabic words and phrases are from a piece of paper I
+picked up in Cox's Bank, Alexandria:--
+
+  1. Wahed.       6. Setta.        11. Hidashar.
+  2. Etneen.      7. Saba'a.       12. Etnashar.
+  3. Talata.      8. Tamanya.      13. Talatashar.
+  4. Arba'a.      9. Tessa.        20. Ashrin.
+  5. Khamsa.     10. Ashara.      100. Miya.
+
+    Naharak said        Good morning.
+    Sa'a kam            What time.
+    Sa'a waked          One o'clock.
+    Maragsh Arabi       I don't speak Arabic.
+    Kam tamanu          What does it cost?
+
+
+_April 5th._--This has been a day of exceptional heat, and curiously
+is the religious day of the Moslems called Shem-el-nessim, which in
+Arabic means "breathing the cool breeze". To-day all their shops are
+shut, and the whole day is spent in the country. What is celebrated is
+the first of the hot simoon winds which last fifty days, and
+apparently the day for their commencement is most accurately gauged.
+We were all only too glad to carry out the written instructions we
+received some days ago, to keep under cover and try to sleep from noon
+to three o'clock, and if you cannot sleep yourself you must keep quiet
+and allow others to sleep. No bugle calls are allowed between these
+hours. All round us there has been haze through which the sun could
+not penetrate, but if he had the result would have been truly
+terrible. The dust has also been worse than usual and everything in my
+tent is grey. This is another of the plagues of Egypt. However, if
+rumour is true, we will soon depart from here for more active service.
+
+After dark to-night we went out in search of men supposed to be
+wounded, six of our bearers acting as these and starting fifteen
+minutes before the stretcher bearers. The night was very dark and the
+pure white ground looked absolutely even, and some narrow escapes were
+made, several finding just in time that they were on the edge of a
+precipice. We had planned a few signals, but the principal lesson we
+were taught was that these were too few in number, and owing to this
+whole stretcher squads got lost.
+
+We are still finding and having visits from new animals. To-day I had
+a dragon fly brought to me. I find I had seen several of these before
+but had mistaken them for locusts. The latter have much heavier
+bodies, but very similar wings. We have just had a visit from a huge
+beetle which we heard battering the tent, then it gradually got
+nearer, next hitting the tent pole and falling on the small table on
+which my candle flickers, the glare of which had attracted him. Kellas
+caught a moth and kept it for me. It was nothing much to look at, but
+it is the very first I have seen here. He also describes another moth
+he saw to-day as fluttering in front of a flower without alighting on
+it, but hovering and thrusting its proboscis into a long-tubed flower.
+I once saw a similar moth at Torphins (this had been the Humming bird
+moth which I have seen hundreds of since then).
+
+When different units get together in a camp the amount of thieving,
+technically called skirmishing, is beyond belief to anyone
+unaccustomed to camp life. At present we have two mules that do not
+belong to us. One wandered into our camp and a man who claimed it as
+belonging to his unit was told he had to prove his statement before he
+would be allowed to remove it, which he failed to do. To-day another
+was brought in tied to the tail-board of a wagon. It was seen
+wandering near the road between this and Alexandria, and the men in
+the wagon commandeered him at once, and here he will remain. I am a
+fairly good skirmisher myself, and when a wagon pole, for which I was
+responsible when unloading at the docks, did not turn up, I had two in
+its place in no time. We afterwards found that neither of them would
+fit any of our wagons. The cook has been handicapped in his work by
+having no table, but to-day he has one about 12 feet long which he
+tells me he got "over the road" last night when it was dark. Agassiz,
+our transport officer, requests us to look out for a picket rope; he
+would like it two inches thick and about 100 feet long. Rather a big
+order but should not be beyond our combined efforts.
+
+
+_April 6th._--Two Infantry Brigades, our Ambulance (89th) and the West
+Lancashire Ambulance (87th) were inspected by General Sir Ian
+Hamilton. Like ourselves he is an Aberdonian, being a member of the
+Hamilton family of Skene House. We had a very dusty day, all returning
+to camp quite grey.
+
+In the afternoon I visited Alexandria with Stephen and Thomson and had
+tea at the Hotel Majestic in the Square of Mahomet Ali, the finest
+part of the town, then we flattened our noses against shop windows and
+bought a few odds and ends for home. The shops along the street to the
+left of the Bourse (Rue Sheref Pasha) were good and interesting,
+especially one that sold only Egyptian goods--Tawa's--where we made
+most of our purchases.
+
+Then I chanced to come across Fiddes and Morris driving down this
+street when they hailed me and announced that they had just come from
+the Excelsior Hotel, the headquarters of the 29th Division, with the
+news that our bearers had to set off for the front before morning, and
+that I was one of the three officers who were to accompany them. We
+finished our shopping, and I went to Cook's office and wrote two post
+cards, then drove out to Mex, we all meeting round the mess table to
+hear the latest orders.
+
+
+_April 7th._--Hung about all day in expectation of the promise from
+H.Q. that they would 'phone to us when it was decided at what hour we
+were to start. No message came during the day, then after 9 p.m. an
+officer came in from our Brigade H.Q., saying they were wondering at
+the boat "why the devil we were not on board". After a little 'phoning
+we discovered we had been overlooked, and we were ordered to march at
+once as our boat was to sail at 7 a.m. to-morrow. It was now past 10
+p.m. and the men had to be roused from their tents and the mules
+yoked. We fell in, 124 men and 3 officers, and amidst loud cheers and
+handshakes we set off and reached the docks about 1.30. We were only
+allowed light equipment, the men their kitbags, waterbottles,
+haversacks, and coats rolled in bandolier fashion (i.e. full marching
+order) while the officers were supposed not to exceed the regulation
+35 lbs. of baggage. Most of our equipment we left to come on with the
+tent subdivision and transport which are expected to sail on the 10th,
+in our old ship the "Marquette". Thus ended the first four miles of
+our journey, on this the last stage, while to-morrow we sail north,
+presumably for Gallipoli, but some say Smyrna, to join in what will be
+a most bloody affair--so we have been warned by Lord Kitchener who, in
+an address to our Infantry Battalions, has said that the work before
+us will be hard in the extreme, and that he had reserved our Infantry
+as the finest Battalions in the Army for this arduous job, and told
+them that they must be prepared to face great hardships and great
+sacrifices. In the 86th Brigade, to which our Ambulance is attached,
+we have four veteran Battalions, 2nd Royal Fusiliers, 1st Lancashire
+Fusiliers, 1st Royal Dublin Fusiliers, and the 1st Munster Fusiliers.
+This Brigade was described by Sir Ian Hamilton as the flower of the
+British Army. All have served nine or ten years in India and all have
+smelt powder.
+
+
+_April 8th._--At 10.45 a.m. the Cunard liner, the "Ausonia" (better
+known at present as B4) cast off, and with the help of two tugs we
+were soon out on the open sea. She had sailed from Avonmouth on March
+16, the night on which we were booked to sail, and in the Bristol
+Channel some suspicious craft suddenly appeared. She at once altered
+her course and the two attendant torpedo boats gave chase to what was
+taken to be a German submarine. We had been told that the reason for
+our not sailing on the same date was that our boat was not in, but our
+captain afterwards told us he had been lying to for a whole week, but
+the presence of this submarine was the real reason.
+
+The forces for the present expedition against Turkey have concentrated
+in Alexandria, and are at present over 100,000 strong, mostly British
+but also largely French. To-day the pioneers of this huge force have
+set sail, and as far as I can gather our boat was the second to go
+out. We are doing 14 knots and in two or three days should reach our
+journey's end. The day is beautiful and the Mediterranean its deepest
+blue.
+
+I have been having a talk with the captain of the "Ausonia". He has
+only 64 tons of water on board, while he should have had ten times
+that amount. There are no pipes laid to the docks and the whole of the
+shipping has to depend on six water lighters which carry 60 tons each.
+At present these are totally unable to supply the huge number of
+transports in Alexandria. The half of these are flying two flags
+beside each other to denote a shortage of water. In both the ground is
+red, the upper with red diagonal stripes while the lower has a yellow
+cross.
+
+I find the cooking on the Cunard line very superior to what it was on
+the Red Star. Here it is as good as in a first-class hotel.
+
+
+_April 9th._--At 10 a.m. we were opposite rocky land to port. Some say
+this is the island of Rhodes, others Abydos, but not having a map of
+the southern part of the Archipelago I am unable to give an opinion.
+About 11.30 we had land to starboard which a naval man assured me "was
+Rhodes right enough". He pointed to a camel-backed hill and said, "If
+there is a lighthouse opposite the middle of that, then I have no
+doubt about it". It was there sure enough when examined through a
+field glass.
+
+A short time after leaving Alexandria I found by the compass we were
+steering 20° to 25° W. of N. while all this forenoon we have gone due
+N. I have been out on the deck watching an engineer unit preparing
+posts for barbed wire. At present they have poles 12 feet long; both
+ends are being pointed and a pencil mark is drawn round the middle of
+the pole. They can thus quickly make two pointed posts by means of a
+saw, but they expect to find the long poles useful before that
+happens. They will lash their shovels and other tools to these, and
+two men can carry them on their shoulders.
+
+After lunch I had a conversation with my new friend, the captain of
+the "Ausonia". He tells me the island on our port side was neither
+Rhodes nor Abydos. The most interesting piece of news I got out of him
+was that our destination was Lemnos, but that he expected that it was
+merely as a rendezvous for the whole force, and was only 48 miles from
+Sedd-el-Bahr, on the south point of Gallipoli. His view is that we
+will land a short way north of that. He is against its being so far
+north as the Gulf of Saros and the narrow neck of land there. He
+thinks the preparations against our landing there would be too
+complete by now. He is in distress over his shortage of water as none
+is to be had in the small islands. This shortage of water got me into
+trouble with the O.C. the troops on board at general parade this
+morning. Many of the men had not shaved for two days, and some looked
+untidy and unwashed, but all put this down to their being denied water
+to slake their thirst, which must come before washing and shaving but
+the order was "see that it does not happen again". I advised one
+particularly hirsute chap to lower his shaving brush into the sea
+to-morrow at the end of a string.
+
+It is a remarkable thing, noted and spoken about by us all, how seldom
+the thought of home enters our minds. I merely note this as a curious
+fact. There is no excitement about the "bloody errand"--as some one
+called it this morning--we are on, so that that is not the cause.
+Perhaps it is just as well for us that we have worried so little.
+There is far too much pity lavished on us when we go forth to war.
+
+The officers are in a state of wild excitement to-night. Wishing to
+have a game of baccarat some of them asked Whyte and myself to join
+them, which we did willingly, feeling that it was possibly our last
+night in civilisation. I did not understand the game but ended 7s. to
+the good.
+
+
+_April 10th._--Reached Lemnos about noon. We passed numerous islands
+in the Archipelago, many small, and none showed signs of life except
+for an occasional lighthouse, but all the larger ones are inhabited,
+and grow currants, figs, and grapes in abundance.
+
+Lemnos has a huge roadstead, open to the south, and at present
+protected at the two southern points by big guns and searchlights. A
+long arm forming the inner harbour extends to the right, and here a
+large number of ships is lying, eight battleships being among the
+number. We and another transport are anchored in the middle of the
+roadstead, awaiting the arrival of the other members of the
+expedition. It is said that over 100,000 will arrive from Egypt. The
+greatest warship afloat, and one that figured largely in the
+bombardment of the Dardanelles two months ago, the "Queen Elizabeth,"
+lies a short way off on our starboard. The whole is shut in by steep
+hills, rough and rugged, some of which must be over 1000 feet high.
+The land between these and the water looks well cultivated, the
+brilliant green of young crops being a relief to our eyes after our
+long voyage. We have seen nothing but sea, rocks, chalk and sand since
+March 18. I see no chance of getting ashore, but nothing would delight
+me more than a scramble to the top of the highest peak away to the
+west.
+
+I was asking a Royal Naval Officer on board if our occupying Lemnos
+involved any breach of neutrality, belonging, as it does, to Greece.
+Although Greek, it has been leased by Turkey for years, and we have in
+reality seized it from the latter.
+
+In the afternoon we entered the inner harbour and cast anchor in the
+middle of a number of transports. This inner harbour is more or less
+circular and is about three miles long and two wide.
+
+
+_April 11th._--Several transports have arrived since we entered
+yesterday. When I looked through my port-hole at 6 o'clock this
+morning the surrounding country looked very fresh, and free from all
+haze, and the bright green of the crops and grass on the hill-sides
+would have done credit to old Ireland.
+
+After lunch I met Lt.-Col. Rooth of the Dublins, who gave me some
+authentic information concerning the proposed military landing on
+Gallipoli. The covering party for the whole expedition is to be our
+86th Brigade. The Munsters are in the S.S.T. "Caledonia," (B ii) lying
+alongside our ship. The Lancashires are there also. All these, along
+with our stretcher bearers, land together from cutters, and the date
+fixed is in all probability Wednesday, April 14, or the following day
+at latest. A very warm reception from the enemy on shore is expected,
+as I gather from the way the Dublin officers talk. It is also said
+that we will have to make a dash for it under the cover of night.
+
+Practically due north from where we lie we can see the top of a
+snow-clad mountain which must be several thousand feet in height. Is
+this in Imbros? (Samothrace.)
+
+A German Taube was seen over us to-day flying very high. Two
+hydroplanes went up from our fleet and scouted round us for several
+miles for over an hour. Some say another was seen very early in the
+morning.
+
+
+_April 12th._--Orders were issued yesterday that we were to practice
+disembarking to-day in preparation for the landing on Gallipoli. The
+different units had to line up in the stations allotted to them, ours
+luckily being on the saloon deck where we will get use of the
+accommodation ladder instead of the rope ladder as first proposed.
+Except for our rations, which had not been issued, we had on our full
+marching order loads--revolver, water-bottle, ammunition, haversack,
+field glasses, map case, Burberry and ground sheet. When we land we
+will have about 5 lbs. of rations in addition.
+
+Several of the officers on our ship visited the "Queen Elizabeth"
+yesterday and returned with very alarming reports, this boat having
+many times taken part in bombarding the Dardanelles Forts has a good
+idea of what awaits us. They say the whole of Gallipoli swarms with
+Turks, and the whole coast is covered with trenches and barbed wire
+entanglements 6 feet high. They talk as if it meant absolute
+annihilation of our small covering force of about 5000. The whole
+remainder of the Expeditionary Force, I presume, will lie out at sea
+till the coast is clear--should we succeed in clearing it, but it is
+very evident every man I have spoken to has practically no hope of
+ever returning. They expect our landing cutters to be well peppered
+with shot and shell, and in our practice to-day we had to appear with
+the straps of all our equipment outside our shoulder straps, and the
+ends of our belts free, ready to whip open and get rid of it at a
+moment's notice. I noticed that all our officers were unusually quiet
+and serious last night, while they discussed the situation no doubt. I
+went to bed at my usual hour and slept like a top.
+
+The "Queen Elizabeth" went round to the Dardanelles to-day with the
+C.O.'s of the regiments which are to take part in the covering
+operations, looking for suitable places to disembark. We saw her
+return to harbour about 6 p.m., and we hear she was fired on.
+
+Whyte, Morris, and I anxiously watched a four-masted transport enter
+the harbour this evening thinking it was possibly the "Marquette,"
+but it proved to be A5, so that we have no chance of hearing from home
+before to-morrow. We want our mail before we set off again, as the
+next time will be for a long and indefinite period. All the transports
+are named "B," "A," or "C"--British, Australian, or Colonial. Ours the
+"Ausonia" is B4--no fewer than ninety transports lay in the harbour of
+Alexandria ready to carry our troops to Lemnos.
+
+
+_April 13th._--I have just returned from a trip ashore, the O.C. the
+troops granting me leave on request to do so with twenty-four of our
+men. We had three-quarters of an hour on land and had time to climb to
+the top of a small hill. What struck me most on the more level ground
+was the amount and stickiness of the mud, which was almost equal to
+our horse lines at Bedford. Every spot was covered with flowers,
+mostly of the vetch family. The corn crops were absolutely choked with
+a large, spiked, dark purple vetch, with a sprinkling of the common
+poppy (_Papaver Dubium_), and the ordinary charlock of the corn fields
+at home, and another species of this same family. I found two mallows,
+two or three thistles, one with a head like our Melancholy thistle,
+but the commonest was one with white lines on the leaf. There were
+numerous other flowers, so numerous that I thought this explained why
+so much of the honey used in Britain came from Greece and these
+islands. At the top of the hill we met a few shepherds tending sheep
+and cattle, many of the sheep wearing bells which kept up a constant
+tinkling. The men were very picturesque in their moccasin shoes,
+sheepskin waistcoats and heavy coats with hoods. On the way from shore
+with fourteen men at the six oars it was very nearly too much for us
+to reach our boat, the wind having risen suddenly. It must have taken
+us an hour to row about half a mile.
+
+Orders have come to us to-day about our landing. We are warned to
+keep our equipment dry as we will be waist-deep in water on leaving
+the tow boats. Rumour had it yesterday that Thursday night had been
+definitely fixed, but this afternoon it is said that the landing is
+likely to take place to-morrow. The thought of this, in spite of the
+warm reception promised, does not frighten one in the very least: I
+can honestly say that it never once entered my head when on shore
+to-day. When it comes to the pinch one can face the inevitable with
+perfect coolness.
+
+The following I have copied from the directory of the 29th Division,
+there being two alterations since it was published:--
+
+                  86th Infantry Brigade.
+
+  Commander           Brig.-General S.W. Hare.
+  Brig.-Major         Capt. T.H.C. Frankland, R. Dub. Fus.
+  Staff. Capt.        Capt. H.M. Farmer, Lanc. Fus.
+  2 Royal Fus.        Lt.-Col. H.C.B. Newenham.
+  Adjt.               T.D. Shafto.
+  1 Lanc. Fus.        Lt.-Col. H.V.S. Ormond.
+  Adjt.               Capt. C. Bromley.
+  1 Munster Fus.      Lt.-Col. H.E. Tizard.
+  Adjt.               Capt. H.S. Wilson.
+  1 W. Fus.           Lt.-Col. Rooth.
+  Adjt.               Major C.T.W. Grimshaw, D.S.O.
+
+The commander of the Division is General Hunter-Weston, R.E.
+
+The great harbour of Lemnos is gradually filling; we had about thirty
+troopships in the inner harbour, and before lunch seven were lying in
+the outer. It was a magnificent sight from the top of the hill I have
+mentioned.
+
+
+_April 14th._--Wednesday. Had a very slow day on board, feeling that I
+was badly in need of some hard physical exercise. No attack to be made
+to-day, that is evident, and I doubt if we are ready for it
+to-morrow. Orders are out for the usual drill to-morrow which now
+always consists of boating, landing, and climbing rope ladders
+swinging about in mid-air.
+
+After dinner I had a long talk with one of the ship's officers who had
+been in the navy for years, and is now attached to this boat to look
+after things naval. "The charge ashore" of the covering party he
+considers a vast mistake, and his idea is that the authorities have
+just discovered this too, and are reconsidering its advisability. A
+few machine-guns could wipe us all out before we get ashore. We are to
+be covered by the navy, but what is the use of big guns against
+individuals planted everywhere in trenches. However it is not for us
+"to reason why". My informant had been talking yesterday to the
+Brigade Major, and on asking him if we were still going to Gallipoli
+he said, "Oh, I think so".
+
+
+_April 15th._--Prepared this morning to go ashore with full equipment
+and lifebelt, but in the end no boat was available for the R.A.M.C.
+Just after breakfast I met a naval man on the stair leading down to
+the saloon, looking for the O.C. the troops, Col. Rooth, and he sent
+him a message through me, introducing himself as the commander of our
+covering ship. Looking over the rail I found H.M.S. "Cornwallis"
+painted on his steam-launch.
+
+6.15 p.m. Just returned from a five mile sail in a rowing boat, Morris
+and I being determined to find the "Marquette" if she was among the
+ships out in the offing, being anxious to get our letters, but she was
+not there. We sorrowfully wheeled about and returned, encircling the
+"Queen Elizabeth" with her eight 15-inch guns, then along to examine
+the German ship "Acane Herksman," which struck one of their own mines
+off Smyrna. A huge hole 7 or 8 feet wide had been blown in her bow
+which must have flooded her in a minute or so, but I forget how she
+was kept afloat. She was brought round here as a prize with her stern
+heavily loaded with sandbags which tilted her bow completely out of
+the water.
+
+Our row was a most enjoyable one, and the men rowed with a will, all
+expecting to get their home mail. The country round the bay was very
+beautiful with its green cultivated fields near the water, and
+complete circle of rugged hills, and the distant snowclad mountains
+away to the far North. All returned hungry, and while enjoying a cup
+of tea at a table of Engineer officers, we heard what is evidently the
+latest proposal about the invasion of Gallipoli. Instead of landing us
+from troopships we all go on battleships, which seems to us to be an
+improvement. We are also likely to land at three if not four different
+points at the same time. This new plan will likely take a few more
+days to develop, so that we may expect a few days' grace yet. We have
+very exact maps of Gallipoli on a large scale, with full accounts of
+all the possible landing places and the interior, with soundings round
+the whole peninsula, the nature and the amount of water to be expected
+at various points, etc.
+
+
+_April 16th._--Beautiful day; nothing stirring, even no fresh rumours
+afloat. Had a long sail to-day again with Whyte and twenty-five men in
+search of the "Marquette". Believing that the "Marquette's" new name
+was "B. 8," I boarded "B. 9," which has been here for a day or two,
+hoping the captain might be able to tell me something of her
+movements, but he thinks she has not left Alexandria. This is a
+terrible disappointment to us all, and as her load is mainly
+horse-flesh it is likely true. Horses would suffer badly lying in the
+harbour where the ventilation would be very bad and would mean death
+to many of them. I think I omitted to state that we lost nineteen
+horses between Avonmouth and Alexandria, this high death-rate being
+due to the want of proper ventilation.
+
+Whyte and I next went over a Hospital ship, the "Soudan"--which we saw
+in Malta, but was lying here on our arrival. She has four lady nurses,
+two of whom we saw. One can hardly imagine petticoats out here. We
+both agreed that the sight of them did us a lot of good.
+
+
+_April 17th._--Had breakfast at six, paraded at seven and stood on
+deck till 10.45 waiting our turn to cross to a collier that is to be
+used in the Gallipoli attack. The intention is to run her ashore at
+full speed, ploughing into the sands, when her load of 2000 men are to
+get overboard as best they can on to floating gangways. By a long
+circuitous route we all got into our places, and were packed close on
+the various decks which have had large square openings cut through the
+iron plates of the sides of the ship, and from these and the upper
+deck we have to decamp as quickly as possible.
+
+But there is now a rumour that the 89th Ambulance may not have the
+honour of participating in this dash. Whyte and I are greatly upset by
+this rumour which we hope to goodness is nothing but a mistake on
+Morris's part.
+
+Went out in the afternoon looking for the "Marquette," but she has not
+yet arrived. With some officers of the West Riding Engineers, Whyte
+and I visited the "Queen Elizabeth," the most powerful ship afloat,
+and went over her lower front turret, climbing by an iron ladder to
+the top, lowering ourselves through a manhole and clattering down on
+the floor behind the breeches of the guns. The muzzles of these guns
+look enormous, but I was completely thunderstruck when I saw the two
+great breeches side by side. They reminded me of two big engine
+boilers. They must be about 6 feet in diameter and are probably not
+less. The officer who took us round had a breech block swung back, and
+we were allowed to examine everything freely.
+
+
+_April 18th._--Started once more on the hunt for the "Marquette" (now
+B. 13) and found her at last out in the offing waiting for medical
+leave and orders to enter the harbour. Until she was medically
+examined we were not allowed on board, and had to yell to our friends
+on the upper deck and had a large mail bag lowered for the Ambulance.
+My letters had been looked out by Stephen, and these were lowered in
+his helmet at the end of a 2-inch rope.
+
+We enjoyed the sail over an absolutely smooth sea, and being Sunday we
+could hear and see that service was being conducted on several
+warships and troopers. That warlike tune "Onward! Christian Soldiers"
+was well played by a band on an Australian troopship, all singers and
+non-singers on our boat joining in. "Queen Elizabeth" is familiarly
+and affectionately known as "Lizzie" by all and sundry.
+
+
+_April 19th._--To-day is warmer than we have felt it since we left
+Mex. I have been observing all along how few birds are to be seen
+here. I saw a few small ones the day I was on shore, but I have never
+seen any of these flying over the bay or about the ships. The harbour
+gets very filthy, and highly "smelly". All refuse is dumped overboard,
+and pipes are continually discharging their filth from openings at
+various levels all round each ship. Food of all kinds, especially
+whole loaves and buns float about everywhere, enough to feed thousands
+of gulls, if they would only come along and scavenge. To-day I counted
+over thirty gulls in one flock, but I would not have believed before
+that there were so many about the whole bay.
+
+We had a call in the afternoon from our friends of the "Marquette"
+with another mail bag. I had one letter and an Aberdeen "Evening
+Express". Whyte and I returned with them and all had a very jovial
+dinner together. The latest news from H.Q. on the Cunarder "Andania"
+is that we are not to lose our post of honour after all. It was after
+nine when we started for our own ship and had a pleasant and noisy
+trip. We were challenged by "Lizzie" under whose stern we passed, with
+"boat ahoy," and we had to explain who we were. Not one of the ships
+is showing any light.
+
+Our "Marquette" friends told us of a narrow escape they had had. On
+their way from Alexandria they were immediately preceded by the
+"Manitou" (B. 12), which had three torpedoes fired at her by a Turkish
+torpedo boat, but at such close range that the torpedoes as they dived
+into the sea from the deck, went so deep that they passed under the
+ship. The "Manitou" is a sister ship of the "Marquette". Making sure
+that their end had come there was a panic, and as a boat was being
+lowered past the upper deck so many crowded on board that the davits
+broke and the whole mass crashed down on another boat already in the
+water, killing about forty.
+
+
+_April 20th._--In the afternoon I visited the village of Mudros on the
+south side of the harbour. There are several camps near this, and I
+first visited the French Foreign Legion where there were troops from
+many parts--Zouaves, Turcos, etc. I walked through the village which
+was very interesting. The money-making Greek is taking advantage of
+there being so many men about, and almost every house contains
+something for sale, with numerous newly erected wooden shops near the
+French quarters. Alcohol is cheap, a bottle of wine costing
+sevenpence. There were fig trees in every garden, and dried figs for
+sale, strung on string, which looked dry and filthy. Honey was much
+in evidence, this part of the world producing enormous quantities of
+this. The principal article of merchandise was Turkish delight. When
+examining various articles at a stall, I chanced to open a box of this
+and said "Turkish Delight!" "No, no, no," said the man, "Graeke
+Delight!" The name "Turkish" will not do at present.
+
+An old fellow, clean shaved except for an enormous moustache, took us
+over his windmill, and it was strange to see the great wooden wheels
+and wooden teeth all dry and creaking, no oil being used.
+
+The wind had risen and it cost us an hour and a half's hard pulling to
+cover less than a mile. A big gathering of men at the stern of our
+ship watched our perplexity and began to sing "Pull for the shore,
+sailor," which was replied to by volleys of oaths and threats of
+vengeance. By this time my hands were badly blistered, and we had
+smashed an oar so that our tempers were none of the best.
+
+
+_April 21st._--Marching orders were received this morning. They run as
+follows: "The object is to capture and dominate Kilid Bahr. The Royal
+Naval Division is to make a feint attack on Bulair. The Australians
+are to land at Kapa Teke. The 29th Division is to land at Helles
+Burnu. The French are to land at Kum Kale on the Asiatic side.
+
+"The 29th Division are to attack Kilid Bahr:--
+
+"A. A force to land at Eski Hissarlik.
+
+"B. A force west of Krithia.
+
+"C. A force on the rest of the south of the peninsula.
+
+"1. The first line of defence to be '114, '138, '141.
+
+"2. The second through the "e" of Old Castle to join hands with Y.
+Beach.
+
+"3. From Eski Hissarlik to East of Krithia to '472.
+
+"4. To capture Achi Baba and line running south of it.
+
+"5. To occupy a line running East of Achi Baba to the sea; and west of
+it to sea by 472.
+
+"The covering force is the 86th Brigade, the South Wales Borderers,
+1st King's Own Scottish Borderers, 2nd Hampshires less two companies,
+Plymouth Royal Naval Division, West Riding Engineers, 1st Section
+Royal London Engineers, and a tent-subdivision of the 87th Field
+Ambulance, and a part of a tent-subdivision of the 88th Field
+Ambulance, and three bearer-subdivisions of the 89th Field Ambulance.
+
+"A hot meal is to be taken before leaving the ship.
+
+"There will be a signal station at W. Beach, Divisional Head-quarters
+on the 'Euryalus'.
+
+"No water to be drunk till tested owing to the risk of its being
+poisoned."
+
+So ran the orders from our G.O.C. in C.--General Sir IAN HAMILTON.
+
+On going on deck before breakfast I found everything had been arranged
+for our departure this afternoon at four o'clock, and since then all
+has been hurry and bustle. But from early morning till about 3 p.m. it
+rained and the wind blew, and the whole world was in haze, and as it
+had been arranged that Gallipoli was to be well bombarded by our ships
+to-day before the army attempted a landing all had to be postponed for
+another twenty-four hours.
+
+
+_April 22nd._--To-day we gave the men their Iodine ampules for use
+with their first field dressings, and distributed General
+Hunter-Weston's address congratulating our Brigade on the honour done
+us on receiving the chief post of danger in the coming attack, which
+will likely be at daybreak on Saturday, April 24. Before the Turkish
+trenches can be reached by our men it is expected that they will have
+to get through a wire entanglement 25 feet wide and 6 feet high.
+According to the present plans we are to be preceded by the Royal
+Munster Fusiliers.
+
+There is great activity in Lemnos Harbour this morning, especially
+among the torpedo boats which have been flitting about at their
+hardest. No boats have been allowed to leave our ship for two days,
+the order being that this can only be done if to save life. Water,
+which we were much in need of, was brought on board last night, and we
+are ready to start off--and have been since yesterday at 4 p.m. the
+appointed hour. But it would be contrary to all my experience if we
+got away at the fixed time.
+
+Fiddes arrived from the "Marquette" at lunch time and brought my
+service cap, helmets having been recalled a week ago.
+
+Lord Kitchener sent us the other day an account of the fighting at
+Busorah, preparing us for what was before us. The Turks had fought
+desperately, were well trained, and well led, and could only be turned
+out of their trenches at the point of the bayonet.
+
+General Sir Ian Hamilton, Commander-in-Chief of the Mediterranean
+Force, sends us his address:--
+
+
+                                     "FORCE ORDER (SPECIAL),
+                                     "GENERAL HEAD-QUARTERS,
+                                     "_April 21, 1915._
+
+  "Soldiers of France and of the King!
+
+  "Before us lies an adventure unprecedented in modern war. Together
+  with our comrades of the fleet we are about to force a landing
+  upon an open beach in face of positions which have been vaunted by
+  our enemies as impregnable. The landing will be made good, by the
+  help of God and the Navy, the positions will be stormed, and the
+  war brought one step nearer to a glorious close.
+
+  "'Remember,' said Lord Kitchener, when bidding adieu to your
+  commander, 'Remember, once you set foot on the Gallipoli
+  Peninsula, you must fight the thing through to a finish'.
+
+  "The whole world will be watching our progress. Let us prove
+  ourselves worthy of the great feat of arms entrusted to us.
+
+                        "(Signed)  IAN HAMILTON, _General_."
+
+
+_April 23rd._--Spent most of the forenoon on the "Caledonia" (B. iii),
+which is lashed to our port side. Agassiz and Thomson arrived there
+yesterday with nineteen men, forming one tent-subdivision, and go with
+us.
+
+A different atmosphere pervades our ship to-day, a feeling of strain
+and anxiety is more or less on every mind, not that it would be
+apparent to an outsider except in a case or two. Bad news has leaked
+in all the time from the navy and our airmen, all the time this
+getting worse, such as the account that Gallipoli swarms with
+well-armed Turks, wire entanglements of great breadth and height
+everywhere, and, of course, trenches. We have plans of their trenches
+and gun emplacements, but these can only be roughly correct. Then
+yesterday the airmen made another reconnaissance, and they say they
+have found a great increase of guns. We may be outnumbered ten or
+twelve to one, and our having to face their well-defended positions in
+open boats is not altogether comforting, and naturally all feel a bit
+anxious. General Hare, our Brigadier, spoke to me on the "Caledonia,"
+and I thought he looked worried, and is thinner than when I saw him
+last at Coventry. Col. Rooth of the Dublins does not look over happy.
+He came down to lunch, had a look at the table, and went up to deck
+with a cigarette, and at the present moment he stands near where I am
+writing with both hands in his pockets, peering straight down the side
+of the ship into the waters. Those of us with less responsibility are
+certainly less troubled; all are prepared for great sacrifices, and
+every one is ready to play his part in what will certainly be a great
+tragedy.
+
+The particular part of the coast on which I land with the 89th Field
+Ambulance is a short way west of Sedd-el-Bahr, landing in the collier
+"River Clyde," on which there will be a force of 2100. I have already
+spoken about this boat. From what is going on I will be surprised if
+we do not leave Lemnos to-night.
+
+8.30 p.m. Off! We set sail from Lemnos at 4.57, two boats of the A.
+class going out before us, but these two anchored outside while we led
+straight on. On coming on deck after dinner we found three warships on
+our starboard side, said to be the "Swiftsure," "Dublin," and
+"Euryalus," all in line, no lights on them or us. Our port-holes are
+covered first with cardboard and the iron shutters are down over it.
+The sharer of my cabin (Lt. G.A. Balfour, a relative of the statesman)
+and I wonder if we should sleep on deck, the atmosphere here will be
+uncomfortably close. The evening as we started was perfect, warm and
+absolutely calm. Now the moon looks watery and has a big halo, and
+wind is prophesied by the ship's officers. We drag three large barges
+alongside which prevent our going at much speed, and it is expected
+that we will reach Tenedos about 3 a.m.
+
+
+_April 24th._--Saturday. Reached Tenedos and cast anchor at 9.30 a.m.
+We had been delayed by the wind rising and the waves dashed over our
+lighters till they were nearly swamped. On our east we have the coast
+of Asia with several high hills near the coast.
+
+All the transports--not many yet arrived but B. s. i., ii., and iii.
+form a little group--torpedo boats and destroyers, mine-sweepers, tugs
+and other small fry lie in a bay, and as if for defence, and no doubt
+that is their purpose, eight big battleships are drawn up in line
+facing the open sea. The famous "Horse of Troy," the "River Clyde,"
+lies near, and the thought of spending the coming night on her lowest
+deck is not attractive. She is painted khaki on one side I see, but
+only in patches, the idea evidently is to make her resemble a
+sandstone rock--all very ingenious no doubt, but she will make a good
+target in spite of her paint.
+
+I said yesterday that all the officers looked anxious, but in the
+evening all were their old selves exactly, and baccarat went on as
+usual among the younger officers who sang all their usual songs and
+yelled and laughed till midnight. I was in bed by ten and slept even
+better than usual, and it was with an effort I got up at 8 o'clock.
+The fact that I was in a new part and in the midst of a big fleet did
+not even seem to interest me very much. Nor does the thought of
+to-morrow disturb any one, and, as far as I can judge, it is not very
+often in one's mind.
+
+We lie on the north side of Tenedos, near the foot of Mount St. Elias.
+Several of us were guessing the height of this hill, and none put it
+at over 250 feet although its actual height is 625 feet.
+
+At 3 p.m. came a naval message ordering us all to be ready for
+transfer to our respective boats at 3.45--all hurry and bustle. I have
+loaded up and am at present guarding a pile of coats, water-bottles,
+etc., belonging to our men who have hurried off to the galley to get
+their last meal for the day. The sea has been rough all day but is now
+calmer, and there is every prospect of fine weather for to-morrow's
+murderous work. Away to the east the Asiatic coast is beautifully lit
+up by the setting sun, also the yellow rocks that stretch to Kum Kale
+on the south of the entrance to the Dardanelles, while the hills on
+Gallipoli are visible but in haze. From my present post I look over
+the Plain of Troy to the high mountains beyond. To-morrow it is to be
+Troy Field and the wooden horse of Troy all over again.
+
+10.30 p.m.--Arrived on coal boat at 6.30. Place in stern fitted up for
+officers' supper; two lime barrels and a few rough boards form table:
+whisky: tinned meat: biscuits: 2200 of us on board: all happy and fit.
+We start in two hours: only 12 or 13 miles to go: then anchor 1-1/2
+miles from land and wait for daylight and bombardment; then at proper
+moment rush in: said that coast is to be battered with 150,000 shells.
+Supper finished some time ago and am writing this in the mess I have
+just mentioned. Some sleeping or pretending; others smoking; I doing
+latter and sitting on board after trying to snooze with head on a big
+box and less high one in small of back; but too uncomfortable for
+anything, so whipped out my "bookie" and scribbled; light bad, only an
+oily lamp with glass smoked black, and nearly 20 feet distant. Queer
+scene altogether.
+
+
+_April 25th._--Sunday is just ten minutes old, and the ship's screw
+has started--we are off!
+
+_Later._--Still Sunday the 25th--5.15 p.m.
+
+Hell with the lid off! Yes, I know what hell is, nor do I believe
+anyone in the world knows better. To-day I have seen shells plunging
+through the ship's hold in which I was, carrying off heads and legs,
+but my pulse has not once given an extra beat. "My word, sir," said a
+tar coming up to me, "you have a nerve." Tars have no lack of nerve as
+I have seen to-day, and I felt vastly proud of the compliment. Three
+of our Generals are reported on the casualty list, and Col.
+Smith-Carrington shot through the head on the bridge of our ship.
+
+The bombardment commenced at 4.50 a.m. and was expected to carry on
+for an hour or a little over, but after twelve hours of the most
+terrific cannonade ever experienced in this world it has not yet come
+to an end. Now at 5.30 an occasional shot comes from a battleship.
+The constant roar has made my head ache, and I am dead tired, having
+worked hard all day, and I must give an account of this another day.
+
+
+_April 26th._--The battle of Sedd-el-Bahr still rages, and with a fury
+but little less than yesterday. Yesterday was a very hard day, after
+attending wounded almost continuously up to 8.30 p.m. I volunteered to
+go ashore to see the wounded on the beach. The dead and dying were
+here in hundreds. Before I got back to the ship at 4 this morning I
+had a very hot time of it, and cannot understand why I am not a dead
+man. We were told yesterday that a counter-attack was to be made and
+that the Turks intended to blow the ship to pieces with cannon, which
+they were to bring up in the night. When the attack did come I gave up
+all hopes of anything but slaughter, as the men we had on land were
+insufficient in number to meet a large force.
+
+About fifty men were leaving the ship when this started, and at the
+sound of the firing all fell flat on their faces, and if any one dared
+to move he was at once fired at. Some one on a barge next the small
+boat in which I had taken shelter asked if he could crawl into our
+boat, but I dared him or anyone else to move as such movement would
+only draw fire on every one of us. Not a man stirred, but lay on his
+face from midnight to 4 o'clock. It was not till the end of the attack
+that I learned these men had an officer with them. As I lay in the
+boat I shouted to them that an assault on us was likely, and ordered
+them to load and fix bayonets, and to see that all had plenty of
+ammunition. Extra bandoliers of cartridges were passed up from the
+rear, each pushing these along with a clatter. All this with the red
+cross on my arm! And with loaded revolver in hand I was prepared to
+die game.
+
+The wounds I saw yesterday were in every part of the body, and most
+were severe, and the death-rate in proportion to wounded will be very
+high, many having four or five wounds.
+
+Snipers are giving an extraordinary amount of trouble, the ground
+yielding itself to numerous hiding places overlooking our beach, about
+the rocks on our left as well as the immense old fort. The end of the
+fort nearest us is now but a jumble of huge stones and is an excellent
+place for snipers. A number of jackdaws and three huge storks had
+their dwelling here and have now to live pretty much in the heavens,
+circling over their old home in an excited condition.
+
+It is now but 11.30 a.m. and I have been having a rest preparatory to
+the advance we are to make this afternoon. I have not had a wink of
+sleep since the 24th.
+
+We join up with the French this afternoon. How the guns still thunder!
+The "Queen Elizabeth" with her 15-inch guns thundering over our heads
+as we rushed in past her at close quarters seemed to make our boat of
+6600 tons sink some way in the water at every broadside. I was
+surprised to find that the heavy gunfire gave me no trouble, although
+like most of the others I began with cotton wool in my ears, but half
+an hour of this was enough, it interfered with sounds it was necessary
+to hear.
+
+Here I am writing in the midst of one of the greatest battles in
+history. Any bombardment this world has ever known was a mere
+bagatelle to this.
+
+To-day we had a naval funeral of General Napier and Colonel
+Smith-Carrington. The former was killed on a barge attached to us, and
+the other on the bridge. No one is to be present but the Catholic
+padre. A number of men are to be buried at the same time. The orders I
+received stated that all bodies had to be got rid of before we
+advanced. A pinnace from a warship was signalled for and all were
+taken out to sea.
+
+Our advance from the shore began to-day about noon, our men lining out
+along the sands and the banks above, and gradually getting forward by
+short rushes. Barbed wire had also to be cut. But the advance through
+the village was the most difficult, as the remains of houses and
+garden walls contained snipers. I almost shiver to look back on a mad
+thing I did to-day--mad because it was done out of mere curiosity. I
+was asked to go to "Old Fort" beyond the village, near the outermost
+capture for to-day to see Colonel Doughty-Wylie and Major Grimshaw who
+were reported badly wounded. Both were dead, and as I was about to
+return I was next asked if I would go to a garden at the top of the
+village to see some wounded men. Afterwards I went right through the
+village alone, with only my revolver in my hand, and from the houses
+sniping was still going on. I had been assured that it was supposed to
+be safe. I peered into a number of wrecked houses--every house had
+been blown to bits--and I had not long returned when sniping commenced
+from a prominent corner house I had just passed. The only living
+things I saw in the village were two cats and a dog. I was very sorry
+for a cat that had cuddled close to the face of a dead Turk in the
+street, one leg embracing the top of his head. I went up to stroke and
+sympathise with it for the loss of what I took to be its master, when
+I found that the upper part of the man's head had been blown away, and
+the cat was enjoying a meal of human brains. The dog followed till I
+came upon three Dublin Fusiliers, who wished to shoot it straight away
+when I pleaded for it, but one of them had a shot at it when my back
+was turned and the poor brute went off howling. I had done my best,
+when going along the fosse of the "Old Fort," to save a badly wounded
+Turk from three of another battalion who were standing over him and
+discussing the advisability of putting an end to him, but I am afraid
+my interference was in vain here also.
+
+Away beyond the heights we have taken to-day the country is very
+pretty with plenty of trees and vegetation. Here I saw dead and
+wounded Turks in abundance, especially at some of their own wire
+entanglements, several wounded being stretched out on the wires. Their
+wire is very barbarous and has long, closely set spikes, and the
+position must have been anything but comfortable.
+
+Another counter-attack--the third--has just been made, and one of our
+battleships has joined in.
+
+The Dublins, whose officers I have associated most with, have only
+three of these left out of twenty-seven. I came across two of these
+to-day--Padre Finn, R.C. Chaplain, whom I knew well and greatly
+respected, I found at the edge of the sea, with his clothes thrown
+open exhibiting a wound in the chest. And in the village, all huddled
+up among long weeds and nettles I found a lieutenant who sat at my
+table on the "Ausonia"--Bernard. In both cases death must have been
+instantaneous.
+
+Here comes a fourth attack. Our boys are to have a night of it.
+
+To-day only about eighteen shells were fired at the "River Clyde" all
+from the Asiatic side, only one hitting. We were putting wounded on
+board at the time and most of the shots were directed against these
+operations.
+
+I have had no sleep since I left Tenedos, but to-night I feel very
+fresh, although the day has been long and busy.
+
+All who know are quite satisfied with to-day's progress, and the hope
+that the worst is over cheers one. To-morrow we will have to move on,
+we must keep the Turks on the run. Some of the prisoners taken to-day
+are German.
+
+(Being unable in my letters to my wife to give a full account of all
+that was doing, my diary was meant to fill in gaps, and as I had sent
+home a fairly full account of the landing much is omitted here, and I
+will give a more extended description as seen by myself. About this
+time in particular my diary had to be written at odd moments, and it
+was rare that I could go far without being disturbed, and writing a
+few sentences half a dozen times a day, or even oftener, often ended
+in a jumble.)
+
+Of the five British landings the one at Sedd-el-Bahr (V. Beach) was
+the most difficult and disastrous.
+
+On the 24th of April we were still lying at Tenedos, and in the
+afternoon were transferred to the "River Clyde". We learned the
+previous day that we were to land from this old coal boat that had
+been rendered so peculiar with her great, gaping holes, and khaki
+splashes on her starboard side. She had been an object of curiosity to
+us in Lemnos harbour, no one having any idea of her purpose.
+
+Before dark all the men were served with tea and food, which we were
+told was to be their last solid meal. Soon after this the men retired
+to rest in a hold near the stern which had been allotted to the West
+Riding Engineers and ourselves. The officers took up their quarters in
+the stern deck house, where we had cocoa, tinned meat, etc., after
+which we too tried to make ourselves as comfortable as possible in the
+most uncomfortable of all quarters, most shutting their eyes and
+pretending to be asleep.
+
+Our nerves were now fully strung, we knew we were on the very eve of
+the landing, which we were assured was to be rendered easy by the
+Navy, which had promised that their bombardment was to be so terrific
+that nothing the size of a cockroach would be left alive on the
+peninsula. We soon learned to our cost how difficult it was to
+substantiate this assertion.
+
+From Tenedos we were but a small party of ships. In the pitchy
+darkness we had fallen in with the bigger fleet coming direct from
+Lemnos, and as we crept along, every ship in total darkness, we could
+just make out other ships alongside us. One with big hull and unusual
+length of guns was immediately on our port. At close quarters there
+was no mistaking this for anything but a dummy warship.
+
+After a time the searchlight on the point of the peninsula could be
+seen sweeping its rays in long, regular flashes across the sea. By
+this time those ships that had furthest to go were ahead of us to the
+right and left. Just as the inky darkness was beginning to be
+dispelled there was a change in these lazy flashes. We were detected.
+At once they changed their long, comprehensive sweeps into sharp jerks
+from one ship to another as each hove into the rays. The searchlight
+soon went out, while hurried messages were no doubt being flashed over
+the wires to Constantinople and many points in our immediate
+neighbourhood, announcing our long-expected arrival.
+
+Soon the guns began to roar, the first I heard being to our left up
+the Gulf of Saros, but in a few minutes all the ships had joined in
+the chorus, from what was afterwards known as Anzac all round the
+point and some way up the Dardanelles. A grand roar such as the world
+had never heard. The peninsula was quickly one dense cloud of
+poisonous-looking yellow-black smoke, through which flashes of
+bursting shells were to be seen everywhere. It was truly a magnificent
+sight, and the roar of the guns stirred one's blood like some martial
+skirl from the bagpipes. The feeling one had was a longing for them to
+hurry up and do their work, and let us get at the Turk at close
+quarters.
+
+Our old ship crept slowly in through the ring of warships, took a
+circular turn just as we were passing through the line--apparently we
+were in too great a hurry--then we straightened our course and passed
+close past our covering ship, "Queen Elizabeth," the finest ship in
+the whole Navy, and which had been detailed to look after us. How her
+guns roared as she poured out broadside, as we passed by her port
+side, straight in on full steam for the strip of sand under the
+village and fort of Sedd-el-Bahr.
+
+Unable from our hold to see properly what was doing, I had spent most
+of the time on deck, and when about 200 yards from land I darted down
+below to warn the men to lie down in case we struck rock, when the
+impact would have been violent. I held on to a stanchion. We were fast
+in the sand before I was really aware that the ship was aground--there
+to lie for four years, to be shot at constantly whilst we occupied
+Gallipoli, but in spite of all her buffeting to serve many uses, and
+finally to become an object of veneration, "as holy as Westminster
+Abbey" some one says of her in "The Sphere". For the 2100 of us on
+board there was to be no retreat whatever happened. We had crossed the
+Rubicon and burned our boats.
+
+On board we had the 1st Munster Fusiliers, two companies of the 1st
+Dublin Fusiliers, one company of Hants, 100 marines, a few of the
+Signal Company, the West Riding Engineers, and 124 stretcher-bearers
+of the 89th Field Ambulance.
+
+We had been dragging along huge barges on either side, enough to form
+a couple of gangways, had they only behaved as was intended. When the
+ship struck, the momentum these had on should have been enough to keep
+them on their way till they grounded ahead of us, drawing but very
+little water as they did; but somehow or other this part was a
+failure, they grounded too soon, then broke away from each other. The
+men had then to get ashore in open boats manned by the marines we had
+on board. This was at once pushed on, boat after boat left the ship's
+side for the beach, perhaps 30 yards off, terrific machine-gunfire
+sweeping each boat.
+
+The first few loads escaped with comparatively few casualties, but
+soon the fire was so hot and accurate that practically not a man got
+to the shelter of the 10 to 12-foot high sandbank beyond the narrow
+strip of sand. About 300 yards to our left was a high projecting rock,
+a continuation of the high ground that closed in that side of the long
+slope of V. Beach, and from here came that infernal shower of bullets
+that was causing such terrible havoc. From the "Clyde" one could
+easily tell where the bullets were coming from by their sputter in the
+water.
+
+A constant stream of shells was being kept up all the time on this
+rock from the ships. The whole rim of V. Beach, as it stretched
+backwards for 500 or 600 yards, was searched time after time by high
+explosives, each shell bursting with accurate precision 5 or 6 feet
+under the crest. But the mischief was not coming from this crest, it
+was from that infernal rock alone, but in spite of all their efforts
+our guns could not silence this machine-gunfire.
+
+It was an extraordinary sight to watch our men go off, boat after
+boat, push off for a few yards, spring from the seats to dash into the
+water which was now less than waist deep. It was just on this point
+that the enemy fire was concentrated. Those who got into the water,
+rifle in hand and heavy pack on back, generally made a dive forward
+riddled through and through, if there was still life in them to drown
+in a few seconds. Many were being hit before they had time to spring
+from the boats, their hands were thrown up in the air, or else they
+heaved helplessly over stone dead. All this I watched from the holes
+in the side of the ship, but when not otherwise occupied, from the
+deck where I could see on all sides.
+
+But soon we of the Field Ambulance had other work to do. Many of the
+boats had all their rowers killed and never returned, others were able
+to push back, generally with most of their marines laid out, but with
+sufficient left to man a boat. Back they came to our starboard hole,
+and the wounded were lifted up to us and attended to. Repeatedly the
+whole of our floor was covered with wounded and dead men; a pinnace
+would arrive from a ship and relieve us of our wounded, but we filled
+up again almost at once.
+
+Along the water's edge there was now a mass of dead men, on the sand a
+mixture of dead and weltering wounded, while a fair number had reached
+the sandbank just beyond, where, under an enfilading fire from the
+rock, they scraped themselves into the recesses. Boats from the other
+ships were being towed in in threes by pinnaces, till close to the
+beach when the pinnaces wheeled about, and for the last short distance
+they had to trust to their oars. Those landing to our right and left
+as they came in from the other ships were faring no better than those
+from the "Clyde". One boat half-way to the rock, and which had been
+left stranded, had three men caught in the festooned rope that runs
+round the gunwale. Into this they had dived, probably as the boat
+heeled over to that side and the rope had floated outwards, and there
+they swung for the rest of the day, two not moving a muscle and
+evidently dead, but for long I could see the other poor fellow stretch
+out his arms time after time, but before evening he too was still.
+
+They still kept splashing on between the boats and the sand, dived
+forward and fell dead at once, or were drowned, till at last it was
+seen that it was useless to continue such slaughter to no purpose, and
+the landing at this point had to be given up for the time being.
+
+After the hellish morning we had had, the afternoon thus became
+comparatively quiet. Those who were still unwounded made for the ruins
+of the round tower of the fort, slightly to our right. Round this pile
+of stones they peered, looking for the Turk, who was always found,
+but here there were but few shots exchanged, as the Turks advanced our
+men made a rush backwards, or to the sands below, in time to prowl
+forward once more to have another look, and make the same rush back.
+
+Then came night with its full moon. An attempt was made to land more
+men about 8 o'clock. These were fired on and again we had to desist.
+
+About 8.30 an officer on shore made a dash for our ship, and on
+describing the terrible condition and suffering of the wounded who had
+been in the sandbank for about fourteen hours, I decided to go to
+their assistance. We had previously been officially warned that it
+would be impossible for any of the Ambulance to land before morning,
+but heedless of this I set off alone over the barges and splashed
+through the remaining few yards of water. Here most of those still
+alive were wounded more or less severely, and I set to work on them,
+removing many useless and harmful tourniquets for one thing, and
+worked my way to the left towards the high rocks where the snipers
+still were. All the wounded on this side I attended to, an officer
+accompanying me all the time. I then went to the other side, and after
+seeing to all in the sand my companion left me, and I next went to a
+long, low rock which projected into the water for about 20 yards a
+short way to the right of the "Clyde". Here the dead and wounded were
+heaped together two and three deep, and it was among these I had my
+hardest work. All had to be disentangled single-handed from their
+uncomfortable positions, some lying with head and shoulders in the
+tideless water, with broken legs in some cases dangling on a higher
+level.
+
+At the very point of this rock, which had been a favourite spot for
+the boats to steer to, there was a solid mass of dead and wounded
+mixed up together. The whole of these I saw to, although by this time
+there was little I could do except lift and pull them into more
+comfortable positions, but I was able to do something for every one of
+them. My last piece of work was to look after six men who were
+groaning in a boat stranded close to the point of the rock. Three lay
+on each side with their legs inwards; a plank ran the whole length of
+the middle of the boat, and along this as it rested on their legs, men
+had been running during the landing. Getting on this plank some of
+them howled in agony and beseeched me to get off. I then got into the
+water and as I could do nothing more for them, my dressings being
+finished some time before, I gave each a dose of morphia by the mouth.
+
+I had just finished and was standing waist-deep in the water when the
+Turkish counter-attack commenced with a volley from the distant end of
+the fort, not over 300 yards off. The only person the Turk could see
+was myself, the sandbank protecting the others from view, and at least
+seven or eight bullets spluttered round me in the water. I had been
+well warned that this counter-attack would take place at any moment,
+but I never gave it a single thought. It was in anticipation of this
+that the others clung to the shelter of the sandbank and I was left to
+work alone. I immediately splashed for a small boat that formed the
+end of one of the gangways, and into this I hauled myself. On looking
+at my watch I found it was just midnight, and that I had thus been at
+work for three and a half hours.
+
+Midnight had evidently been chosen by the Turk as the hour at which to
+attack, and also by us to make another attempt to land men. At this
+moment a body of our men were coming along the gangway, the first of
+them being close to this boat which was on a slightly lower level than
+the barges that formed the bulk of the gangway. The five foremost
+threw themselves into my boat and we lay stretched across the seats,
+the men on the barges lying down at once where they were. Here none
+of us had any protection, and it was a miracle any one of us escaped,
+the fire from machine-guns and rifles was so terrific. Each bullet as
+it struck the "Clyde" drove sparks, while the old ship was ringing
+like a great bell. Two of our six were hit, the man stretched
+alongside me fatally. A seventh man in the water hauled himself in
+beside us, and as he was getting over the gunwale shouted, "Oh! I am
+hit". Hit or not hit we could not pay the slightest attention to each
+other now, all we could do was to lie low.
+
+All this time I was expecting a rush for the "Clyde" by the Turks, and
+the boat I was in would be the first part of the gangway they would
+reach, and I could not help wondering what it would be like to get a
+bayonet through my stomach, but the feeling that this would certainly
+happen was not half so terrible as I should have expected. I had my
+revolver in my hand all the time, and it was a comfort to think that I
+would almost certainly account for two or three Turks before I
+experienced this new sensation.
+
+The fire was kept up for about four hours, mainly on the side of the
+ship. As soon as there was a lull an officer in my boat shouted out.
+"This won't do, we must now land, follow me." He got up and splashed
+ashore, but the men, thinking he had been too hasty, preferred to wait
+a little longer after the Turks had ceased fire, but soon they began
+to move and dash singly for the land. I wished to get on the ship, and
+not half liking to get into an upright position either, I crept
+through and over those still on the barges, amidst much cursing from
+my paining the wounded, who must have been numerous.
+
+I had had a strenuous and exciting day and night, and I must say I
+felt it a relief when I hopped through the nearest hole in the
+"Clyde". It was now 4 o'clock, and I shivered with cold. I had been
+soaked over the head, and lying four hours in the open boat in a cold
+night it was impossible to keep warm. A big, black cloud had floated
+up over the moon, and we had a fairly sharp but short shower of rain.
+By this time the moon was nearing the horizon, and it was when another
+cloud came over her face that I succeeded in reaching the ship.
+
+I found they had had a fairly trying time here too, although the
+ship's plates were thick enough to resist bullets. The noise of
+100,000 bullets showering on the sides of the "Clyde" had caused a
+deafening din, and many had the wind up badly, not knowing what was
+going on outside.
+
+The behaviour of the "River Clyde" had been a great puzzle to the
+Turks. She was not long aground when the guns on Kum Kale, across the
+Dardanelles, opened on us, and this fire was kept up the whole day--on
+us and us only as far as I could make out. It took them some time to
+get our range, and for a considerable time we were not hit, all the
+shells being shorts or overs. At last they got us, the first shell
+that hit going through our hold at an angle of 45 degrees, coming
+through the deck over our heads, and going out at the junction of the
+floor and side wall. In its course it struck a man on the head, this
+being splashed all through the hold. Another man squatting on the
+floor was hit about the middle of both thighs, one leg being
+completely severed, while the other hung by a tiny shred of skin only.
+He fell back with a howl with both stumps in the air.
+
+In five minutes a second shell entered our hold, wounding two or three
+where we were, mostly by the buckling of the floor plates, then
+passing down below to the lowest hold where many men were sheltering
+under the water line. Here six or seven were laid out.
+
+After this we had many narrow escapes, but I believe only two other
+shells actually struck the ship that day. By good luck none exploded
+in their passage through, otherwise the casualty list would have been
+very heavy. Many had been hit and killed on deck by machine-gun
+bullets, and many bullets had found their way through the small
+openings cut for working the twelve machine-guns that were placed
+there.
+
+(I have the kind permission of the author, a scholarly and
+much-respected member of our Corps, to insert the following poem which
+appeared in "The British Weekly" and one of the Aberdeen papers.)
+
+
+THE FACE OF DEATH.
+
+(_Dedicated to Lieutenant George Davidson._)
+
+    We shall not be the men we were before,
+      No, never while we draw this mortal breath:
+    For we have probed existence to the core,
+      And looked upon the very Face of Death.
+
+    Upon our famous collier, "River Clyde,"
+      We sat as men who wait the summons dread.
+    Brave soldiers fell, defenceless, at our side,
+      We, too, might soon be numbered with the dead.
+
+    With fateful frequency the shells did burst
+      Around and near the members of our Corps:
+    Within our hearts we asked, "Who'll be the first
+      To converse with his comrades never more?"
+
+    O never, never from our memory's page
+      Shall be erased these moments of despair:
+    An hour seemed an interminable age,
+      But, in His mercy, God our lives did spare.
+
+    We care not what the worldly wise may say,
+      We owe deliverance to the God of Heaven,
+    Whose Power Omnipotent the worlds obey,
+      'Gainst whose decrees mankind in vain hath striven.
+
+    Had He but chosen that our hour had come,
+      No scheming had availed our lives to save:
+    'Twas not the hour to call our spirits home,
+      The Lord must take, as 'twas the Lord that gave.
+
+    And not in vain were we to death brought nigh,
+      For He whose presence came our hearts so near
+    Hath taught us we can ne'er His Will defy,
+      But evermore should live in reverent Fear.
+
+    And men have scaled the sacred slopes of Prayer
+      Who ne'er before aspired to heights above:
+    And find the Universe divinely fair
+      Because 'tis governed by a Heart of Love.
+
+    GEORGE STEPHEN.
+
+    89TH FIELD AMBULANCE, R.A.M.C.,
+    GALLIPOLI, _24th May, 1915_.
+
+(The following is taken from my diary and dated August 3, 1916, just
+after we had landed in the Ypres salient to which the remains of our
+Division went after being wiped out in the great Somme fight the
+previous month:--
+
+"I have to-day received a copy of the Aberdeen 'Free Press,' dated
+July 28, where there is an article on Gallipoli by one of our
+transport men, G. Burnett, who is now a lieutenant in the Scottish
+Horse. It runs: 'It is scarcely fair to single out officers and men
+who did gallant service that first week, but I feel that I ought to
+mention the names of Lieutenant George Davidson, and Private Gavin
+Greig. Lieutenant (now Captain) Davidson gained the D.S.O. while Greig
+was promoted sergeant shortly afterwards. We were told that Lieutenant
+Davidson led a bayonet charge, but he certainly did go into
+Sedd-el-Bahr, revolver in hand, to look for curios when there was yet
+great danger from snipers. And he used to go up towards the Turkish
+trenches, gathering flowers which he would show us on his return.
+Every man of us would have followed him anywhere. I recollect going
+out to help the bearers to take in some wounded, when the party of
+which I formed a member fell in with Lieutenant Davidson. "Oh," he
+said, "would you men like to look for wounded on the hill-side?"
+"Yes," we answered. "Well, follow me," and we did until an officer
+forbade us to go any further.'"
+
+The D.S.O. never materialized. I am assured a Cairo paper announced
+that it did, and I was often congratulated on the honour. But, as
+Artemus Ward would say, "Please, Mr. Printer, put a few asterisks
+here".)
+
+
+_April 28th._--Yesterday was spent dodging shells, with a short
+advance in the evening, and I had not time to write up my diary. At
+the present moment I am out reconnoitring alone, my post being the top
+of the high cliff west of our landing place, where the snipers gave us
+so much trouble, and I sit on the slope of the two gun battery which
+has its big Krupp guns dismantled, the result of the naval battering a
+few weeks ago.
+
+A great advance on Krithia has begun, the various combatant units
+having already moved off, or are busily preparing. Those already over
+the ridges near the south point of the peninsula are having the
+attentions of the Krithia guns, a constant stream of shells coming
+from there. Many are also landing about our beach where the enemy
+knows large bodies of troops are still landing. All our sea monsters
+are busy off the whole point of Gallipoli, so far up the Dardanelles,
+and round the west coast. The air vibrates, and the roaring echoes all
+round never cease. And over all is a brilliant, scorching sun, the air
+otherwise a dead calm, and not a ripple on the Aegean. In spite of
+this calm a terrific day is in progress for the Turk and us, but we
+hope to make a great advance before night towards the capture of the
+forts at the Narrows. All round where I sit the ground is ploughed up
+with great holes, some beside this battery the largest of any, big
+enough to completely hide a horse and cart. Pieces of shell of several
+hundredweight lie about. The precision of our gunfire has to be seen
+otherwise one could not believe how accurately they can hit a small
+object miles off. The very birds have got accustomed to the din, and
+on the face of the rocks where I sit is a pair of exquisite
+birds--probably jays--flitting about as though nothing unusual was
+going on. The variety of birds is not great, but all are new to me and
+have interested me greatly, so also have the flowers, which are very
+fine. I was specially taken with a big light purple rock rose, nearly
+three inches across, and in great abundance.
+
+From this place of vantage I have watched our beach for some time, but
+as our services are not likely to be much needed here I must return to
+our Ambulance which lies to the east of the rock, and we must follow
+our Brigade (86) shortly.... Back and seated here again. The van of
+the Munsters arrived at this spot before I left, and dodged and ducked
+at every shell. On Sunday and Monday they had 286 casualties,
+including most of their officers. They still stream past just behind
+me, with the Lancs. and others. The Lancs. had suffered very badly at
+W. Beach, while the Dublins lost 550, with twenty officers out of
+twenty-three. Four Dublin officers sat at my table on the "Ausonia
+"--two are dead, the other two wounded.
+
+
+_April 29th._--I had no time to finish my account of the day's doings
+yesterday. It was too soon for our Ambulance to go out so I spent part
+of the forenoon at the General's Observation Hill with General Reeks,
+who was afterwards joined by General Hunter-Weston. By way of excuse
+for being there I was waiting to see how our attack on the Turks was
+getting on to see when I could get off with my bearers. The A.D.M.S.
+Colonel Yarr, was also present. By 5 a.m. the attack had stretched
+right across the peninsula, the French on our extreme right, next the
+Hants and Lancs., with Munsters and Dublins on the left. A furious
+cannonade went on for many hours, we advancing slowly till we were
+near the foot of Achi Baba, when the Hants ran short of ammunition and
+had to retreat, the French of course retiring also. Things were really
+looking bad for a time, and rumours of defeat were soon afloat.
+Ammunition at last coming up, we could get on, but during the retreat
+which had to be carried out over an open piece of ground, the want of
+shelter was the cause of very heavy casualties.
+
+By 1 p.m. wounded began to pour past our camp from the 88th Brigade,
+and, although it was not our Brigade, I went up to their front with
+all the bearers, Morris remaining behind. We were able to do a lot of
+work, collecting the wounded beside a water supply, nearly two miles
+from where we started. After a time I left the men where they had
+plenty of work, and went forward by myself for some distance, past the
+"Five Towers," meeting scores of walking cases and assisting where I
+could. Shells, especially from the Asiatic side, were numerous, three
+big ones bursting quite near me. After a time I ordered the men to
+load their stretchers and had some trouble with a General who insisted
+on our remaining, but about this time we were to go out to our own
+Brigade, and I marched them off all fully loaded. Things were not
+looking too well and the General wished to get the wounded collected
+as quickly as possible. But we had to go, we had been ordered to a
+point further to the left "about 4 o'clock".
+
+The A.D.M.S. had seen Morris and suggested that I should not go out
+again, so I remained behind and formed a Divisional Collecting Station
+for all cases that passed the lighthouse. Morris now went out with his
+men, mine remaining to assist me. We soon had several hundreds through
+our hands, largely stretcher cases which we arranged in rows in front
+of the ruins of the lighthouse, till we had more than we could do
+with, and soon had to forward most of our cases to W. Beach. At
+midnight we still retained about thirty-five cases, and all had to be
+nursed and protected from the bitterly cold wind and rain as best we
+could. The men willingly parted with their own coats and ground
+sheets, and some even their tunics. We all spent a most miserable
+night, and I never all my life felt the cold so acutely. But by
+morning, in spite of this, most of the wounded had recovered from the
+initial shock and were much brighter, and we had them forwarded to the
+88th H.Q.
+
+The chief reason for our not retaining over night a much larger number
+was that most hopeless accounts of the battle were being received from
+the wounded, that all our line was in retreat and that before morning
+we would be forced back to the sea, if not to our boats. I called for
+volunteers, at the suggestion of Major Bell, to go out and assist, and
+a number went off at once with their stretchers and did yeoman
+service, some not returning till 3 a.m. The Turks had been mutilating
+the wounded--at least so it was said--and we were anxious none should
+again fall into their hands.
+
+Through the night firing was heard a very short distance off, but this
+was only from a few snipers who had somehow got through our lines.
+
+By daylight the weather got warmer, and except for naval firing the
+29th was a day of rest. Whyte had been detached from the
+stretcher-bearers before the landing and was in the tent-subdivision
+that landed at W. Beach. He wished to have a little more excitement
+and he and I exchanged places, I now joining Thomson at W. Beach.
+Thomson, Whyte, and their nineteen men had done much work at the
+landing and had a very hot time. After four days and nights of hard
+work, although I could not say I was tired, I felt that a rest might
+be advisable, but the thought of leaving the bearers, even for a day
+or two, was depressing.
+
+
+_April 30th._--A slack day in a way, although I have been on my feet
+since early morning. A great number of shells have landed near our
+camp at W. Beach at various times to-day, coming from Krithia or Achi
+Baba. It is strange how many shells may land in the midst of closely
+packed men and horses and little or no damage be done--but there are
+exceptions.
+
+In the afternoon a hostile aeroplane flew over us--not the first
+time--which dropped three bombs at an anchored balloon we have
+floating just off the coast. It missed and received a fierce cannonade
+from a number of warships but escaped, apparently untouched, and was
+able to report to the Turks that our landing places would make a
+splendid target, and the firing, which had been fitful before, now
+became continuous for a time. One man only was hit. About 12 yards
+from the opening of my dugout one plunged into the ground with a
+terrific crash. Thomson and I reconnoitred for a mile or so to the
+north to view a spot to which we had been ordered to shift our camp,
+probably to-morrow.
+
+Last night, not being altogether in the open, I expected a comfortable
+night, but it was intensely cold, as the nights here always are, the
+very hot days making the cold noticeable. By day the sun is always
+scorching hot, and I am absolutely nut-brown and my nose painfully
+burned.
+
+On all sides I still hear of fresh casualties. The battalions I have
+been connected with have been nearly wiped out--the Munsters and half
+the Dublins at V. Beach, the Lancs. and the other half of the Dublins
+at W. Beach, and the Royals at X. Beach. Our total casualties are put
+at over 4000. We must have reinforcements before we can do much more,
+and within the next two days 20,000 are expected from Egypt.
+
+Last night when some one shot a dog at Sedd-el-Bahr the French thought
+the Turks were on them and they opened fire on their own men, several
+being killed and wounded.
+
+
+_May 1st._--More or less idle all day, all resting before the proposed
+attack on Achi Baba. In the afternoon we had a visit from an enemy
+aeroplane again, which dropped a bomb 40 yards from my "funk hole,"
+and 4 yards from what had been taken for a pile of ammunition boxes
+but was really provisions--only damage, a big hole and a vile smell.
+
+
+_May 2nd._--Very fierce fighting all last night and the whole of
+to-day on the south slopes and ridges of Achi Baba, the Turks first
+charging and repulsing the French, Munsters, and Lancs. The firing
+from the sea, the French 75's and our 60-pounders was incessant,
+especially during the night. The Turks were finally driven back, but
+Krithia and the hills are still in their hands. I spent most of the
+night watching the progress of events, while the bearers, to whom I am
+unfortunately not attached to-day, were out at 1 a.m. Our casualties
+are not excessive considering the nature of the fight, while the Turks
+are said to have lost thousands from our artillery fire. Getting
+impatient at being out of it I succeeded in getting eight of the
+tent-subdivision out as bearers at 1 p.m. and I visited a good deal of
+the battlefield, as far as our reserve, where I found the Indians
+waiting for night duty and a likely attack from the Turks, or, as is
+half expected, we may offer a vigorous offensive.
+
+Yesterday V. and W. Beaches had a hot attack by shell fire from the
+Asiatic, Krithia, and Achi Baba guns, about fifty shells landing in W.
+where our Ambulance has now formed its base. The damage done was
+slight. Two shells in quick succession exploded exactly over the heads
+of Thomson and myself when we were crossing the beach, both times
+something hitting me about the shoulders. These shrapnel shells are
+doing little harm, I had likely been hit by pieces of the material (a
+resin) in which the bullets are embedded. The smell was the worst of
+them.
+
+Most of our transport came ashore to-day for the first time, and we
+are now eager to have our mails which are on board the "Marquette,"
+but I doubt if anyone will take the trouble to send them over to us.
+
+At 8 p.m. Thomson, myself, and fifty-six bearers set off to bring in
+wounded from a point 3 miles north of our Beach, and very nearly in a
+line with the Turkish and our firing lines. It was moderately dark
+when we started, but such a large body of men might have been visible
+to the enemy at some distance, and we spread out into a long line. All
+went well, but at several points to which we were directed as our
+destination we were always told the wounded were further on, and we
+began to think we were never to find them. We were getting very near
+the Turks' lines, and Thomson and I had various deliberations about
+the advisability of going further, but I was always determined to go
+on. At last we got a guide, but his idea of the whereabouts of the
+wounded was most hazy; all he knew was that they were collected in a
+nullah somewhere not far off. We came on a nullah at last and walked
+along its high steep banks, calling if anyone was at the bottom, in a
+voice not too loud owing to our proximity to the Turks. Just as we
+found them the fighting on our immediate right became very violent,
+the artillery and rifle fire being a perfect roar. Star shells were
+thrown over us, and we hid in the nullah while we were loading the
+stretchers and raising them to the top of the bank. Each stretcher
+squad made off at its hardest as soon as its patient was passed up.
+Thomson and I saw them all off, then had to cross an open piece of
+ground where three bullets were fired among our feet evidently by a
+sniper who was no distance away. This made us hurry still more, then
+the nullah had to be crossed to the south side. I stood in the middle
+of it, half-way to the knees in water and assisted ten stretchers
+across. Things all the time got hotter and hotter, the various
+batteries all belching forth at their hardest, star shells and rockets
+got still more numerous, and a searchlight from the Dardanelles side
+of Achi Baba swept the whole valley as far as our camp on W. Beach. It
+was a terrifying night and I was very happy to get all the men landed
+in camp at 10.15 safe and sound. Most of them enjoyed the little bit
+of sport, but Thomson overheard one of them remarking that although
+Lieut. Davidson didn't seem to know what fear was he had no business
+to bring them there. The bearers were under me and I was responsible,
+and I admit the charge was just; we had gone too far at such a time.
+
+
+_May 3rd._--Only occasional firing to-day. I went out with Kellas and
+Agassiz to show them the way to a point fixed on as a dressing
+station. After much wandering about admiring the flora of Gallipoli
+with Kellas we chose a spot which is unfortunately near one of our
+batteries. An officer there told us they intended to give the Turk a
+hot night and this will draw the enemy's fire about our new station,
+and as this is the first night ashore of these two officers I hope
+they will enjoy it. They arrived from the "Marquette" this morning
+along with Lt.-Col. Th. Fraser.
+
+We had our usual visit from an enemy aeroplane this morning. Repeated
+shots went after it but away it flew towards the Narrows. The Asiatic
+guns have given us no trouble for two days. Commander Samson is said
+to have reported that two of these are disabled.
+
+
+_May 4th._--As far as the weather goes every day has been perfect
+since we came to Gallipoli--maximum of sun absolutely, and cloudless
+sky by night always, except on two occasions.
+
+We still wait for reinforcements which, however, are arriving, many
+French troops landing at V. Beach. Our men are due from Egypt to-day.
+Last night the artillery and rifle fire was again constant, especially
+on our right, where the French lines were again driven in by the
+Turks, but during the day they are said to have recovered their lost
+position.
+
+Two aeroplanes passed over us to-day, one firing three bombs, the
+other two--no damage. Our aeroplanes were also active, circling time
+after time round Achi Baba at a height of perhaps 5000 feet. From 110
+to 120 shots were fired at one of ours, all missing. An aeroplane came
+down just behind our camp for orders. We had no aerodrome nearer than
+Tenedos before. Here we have prepared a landing place, which is
+beautifully level, but being exposed to gunfire we cannot retain our
+machines over night, all have to return to Tenedos.
+
+We have had notice this afternoon that our Brigade, the famous 86th,
+no longer exists as a Brigade. After its wonderful feats of bravery we
+have heard this with the greatest sadness, but some of the battalions
+being reduced to a fourth or a fifth of their original strength, and
+the officers killed and wounded in a still greater proportion, there
+was no help but to amalgamate with the other two Brigades of our
+Division--87th and 88th. The Company of Hants who were with us on the
+"River Clyde" did well. No unit in the whole Division receives greater
+praise for its work than the Royal Scots (Queen's Own Edinburgh).
+
+According to the original programme the French were to land on the
+Asiatic side and advance up that side of the Dardanelles, but this
+they either failed to do or we had enough work for all on this side,
+and the right wing of the advance was assigned to them, and this they
+still hold. From the point of Gallipoli to the top of Achi Baba is a
+distance of 5 miles, and before we take that it is expected that
+several thousand of our men will bite the dust.
+
+The troublesome gun somewhere near Kum Kale has been more successful
+to-day I hear, her bag being three men and nine horses on V. Beach.
+Well do I know the whizz and thud of her shells--sounds all their own.
+This gun is mounted either on rails behind rising ground, where she
+can move sideways after firing a few rounds, or is on a disappearing
+platform.
+
+
+_May 5th._--The attack on Achi Baba was to have commenced to-day at 10
+o'clock, but the first cannon roar was not heard till 11, when all
+belched forth at the same minute. There seemed to be batteries
+everywhere, the French 75's being specially noticeable all day, along
+with some other field guns of theirs which had a peculiarly sharp
+bark.
+
+The Ambulance was unable to do anything till afternoon, when we got in
+touch with the Regimental Aid Post of the Lancs. and with the Drake
+and Plymouth Battalions, whose wounded we were responsible for. With
+us all went well, although some stretcher squads I was with had a
+narrow escape, two shrapnel shells bursting immediately over our heads
+and kicking up a dust all round us.
+
+Our transport men, who had nothing to do with carrying the wounded--by
+hand at any rate--requested me to get them some excitement, and "the
+hotter the better," and their deputy gave me a list of those eager for
+this. I took them up the lines as far as we were allowed, and it was
+with difficulty I kept them from going still further when they heard
+that out in the open there were wounded who could not be reached by
+the Regimental bearers on account of shrapnel. When we reached our
+own front line we found there was a small party of men along a water
+course still further out. Mainly for a "lark" we determined to go out
+to these to see if they had any wounded. The water course was dry
+except for green, stagnant pools, and coming on a deep and very filthy
+one I decided to mount the bank and make a rush for it. All made
+similar rushes, one at a time, and all of us were fired at at short
+range. We reached the small outpost of about a dozen men lying on
+their stomachs and got roundly sworn at, the small hole they were in
+could not hold us all and we had to show ourselves, which brought a
+torrent of bullets about the ears of all of us. It was a very
+enjoyable and exciting little outing. These men would have gone all
+the way to the Turkish lines with pleasure.
+
+Those in authority are well pleased with the progress made, the left
+wing being pushed well forward. The weather during the day was bright,
+but windy, and with horses and wagons at the gallop the dust was very
+troublesome, the whole scene being often blurred. Towards evening the
+cold was intense. What wind we have had here has always been from the
+north, and at night it might be blowing over snow.
+
+
+_May 6th._--A furious attack was commenced by us at 11 p.m. on the
+Turkish right, while the French attacked their left. Judging by the
+increase of the Turks heavy fire they must have brought up more heavy
+guns. Rumours about Krithia being captured floated in, but I could
+never believe this, our pouring a constant stream of shells into the
+village proves that it was not in our hands. The truth seems to be
+that the Royal Scots pushed into it, and, while following the
+retreating Turks into a wood on the left, had one or more machine-guns
+turned on to them which mowed down over 200, while the remainder had
+to retreat.
+
+One of our men got wounded to-day by a shrapnel bullet which followed
+round the bend of one of his ribs.
+
+I paid a visit this afternoon to our old ship, the "River Clyde," and
+during the ten minutes I was there three shells were fired at her.
+During my short absence from W. Beach for this purpose three had
+landed there, presumably fired at two of our aeroplanes which had
+alighted behind us. Only one of the shells did any damage and it
+smashed a limbered wagon to matchwood. All came from Asia.
+
+
+_May 8th._--My goodness, such a rattle. Since Sunday, April 25, I
+doubt if I have heard its equal.
+
+Krithia is not yet ours in spite of the awful loss of life its
+attempted capture has cost us. Batteries, right and left, in front and
+behind all commenced a simultaneous roar at 5.30 p.m. A fairly hot
+fire had gone on since 10 a.m., but 5.30 had been fixed for a more
+furious cannonade, timed no doubt with an infantry attack on Krithia.
+The whole of that part and the whole face of Achi Baba reek, with
+denser clouds, every here and there. The roar is simply grand, and one
+cannot help glorying in the tremendous power of man's devilment. I
+wish they could make twice as much noise.
+
+
+_May 9th._--I had to stop the above account of the day's doings
+suddenly and go out with the stretcher-bearers when we had a terrible
+time--hard work up to 1 a.m. and most of the time to the music of
+bullets about our ears. And amidst all the din and roar of battle a
+nightingale sang the whole day and still more sweetly all through the
+next night, perched in a clump of trees we had repeatedly to pass on
+the way to the Regimental Aid Posts of the Lancs. and Plymouth and
+Drake Battalions--such a contrast of sounds!
+
+_Later._--It is now 7.30 p.m. and the sun has gone down in a red glow
+behind the rugged mountains of Imbros as viewed from the entrance of
+my dugout. It has been a glorious day, uncomfortably warm, but calm
+and without dust, which has been disagreeable for a day or two. I have
+just had a bathe in the Aegean, which I was much in need of, this
+being the first time I have taken off my clothes since I left Lemnos.
+Walking along the beach I picked up a photograph of a chubby baby, the
+darling of some one no doubt. He will miss this link with home.
+
+The Turks have had little stomach for fighting to-day. Sniping has
+gone on, of course, and occasionally a regular fusillade, but to us
+the day on the whole has been peaceful. From 5 a.m. we have been very
+busy among the Australian wounded, these being the principal sufferers
+in yesterday's fight, owing, it is said, to their charging with the
+bayonet at an inopportune moment. Many of their senior officers passed
+through our hands, and their men, fine, big fellows, in large numbers.
+
+Thomson and I were in charge of our dressing station at the "Five
+Towers" from 9 a.m. yesterday till noon to-day, and were busy the
+whole time, except from about 1 to 5 a.m. to-day, when we lowered
+ourselves into a trench and tried to sleep.
+
+Last night I started to go as far out as possible with five stretcher
+squads, but in the dark it is difficult to move, nearly every spot is
+taken up by men, horses, and transport, and you are continually
+challenged by sentries. After showing our men across a brook with a
+dark lantern, some others crossing with stretchers asked for a light,
+and as soon as I threw a flash on the water a bullet whistled past me
+from a sniper who must have penetrated our front line. I heard the
+whistle of many a bullet at close quarters yesterday, and to-day big
+shells have fallen on all the four sides of our dressing station,
+coming from Achi Baba.
+
+Yesterday when the battle raged at its worst a telegram was handed to
+me, and read: "Good luck and fondest love--Mabel," and the date was
+April 2 (March 16 it should have been). This had followed me all the
+way from Avonmouth where it failed to find me as I was leaving for
+this expedition.
+
+The amount of horrors Thomson and I came through yesterday and this
+morning was most sickening and depressing to both of us. The
+Australian Aid Post was a perfect shambles, about an acre of stretcher
+cases, horrible wounds, and all the surroundings soaked with blood.
+But such brave fellows!
+
+
+_May 10th._--We were very busy last night erecting tents for wounded,
+being the overflow from the casualty clearing station, which, along
+with the hospital ships, is absolutely full. We had sixty-seven to
+find shelter for and succeeded. Two died during the night, and
+nineteen more in other parts of the camp. Thomson and I were still on
+duty and we were busy changing dressings, setting fractures, etc., up
+to 2 p.m. to-day, when an order came to evacuate completely to a
+hospital ship which had arrived. Welcome news! This gave us an
+afternoon's rest which we much needed. I spent the time making
+"couples" for our dugout, which was arched over before with two
+stretchers interlocking at a slope.
+
+The chief topic of conversation to-day is the brilliant dash of the
+Australians on the 8th, in their bayonet charge over 300 yards of
+ground without cover. The Turks with five machine-guns mowed them
+down, but they dashed on. Their casualties were about 2000. We were
+all eager to assist them, their own Ambulances being unable to cope
+with the work.
+
+
+_May 11th._--What we know as "Helles" is the point of the peninsula as
+far north as Achi Baba. It is five miles long, and varies from two to
+four in width. The whole valley is saucer shaped, with a more or less
+complete high edge, except at a small part on the Dardanelles side,
+where the land shelves to the sea at Morto Bay, this low lying part
+being moist and fertile, with fairly heavy timber and huge downy
+topped reeds 12 feet high. Across this valley there has once been an
+aqueduct--perhaps centuries ago--the "Five Towers" being the remains
+of the structure. While Achi Baba remains in the hands of the enemy
+there is not a safe inch in what we occupy, the whole being within
+easy gunfire.
+
+Thomson and I are at present at the Five Towers Dressing Station for
+twenty-four hours' duty. From the amount of heavy gun ammunition that
+is being hurried past us we expect a heavy bombardment this afternoon,
+with a repetition of the trying work we had when last on duty.
+
+A Frenchman has just come into our station with half a loaf under his
+arm. Great excitement! We were all willing to purchase it at any
+price, but he handed it over to one of our men who had been hobnobbing
+with him in the morning. All are deadly sick of army biscuits, the
+only form of bread we have, hard as the nether millstone and
+tasteless. The only decent food we have is McConnachie's ration of
+meat and vegetables, which is excellent cold or hot, or as soup.
+
+7.30 p.m.--Had a weary day--little doing. Thomson in very low spirits,
+thinking everything is going wrong. News we get from a padre is that
+in France everything goes badly. Pirie, M.O. to the Lancs, has just
+looked us up and reports no progress here. We are certainly making
+little speed, and it is now announced, whether correctly or not, that
+Achi Baba is to be besieged into submission by starvation if
+necessary, owing to the great loss of life a direct attack would
+entail. In the afternoon I went out with a few bearers to the Lancs.
+Aid Post to find they had gone into reserve for forty-eight hours, a
+rest they much needed. Shells were coming fast and furious round us, a
+battery we had to pass being the object of attack. Two big shells fell
+very near our dressing station this afternoon, a pile of stores being
+taken for ammunition boxes, the first shell landing among these with
+terrible crash, and destroying a lot of jam. Rather a hot bombardment
+of Krithia goes on to-night, while a number of Tommies are enjoying a
+game of football close to our camp.
+
+
+_May 12th._--At 8 p.m. yesterday a message reached us that the 29th
+Division had been withdrawn to give them a much-needed rest of
+forty-eight hours. We accordingly packed up and returned to our camp
+at W. Beach, and lucky for us we did, as it rained heavily during the
+night, and we had shelter against showers in our dugouts. On the whole
+very little fighting went on to-day till 6 p.m. when our big guns all
+along the line bombarded Krithia and the face of Achi Baba.
+
+When studying our camp fires this morning before daylight I concluded
+that we really had made but little progress since April 28, and a
+Lancs. officer I saw this afternoon agrees with this conclusion. Still
+we are said now to have about 100,000 men here, while I cannot believe
+the enemy has anything like that number, but while they are on the
+defensive, with their well-planned trenches and the best positions,
+and possessing, as they do, a large number of machine-guns, the cost
+in life entailed by an open attack would be very costly to us.
+
+Three shells giving out coal-black smoke, and bursting with a terrific
+crash, were fired at our beach to-day, but, as far as I know, without
+damage. They all burst high in the air and with an unusual sound. (The
+first of the "Black Marias" or "Jack Johnsons" although we had been
+accustomed to other forms of high explosive shells.)
+
+The following "special order" from General Sir Ian Hamilton of
+to-day's date came this afternoon: "For the first time for eighteen
+days it has been found possible to withdraw the 29th Division from the
+fire fight. During the whole of that period of unprecedented strain
+the Division has held ground or gained it, against the bullets and
+bayonets of the constantly renewed forces of the foe. During the whole
+of that long period they have been illuminating the pages of military
+history with their blood. The losses have been terrible, but mingling
+with the deep sorrow for fellow-comrades arises a feeling of pride in
+the invincible spirit which has enabled the survivors to triumph where
+ordinary troops must inevitably have failed. I tender to Major-General
+Hunter-Weston and to his Division, at the same time my profoundest
+sympathy and my warmest congratulations on their achievement."
+
+                        "(Signed)  IAN HAMILTON, _General_."
+
+
+_May 13th._--Resting all day--but already have had enough of the
+prescribed forty-eight hours' rest. It was besides rendered
+uncomfortable by a very hot shelling in the afternoon. It is said the
+Turks have placed a new disappearing gun in position, which is doing
+this, and is firing high explosives with jet black smoke. They have
+our range to an inch from Achi Baba. At least twenty-four shells were
+fired at our Beach with a very creditable bag--three men killed, two
+mortally wounded, twelve severely wounded, and about fifteen horses
+and mules killed. I saw the remains of some poor brutes that had been
+standing in a group when a shell fell among them. There was really
+nothing left but a large red patch. Numerous pieces of shrapnel fell
+among our tents. A piece whistled between Thomson and myself on our
+way to attend a wounded officer near the lighthouse.
+
+Later in the day I heard the Turk had got a larger mixed bag than I
+have stated. I now hear as a fact that sixty-four horses and mules
+were killed on our Beach.
+
+H.M.S. "Goliath" was sunk by a torpedo at the mouth of the Dardanelles
+at 2 a.m. to-day; 200 are said to have been saved which means a
+death-roll of 500 or 600.
+
+We hear that one, if not three, German submarines have passed Malta.
+The big fleet lying off the coast has always been brilliantly lit, but
+to-night all are in absolute darkness, except the hospital ships which
+are still showing their long rows of green lights.
+
+
+_May 14th._--The shelling we got yesterday has made us all think, and
+we all set to to-day and dug ourselves in deeper, the wagons going to
+Sedd-el-Bahr and bringing beams and boards from the ruins, and with
+these we are to make roofs strong enough to resist splinters. By 3
+p.m. some of us had nearly finished and were getting disappointed that
+our funk holes were not being put to the test. By 4 o'clock we got
+more than we wanted, then before 5 one of our aeroplanes came to grief
+immediately behind us. Then commenced a terrible cannonade on this new
+target, and one big shot alighting just inside the entrance of one of
+our operating tents it was blown into tiny shreds, and ten stretchers
+were riven into matchwood. Strange to say, although this was in the
+middle of our camp not a soul was injured. The excitement was of
+course great, every little bit of shell and every tatter of the tent
+were carefully gathered to be kept as souvenirs. Three men and a
+number of horses had been killed in the afternoon's work. Many of the
+shells to-day were bigger than usual and some think the "Goeben" is
+the culprit. She could easily fire from the Dardanelles over the east
+ridge of Achi Baba.
+
+
+_May 15th._--A quiet day in camp: little firing by either side; three
+"Black Marias" reached us--no damage; a Taube fired three bombs--still
+no harm. Rumour says one of our flying machines reports the Black
+Maria gun was silenced by our fire, and her ammunition blown up this
+afternoon. Her last shot was at 1 p.m. and it looks as if this might
+be true.
+
+By evening rain clouds appeared in the north and I have been preparing
+my dugout for a wet night.
+
+
+_May 16th._--We have just returned from church parade which was held
+at 9.30, amidst a continuous rattle of rifles to the front, the
+booming of howitzers on the right and left, while just behind us lay
+the "Swiftsure," which had evidently got word in the middle of the
+service to open fire on some particular spot. Her guns roared till the
+concussion made the leaves of our hymn books flutter. While writing a
+Jack Johnson fell very near me (so close that in my original diary my
+pen made a big dash across the page). How helpless one feels! Now
+comes another in the very middle of W. Beach--a very big fellow
+too--and still another. We are to have a day of it. Eight of these
+brutes now in a few minutes.
+
+The C.O. has gone to a meeting at H.Q.; all the other officers are
+wisely at the edge of the sea under cliffs, while I am in my dugout
+too lazy to join them--but I may be forced to go yet, it is folly to
+sit here in the line of fire.
+
+Major Ward of the 88th Field Ambulance, which is alongside us, has
+just taken a photograph of a bursting-shell at 70 yards, which he
+joyfully declares is "absolutely it". He got well battered with flying
+dirt.... The shelling got too hot for my continuing my notes and I was
+forced to close for a short time.
+
+Here we are shut up in the very point of Gallipoli, 100,000 of us,
+and nearly as many horses and mules, every inch within easy range of
+the enemy's guns, and for three days now he has peppered us more
+furiously than at first. For three weeks and a day we have had an
+almost continuous roar of cannon, sometimes many hundred shots per
+minute, at other times with a lull of a few minutes. To-day and last
+night the howitzers have been unusually busy, and I believe an attempt
+is to be made this coming night to straighten our lines. The horns of
+the line, especially the left, which is held by the Gurkhas, is too
+far forward for the centre. This centre is directly opposite Achi
+Baba, and is exposed to the whole opposing line, and has less help
+from the fleet than the flanks. It is held by the flower of our
+troops, and these will make any sacrifice to do what is expected of
+them. May we soon have a little more breathing space than this fouled
+little piece of the peninsula affords us.
+
+
+_May 17th._--Three different spells of Black Marias to-day. One killed
+three men and wounded nine. We have several others wounded and a
+number of horses and mules killed. Altogether not a very pleasant day.
+
+In the afternoon Thomson and I went to Sedd-el-Bahr and photographed
+the "River Clyde," Major Frankland's grave, the whole of V. Beach,
+etc., and brought back shell cases of the French 75's and 65's. Before
+this, while helping Pirie to build his dugout, Kellas shouted to me to
+look up, and I beheld what I at first took to be a huge flock of enemy
+aeroplanes, and expected a shower of bombs, but they turned out to be
+cranes--fifty-five of them in solid formation. They were an
+interesting and beautiful sight. They hovered over us for a
+considerable time, and two of our men stupidly fired several shots at
+them which got us into trouble with the powers that be. They had never
+taken into consideration the danger from dropping bullets where there
+was such a congestion of humanity.
+
+The day has been fiery hot as usual, with the usual glorious sunset
+behind the mountains of Imbros. Yesterday Stephen and I studied the
+Plain of Troy, the monument of Ajax, and the town of Troy itself--the
+old and the new--all of which are visible from the rising ground
+behind Sedd-el-Bahr.
+
+
+_May 18th._--Black Marias paid their visit earlier than usual, three
+bidding us good morning at 6 o'clock. All got into our clothes at
+once, so that now at 7 p.m. we have had a long day. Curiously these
+"coal boxes" have not been seen since, and they never trouble us after
+this time of night.
+
+About an hour ago I was watching one of our ships shelling a gully I
+once visited on a memorable night, and got into a shallow trench and
+watched from there. I was out in the middle of the valley where I
+could easily be seen from Achi Baba and a shell came singing straight
+at me. All the time shells had been passing high over my head but my
+ear at once detected the change of flight and that a low one was
+certainly coming my way. I had just time to throw myself flat in the
+trench, which was about eighteen inches deep when the shell burst in a
+straight line for me. I raised myself intending to bolt when I heard
+the song of another at its heels. I again fell flat, but as soon as it
+burst still nearer than the last I sprang and was just on my feet when
+a third burst three or four yards to my right. The concussion and
+shower of earth and stones sent me flying, and I peeled the palms of
+both hands and sprained my right wrist. Then I made a sprint for my
+funk hole at record speed, arriving quite out of breath after covering
+about three-quarters of a mile. I felt that turning a big gun on a
+solitary individual was not playing the game. I was wearing a
+waterproof cover to my cap which had got bleached almost white, and I
+may have been taken for some "big pot," as I sat on the edge of the
+trench with this unusual head dress, peering through my glasses.
+
+
+_May 19th._--Am feeling very tired, the result of my bad tumble, and
+my wrist feels stiff and tender. No doubt my behaviour made the Turk
+think I was a superior officer and worth a shell or two. With my
+glasses I had examined very carefully the whole length of the lines,
+then stepped into a half-filled-in trench and sat on the edge for some
+time, watching operations at the gully I have mentioned. The second
+shell was so near that I felt certain the third would have me. A
+fourth shell followed and burst, but by this time I had picked myself
+up and was at full gallop, and paid no heed to its whereabouts. The
+whole four were fired in five or six seconds. (I got the fright of my
+life; I felt that they were determined to have me, but the fright was
+entirely due to the fact that I was alone. Never before or afterwards
+did shells, however near, cause me the slightest discomfort.)
+
+A camp story has it that a mule had to be shot the other day because
+its cry was so confoundedly like the sound of an approaching shell and
+caused needless alarm. This is presumably only a story, but it is
+extraordinary how often one fancies one hears the song of a shell. One
+day just before tea we were treated to a Jack Johnson, and during our
+meal in the tent those of us who had not made off to our funk holes
+ducked at every sound under the table, or behind a biscuit tin or any
+other flimsy object utterly useless to give cover. Each time we raised
+our heads we had a good laugh at our stupidity.
+
+Those in the firing line are pitying us at the base to which nearly
+all the shells are directed. Padre Hardie (afterwards V.C., D.S.O.,
+M.C.) told me he had a major to tea the other day when the Jack
+Johnsons started, and he bolted in the middle of tea, saying he could
+not stand the life here, and made off to the firing line which he
+thought much safer.
+
+I asked a man to-day if he kept a diary. "No," he said, "there's
+naething to say, I dee naething bit sleep, jink shells, and rin to the
+Beach." It is amusing to see the "Beach Subdivision" move off when the
+shells start, all pretending they are off for a quiet stroll, and
+saunter away with their hands in their pockets.
+
+
+_May 20th._--Still in reserve and absolutely idle. I was up early,
+being requested by an officer of the 88th Field Ambulance to view his
+tent which one of our water-carts had backed into and upset a number
+of boxes of breakables, which he was terrified to look into,
+especially one which contained several bottles of whisky. This gave me
+a long day, and as a heavy cannonade was in progress it gave me an
+opportunity of watching it. We have had no heavy shells at W. Beach
+(now known as Lancashire Landing in honour of the brilliant work by
+that battalion on April 25) so far, but we must not brag, they may
+give us a visit to-day yet. Shrapnel we have had--but we do not care
+twopence for shrapnel.
+
+6.40.--We have had no shells since I wrote the above, for which we are
+thankful. When examining the situation before breakfast I felt that
+the whole valley up to Achi Baba was to be ours before night. Advances
+all along the line have been made, some units having gained about 700
+yards, the French also taking a trench which they afterwards lost.
+This is the usual way with the French, they have repeatedly broken our
+line across the peninsula.
+
+The Turks have to-day used their heavy guns much more freely than on
+any previous day, and doubtless have inflicted considerable damage on
+our troops, but the range they have been firing at pointed to their
+having removed their guns further back, which points to their
+expecting to lose Achi Baba, which they have certainly held with the
+utmost fortitude. I am attributing the peace we have had to-day at
+Lancashire Landing to this fortunate event, if my conjecture is right.
+
+I visited the "River Clyde" to-day to find she has a number of new
+holes punched through her, those on the water line having completely
+flooded her. Her stern now rests on the bottom, and the lowest hold is
+full of water. All this time only one shell has actually burst inside
+the ship, and it entered a cabin on the starboard side, blew all the
+fittings to pieces, chunks flying through everything, some entering
+the engine room where they perforated and carried away pipes, and blew
+the roof of the cabin off. An officer showed me the effects of the
+rifle and machine-gun bombardment on the night on which I spent four
+hours in a boat and watched the thousands of bullets striking fire
+over my head. Many had actually perforated the steel plates,
+9/16th-inch thick, and there were deep dints innumerable. We had
+twelve machine-guns on board that memorable day, the one in the bow
+being managed by the son of the Earl of Leicester. This gun was said
+to have done brilliant work. A large pile of empty cartridges still
+lies where the gun was posted, and I carried away a few of these as
+the only memento I possess of April 25, barring the memory of a
+hellish day and night.
+
+To-day we felt that we were probably beyond the reach of the enemy's
+big guns, and a load is apparently off every one's mind. Many sang
+late into the night, and various hilarious games were indulged in, the
+one giving most fun being a bull fight, where one man held the end of
+a string about three yards long and tied to a peg, and carried a jug
+with a stone as a rattle, the other with a similar string having as a
+weapon a small bag stuffed with hay. Both were blindfolded, and the
+man with the bag let fly at the spot he thought the sound came from,
+the hit being usually many yards wide of the bull.
+
+The casualties among the Turks up to May 8 are said to number 40,000.
+Since then the Australians have accounted for another 7000. To the
+present date the total is probably not less than 60,000. We ought to
+be well enough pleased with our work.
+
+
+_May 21st._--Had a walk round Tekke Burnu, the S.W. point of
+Gallipoli, where we have two 5-inch field guns. An officer to whom I
+spoke said he was the first to locate the whereabouts of the gun that
+threw the Jack Johnsons. We had all guessed from their whistle that
+they came from the right ridge of Achi Baba. Two of the shells fired
+at this battery failed to explode, and this man had the holes
+carefully exposed for their whole depth, and two poles placed in these
+pointed exactly to the same spot. Each of these shells had penetrated
+to a depth of 8 feet in very hard clay.
+
+
+_May 22nd._--About 1 p.m. there seemed to be a strange stir among our
+transports. I noticed no fewer than six make off in a body towards
+Lemnos, while Thomson remarked that a destroyer had been going
+backwards and forwards among the shipping off the point of the
+peninsula. We did not guess the reason of this till all at once I
+noticed a warship fire a shot towards Imbros. This was followed by
+others, and the splashes showed they were firing at something in the
+sea, no doubt an enemy submarine--which proved to be the case. About
+six shots in all were fired. Three destroyers were flying about in all
+directions, absolutely at full speed. Two turned and made for the spot
+where the submarine had been seen. It is a beautiful sight to see
+these boats turn in their own length when at full speed. From the
+rocks at Tekke Burnu I watched for two hours the manoeuvres of these
+and four warships. An anxious night will be spent by our naval
+brethren. Several other transports have disappeared and gone to the
+safe anchorage of Lemnos. A large four-funnelled French steamer had
+just arrived with troops who had no time to disembark, and she has
+turned tail and gone after the others.
+
+
+_May 23rd._--1.15 p.m. Am sitting near the top of "The Gully". This
+runs north and south on the west side of the peninsula. I am at a spot
+slightly north of Krithia, and in the very middle of our firing line.
+All the tops of The Gully, on both sides and along its ramifications,
+are lined with our men and all are blazing away at the hardest, while
+the Turks bullets keep up a constant whizz over our heads. The
+Worcesters have just gone into the trenches to relieve some other
+unit. One of the Hants men I have been sitting beside and talking to
+was in our hold on the "River Clyde" when we landed exactly four weeks
+ago. He tells me how gloomy his battalion was over the death of their
+C.O. that day--Colonel Smith-Carrington, "a grand fellow, the best man
+that ever lived," as he put it.
+
+Wearying to death after twelve days of idleness I set off after church
+parade to visit the Hants Dressing Station where I knew Pirie was
+placed. I went along the Krithia road till I came to The Gully I once
+reached late one evening, when Thomson and I were sniped at. Here I
+chanced to meet my old cabin companion, Balfour, who directed me to
+the very top of The Gully where I came across a battery which again
+directed me further to the left. Here three bullets flew past me, a
+gunner saying these stray bullets were doing a great deal of damage.
+Balfour also told me that they had lost two men yesterday from the
+same cause.
+
+At last I reached The Gully which is several miles long--over
+three--and averages 100 yards in width at the top. All the slopes are
+one solid mass of shrubbery--laurel, juniper, dwarf conifers, holly
+oak, and brilliant flowers innumerable. I brought back a bunch of
+Cytisus whose individual flowers might have been our broom (_C.
+Scoparius_).
+
+A road has been made the whole length of The Gully, and the whole way
+is occupied by our troops, especially Indians, many of whom were
+engaged in their ablutions as I passed. The sides of The Gully would
+average 100 feet in height, many parts being higher. The sides slope
+steeply in parts, in many places are quite perpendicular or
+over-hanging, the walls being the usual hard, marly clay, while I
+noticed broad layers of conglomerate and sandstone also occur. I was
+charmed with the whole place, and when describing it at the mess I was
+thought to be romancing. The heat in the depths of The Gully was very
+intense and without a breath of wind.
+
+
+_May 24th._--A little rain fell in the morning, and it was more or
+less cloudy during the day. We watched a fierce thunderstorm, which
+came round the south side of Imbros, up its east side, then it turned
+west towards Samothrace. Much shelling to-day, but mostly short and
+some way from our camp. I hear of no damage.
+
+
+_May 25th._--Had another walk to-day to the top of The Gully with
+Kellas, Agassiz, and Thomson. Plenty of shells over our heads.
+Twenty-six shells were fired this morning at several aeroplanes that
+had landed on our aerodrome. Two were more or less damaged, one with a
+hole through its petrol tank.
+
+As we were returning from The Gully and were ascending the high bank
+of Gully Beach I saw something was wrong out at sea, three or four
+ships being apparently huddled together in one mass. Through my
+glasses I saw the stern of a ship in the air, preparing for its final
+plunge to the bottom of the sea. In three minutes or so she had
+entirely gone. Strange to say what we had been watching was the last
+of the "Triumph" which had been torpedoed by the submarine that caused
+the excitement the other day. She is said to have sunk in twenty
+minutes. We have not yet heard how many perished in this most
+regrettable disaster, but if it is true that her magazine blew up, as
+we hear, the loss will likely be heavy. H.M.S. "Triumph" did much
+useful work out here. This is the second warship we have lost since we
+arrived in Gallipoli.
+
+
+_May 26th._--Yesterday we opened a dressing station one and a half
+miles up the Krithia road. It was the duty of Fiddes and Whyte to be
+posted there for twenty-four hours, beginning at 3 p.m., but the
+latter having been kicked by a horse yesterday I offered to take his
+place. I am there now sitting on the edge of a deep funk hole which I
+have strewn with a thick layer of thyme, meaning to have a pleasant
+night between "lavender sheets," but I am told by Stephen and Thomson
+that there is no sleep to be had out here owing to the terrible din
+that goes on. At present--7.30--there is a violent interchange of
+shells going on, the enemy's mostly flying high over our heads on the
+way to our Beach. The aerodrome beside it has been very furiously
+attacked during the last two days with considerable damage.
+
+Beside us is the grave of a Turk who smells as all Turks do. Our men,
+I fancy, think they do not deserve much burial. This reminds me of a
+Turk on the top of whose grave I lunched with Pirie up in the firing
+line last Sunday. A man the day before was digging a funk hole, and
+coming on something soft he plunged his spade into it. The smell was
+so terrific that he threw his spade and bolted, and the Turk had to be
+covered up by sand thrown from a distance of several yards. Then the
+night before one of our men, when it was getting dark, saw a
+suspicious object slipping down the side of The Gully, as he thought,
+so he proceeded to stalk it through the dense shrubs that clothe all
+the slopes of The Gully, and, on getting close enough to get a view of
+it through the bushes he recognised the Turkish uniform and sprang on
+the man like a tiger driving his bayonet clean through him. The Turk
+had been dead for nearly a month, and his assailant, like the other
+man, had to make a hasty retreat.
+
+We are to have a very lively night, that is evident. The Turks usually
+cease firing their big guns by this time of night, but their shells
+are still flying thick. The British guns are at present quiet, but the
+French 75's are barking furiously. It is a delight to hear their
+sharp, clean bark. The enemy's machine-guns have also been very active
+this afternoon, the crack, crack, crack, of the Turkish one being
+easily distinguishable from the noise made by ours. The day of our
+landing taught me this.
+
+
+_May 27th._--I must have slept three or four hours last night, but not
+soundly. There was constant rifle fire beside us with one big
+fusillade before midnight. But what annoyed me was the smell of the
+thyme and other sweet-smelling herbs I had made a bed of, covering all
+over with a new rubber ground sheet which was very odoriferous. The
+mixture of odours was not pleasant. I had trampled the plants with my
+boots to produce as strong a smell as possible, and succeeded so well
+that it actually made my eyes smart all night. I rose early and was
+over near Gully Beach about 6 o'clock. Since then shells have been
+flying on our four sides and high in the air, and I hear of
+considerable damage.
+
+We are much upset by the news which reached us at 7.45 that at 7
+another of our ships had been torpedoed, lying just off our Beach in
+full view of all there. It is rumoured that it is the "Majestic," but
+her name we are not yet sure of. The men who brought this news out to
+us say they saw the men on board line up before she went down, and
+dive into the sea. Terrible news!
+
+
+_May 28th._--Back at W. Beach. What we heard yesterday about the
+"Majestic" was only too true. She lies in front of our camp, about 300
+yards from the edge of the cliff, a considerable part of her still
+above water. There is much discussion as to what part of her it is
+that is visible, but it appears to me to be the keel, certainly the
+ram is there. The killed and drowned are between fifty and sixty.
+Several I have spoken to distinctly saw the wake of the torpedo for
+many hundred yards. The "Majestic" was lying in the midst of other
+shipping--only supply boats of no great size, besides trawlers and
+destroyers, but a gap must have been left and through this the torpedo
+had found its way. The Admiral and Ashmead-Bartlett were both on
+board. The latter was on the "Triumph" when she went down two days
+before.
+
+The "Majestic" was able to fire five shots at the submarine when she
+rose to find her bearings, which she did about a mile off, but whether
+struck or not she managed to discharge her deadly bolt, which went
+home right amidships, and in about eight to ten minutes the "Majestic"
+turned over and sank. Her torpedo nets were out, and as many were
+scrambling up the side of the hull, as she turned over, the nets on
+the starboard side swept right over, and must have accounted for many
+deaths.
+
+It is said that the form of torpedo used is most efficient at ranges
+of 3000 yards or more, this long distance being necessary to get up
+full momentum. One of the camp sanitary men, who tells me the story,
+was on the beach as the men swam ashore, and one sailor was no sooner
+on his feet than he said: "It was time the damned b---- was down; she
+was twenty-five years old; any of you chaps got a clay pipe, I am
+dying for a clay pipe"--all said in one breath. The "Majestic" is said
+to have been built in 1902 and was an old boat, but her armament was
+quite serviceable.
+
+An enemy aeroplane crossed over our heads at 7.15 this morning, and
+dropped a bomb, presumably at our C.C.S. and just missed it. Three men
+were standing near; all were knocked over, one dying soon after.
+
+
+_May 29th._--This forenoon I walked out to White House Farm, which is
+about 3 or 3-1/2 miles up the centre of the valley, and is within a
+few hundred yards of our firing trenches. It was rumoured in the
+evening that these front trenches had been taken by the Turks. At the
+White House there is the finest specimen of a fig tree I have yet
+seen, being large and spreading, and growing in a piece of good turf
+beside a well. In that part the whole ground is strewn with bullets.
+
+
+_May 30th._--I have not been out of camp to-day. The men in our
+dressing station came in at 3 a.m. with a long tale of the fury of the
+shelling out there, many casualties occurring round it. Evidently
+there is no better place to be had, but the part devoted to the
+wounded runs in such a way that it can be directly enfiladed by gun
+and rifle fire from Achi Baba. Another trench at right angles to this
+could easily be broadened and deepened to hold all the wounded and a
+whole tent-subdivision.
+
+Three shots were fired from our battery on Tekke Burnu about 6.30 p.m.
+and at once all the destroyers darted out to sea. Evidently a
+submarine had been sighted. It is now getting dark, and the sea is
+covered with our mosquito craft darting about in all directions.
+
+We employ several hundred Greeks, mostly road making. They receive
+2s. 6d. a day and their food. All those working at the Beach struck
+work to-day, demanding higher wages, and retired to their shelter
+holes in the cliff. A company of Dublin Fusiliers was called out, and
+fixing bayonets they kicked the mutineers out of their holes, and all
+were driven into a corner at the foot of the rocks, the open side shut
+in by a line of bayonets, and there they are to be kept, without food
+and water till they come to their senses. The Greek nation has always
+been greedy, always unreliable, and the most notorious liars on the
+face of the earth.
+
+
+_May 31st._--This has been a very quiet day, the Turks and ourselves
+having fired comparatively few shots. Although there has been no hard
+fighting lately, really little more than sniping, we still have a
+casualty list of some size. Those leaving for treatment on the boats
+or at the base hospitals of Malta and Alexandria have a daily average
+of about 125. This includes sickness as well as wounds.
+
+
+_June 1st._--There was much noise last night after all, there being
+much gun and rifle fire, especially on our centre, but with few
+casualties, as far as I can learn.
+
+It has been known for two days that the Turks are to make a determined
+attack on us to-night, for which we are no doubt fully prepared. Since
+5 this evening both sides have been very liberal with their shells.
+Krithia and its neighbourhood, as well as the right ridge of Achi
+Baba, has been reeking from the discharge of our and the French
+shells.
+
+It is said that the Turks and Gurkha trenches are so near each other
+at the top of The Gully that the two are connected by a tunnel through
+which they hobnob, and that the Turks have asked the help of the
+Indians to murder their German officers, then they would hand over
+the Dardanelles to us without further trouble. A mere story of course,
+although one firmly believes that it is these savage officers who are
+forcing the Turks to fight, under threats that they will shoot them if
+they refuse to go forward.
+
+A few shrapnel shells were fired half an hour ago at the top of our
+Beach, in resentment of our Ambulance men gathering on the sky line to
+watch the shells bursting on Achi Baba. This made them beat a hasty
+retreat. But on the whole the day has been very quiet.
+
+
+_June 2nd._--It appeared in "Orders" to-day that we held an advanced
+dressing station 100 yards on this side of White Farm, and as no one
+understood what this referred to, the C.O. after consulting with the
+A.D.M.S. (Col. Yarr), who could throw no light on the subject, asked
+me to go out and investigate the ground to see if such a station might
+be established there. As a big engagement is anticipated within
+forty-eight hours such a place would be useful. I started at 2.30 with
+Kellas and Agassiz who were going out to our present dressing station,
+but on reaching that they proposed to go along with me, as they had
+never been in that part of the country. All went well on the way out,
+only an occasional stray bullet being heard. On reaching "Y Battery,"
+about 100 yards from White Farm a gunner joined us and took us quickly
+over the remaining short distance, where stray bullets are apt to be
+too plentiful. But worse, a sniper several hundred yards off had the
+exact range. He took us into a vineyard behind the farm, and pointed
+out to us all our advanced trenches, warning us not to shake the vines
+as that might attract fire, and on no account to show ourselves. We
+returned to this man's battery, and as soon as I started off with
+Agassiz the sniper had a shot at us, his bullet landing in a tuft of
+grass a few feet to our right. I thought it was some animal and
+proceeded to stir it out of the grass, but Agassiz declared it was a
+shot. In a second or two another kicked up a dust beside us, which
+settled the question. We scattered at once, but three other shots came
+after us before we got out of sight behind some small trees. From
+these we watched Kellas sauntering along, hoping he would also have to
+take to his heels, but the sniper left him alone.
+
+I had next to visit the 88th Brigade H.Q. where I explained to General
+Doran that the spot mentioned for our dressing station was much too
+dangerous. He agreed at once, and said even where he was, on the side
+of rising ground with its back to the enemy, was unsafe, and that one
+of his sergeants had just been shot through the knee lying in his
+dugout.
+
+
+_June 4th._--To all appearances this is to be a great day. At 11 a.m.
+to the minute about 150 field guns and howitzers opened on the Turkish
+trenches, and now at 11.20 all is one great roar. Eight aeroplanes are
+circling about, two big battleships with seven destroyers appeared out
+of the haze, coming from Imbros. These are on the constant move, for
+submarines will be about for certain, and we must not give them more
+fixed targets, they have already had too many. Pandemonium will reign
+in a few minutes. We have waited long for this, and all are overjoyed.
+
+I have been round the C.C.S. and Ordnance Stores collecting all the
+stretchers I can lay my hands on. Apparently we do not expect the
+Turks to be the only sufferers to-day.
+
+12.10.--Achi Baba and the whole Gallipoli point reek as they have not
+reeked since April 25. The battleships keep moving and belching out
+their deadly hail, encircled always by the destroyers, while an
+aeroplane hovers, at a low height, over and around them, peering into
+the depths of the Aegean in case a submarine should come sneaking up.
+The French guns are very busy.
+
+6.30 p.m.--Dressing St. Krithia Road. I came out here about two hours
+ago, with six squads of stretcher-bearers. We cannot advance yet,
+things are too hot, rifle fire being still a constant rattle,
+especially on our left. When I arrived the French were very active on
+our right, but judging from their comparative quietness now I think
+they may have seized at least part of a great gully which had been
+immediately in front of them all this time, and which has contained
+one or more Turkish batteries. These have annoyed the French for
+long--and us. The front of the hill is now fairly quiet, but we are
+firing huge shells into Krithia and that end of Achi Baba. We know
+from the wounded, who have been coming in for some hours in a steady
+stream, that our line is greatly advanced, some of our battalions
+having taken as many as five trenches.
+
+About 8.15 I set off with thirteen stretcher squads to the dressing
+station of the 88th Field Ambulance, which we found two miles up The
+Gully. It was getting dark when we started, and was pitch dark, there
+being no moon, when we reached that point. The order we had got was to
+send up thirteen stretchers at once, and we interpreted this to mean
+the full complement of bearers as well, but these were not required.
+The great battle was still raging, and bullets were flying across The
+Gully in thousands. During the day there had been numerous casualties
+from these in the depths of The Gully. On the way back the whole place
+was packed tight with wagons of every description, and pack animals
+taking up ammunition and stores for next day, and it was often with
+the greatest difficulty we got through the blocks. Having to cross a
+level piece of ground from Gully Beach to our station, and this being
+swept by bullets, which were passing among us, we had many narrow
+escapes, but no one was hit. At our station, which was now in the line
+of fire for stray shot, we heard bullets pass all night long. A
+bullet went "phut" into the ground at my feet as I lay on a stretcher.
+I merely drew up my feet and tried to sleep, but being saturated with
+perspiration and generally uncomfortable I never even felt drowsy.
+Then about 3 in the morning a more resounding shot landed in the same
+spot as the last--both certainly within 2 feet of me. I now got up and
+sat till 6 in a corner more protected from the N.E. which appeared to
+be the direction of the bullets.
+
+On the way to The Gully I had walked with a sergeant of the
+Worcester's as guide. He tells me the French did not do well to-day,
+having as usual advanced and retired, thus leaving our Naval Division,
+on our extreme right, exposed. The Turks opened fire on them and the
+K.O.S.B.'s and mowed them down with their machine-guns. At H.Q. they
+are reported to have used very strong language about this. My guide
+also tells me of the bravery displayed by the Sikhs and Gurkhas, also
+by the Territorials who are drafted through the Regulars, many of them
+mere boys, but they are said to have shown great pluck.
+
+
+_June 5th._--I believe according to programme we should have started a
+big gun bombardment at 11 a.m. to-day, but we have only had occasional
+shots--so far at any rate, and it is now 5.45, too late to do much
+before night comes on.
+
+I mentioned yesterday that we had 150 field guns and howitzers, but I
+find the numbers were 180 French and 150 British guns. An aeroplane
+crossed us at 7 p.m. flying at a great height. No bombs were dropped.
+
+"Asiatic Annie," as a famous gun across the Dardanelles is called, has
+thrown a number of ugly shells this way to-day, but all were short of
+W. Beach.
+
+The "Majestic" is sinking gradually, her ram, which must have been 15
+feet out of the water, is now nearly submerged.
+
+
+_June 6th._--Sunday--6.40 a.m.--The day by preference for a big fight.
+Last night--about 8--the Turks appear to have made a feint attack on
+the French, this going on for hours, the rifle fire very heavy. Then
+in the small hours of this morning they had concentrated on our
+left--the other end of the line--where they were in great force. My
+informants are three wounded from the Essex Regiment who have walked
+in to hospital. They say the Turks were ten to our one, and they came
+on with great dash, fighting being very fierce at a distance of only
+20 yards. Then they got mixed up with the Essex and Royals, who must
+have been badly cut up and were the last to retire. The Turks used a
+large quantity of hand grenades. These are very deadly, and have been
+making ghastly wounds as we know. We too use these freely, all the
+empty 1 lb. tins of the camp having been collected for some time back,
+and charged with gun-cotton. For missiles they have chopped up Turkish
+barbed wire into inch lengths.
+
+The howitzer fire was terrific between 4 and 5 when I woke up and came
+to the top of the ridge to see what was doing. Plainly something
+unusually desperate was on the move. "Asiatic Annie" was also busy and
+several shells came this way, one falling in the C.C.S. where no harm
+was done. Luckily it had chosen a clear spot in front of the store
+tent to pitch into. I had gone down to examine this when the wounded
+men I have referred to arrived. They say that all the trenches we took
+two days ago, after so much hard fighting, are lost. Now at 7.15
+firing has become much more desultory, and judging from where our
+shells are bursting the distance we have been driven back is not
+serious--and so to breakfast.
+
+10 a.m.--Firing is too hot for us to collect in groups, therefore,
+there is to be no church parade this morning. The walking wounded
+still come straggling in, singly or in groups, all greatly depressed
+at having such bad news to relate. Another constant stream flows from
+the C.C.S. to the little cemetery at the top of the Beach, each unit
+of this stream consisting of two bearers carrying a dead comrade on a
+stretcher. The cemetery may be small but it already contains many
+graves, and inside its barbed wire fence there is still room for many
+of our gallant men, who fondly fancy that the shell or bullet that
+could lay them low is not yet cast. This very comforting feeling I
+hope we all possess--more or less. One of the graves has a cross of
+great taste and is over a "Driver Page," a New Zealand Artillery man,
+and after the inscription is the word "Ake--Ake".
+
+No one knows the extent of our casualties, but they must be heavy. The
+Indian contingent alone is said to have lost 1000 yesterday. The
+Royals, Essex, and K.O.S.B.'s are said to have suffered most in the
+morning's attack.
+
+_Later._--I heard in the evening that yesterday's casualties amounted
+to at least 1800, but some think that an under-estimate.
+
+We hear to-night that General Wolley-Dod has been appointed to command
+our 86th Brigade. He is said to be a very able soldier.
+
+In the afternoon there was an occasional interchange of shots, but on
+the whole it was quiet till 8 p.m., the hour darkness sets in, when
+the usual fusillade began. The Turks are nearly always responsible for
+this, and our men rarely reply.
+
+
+_June 7th._--I notice in yesterday's Routine Orders issued by General
+de Lisle, commanding the 29th Division, that the old Etonians are to
+have a dinner at Lancashire Landing, and those attending are requested
+to bring knife, fork, plate, and cup--their mugs in short. This
+request seems quite natural out here. Then follows a notice that some
+unit has lost a bay horse and two mules, finder to return them to
+such and such a place. This again is a curiosity, horses and mules are
+always straying. The correct way to do if you lose a horse is to seize
+the first stray one you come across, and swear you brought him out
+from England.
+
+Last night about 10.30 the Turks disturbed our peace by firing fifty
+or sixty shells about our Beach, some being very near our camp, near
+enough to bespatter our tents and dugouts with lumps of earth. One of
+the men of the 88th Field Ambulance, just in front of us, got wounded.
+They began again with heavier shells--Jack Johnsons--about 5 a.m.
+to-day, seven falling near us, and as we lay underground we could feel
+the earth shake with every detonation. Last night was the first time
+they ever gave us such a visit. They are chary of using their big guns
+after dark in case they should give away their positions.
+
+2.15 p.m.--I spent sometime on a ridge overlooking the sea and watched
+the Turks shelling the ships close by. Their firing from Kum Kale was
+wild, but there was one ship they were determined to have, shell after
+shell falling near and throwing up splashes mast high. At last she was
+hit and a loud report was followed by dense smoke from her fore part.
+Flames quickly followed, and several minesweepers and destroyers soon
+came to her aid, and unloaded part of her cargo. She was finally
+anchored close inshore to await events. By 2 o'clock the flames seemed
+to be pretty well under control.
+
+While watching this a young officer came up and spoke to me. He had
+arrived with us on the "River Clyde" and since then has had very
+trying experiences. He said his birthday was to-morrow, and I should
+say it might be his twenty-first. He is in the Anson Battalion, and
+had come through the Antwerp retreat. His battalion left England 1000
+strong with thirty-three officers. They are now 198 men, while he is
+the only officer remaining. He thinks we must beat a retreat from
+Gallipoli one of these days, to take it would mean too great a
+withdrawal of troops from France, but, as he says, a retreat means a
+greater loss of honour than Britain can bear. He told me about the
+Collingwood Battalion which left England on May 9, and went into the
+fight fresh and at full strength. They lost twenty-three officers and
+nearly six hundred men. In spite of all opinions and rumours we must
+bring this campaign to a victorious end, be the cost what it may.
+
+
+_June 8th._--A day of wind, one big cloud of dust, and swarms of
+flies. These last have become a terrible curse lately, and as time
+goes on they will get no less.
+
+About a week ago Col. Yarr proposed that I should join him at
+Head-quarters, and this morning I was ordered to present myself at
+Corps H.Q. at 3 p.m. I had given the necessary undertaking to divulge
+no secrets, and as the hour approached I rigged myself out in my best
+boots and tunic, and had chosen a smart orderly to look after
+me--Melrose, from Kincardine O'Neil. Then the A.D.M.S. appeared, to
+say that their staff was broken up, most of them having gone to Gully
+Beach, and as there were only twelve all told remaining there was no
+excuse for my joining just yet. They have interesting personalities at
+H.Q. and I feel disappointed. Sir Ian Hamilton, for example, dined
+there last night.
+
+
+_June 9th._--We had a visit from Pirie, M.O. to the Lancs. He is
+terribly depressed over the fight of the 6th when they lost 450 men.
+They were held up by barbed wire in a charge and were shot down. I
+have heard of three battalions that were left with only one officer
+after that fight.
+
+We are now erecting at the "two-gun fort" two naval guns of 4.7
+calibre to reply to our Asiatic friends. It is supposed there are
+three guns on the other side of the Dardanelles of 6-inch calibre.
+These were carefully watched last night, and it was observed that the
+flashes always came from different points, as if they were placed on
+rails and were run sideways. This has long been suspected. These
+"Asiatic Annies" have accounted for 120 Frenchmen within the last few
+days.
+
+Stephen and Thomson are out at the dressing station to-night. I have
+been watching Jack Johnsons bursting in their neighbourhood.
+
+We received four motor ambulances to-day to reinforce our mule-drawn
+wagons.
+
+
+_June 10th._--The dust storm continues, and some one has been
+comforting enough to say that these storms often last for twenty-one
+days. They are about as bad as the flies.
+
+
+_June 11th._--Wind stronger than ever but the dust has been largely
+blown into the sea. Towards evening it fell somewhat. The sea has been
+too rough to get patients away from the C.C.S. to the hospital ships,
+and we have had to relieve it by taking fifty walking cases into our
+tents. All are very cheery, and I fancy most are looking forward to a
+short holiday after their recent experiences. Some have not yet been
+in a fight, some of the naval men who landed two days ago were only on
+their way to the trenches when they were wounded by shrapnel, which
+was showered on them plentifully from several points.
+
+Stephen and Thomson had such a hot time at the dressing station that
+they were forced to return to the Beach. There were eighty-eight
+shells in their vicinity within an hour. About 2 p.m. when I went out
+the Krithia road with several squads of bearers in answer to an urgent
+but vain message, we were held up half a mile on this side of the
+dressing station by a perfect tornado of shrapnel just in front of us.
+I heard afterwards that the road in that part was entirely ploughed
+up.
+
+
+_June 12th._--A quiet day but full of rumours. Late last night we had
+five Jack Johnsons with their terrific crashes, and in the distance
+rifle fire went on all night. About 5 a.m. to-day a number of shells
+landed among the shipping off our Beach. Due north about the same
+time, at the distance of a good many miles, what sounded like repeated
+broadsides from warships. Probably the Australians are having a big
+fight. Then at 7 a.m. ten or twelve rifle shots on the aerodrome
+behind us took me up in a hurry, this being unusual. I half thought
+they might be shooting a spy, but found some one had been blazing away
+at some huge bird, either a vulture or an eagle. I watched its large
+dark form as it flew towards X. Beach. Shrapnel and Jack Johnsons were
+flying about in other parts during the day, but none near us.
+
+Now for rumours--(1) the 29th Division is to be withdrawn for certain,
+having done its bit out here. This is an old rumour which we still
+doubt. I for one would be sorry were we withdrawn before seeing this
+part of the campaign through. (2) The Russians are landing an army
+north of Constantinople. (3) The Italians have landed at Rhodes, and
+are to make a descent on Smyrna--the last two cheer us up.
+
+Kellas and Agassiz had a quieter time at the dressing station than
+yesterday's two. The latter returned about 8 and said "Arthur" was too
+busy playing with a spider and he left him behind.
+
+
+_June 13th._--Had a walk with the C.O. to the top of The Gully to find
+a site for a new dressing station. We breakfasted at 7 as we wished to
+cross the exposed piece of ground between this and Gully Beach. For
+sometime back this has been a favourite mark for the Turkish guns, and
+we thought the morning the most likely time to be allowed to pass
+unnoticed. We were in the foot of The Gully before 8 o'clock. The
+whole valley between this and Achi Baba was so quiet in the brilliant
+sunshine that we remarked that it might have been a Sunday at home.
+Near the top of The Gully we found Taylor of the 87th Field Ambulance
+at breakfast and had a cup of tea with him. He came along with us to
+find a suitable place, and one was fixed on, but I do not like it. In
+my opinion it will be terribly exposed to a dropping fire, the
+surroundings are not high enough to give much protection. The ground
+is also much soiled--I preferred a small side gully but the C.O.
+thought it unfeasible.
+
+We called on Major Ward of the 88th F.A. who was also in the
+neighbourhood. After much labour he has got an ideal spot, very safe,
+and plainly made by a man of artistic tastes. He is as happy as a lark
+up there with his camera, and is studying the birds and their nests.
+
+Col. O'Hagan and Major Bell were next called on at Gully Beach, and we
+reached our camp about 1 o'clock.
+
+We hear that Gen. de Lisle estimates that the European war will be
+ended by September--absolutely without fail.
+
+
+_June 14th._--I marched a number of our men up The Gully to work at
+our new dressing station. I had a look at the place chosen but liked
+it worse than ever, and proceeded to tear down the sides of the little
+gully I preferred. By night we had converted it into a most romantic
+and safe retreat for the wounded and ourselves. The dry bed of a
+stream, for about 100 yards, we levelled down into a beautiful path,
+with several twists and high towering walls, and in the extreme end we
+levelled the floor of a water-worn amphitheatre making room for about
+twenty stretcher cases. A little water drips over the centre of the 40
+feet high overhanging wall, which in wet weather would be a raging
+torrent. (This was afterwards known, and figured in our maps, as
+Aberdeen Gully. It was most suitable for our work, very safe, and much
+admired by every one.)
+
+
+_June 15th._--Been working all day in our Gully, and am now prepared
+for the night, and am sitting in my new dugout, which is merely an
+excavation on a slope with a projecting cliff overhead. At the present
+moment a long string of Gurkhas are filing up a twisting and high path
+on the north side of our little gully, on their way to the trenches
+for the night. We have watched all sorts on this path, but mostly
+Sikhs and Gurkhas on their way to the firing line, and Indian water
+carriers with their great skin bags which look as if they would hold
+about six gallons. Much water has gone up in tanks, slung on mules.
+
+One of our big guns is immediately above us on the top of the cliff,
+and is making a terrific din, with long rolling echoes. All our guns
+have been very busy to-day and the Turks still more so, and I am
+afraid from their long range, which I observed in the morning, these
+have got new guns with very high explosive shells. It is now 7.45 and
+they may soon stop, as it is dark by 8, but for the last few nights
+they have fired at all hours.
+
+
+_June 16th._--Still at our new place, and all of us busy with pick and
+spade all day. Had a good night's sleep in spite of a continuous rifle
+fire very near us. We had a visit in the afternoon from the C.O.,
+Agassiz, and Dickie. With the two last I walked over to Y. Beach, and
+at the Artillery Observation Post there, under the guidance of the
+officer in charge, we had a capital view of all our trenches on the
+left flank, including one that has been a bone of contention for some
+time, and was the cause of an attack by the Turks last night. This
+trench was formerly Turkish, but half of it is now in our possession
+and between us is a pile of sandbags. Over this barrier each takes it
+into his head to throw a few bombs at his enemy. We are trying to
+rectify our position by cutting a new sap. The whole of the Turkish
+trenches from Achi Baba to the sea are visible from Y. Beach O.P. For
+a long way in front of where we were the distance between the two of
+us is not many yards, and in one part the trenches look as if they
+were mixed up in an extraordinary way.
+
+I spent the evening making a table for our new quarters, and retired
+to bed about 9 in the midst of big gun, machine and rifle fire, all
+very near.
+
+
+_June 17th._--Aberdeen Gully. We opened our new station to-day and
+relieved the 87th F.A. We had but a few patients. Agassiz visited us
+in the afternoon with Fiddes and Dickie. The first and I walked over
+to the O.P. at Y. Beach. On the way back along the sunk mule track we
+had to pass a string of mule water carriers. Each Indian leads three
+mules in Indian file. One brute took it into his head to rub the sharp
+edge of his tank into my ribs, and with his feet well to the side he
+stood up and jammed me as hard as he could against the wall of the
+trench. Agassiz, as transport officer, had to dilate on the amount of
+intelligence he has noticed in the Indian mules, while I could only
+use strong language over the wickedness of this particular brute.
+
+We had a number of visitors to-day from neighbouring units--M.O.'s and
+others. Padres Creighton and Komlosy and Major Lindsay dined with us.
+
+
+_June 18th._--The centenary of Waterloo. I hear the French are to make
+an attack to-day. I hope they will be more successful than they were
+this day one hundred years ago. This morning we have been annoyed by
+the Turks' shrapnel, the whole of the gully being peppered, and also
+by defective shells from our own battery above our heads. Several
+since we came up here have burst almost as soon as they left the gun.
+
+After breakfast I walked to Y. Beach, and for the first time
+scrambled down to the foot. "The Dardanelles Driveller," whose one and
+only copy was most amusing, said about this spot, "Why call it a
+Beach, it is only a bloody cliff"? It was here the K.O.S.B.'s and
+S.W.B.'s landed on April 25 and met with no opposition at the landing,
+and had proceeded nearly two miles inland, when they were attacked by
+the Turks in overwhelming force, and lost a large number in their
+retreat to the Beach and then to their boats. This was afterwards
+retaken by the Gurkhas, who pushed through from W. Beach, and the high
+cliff on the north side is now known as Gurkha Bluff. The Indian
+Brigade have their H.Q. here, and this morning there were about 2000
+Gurkhas and Sikhs about. I was toiling up the "bloody cliff" when some
+Gurkhas passed me, thinking nothing of the steep ascent; while I
+straightened my knees slowly at each step, I noticed they brought
+their legs straight with a jerk.
+
+This day two years ago I was lying in bed in Brussels, reading
+Baedeker, when I discovered it was the 98th anniversary of Waterloo. I
+had given up all intention of visiting the battlefield, being pressed
+for time, but after such a discovery I felt compelled to pay it a
+visit. I was thankful I went, it proved one of the most enjoyable days
+I ever spent. At that time Holland and Belgium hated each other, but
+were outwardly kept friendly by their common enemy, Germany, of which
+they were very suspicious. What has now happened has surprised neither
+of these two States.
+
+7 p.m.--Returned a few minutes ago from my favourite Observation Post
+at Y. Beach--Major Ward dragged me over to....
+
+11 p.m.--The preliminary big gun bombardment was to commence at 7, and
+I had just made a start with my diary when the din began, and I had to
+stop short. We are in the very middle of four batteries--two mountain
+(Ross and Cromarty), one 64-pounder, and a fourth of four 6-inch
+howitzers. All blazed forth at once, and all drew fire. As far as we
+could make out this was the hottest corner of the whole front. Shells
+in hundreds burst about our ears, chunks of shell and four nose caps
+came into Aberdeen Gully. The noise of our guns and the bursting of
+Turkish shells was the worst I have heard since the day of our
+landing. Stones and earth we had flying about in plenty. In the midst
+of it all Captain Rowland, R.E., shouted from the mule track, asking
+if a M.O. would go and see Major Archibald in the front trench. I set
+off with two bearers and a stretcher, and found him in a side trench
+close to Gully Beach. He was mortally wounded. I dressed him and left
+him where he lay, in charge of an orderly. We now hurried back to the
+mule track, the whole length of which we had to traverse. It had been
+repeatedly and most thoroughly shelled from end to end during the day,
+and we expected the Turk to sweep along it again at any minute. We had
+just cleared it when this actually happened, and howls behind us took
+us back to find that some Indians had been caught in the fire. A Sikh
+had a leg almost entirely blown off. Though suffering badly he was
+most plucky.
+
+From that time onwards we had a steady flow of wounded, which still
+goes on, but those now coming in are being dressed by the Regimental
+M.O.'s before they are carried in by our bearers.
+
+As far as I can gather from the wounded the Turks made an attack on
+our extreme left at the very hour appointed for the attack by the
+French and us. They came on four deep protected by their artillery
+which blew in two of our front trenches, which were held by the
+S.W.B.'s and Inniskillings. These had to retreat, as many as possible
+through their communication trenches, but many had to get over the
+parapets and rush back over the open. There were 500 Turks in this
+part alone, and our men say only two ever returned, our men forming up
+and charging quickly retook what they had lost. We have had several
+K.O.S.B.'s from the centre where there was also an attack. These were
+more successful from the beginning, and within fifteen minutes had
+taken the Turks' first line.
+
+
+_June 19th._--The above was not the end of last night's work. A little
+after midnight we were requested to send a M.O. and as many nursing
+orderlies as possible to the Inniskillings Aid Post, where they were
+said to be overwhelmed with work. This was at the very top of The
+Gully, three-quarters of a mile beyond our station. I jumped at the
+opportunity of a little excitement, and set off with five orderlies.
+We found the road dotted with dead mules and horses, but could not
+find the M.O. for some time. At last he was roused out of his hole
+half asleep. He said he had never sent for help, that they were quite
+able to cope with the work, his men being at the time occupied with
+cases, which seemed to be coming in fast. What cases he had we took
+back with us, an Inniskilling who had a bad wound in the foot from a
+grenade I helped back with his arm round my neck.
+
+The guide who came for us deserted us half-way to the Aid Post, and on
+returning I found him minus his equipment making himself comfortable
+for the night in our gully. I ordered him off to the firing line
+knowing that this was a favourite dodge to escape for a time. After
+half an hour I found him in our cook house, when I took his number and
+name to report him to his C.O. The man was in a state of funk, and
+declared that the Turks would certainly break through before morning.
+Believing that there might be some reason for his alarm I made sure
+before starting that my loaded revolver was at my belt, in case of our
+having to beat a retreat.
+
+By 3 a.m. I was able to lie down for a short time, but another furious
+attack by the Turks commenced at 4.15. Later in the day I was relieved
+by Fiddes, and about 11 o'clock set off with Agassiz who had ridden
+out from our base. On reaching Gully Beach we took the high road for
+home, but opposite X. Beach the explosions of high explosive shells on
+the road in front of us were too terrifying, and we descended to the
+under-cliff road.
+
+W. Beach had had the worst bombardment it had so far experienced
+during the morning, hundreds of shells falling. Many horses and three
+men were killed. At Corps H.Q. and V. Beach the same went on, and no
+doubt with similar results.
+
+
+_June 21st._--The A.D.M.S. Col. Yarr, called at 9 a.m. and asked me to
+relieve him for the day, and I am now in his dugout at H.Q. of the 8th
+Army Corps, perhaps the hottest place to shell fire on the whole
+peninsula. I found six aeroplanes drawn up waiting for messages, and
+before 10.30 we had twenty-nine shells all within a few yards of us.
+Only very few exploded luckily, but the others buried themselves at
+least six feet in the earth. H.Q. is a network of deep dugouts with
+communication trenches, but a direct hit will pierce any one of them.
+Already two have been struck since I arrived, and the wings carried
+off a French biplane. They had 200 shells here yesterday, one of the
+orderlies being killed and another has been showing me how his tunic
+was riddled by pieces of a shell that exploded. The aeroplanes are
+really the target aimed at. Two have just ascended, but as long as it
+is daylight they will come and go. We usually get less fire when a few
+of our planes are up, when the Turks' guns lie low not to give away
+their positions.
+
+Corps H.Q. is on the east side of the aerodrome, while our camp at W.
+Beach is on the other. When I entered the mess for lunch the only
+person there was an officer in a half faint, seated in a corner
+glaring at a shell on the floor. This had come through the roof that
+very minute and was luckily a "dud". The roof is made of heavy beams,
+thick iron plates from the "River Clyde," sandbags and earth, but this
+shell entered at the edge of the iron which did not project far enough
+over the wall. The place had just been excavated and completed and was
+used to-day for the first time. General Hunter-Weston and his staff
+were present at lunch, also Compton Mackenzie, author and war
+correspondent.
+
+The French have been very busy all day. The Turks are only a little
+less active from their having fewer guns--fifty-two on Achi Baba said
+to be, and they must have six very big guns on the Asiatic side, and
+these have been throwing huge shells into our lines, across Morto Bay,
+all morning. Occasionally there is a burst of rifle fire which would
+show that the French are making an attempt to regain two trenches I
+hear they lost yesterday or the day before. It is said that to-day's
+attack is to be entirely French. We are giving no help at present, but
+for an hour in the early morning we bombarded, likely with the view to
+distract the Turks' attention from the French front.
+
+10.15 p.m.--The French are said to have been very successful in their
+attack at 4.30, when they captured two Turkish trenches. The story
+about their losing two trenches is said, at H.Q., to be incorrect.
+About 8 o'clock a counter-attack was made, the result of which is not
+yet known.
+
+
+_June 22nd._--The fight between the French and the Turks raged without
+the slightest intermission for seventeen hours, in which time the
+former must have fired at least 60,000 shells. I hear the French had
+taken either two or three trenches in the early morning, and during
+the day had repulsed several counter-attacks. Just before dark I
+observed the continuous bursting of French shells on the S.E. corner
+of Achi Baba, as if the Turks were forced back out of Kereves Dere,
+which has so long been a natural protection to them.
+
+I have been asked to-day for a report of the case of ---- No. --, who
+is to be court-martialled for spreading alarmist reports of the fight
+the other day. The double charge of leaving the firing line without
+permission and spreading alarmist reports is a serious one.
+
+The last time Agassiz and I were at the Y. Beach O.P. we had peeps at
+the Turks' trenches from four different points, and at each a bullet
+flew past us, showing that their snipers keep their eyes open. Major
+W---- and I were fired at the other day when out in the open, and we
+had to take to our heels to find cover.
+
+To-day the 5th Battalion Royal Scots have received the highest praise
+from General Hunter-Weston for their brilliant work. They have three
+times retaken trenches from the Turks that had been lost by our
+Regulars. This is the only Territorial Battalion in the whole of our
+Division, and was looked on by the others as our one weak point. Their
+Lt-Col. (Wilson) received the D.S.O. from His Majesty by cable the day
+after he was recommended.
+
+_Later._--The French captured five lines of trenches, a large concrete
+redoubt, and possibly a battery, but there is some doubt about this
+last. All are greatly satisfied at the result, although the cost to
+the French was very heavy. A great number of Turks are said to have
+been slaughtered and a large number taken prisoners, but so far I have
+heard no exact figures.
+
+_Still Later._--The French casualties are placed at 3000 and they are
+said to have taken that number of prisoners, but as a man said to me,
+"Where are they then, they must have buried them?" General
+Hunter-Weston, I was told, "is as proud as a dog with two tails over
+the French success".
+
+A Taube visited us early and one of our biplanes gave chase and is
+said to have winged it, as it was seen to descend behind Achi Baba,
+while our airmen dropped bombs on it. I watched the chase as the two
+circled about. While the chase was in progress a second Taube
+appeared, and the coast being clear it flew round us and dropped a
+couple of bombs.
+
+Yesterday I passed in The Gully what remained of the Dublin
+Fusiliers--less than a company. They were parading in their gas
+respirators, their M.O. lecturing them, and saying that if a rifle is
+a soldier's best friend, his respirator should come next. We are all
+provided with these.
+
+A strange occurrence happened the other day at W. Beach, when I was up
+The Gully. A figure appeared over the sky line in petticoats, as it
+was thought. Our men began yelling "A wuman, a wuman," and all tore
+out to see what they had not seen for months. Lieut. Thomson and
+Corporal Morrice were the most excited. These two have not yet got
+over their disappointment on discovering this was an Egyptian--and a
+male one--in a long coat.
+
+
+_June 24th._--Whyte left us to-day on sick leave. There is a proposal
+that the rest of us should get short leave--four days to Lemnos.
+
+I have just had a visit from a couple of Senegalese--French troops.
+They were going through our camp, grinning as only a nigger can, our
+men making fun of them. One carried off a tin of jam in great glee.
+They stopped at my dugout and I could not get rid of them till I gave
+each a chunk of Turkish delight, which pleased them immensely. I had
+to get rid of two sailors the same way yesterday, giving each a
+Turkish nose cap. Every Turkish curio is valued in the Navy, extensive
+barter being carried on between them and men ashore, whisky and all
+sorts of goods being received by us.
+
+10 p.m.--I have been watching a big green frog which came jumping
+through our tents at a great speed, as if bound on business. He went
+straight to the cook's tent and crept under the flap. Plainly he had
+been there before. Flies are everywhere by the million, but he knew
+where they were particularly plentiful. Half an hour ago I saw a
+brilliant speck of light on a piece of heath, which I thought was too
+bright to be the reflection of the moon from some bright object. I
+found it came from an insect nearly one inch long, jointed like a
+lobster, the glow coming from the last two joints on the under side.
+Even when held close to the flame of a candle the apple-green glow was
+still very bright.
+
+
+_June 25th._--Walked to Aberdeen Gully, but nothing worth noting
+to-day.
+
+
+_June 26th._--Like yesterday an uneventful day--unless a visit from a
+Taube is worth noting, and a thunderstorm over in Imbros. The sky has
+been more or less cloudy, which is certainly unusual, while yesterday
+in The Gully the heat was perhaps more trying than I ever felt it.
+
+All preparations are ready for a very big day on Monday (28th) when
+the Turks on our left are all to be blown sky high; such a bombardment
+as Flanders has never seen the like of. So says General de Lisle who
+has been in France from the beginning of the war until the other day,
+when he became our Divisional-General.
+
+
+_June 27th._--I went to Aberdeen Gully to-day with Kellas, Agassiz,
+and Morris. We wondered if we could extend our accommodation for
+wounded in anticipation of to-morrow's fight. We did nothing in that
+direction, but Kellas getting a message to attend a meeting at Brigade
+H.Q. as we went up The Gully, he brought up word that General de Lisle
+wished us to open another dressing station, as far as I could make
+out, in the slight dip immediately in front of our first firing line
+to which we are expected to creep out, and dig ourselves in, and wait
+for to-morrow's advance. I know the ground, and saw his sketch of the
+site, and pronounced it impossible. We next went to Y. Beach and along
+a small gully beside Gurkha Bluff, till we were stopped by our front
+trenches, and could find no possible way of opening another station.
+We next visited the A.D.M.S., Major Bell, who had not heard of this
+suggestion.
+
+The bombardment by the naval and field guns commences at 9 to-morrow,
+and as Thomson and I, who are at present in reserve at W. Beach, are
+both anxious to take part in what is likely to be one of our biggest
+fights, we have permission to be out in Aberdeen Gully before it
+starts. I have just been ordering breakfast for 6.45 to-morrow, the
+cook remarking sarcastically to a bystander, "Widna five be a better
+oor": "I dinna think ye shud gang to bed, min," was the reply.
+
+We had seven aeroplanes up at one time this evening, viewing the land
+and the movements of the Turks, preparing for to-morrow's row.
+
+
+_June 28th._--After an early breakfast Thomson and I set off for
+Aberdeen Gully, and as our three mule ambulance wagons were going up
+for the day we had a ride in a four-in-hand to Gully Beach. All the
+way out we watched the Turks' shells falling right along The Gully,
+all the batteries, which are numerous there, getting their attentions,
+while we sat and wondered what we were to do. At the foot of the steep
+descent into Gully Beach Major Bell shouted to me from a high terrace
+in which he lives, and advised us not to risk taking the wagons and
+mules further, especially as mules were getting scarce and are very
+valuable, so, after consulting with Col. O'Hagan, he suggested parking
+them where they were. Col. O'Hagan, thinking this gave him the power
+to do with our wagons as he liked, dared our men to do anything
+without consulting him, otherwise he would put them under arrest--a
+threat not much to the liking of Serg. Philip.
+
+We now decided to give The Gully as wide a berth as possible and took
+the track by the foot of the rocks to Y. Beach, about 2-1/4 miles
+further on. The attack was to commence at 9 a.m. and we had
+three-quarters of an hour to do this, climb the long, steep ascent at
+Y. Beach, and cross by the sunk mule track to Aberdeen Gully. The guns
+had been unusually active for the last two days, and to-day from
+daybreak the heavy howitzers had been throwing shells among the Turks
+to knock in their trenches, and these and many others were dropping
+their shells a short way to our left as we crossed the mule track. The
+heat by this time was intense, and I was absolutely soaked by the time
+I reached the top of the cliff, scrambling through the Gurkha and Sikh
+dugouts by the nearest cut possible, not much to their relish I
+thought. Many of the Gurkhas were handling their knives, and one or
+two sharpening them on stones. These knives of theirs are not so
+sacred as some say they are, although I was once warned sharply not to
+touch one I was to pick up beside its owner. I have often seen them
+chopping wood and meat with these, hence the necessity for their
+requiring sharpening this morning. Poor Gurkhas! later in the day some
+of our men mistook them for Turks and mowed down seventy of them with
+their machine-guns. In every battle we have had some such mistake, and
+the Dublins in the afternoon had the same experience as the Gurkhas.
+
+We were not many minutes in Aberdeen Gully when the Turks shrapnelled
+the mule track very thoroughly, as they did in our last battle, and
+wounded came in thick from here. Of course the Turks, by means of
+spies, who are said to be numerous, knew the exact minute of the
+attack, and were fully prepared to give us a hot time. The mule track
+is merely an old trench widened and deepened, and when there is
+fighting many troops pass along this, and the Turks guessed they could
+get a rich harvest here.
+
+From 9 to 11 every gun on the peninsula fired as fast as it could be
+loaded--between 300 and 400 guns. We were in the thick of it, between
+the two artillery lines, and the shells of both passed directly over
+our heads. Orders to the artillery were that ammunition was not to be
+spared.
+
+At 11 the infantry assault on the first Turkish trench was to be made,
+and the guns were then to lift and be trained on the third. All along
+the first line seemed to fall easily, and many of our men rushed to
+the second, some even taking a third, while a Scotch battalion even
+took five. This sort of thing usually proves disastrous, as most of
+our own big guns are out of sight of their objective, and fire
+entirely by range, and in this case the guns were trained on the third
+trench while this battalion rushed through to the fifth, with
+calamitous results. This battalion--either Royal Scots, Scotch
+Fusiliers, or K.O.S.B.'s I forget which--had lost all its officers,
+but, with no one to lead them, they dashed on, greatly to the
+admiration of all onlookers. Two Munster officers had finally to go
+forward and recall them. Pushing forward at this rate, even apart from
+the chance of running into your own artillery fire, generally ends
+disastrously; if too much progress is made we can rarely retain our
+position.
+
+The Turks were entirely demoralised by the heavy bombardment and
+cleared out of their trenches, some of our men, as they came to us
+wounded, complaining that they ran so fast that they could not get
+near them. Many got down on their knees and surrendered, still
+shouting their war cry, "Allah, Allah".
+
+Large bodies of prisoners, all motley crews, passed us during the day,
+and we had a good many wounded Turks to attend to. I dressed one I was
+much interested in--a short, swarthy chap of middle age, who was
+brought in by some Fusiliers. This man had jumped on the parapet of
+his trench, where he coolly stood upright and shot five Fusiliers dead
+before they managed to bowl him over, but a shattered left arm left
+him helpless. He walked in with about sixty other prisoners, with a
+bullet through his upper jaw and tongue, which had come out at the
+back of his neck; another shattered completely his left arm, the
+splintered humerus being at a very sharp angle, and a third through
+his thigh. He had lost much blood from the divided brachial artery,
+and was very thirsty, and soon drained the fill of a feeding cup of
+water, in spite of the state of his mouth. He soon wanted more "su"
+(Turkish for "water") and was given a bowlful, but he would have
+nothing to do with the bowl, he stuck his finger to its side to show
+that he wanted the one with the spout. Evidently he was surprised I
+did not cut his throat, and all the time I was dressing him he patted
+me with his sound hand.
+
+All the guns were trained on a small patch to begin with, a
+troublesome part known as the "boomerang," a redoubt with sixteen
+machine-guns. This was blown to smithereens.
+
+The whole fight was on our extreme left, with a front of not much over
+half a mile. This must have been very thoroughly ploughed up, and a
+large number of Turks blown to pieces. One woman was found among the
+dead, but it is believed that many of them had their wives with them.
+Many of their underground dwellings were so elaborate that they had
+evidently made up their minds that they were to spend the coming
+winter here.
+
+Our casualties, although light compared with the Turks, must be heavy.
+Over 300 passed through our station before dark, but at that time
+perhaps the bigger half was still to come. Those lying between
+trenches have usually to lie where they fall till dark. Our losses
+would likely be 3000 to 4000.
+
+The Asiatic guns, finding they could take little active part in the
+proceedings, although they fired occasionally on the French, amused
+themselves by firing at W. Beach and the battery on Tekke Burnu, and
+with forty-two shots managed to kill two men and wound eight. One of
+our men, Corporal Dunn, got badly hit while in Aberdeen Gully by a
+two-pound shell cap. It was due to the premature bursting of one of
+our own shells. (Corporal Dunn died a day or two afterwards.) So far
+the wounds received by our Ambulance have been slight.
+
+Padre Creighton had a peculiar experience at 1 a.m. to-day, while
+asleep in his "crow's nest". He has taken up his quarters with us in
+Aberdeen Gully, and has a dugout about 15 feet above the path that
+winds the length of our Gully. This is almost sheer up and is reached
+by steps cut in the rock and sandbags. It was formed by levelling a
+natural recess, and had a galvanised iron roof. Sheer up from this
+again the rock rises another 70 or 80 feet to the mule track above. A
+packhorse with two heavy tanks lost its footing on its way up and fell
+crashing down on Creighton's place, carrying away the roof and a
+number of sandbags, and dropping one of the boxes in the middle of his
+bed. The padre escaped untouched. Kellas, sleeping further down the
+path, rushed out and found himself face to face with the runaway
+steed, which, still more strange to say, was also unhurt. The padre in
+the bright moonlight was standing in his pyjamas on the top of his
+steps, scratching his head, and wondering what it all meant.
+
+The heat all through the day had been most trying, and as I trudged
+down The Gully by myself, Thomson remaining behind, in the sweltering
+heat, the whole way packed tight with ammunition and other wagons,
+through a dust that filled The Gully to the very brim, I felt dead
+tired after a hard day's work and the long tramp of yesterday, when we
+looked in vain for a site for a new advanced dressing station. The
+road seemed without end. As I neared "home" and came over the slight
+rise at our cemetery the moon rose through a slight haze over the
+classic Mount Ida, as a great blood-red ball, while on my other side,
+out in the Gulf of Saros, a dense cloud hung over Imbros, which every
+few seconds was lit up by a flash of lightning. I had little food all
+day, and was too tired to eat, but after a big drink of lime juice I
+retired to bed and slept the sleep of the just--of the tired at any
+rate.
+
+And so ended a day in which we had had a good specimen of a modern
+battle, where both sides had shown equal and indomitable pluck.
+
+
+_June 29th._--Spent the day resting and washing clothes. When I can I
+have a washing day twice a week.
+
+Many wounded passed through Aberdeen Gully after I left last night,
+the total up to some hour this morning being 566, which meant a lot of
+hard work.
+
+After I left, Ashmead-Bartlett was passing, and recognising Padre
+Creighton he went over our Gully, and greatly admired the place for
+its suitability and picturesqueness, and is to give a description of
+it in one of his early articles to the home papers--so he says. He
+told our fellows the following story of a friend of his, who had been
+through the landing of April 25. He wrote home saying that shells flew
+thick about his ears, torpedoes chased him about, and mines floated
+all round; still he was not in the least afraid, he just thought of
+what his padre told them the previous Sunday, when he exhorted them
+when in danger to look upwards. He looked upwards, and behold! here
+was a bloody aeroplane dropping bombs.
+
+Early in the afternoon we had a goodly number of shells. Yesterday,
+when I was up The Gully, a large piece of shell flew through our mess
+tent, where the servants were sitting, and landed in a jam pot on the
+table, splashing an orderly all over; he, mistaking jam for his own
+blood, did not know whether he was really alive or dead.
+
+
+_June 30th._--We had seven large shells during the night, all landing
+on our side of W. Beach. Two traction engines have been fitted up
+lately down on the shore, and one of these was smashed, and a
+tool-house beside it blown pretty well to pieces. There was also some
+fighting about our left and centre, but I have not heard the result.
+The Turks have now a plentiful supply of ammunition, and all yesterday
+afternoon and this morning have poured a constant stream of high
+explosives into the French side of Kereves Dere.
+
+Soon after 8 p.m. lightning flashed thick about Imbros, which had an
+inky black cloud hanging overhead. The storm moved to the east, till
+it came over Achi Baba, and by this time the flashes were almost
+constant and the thunder loud. It was one of the grandest
+thunderstorms I ever saw, and what made it more impressive was the din
+and flashing of all our guns, the searchlight from Chanak, which
+always plays over the Dardanelles and us, and then we had a severe
+shelling from Asia all to ourselves. We just wanted a good rattling
+earthquake to complete this fearsome picture of hell where both man
+and the gods warred.
+
+The Turks have started a new form of frightfulness. They shell us
+every now and then from Asia, and from there last night they dropped
+into W. Beach a huge shell that detonates with a terrible crash, and
+every twenty minutes or so they treated us to one of these, and made
+the whole night hideous, and sleep impossible.
+
+This afternoon a French battleship stationed herself off the entrance
+to the Dardanelles, and fired about fifty rounds from her biggest guns
+at a point on a hill about a mile beyond Kum Kale. As the Turkish guns
+are believed to be in tunnels they were firing practically at right
+angles to these, and I could not possibly see how they could get a
+direct hit, and prophesied that as soon as the ship left they would
+show that there was life in the old dog yet, by giving a worse
+cannonade than usual, and this was just what happened. No fewer than
+five shells fell in the C.C.S. beside us, killing the cook, and
+wounding two orderlies, and a number of the already wounded. I saw
+several horses and mules fall to their bag also. Then as soon as it
+got dark they made up their minds that we were not to be allowed to
+sleep, and every fifteen to twenty minutes we had a terrific crash in
+the camp up to 5 a.m. This becomes very trying, and all wish that
+something could be done to silence these guns. Nothing will do but a
+landing on the Asiatic side.
+
+
+_July 1st._--I came out to Aberdeen Gully after breakfast. Here one
+feels comparatively safe, and we are enjoying the peace after our
+nocturnal shellings, and the thought of a good night's sleep braces
+one up wonderfully. Fiddes and I walked over to the Artillery
+Observation Post to see the extent of our advance, the other day, and
+I was surprised to find our front trenches so far forward. Some of
+these front trenches we still divide with the Turks, and during their
+attempts to recover some of these last night the darkness of the night
+and the thunderstorm terrified the Gurkhas so much that they nearly
+lost their most advanced line.
+
+
+_July 2nd._--Spent a quiet day out at the dressing station--as far as
+work went. I went over to Y. Beach by the mule track, but as shells
+were dropping about both these places I returned sooner than I
+intended. In the afternoon a message from the Turks, dropped from an
+aeroplane, gave the whole army half an hour to clear out of the
+peninsula, otherwise they would shell us into the sea. The shelling
+had to be resorted to, and commencing at 5 p.m. they worked so
+vigorously that plainly they meant what they said. The artillery duel
+then started was on this left side, and, our Gully being between the
+two fires, all the shells went right over our heads, and the shrieking
+was as bad as any I ever heard. At periods during the three hours this
+lasted they crossed at the rate of 200 per minute. We were close to
+three of our own batteries, and these had to be peppered over our
+heads, and most of the shells being shrapnel, timed to burst in the
+air, we had many an explosion immediately above us. We all cowered as
+well as we could up against the rocks, and although shrapnel bullets
+and half a shell base came among us no one was hit. In spite of all
+this bombardment, an artillery officer told me next day that all the
+casualties he knows of are one man and five horses wounded. All these
+were hit in a small side Gully like our own, a shell bursting in their
+midst.
+
+Padre Creighton came back tired and hungry at 8.30 and found no supper
+nor fire to cook it with, the cook's life having been frightened out
+of him he forgot the necessity for bodily sustenance for the rest of
+us. I noticed the cook at one time flourishing a spade like a cricket
+bat, and on asking him what this was for he declared, "You can easy
+see the bloody thing comin'". He intended to let fly at the first
+shell that came his way. Creighton in his usual energetic way buckled
+to, and prepared an excellent supper of fried onions on toast, with a
+little bacon. This was much enjoyed, as was also the Bivouac cocoa
+with which it was washed down.
+
+
+_July 4th._--Aberdeen Gully. A glorious Sunday morning. A slight
+shower during the night has refreshed the air and nature's dusty face,
+and now, with a brilliant sun and a gentle breeze, one can feel as
+happy as one can out here, thousands of miles from home--but are we
+downhearted? No! There is also almost an absolute calm from those
+noisy death dealers, shots being only very occasional. A big howitzer
+is going off at times, but apart from that the unnatural silence seems
+ominous, like a calm before a storm.
+
+Padre Creighton is to-day offering five pounds to a shilling that it
+will be Christmas before we take Achi Baba. My forecast is we will be
+there before this day week, while any combatants I have spoken to say
+it will take us to the end of July. At the present rate we will take
+months, but in my opinion it will be necessary to push on faster than
+we have been able to do so far, although I believe by wearing out the
+Turks slowly our casualties will be less. But a more rapid advance
+would be a greater help to our comrades fighting in other parts of the
+Continent.
+
+_Afternoon._--Had an excellent lunch cooked by Fiddes, who is a
+first-rate _chef_. An officer lunched with us who says he is the last
+of his battalion. He came in slightly wounded, but his nerves have so
+completely gone that he says he will never be able to shoot a rabbit
+again, and sheds tears at the thought of such cruelty. Many will
+follow in the same condition if we cannot get relief, and out of reach
+of the Turks' guns for an occasional rest.
+
+
+_July 5th._--We have had a terribly hot morning, we opening the
+artillery ball at 3.45, when the Turks made an attack on the most
+important front trench we now hold, and took from them this day last
+week. Now, at 9 o'clock, things are still very warm, but nothing to
+what they were during the first three hours, when the fire from both
+sides was about equal. After the first rush of the Turks the fight has
+been nothing but an artillery duel.
+
+In Aberdeen Gully, we are wonderfully protected by our high rocks, and
+natural banks which have been improved by ourselves, and although many
+pieces of shell have fallen in it to-day no one was hit.
+
+The Turks are said to have suffered enormously, being taken by
+surprise in a nullah along which they were marching in close
+formation. An officer with a machine-gun says he alone accounted for
+about eighty. We have had about twenty-four wounded Dublins so far,
+some mere boys. Those boys who are slightly hit are in great glee over
+their prowess, one as he walked proudly in exclaiming, "Py Jasus, we
+gave them a holy paestin' this mornin'".
+
+Last night we had a call from the M.O. of the Scottish Rifles. He was
+telling us about the casualties in the Lowland Brigade on Monday last.
+They went in 2900 strong and only 1200 came out. Their Brigadier and
+three Colonels were killed. I have spoken to several officers of the
+Brigade, and they unanimously put this loss down to some tactical
+mistake. They charged much too soon, and moreover the men had to
+assault trenches that had never been shelled. This M.O. says he had
+been speaking to an officer who said he assisted to cut the rope by
+which one of the Turkish gunners was bound to his machine-gun. To
+prevent their running away we have heard that they are sometimes tied
+to their guns by chains.
+
+6 p.m.--I am back again at W. Beach where I find they have had a
+perfect hell of a time. A big French transport was sunk off this by a
+torpedo on Saturday.
+
+In the morning after the fight of the 29th I met in The Gully three
+wounded soldiers of the Lowland Brigade, two of them trying to put a
+sling on the third, who had a smashed hand. I assisted and asked about
+their casualties. One said, "We lost our Brigadier, Scott-Moncrieff,
+did ye ken him, a wee wiry beggar?"
+
+After dinner to-day I walked to the Dublin trenches with Creighton,
+who was to bury some of the men killed last night. As we passed a
+workshop and engineers' dump on our way back, Creighton was again
+asked to bury a man. While he was doing so I sharpened my pocket knife
+on a grindstone standing by, and asked a soldier if that was all the
+killed they had last night. "Yes," he said, "and we had an officer
+buried to-day." "Oh," said I, "when was he killed?" "He wasn't killed
+at all." "Then why did you bury him?" "A shell blew in a trench on the
+top of him, but we dug him out, and he was none the worse."
+
+Another mule--but it was a horse this time--toppled down from the path
+above us this afternoon. He started on his career with his full load,
+but he had nothing but his saddle when he dumped himself down on the
+path three yards from my sleeping bunk, after a drop of about 50 feet.
+I would much rather have a whole mule flying in among us than a chunk
+of shell. He picked himself up and looked scared, and went away
+puffing hard, but quite unharmed except for a bleeding nose.
+
+
+_July 6th._--W. Beach. What's wrong? Not a shot in our neighbourhood
+during the night, and I must have slept seven hours.
+
+_Later._--By afternoon we had a few shells, some dropping
+uncomfortably near--forty-five in all, so many from Achi Baba, and ten
+huge ones, with big explosions, from Asia. These last were aimed at
+our ammunition dumps, where some damage was done.
+
+At supper our Q.M. Dickie told us the following little anecdote,
+which I jot down as it was connected with our Corps. One evening a
+recruit presented himself at Fonthill Barracks, Aberdeen, and informed
+the CO.--Captain Robertson--that he wanted to "Jine". "But we are full
+up," says R. "Oh, I thocht ye wintet men." "Oh well, as you are a
+likely looking chap, I think I'll take you; when would you like to be
+examined?" "I'll be examined noo, far's the doctor?" "I'm the doctor,"
+said R. "God," says the chap, "ye dinna look muckle like a doctor."
+"But why do you wish to join?" "It's jist like this, I hid a dram, an'
+the maister said I was a damned feel, so I telt him if I wis a damned
+feel, he wis a damneder, an' he telt me to gang tae hell, sae I jist
+gaed, an' here I am." "When can you join?" "Weel, this is Saeterday
+nicht, it wid need tae be Tiesday or Wednesday. Ye see I drive the
+milk caert, a damned responsible poseeshen." Not much of a story but
+real Aberdeen.
+
+
+_July 7th._--Had seventy shells to-day on W. Beach, mostly big ones
+from the "Asiatic Annies"; bag, two killed and three wounded.
+
+
+_July 8th._--W. Beach. Yesterday we had a big mail--great rejoicing.
+
+When we came out of the mess tent to-day at 1.15 we found a great
+swarm of what we all think must be locusts, but no one is sufficiently
+well up in zoology to be certain. All are flying inwards in the same
+direction, as if they had come out of the sea, but it is more likely
+they have come from Asia, across the Dardanelles. There is a slight
+breeze and they have difficulty in flying, and are resting everywhere,
+and bump up against tents and everything that comes in their way, and
+are not strong flyers. They have powerful grasshopper legs, red from
+the knee downwards, and an inner pair of wings, which are also red
+and give the whole animal a red colour when in flight. Now, after an
+hour, they are still more plentiful, and are flying past actually in
+myriads.
+
+At 4.30 I got a message to relieve Col. Yarr at Corps H.Q. An
+aeroplane was drawn up there, and along with myself a second one
+arrived. Now I am in for a shelling, I said to myself, and I had just
+entered Col. Yarr's dugout when the first shell exploded a few yards
+off, and this was immediately followed by two others. Near the middle
+of the aerodrome a large gun emplacement--or whatever it is--is being
+dug, which, it is hoped, will draw some of the fire away from here.
+
+The swarm of locusts (?) did not diminish for three hours, when it
+tailed off. Their bumping into one's face made walking almost
+impossible.
+
+
+_July 9th._--Head-quarters. We have had a quiet night. The shelling
+does not commence here till the aeroplanes arrive from Tenedos. Last
+night at dinner various subjects were discussed, such as the duration
+of the war. The views of all were very depressing, although no one had
+the slightest doubt as to the ultimate complete smashing up of
+Germany, and the longer the war lasted the more complete would the
+smashing be. One man was sure it would be ended by next spring,
+another, who had lived long in Macedonia, is positive it will take two
+years from now. General Hunter-Weston took no part in this discussion,
+but looked interested and amused while his juniors threshed the
+subject out. All agreed that it was most laughable to read the
+forecasts in the papers at home, and that it was only now that England
+was realising how enormous the task before her was, and that the war
+will continue till both sides are just about played out, but there can
+be no doubt of our ability to hold out longest.
+
+The plans for the next big attack were also discussed. The General,
+who commands the whole army on the peninsula--including the
+French--arranges all details, under the Commander-in-chief, Sir Ian
+Hamilton. The dates of former attacks were known to us all several
+days before they took place, and these invariably reached the Turks.
+To avoid this more secrecy is now observed, and it amused me last
+night to hear the General emphasise his dates in a voice that denoted
+that he did not mean them to be taken literally. This was to bamboozle
+me, I thought, the only non-combatant present, but occasionally he
+stumbled. As it was always with regret that I came to know the dates
+of former attacks some days ahead I was glad to observe this attempt
+at secrecy. I remember we were once to commence at 7 o'clock, and the
+Turk let fly at us at 6.45, determined, sensible man, to get in the
+first blow.
+
+When talking about crushing Germany, all regretted that our country
+was so soft, and would not crush sufficiently; however, they thought
+they could rely on Russia and France insisting on this being carried
+out very thoroughly.
+
+After breakfast I walked down about 300 yards to Helles point,
+wondering what had come of all our shipping. The hospital ships are
+there, one small supply ship only, a few mine-sweepers, and close in
+under the rocks a British and a French submarine, lying beside the
+keel of the "Majestic". It appears a German submarine had been sighted
+last night, hence as many of the ships as possible had fled. A French
+ship is battering Kum Kale, and kicking up a tremendous dust. An
+officer from H.Q. was regretting the inability of the Navy to help us.
+At last, I hope, even the Navy has discovered this for themselves, for
+land operations they are of little use. Then we must rely on our field
+guns and howitzers, and these only. Another 5-inch howitzer battery
+arrived last night, I hear, and we have 9.2-inch guns somewhere, but
+I fail to gather whether these had been actually landed.
+
+
+_July 10th._--We had an unusually good dinner last night, a feast fit
+for the gods to one who has had nothing but camp rations for three
+months, where the staple diet is bully beef. We had various liqueurs
+before dinner, and excellent cocktails made by the General's A.D.C.
+But I never enjoyed anything so much as a bottle of Bass the night
+before. The A.D.C. is a jovial fellow, always happy, with plenty of
+foresight, and with a fatherly interest in everybody. General
+Hunter-Weston has been spending the night at Imbros with Sir Ian
+Hamilton, and the Staff had asked several of their friends to dine
+with them. I was able to find out from one of our visitors that there
+is absolutely no truth in a most persistent rumour we hear, that the
+whole of the 29th Division is going home to be re-equipped, after
+their almost complete annihilation. He says we are to get a rest, but
+we only go to Lemnos. Why send troops away in the meantime?
+
+The Turks for some days back have been making a huge excavation on
+this side of the actual peak of Achi Baba. Its purpose is a great
+puzzle here. The first object one would think of is that it is a big
+gun emplacement, but, as they say at H.Q., they have made it on the
+wrong side of the hill. Still I cannot see why not, if they front it
+with a big enough mound. But there could be no advantage in making it
+on this side, where we could so easily "spot" our shots.
+
+We, too, are making a big excavation on one side of the aerodrome, but
+when the first aeroplane enters it for the night I am mistaken if the
+Turks do not knock it out within an hour. It is intended for a
+monoplane that can fly 113 miles an hour, and its special purpose is
+to give chase to the first Taube that appears.
+
+That Achi Baba excavation makes one suspicious that the German
+officers with the Turks are to be up to some form of frightfulness. It
+cannot be gas, but, if it is, we have been prepared for that for some
+weeks, and every man has his respirator. To-day I was asked by the
+A.D.C. about a paper dealing with gases, with which we are to
+retaliate should the Turk use these first, but it contains names I
+never heard before, and can give him no enlightenment on the subject.
+
+6 p.m.--I have been on the General's observation hill with one of the
+staff, and his opinion about the excavation is probably correct. It
+must be a redoubt, in which the Turks will have a large number of
+field and machine-guns, which will mean some taking, but our artillery
+should make short work of it.
+
+
+_July 11th._--Was knocked up at 6.30 to see the General who is ill.
+This is awkward, as I have just gathered at breakfast that the next
+big fight ("stunt" is the word always used) comes off to-morrow. I
+also heard at breakfast that in our last stunt when the first lines of
+the Turks were slaughtered, new troops as they were brought up refused
+to cross the masses of their dead comrades, and that one of the
+reasons for General Hunter-Weston refusing the armistice asked for by
+the Turks two days ago was that he wished to retain their dead as a
+wall of defence.
+
+Much business has to be transacted in preparation for to-morrow and
+the General is getting little rest.
+
+6 p.m.--I walked over to the Ambulance to notify them about
+to-morrow's stunt. The road between the aerodrome and the Beach was
+being shelled, so I took the other side of the aerodrome, past the
+Ordnance Stores, and as I was nearing these the Asiatic gunners
+thought they might pepper this side, and I had some big crashes near
+me. A shell entered the road just behind the 89th F.A. without
+exploding, and one of our men pushed a 7-foot stick down the hole
+without reaching the bottom. The hole was the cleanest I ever saw, 7
+inches in diameter, and every mark of the rifling of the driving band
+was beautifully moulded in the clay. Here at H.Q. they dug up one of
+these new and unexploded shells, and it had penetrated 14 feet into
+the ground.
+
+A New Zealander was telling me yesterday that his people closely
+resembled those of the old country in every respect, while the
+Australians seem to completely alter. When the British and New
+Zealanders hear a shell approaching they duck, while an Australian
+straightens his back, gets his head and shoulders over the parapet,
+and swears.
+
+General Hunter-Weston kept improving during the day, and by evening
+was much better.
+
+
+_July 12th._--An important battle took place to-day, and still rages,
+beginning at 4 a.m. but in real earnest by 5, when many new big guns
+were used for the first time. Our centre (Naval Division) and the
+right (French) are mainly involved, although the whole line took part
+in the preliminary bombardment. News came in that the first attack
+failed, but that by 7.30 the first line of the Turks was captured. On
+the top of the Observation Hill at H.Q. I met an interesting fellow,
+who said he was the only civil surgeon who had got permission to join
+us. He had a Government appointment in the Soudan, and having three
+months' leave he was allowed to spend it here without pay. He said he
+would have been ashamed to go home.
+
+The General feels better to-day, and by lunch time looked as if things
+were going well at the Front. However, the French have a most
+difficult piece of work before them, namely, the capture of Kereves
+Dere, which has blocked their way since April 28. This gully runs in
+a S.E. direction from the foot of Achi Baba to the Dardanelles, is
+flat at the bottom, and about 400 yards wide, with steep perpendicular
+cliffs on both sides, nearly 200 feet high. At the bottom each side
+holds a trench facing the other, while there are others half-way up
+wherever there are slopes. In a spot or two the French are said to
+have pushed through before, and for a time held a piece of the other
+side, but the difficulty is to get the Turk entirely out and the
+position consolidated.
+
+The enemy submarines would like to do some mischief to-day, could they
+find something worth a torpedo, but all our shipping has gone, except
+three hospital ships and the torpedo craft. Within the last fifteen
+minutes a destroyer has given a long blast on her whistle, followed by
+two short, the signal that a submarine has been sighted. Three
+destroyers are at the present moment grouped together evidently having
+a conference.
+
+6.15 p.m.--The battle has raged the whole day, but less violently from
+11 to 4, but at the latter hour, a warship, lying close in, with all
+our field guns, raised a great roar, and a solid mass of smoke and
+dust rose high in the air enveloping the whole of the Turkish lines
+from the west of Krithia to the Dardanelles. The Turks have replied
+all day, but feebly in comparison.
+
+Most of the day I had been watching the battlefield from the
+Observation Hill, then at 5 went to tea in the mess where I was alone.
+General Hunter-Weston entered in a few minutes, and sitting opposite
+me said, "What an extraordinary thing war is". The progress of the day
+had greatly satisfied him I could see, and he was in great glee.
+"Yes," I said, "but I wish to goodness it was all over." "My dear
+sir," he replied, "we'll have years of it yet." I asked if he thought
+there was any possibility of its ending this year. "Absolutely none; I
+think there may be trouble in Germany over the food supply by the
+beginning of next harvest and, if so, there will be a chance of its
+ending in twelve months, but it is more likely to take two years." I
+was afterwards speaking to Major ---- about this, and I have always
+agreed with his remark, "It is all damned nonsense to talk about
+starving Germany".
+
+After tea I returned to the Hill where several of the Staff were
+collected. We watched a body of Turks, about 200 in number, leave
+their own lines and come towards ours with a large white flag. Within
+three seconds after their forming into a body five of our shells
+landed among them, and there was nothing to be seen when the smoke
+cleared off. But in a few minutes those remaining gathered into a body
+again, and immediately two more shells exploded in their midst. The
+few remaining could now be seen coming out of the smoke and tearing
+down a slope to a nullah a short way off, and they were not seen
+again. Major ---- was here called away to interpret to three Turkish
+prisoners who had come in, but I have heard no particulars of their
+examination.... I hear from one of the orderlies that a prisoner
+complained that their own guns opened on them as soon as a body formed
+up to surrender. (This is what actually happened, Turkish shells, not
+ours, fell among them, a lesson to others what would happen if they
+surrendered.)
+
+We seem to have made a great advance in front of our Naval Division.
+It is more difficult to say what the French have done, their line is
+more hidden from here, owing to the contour of the ground. It will be
+dark by 8, and now at 6.45 it is high time we were straightening up
+our line, otherwise the forward positions will be enfiladed by night.
+
+I heard our Artillery Staff-General being asked at the Observation
+Hill if he was satisfied with the day's work, and he replied, "Quite,
+on the whole, quite, quite".
+
+I was interested to find that none of our Generals left H.Q. to-day;
+everything is worked from there by telephone. Each was at his own post
+and spent little time on the Observation Hill--much less than I did
+myself.
+
+
+_July 13th._--Rumours after a battle are always plentiful, but at H.Q.
+one has an opportunity of sifting these, in fact I could always get
+the exact truth by asking members of the Staff, but I feel as a
+non-combatant that I have no right to openly poke my nose into purely
+military matters. Rumour said we had taken 700 prisoners yesterday;
+another rumour puts the number at 2000. I heard at dinner that eighty
+had come in. Mention was laughingly made of "the lost regiment". I
+could not imagine at the time that we had lost a regiment and thought
+it was a joke of the General's, but to-day I find that a whole
+battalion of K.O.S.B.'s are amissing. Those must be prisoners in the
+hands of the Turks. They had lost so heavily before that they could
+not have been at anything like full strength. The curious thing is the
+officers are said to have turned up, and can give no account of what
+happened. I expect this is not the exact truth. They are said to have
+pushed too far forward, which is the usual cause of our worst
+disasters.
+
+Three violent counter-attacks were made last night. Fighting had never
+ceased the whole night, and I hear we had to retire all along the
+line. The extent of our falling back I do not know, but the news is
+most depressing.
+
+Major ---- told me yesterday that the best troops in the world would
+get so completely demoralised under a shelling like that we gave the
+Turks that every man would be absolutely limp, and could not even aim
+when firing. Then, the more shells we have the better, as we all know
+here and at home. Yesterday we used very little shrapnel, it was
+almost entirely high explosives. At home it was discovered that we had
+used too much of the former in France. The demoralising effect of
+shrapnel is slight, and it has little effect on troops under cover,
+but you might as well fight an earthquake as the other, if it is
+anywhere near you.
+
+Yesterday's casualties up to evening were put at 3000 to 4000, but
+this number will have been added to over night.
+
+10.55 p.m.--Fighting has gone on all day, and with great success on
+our side; we have regained our lost trenches and taken several new
+ones.
+
+I had a very exciting and hot motor ride in search of the Liaison
+officer, at General Hunter-Weston's request, word having come in that
+he was badly wounded. I had many narrow escapes, especially from high
+explosives fired at a battery astride the road through which I had to
+dart, and afterwards from bullets when I left the car and went forward
+on foot. On stepping out of the car a man seeing I was on business
+stepped up to me and immediately dropped dead with a bullet through
+him. I searched our own and the French front lines amidst showers of
+bullets but could find no trace of the man I wanted. I had taken Col.
+Yarr's orderly with me, an old regular. After clearing the battery,
+where big shells from Asia were dropping on all sides of us, and at a
+terrific rate, he picked himself up from the floor of the car and
+swore roundly, and said Col. Yarr would never have taken him into such
+a hot place.
+
+
+_July 15th._--About 5.30 a.m. we had a Taube overhead, which dropped
+two bombs on W. Beach, the acres of boxes at the Ordnance Stores being
+aimed at. A man's arm was blown off and two or three mules killed. We
+have moved our ammunition from Tekke Burnu, where it was too exposed,
+and the Turks seem to think we have mixed it up with these stores as a
+deception, hence these bombs to-day. The machine was at an enormous
+height, and its approach was neither seen nor heard, and the French
+monoplane gave it a start of at least five minutes before pursuing.
+The Taube went in a westward direction, ours directly north, evidently
+with the view of cutting it off from its usual landing place. Our
+machine returned after forty minutes, but I have not heard if it was
+successful.
+
+I went to Aberdeen Gully this morning having returned from H.Q.
+yesterday forenoon.
+
+
+_July 16th._--Woke this morning about 6 after a delightfully peaceful
+night. I lay in my bunk, surrounded by muslin to keep the flies out,
+and felt wonderfully contented with my lot. Such peace could not last
+long, soon the booming of guns was heard some way off, others nearer
+followed, and one over our heads joined in the chorus, and by 10
+o'clock rather a fierce Turkish cannonade commenced.
+
+6 p.m.--I took the temperature of the air to-day for the first time
+and found it 92.5--not the hottest day I have felt here, still
+uncomfortably warm. Walked over to Y. Beach in the forenoon, and up
+The Gully later, meeting the Hants and Worcesters marching down with
+their full kits--all off to Lemnos or somewhere out of the reach of
+shells. These are the very last of the 29th Division to leave except
+the three ambulances.
+
+
+_July 17th._--W. Beach. Returned from Aberdeen Gully to-day. Last
+night the Asiatic guns were troublesome about W. Beach, also a Taube
+which dropped bombs about the ammunition dump. By shell or bomb a fire
+was started that cost us 1,000,000 rounds of rifle ammunition.
+
+I had an order in the forenoon to inoculate the H.Q. Staff against
+cholera. On going over at 6.15, the appointed hour, I found General
+Hunter-Weston had gone some hours before, along with Col. Yarr, to
+Lemnos for a much-needed rest. I inoculated two other Generals and
+forty-five others, finishing up with a dose for myself.
+
+One of our men had a letter from a friend who is with the 2nd Highland
+F.A. in France. He spoke about them retiring out of shell fire for a
+rest, and after pitching camp a shell fell in the next field. They
+then struck camp and went back another 5 miles. "Good God," some one
+heard him declare, "an' here's his, we could na gang five inches."
+
+
+_July 18th._--Last night about 11 o'clock seventeen shells came over
+from Asia, and one hit a huge pile of cartridge boxes and set it
+ablaze. It burned furiously, with a very alarming sputter, bullets
+flying everywhere, although their velocity was not great. They were
+flying over our heads and we had to go underground. Several about the
+fire got rather badly wounded. When fully alight the noise was the
+most earsplitting I ever heard, not that it was so very loud, but
+there was something painful about it. This pile was composed of
+cartridges taken off our own dead and wounded, and those picked up
+about the trenches, where a sinful waste goes on, although I believe
+the big half was captured Turkish ammunition. Many millions were
+burned.
+
+In the morning I was asked to spend the day at H.Q. to relieve Col.
+Yarr's successor. Major-General Stopford (afterwards in command at the
+Sulva landing) was acting as G.O.C. Everything seems very quiet at
+present, as if we were to be in no hurry to make another attack--a
+pity, I think.
+
+At 9.30 p.m. I went over to the "River Clyde" to guide an ambulance
+that was coming out from England. They landed at midnight, and are to
+encamp with us--we fondly hope and believe for the purpose of
+relieving us. Asiatic shells were flying as they landed, and for some
+hours afterwards, an unfortunate and alarming experience as all were
+raw to warfare.
+
+
+_July 19th._--For some days we have been looking for orders to go
+somewhere for a rest. The order came suddenly to-day at 8 p.m. and we
+were ordered to be on board at 10 at V. Beach. A tall order indeed,
+all had to pack up and stow away what we were leaving behind. The most
+of B Section was at Aberdeen Gully, 4 miles away. Word was sent to
+these, but the note miscarried, and by the time they were able to come
+in it was long past midnight.
+
+
+_July 20th._--Last night C Section was sent off in advance, A
+following about 11 o'clock. We hoped to get off quickly, the object of
+the rest being to take us out of shell fire. We had to pass along the
+road at the top of the lighthouse cliff, and C Section, as they waited
+for us beside the "River Clyde," observed a signal about the time we
+had been passing that point. The Kum Kale guns gave us what they
+considered a fair time to cover the remaining piece of ground, and
+just as we were coming up to the "River Clyde," under whose shelter we
+were to embark, we heard the whistle of an approaching shell. We lay
+flat but there was no time for shelter. Instead of one shell, as we
+thought, four (some say six) burst simultaneously about us, all high
+explosives. Not a man was hit, which was an absolute miracle; all had
+burst beside us, and actually among us, as I thought. I rushed back
+through the dense smoke and dust, expecting to find terrible havoc in
+our ranks, and found the men had bolted to shelter, leaving their
+packs in the middle of the road. I shouted but got no reply, but in
+twos and threes they collected near the pier, and rushed along to the
+side of the boat. Other men had been passing along this pier when the
+shells burst, and a number were killed and mangled, one of the barges
+being simply splashed with blood. All this was most unfortunate, but
+it did not end until we got sixteen shells in all. The officers after
+the first salvo sheltered at the entrance of a deep dugout owned by a
+Frenchman. Whenever he saw the flash of a gun over the water he
+shouted "Kum Kale" and pointed to his dugout, when we dived down in
+beautiful style, tumbling over each other down the dark steps. At last
+our mine-sweeper came in and we boarded her about 1.30 a.m. to-day.
+She took us beyond the reach of the guns to the "Osmanieh," a fine
+boat of the Khedivial mail line. I had had practically no sleep for
+the last three nights, and I was soon on the top of my bed half
+undressed and fast asleep.
+
+We breakfasted at 8 as we were entering the outer roads of Lemnos.
+Here we had two more transfers before we landed on the most
+inhospitable looking shore we had ever seen. We soon wished ourselves
+back in Gallipoli with its shells. The wind blew, and such a dust. All
+the land round the harbour, and far inland is one large camp. The
+harbour is covered with battleships and transports, most of the former
+flying the tricolour flag, and among the others are many of the
+largest liners in the world, the "Mauretania" with her four funnels
+being one of them. We trudged on for 1-1/2 miles through the most
+terrible dust, underfoot and in the air, and took possession of a
+rushy piece of ground, the only natural piece we could find, all the
+rest being under cultivation of vines, French beans, maize, and other
+crops. It is a god-forsaken place in the meantime. We could get
+nothing to eat or drink, but finally, after 4 o'clock, we managed to
+"borrow" sufficient water to make tea. After a meal of bread, and a
+small tin of salmon between us all, we felt a bit revived, and the
+desire to return to the shells of Gallipoli lessened. But we are
+ordered to strike camp, we are interfering with the privacy of some
+fellows who have the honour to belong to H.Q. of the 87th Division,
+and we must be off to-night.
+
+
+_July 21st._--I expected to have to go to bed hungry last night, but
+Pirie of the Lancs. called and asked Kellas and myself to dine with
+him, so that I finally went to rest under the stars feeling quite
+comfortable. I spread my two coats on the ground, thought twice about
+undressing, but, wishing to have a good sleep, got into my pyjamas,
+and with a single blanket over me slept till about 3 a.m. when I woke
+up feeling bitterly cold. We are now encamped in the midst of
+vineyards, where there is an excellent crop of grapes, but they are
+sour and unripe. I got hold of a Greek yesterday and asked him if he
+could bring a supply of fruit to us in the evening. He did a big trade
+among the men with oranges and lemons, and when he saw me produced a
+special sack with some really fine pears and oranges, and a huge
+red-fleshed water melon which we had for breakfast, in spite of the
+warning that we were to guard against all sorts of fruit, but melons
+in particular. This morning I gathered a supply of French beans and
+think a good dish of green food will benefit our health. Except at
+H.Q. I have never had an opportunity of anything of the kind.
+
+The 29th Division, which left Gallipoli less than a week ago, are
+ordered back already, before they have time to benefit much by the
+change. An officer of the Dublins was lamenting about this to me, and
+compared his men with Kitchener's army, which is largely represented
+here, being on their way to the Front for the first time. All the old
+campaigners are thin, hollow-eyed and haggard. I know I myself have
+lost over a stone weight, and feel very tired--to do anything is an
+exertion.
+
+Here the heat is intense, and we have not a particle of shade, there
+being no trees where we are, but this morning we are arranging about
+tents, and in a few hours we may be able to escape from the sun's
+perpendicular rays. I hope within the next day or two to explore part
+of the island and its villages. The natives are inclined to be very
+friendly, the Greek who brought me the fruit absolutely refused
+payment, saying, "It's for the commander, he take Constantinople and
+me give him this". I promised to take it in less than no time. If I
+could fulfil my promise the Greek would have the best of the bargain,
+but this has been characteristic of the race from all time.
+
+Towards evening Thomson and I walked to Mudros by a back road, and
+were fascinated with the primitive ways of the natives. Their mode of
+threshing in particular interested us. We wandered through the
+village, meeting crowds of native men, women, and children, the men
+mostly squatting in front of dirty cafés, or lounging inside, sipping,
+as far as I could make out, syrup and soda water. This love of syrup I
+have seen in Holland and Belgium and in France, and I fancy is
+universal in hot countries. We visited the church, which I had been in
+three months before. An old verger--for such I took him to be--took us
+round, a venerable old fellow with kindly eyes, and long beard, long
+robe, and tall brimless hat. He pointed out everything, talking a
+mixture of French and Greek; showed us the Bible on the altar, a
+beautiful silver covered tome, the various pictures, etc., and the
+pulpit of the "Episcopos". "Oh, the bishop," said I. "No, no, Castro
+Episcopos." He meant the Bishop, who perhaps pays the place periodic
+visits, his palace being in Castro, the largest town on the island. A
+candle--a mere taper--had been lighted for each of us on entering, and
+was set in a circular candlestick. For this performance we were
+expected to pay of course. Before leaving I dropped a piastre
+(2-1/2d.) into a plate, and handed Thomson another, but he finding he
+had three British pennies dropped all in, greatly to the delight of
+our guide into whose pocket all this wealth went. "Merci, merci," says
+the old chap who dives for another candle, and lit a second for the
+good of Thomson's soul.
+
+
+_July 22nd._--Thomson and I set off after breakfast to Rosapool, a
+village to the N.E. On the way we studied the method of threshing the
+wheat, which seems to be occupying the full time of every member of
+the families at this time. The threshing floor on which the operation
+is conducted is twenty yards across, circular and laid with flat
+stones. About sufficient sheaves to form half a dozen of our "stooks"
+at home is evenly spread on the floor, while a pair of oxen draw a
+sledge made of two stout boards, about 5 feet long, turned up at the
+point, and studded most carefully with flints projecting fully half an
+inch. The driver, who is usually a woman, stands on this and directs
+the cattle round and round, prodding them freely with a goad. Some of
+the larger floors have a second team: several I saw to-day consisting
+of two donkeys and a pony. These were not muzzled like the oxen, they
+had no sledge, their hoofs doing the work, and they were kept going
+round at a good pace. The winnowing follows, after the whole is
+reduced almost to snuff. This is carried out by throwing shovelfuls in
+the air, the slight breeze we have to-day carrying the pounded straw
+away and leaving the heavy grain.
+
+Rosapool is off the beaten track and is not much spoiled by the
+present influx of men. We managed to get a drink of excellent
+beer--Pilsner, from Athens--the old fellow who served us explaining
+that he had no right to let us have it, but as soon as a military
+policeman who was standing at his door, moved on we were placed on
+chairs at a small table and had our repast. We visited the church
+which was not unlike the bigger one at Mudros. With her head on the
+doorstep was a wizened old woman fast asleep, guarding three piles of
+salt she had laid out to dry in the sun. She got on her haunches,
+mumbled to us in a friendly way, and showed us how she worked her
+spinning machine, which she had with her. This consisted of a pole
+about 2 feet high, with a base which she clutched with her great,
+coarse, bare toes, and as she teased out the wool from the bunch at
+the top she twirled a short spindle with her right hand making a
+remarkably even thread.
+
+We next climbed a hill near this, which we found rough and rugged, as
+every hill here is. It was scorched absolutely brown,
+thistles--especially yellow-flowered ones--alone showing signs of life,
+along with a pretty, dwarf Dianthus. The rocks are covered with an
+orange-coloured lichen which gives them a warm colour. When lying on
+the top I could almost imagine myself in Scotland, if I kept my eyes
+above the villages and valleys, and viewed the hill-tops only. Away to
+the north of us was a large, pure white lagoon, shut off from the sea
+by a sandbar. No doubt this was a layer of salt formed the same way as
+the inland lakes with their salt we were accustomed to at Mex, and it
+was likely from this the "old wifie" had got her salt.
+
+Every village has its fig trees, the largest under 20 feet high, their
+large leaves rich green and luscious. Almost every house has one or
+more of these. There is but one pattern for their houses, a square box
+two storeys high, often with a bit of balcony covered with vines. The
+general colour of a village is grey, cold, and forbidding, but this is
+relieved by the fig trees, and the bright green and blue paint many
+use on their doors and windows. Everything is primitive, and long may
+it remain so; all seem happy and contented on the small pittance any
+of them can earn. There is no attempt at farming on anything but the
+smallest scale.
+
+Was it in Lemnos, the Ægean Isle, Milton lands Satan when thrown out
+of Heaven?
+
+We hear that Achi Baba was to be stormed to-day, but we do not believe
+it. Big gunfire is distinctly heard at this distance (over 40 miles)
+and we have heard but a very few shots. Last night the booming was
+constant for a time.
+
+
+_July 23rd._--To-day we had a route march of nearly twelve miles, the
+first since we left England. We went through Rosapool to the northern
+shore of Lemnos, where the men bathed and rested for an hour. We found
+a fine beach of silver sand. We reached camp a little after 2, with
+excellent appetites. By a little clever manoeuvring--and with the aid
+of Sergeant-Major Shaw--Kellas and I managed to reach Rosapool while
+the men rested outside, and we had a long, cooling drink of Pilsner.
+
+
+_July 24th._--Went over almost every street in Mudros this morning.
+There were five of us, and we made many purchases for our mess--white
+wine, plums, Turkish delight, preserved fruit, tomatoes, etc. In the
+evening Thomson and I inoculated every one in camp against cholera--my
+second dose.
+
+
+_July 25th._--When we landed at Lemnos we chanced to meet Padre
+Komlosy, who has looked us up in camp a time or two since. He had a
+service at 10 for us and the Welsh Fusiliers who are on their way to
+Gallipoli for the first time. These Welshmen wear a cockade of white
+feathers in their helmets and the officers three black ribbons down
+their backs, from below their coat collars. Padre Hardie also visited
+us in the evening.
+
+H.Q. of the lines of communication is on the "Aragon," a magnificent
+ship lying in Lemnos harbour. The "Aragon" is notorious for its number
+of monocles. Up to now any officer has been allowed to go on board to
+any meal on payment, but evidently that privilege is about to be
+stopped. If anyone went in his grimy, war-worn garments, and many now
+have nothing else, he was glowered at by these toffs, as if he had no
+right to be there. Besides, many officers who were not sick enough to
+enter a hospital, but too ill to carry on at the Front, were sent
+there for a rest. These too were attacked by these fellows and told
+that if they were ill they should be on a hospital ship or if not ill
+they ought to be at the Front. These men have no intention themselves
+of going nearer the Front, they are all fat and sleek and live on the
+fat of the land, are faultlessly dressed, and strut about with their
+monocles, looking with contempt on all the poor devils who are doing
+the dirty work. Every one is now up in arms against them.
+
+In the evening the CO., Kellas, and I climbed a rocky hill of about
+800 feet, lying to the east. The view of the harbour with over 100 big
+ships, and about as many small craft was very fine in its setting of
+rugged hills. We watched the sun go down in all his glory on the
+distant side of the island.
+
+
+_July 27th._--Still in Lemnos. There has been nothing doing to-day. We
+lie about camp a good deal where we have an abundance of light
+literature, sheltering under two large, double-lined Indian tents we
+were lucky enough to secure the day after our arrival. Yesterday we
+had a mail, which of course had to go to Gallipoli first, and was
+delayed at least a week by this short double journey.
+
+At 9 a.m. Fiddes and I took the men for a route march through the
+village of Romano and up a hill beyond.
+
+
+_July 28th._--Another slow day. I amused myself in the morning with a
+fine specimen of a tarantula which I caught crawling up a tent. I had
+seen three others in Gallipoli but this was the finest of all. Kellas
+and I had a praying mantis in a large tin box with gauze as a lid so
+that we might watch him at his devotions. The mantis reminds one of a
+small, green monkey, the fore pair of legs being well developed and
+used in prehension. A large number of the insects we have are of the
+grasshopper tribe with well-developed hind-legs. The tarantula was put
+beside the mantis and he pounced on him like a cat at a mouse, seized
+him round the middle and with his great mandibles chewed right along
+to his head, squeezing every drop of juice out of him. Nothing was
+left but a few dry pellets. Kellas next gave him about a dozen flies
+and he found room for the lot. These he sprawled at with his
+fore-legs, rarely missing a dart, keeping his mouth open till a fly
+was grabbed and forced between his jaws. He has had another meal of
+flies and looks well satisfied with the easy way in which he has been
+able to capture his prey to-day, and is much inclined to sleep.
+
+An aeroplane crossed directly over us at 4.15 this morning, coming
+from the S.W., probably Smyrna. It was flying at a moderate height,
+and was quite visible in the dim light. After completely crossing the
+harbour and taking careful note of our shipping, it turned and dropped
+a bomb at something about the harbour entrance. And all this happened
+without a single shot being fired by us--like our watchful
+authorities!
+
+
+_July 29th._--To-day I had a very enjoyable tramp with Stephen to the
+top of a hill, then to Rosapool, which is the only place near where
+one can quench one's thirst with bitter beer, or even the local sweet
+wine. All shops are strictly forbidden to sell either, and military
+police are everywhere on the prowl. Still the trade goes on, a Greek
+can never refuse money, he will sell his soul rather than miss the
+chance of making a penny. Our usual place of call is kept by a very
+knowing and intelligent Greek, but he was from home to-day--gone to
+Varos, we were told, to buy beer. The son, a boy of eleven or twelve,
+was in sole charge, a keen little chap as ever lived, with a genuine
+Greek eye for business, but a fine and intelligent boy, and by taking
+a seat in the shop for fifteen minutes and threatening to spend the
+day if necessary, he was at last persuaded to produce a couple of
+bottles of beer from Salonika, which we found to be really good. The
+boy has a smattering of English and French, and says he has been at
+school. I have never seen any sign of a school in any of the villages
+so far. He says "the English soldier drink, drink, he no good," and
+shakes his head, as though the national curse would end in our losing
+the war. We discovered in a corner four barrels of mysterious looking
+stuff that attracted flies. These were full of cheese floating in
+water, little more than stiff curd, but palatable, and this along with
+biscuits and beer made an enjoyable little lunch. Then we set off for
+"home," Stephen carrying a kilo of cheese, I with a bottle of beer
+inside my shirt, as a very small treat for the other fellows.
+
+
+_July 30th._--Stephen, Dickie, and I set off at 9.30 to have a day's
+enjoyment at Varos, a village we had heard a good deal about. The day
+was scorching but we covered the 6 miles, via Lychkna, at about 3-1/2
+miles an hour. In the last-mentioned village we were studying a notice
+on a house door when we discovered a nicely dressed woman beside us,
+evidently regarding us with some interest, and, what was most
+unusual, with a smile on her face. "Are you English?" said Stephen.
+"No," she replied, "but I have been in England." "What part?"--answer
+"America". She went for her husband, who, she said, would give us
+beer, although she admitted it was forbidden, but he was hard as
+adamant and absolutely refused, saying "He cared for the notice" we
+had been reading. This vowed dire punishment on all who dared to
+supply anyone with alcohol. We shortly afterwards reached Varos, with
+its twelve windmills all in a row. This being in French occupation
+there is no prohibition for the British, so we searched out a suitable
+place for a cooling drink, and chose a very interesting spot in the
+village square. All the shops are somewhat alike, bare, black rafters,
+with earth or stone floor, and in this particular one a flock of
+swallows had their nests in every niche in the ceiling. Each of us had
+a bottle of beer on the pavement, alongside a French sentry whose sole
+duty was to see that no Frenchman had a drink. He seemed to think that
+it was unfair that his countrymen were not allowed to quench their
+thirst, so he defied the law by having a drink with us, and allowing
+every Frenchman who made the request to enter and have his big
+water-bottle filled with water--but really with red wine, a whole
+litre of which they could buy for sixpence. Delicious wine it was,
+although rather sweet.
+
+We had very interesting talks with several of the younger men, who had
+all been in America, but had been recalled by their Government lately,
+when there were signs of Greece taking the field, which, according to
+our informants, she would do in September. All we spoke to seemed very
+desirous to have a blow at Turkey, they wished the Turk turned out of
+Europe. I had an idea there were no schools here, but I was told every
+village had its two schools. Young children were taught together, but
+as they grew up the sexes went to different schools, and education is
+compulsory to the age of fifteen. All are taught to read and write
+English. This is due, our man told me, to Alexandria being their
+greatest mart.
+
+We had coffee, real Turkish coffee, at another place, where we were
+attracted by a curious advertisement. It was an oil painting of a
+Scotch lassie in kilt and plaid, dancing with a jug of foaming beer
+above her head, and alongside her it was announced that they sold
+"tea, coffee, and milk". Stephen at once wished to buy it, but the
+terms were exorbitant. To make Turkish coffee you put a teaspoonful of
+ground coffee in a little pot with an equal quantity of sugar, then
+run in about two ounces of boiling water, and push this into
+smouldering charcoal until it boils. Along with this is served a large
+tumbler of ice-cold water, which you sip time about with the coffee.
+
+Before we could get Dickie away from Varos he insisted on being
+photographed by Stephen, astride a huge cask in front of a shop, but
+the cask refused to keep steady--so Dicky asserted, although to all
+appearances it was most solidly fixed to a substantial stand. Plainly
+Dickie was feeling weak after his long walk.
+
+
+_July 31st._--Dickie much stronger to-day. I accompanied him to
+H.M.M.P. "Aragon" to get some money from the army cashier. We lunched
+on board and had a glorious meal, everything to eat good, excellent
+cider with ice, and comfortable lounges in which to smoke. Such things
+are almost unthinkable after our simple--very simple--fare on
+Gallipoli. I sat between two New Zealanders who had come over from
+Anzac last night. One of them said they were only 10 yards from the
+Turks' trench in one part of their line. The other day a New Zealander
+shouted across, "Do you want any jam this morning?" "Yes," said the
+Turks from the depths of their trench. "How many of you are there?"
+"Eight," was the reply. "All right, here's one pot of jam," and a pot
+of real jam was thrown over. The next morning the same proceedings
+were gone through, and the eight got together to get their jam. But
+this time the pot was filled with nitroglycerine and the Turks were
+blown to pieces. We are now using hand grenades from home, but till
+just lately when we had to retaliate on the Turks, who took to using
+deadly grenades, ours were made hurriedly of empty jam tins. These
+were filled with nitroglycerine mixed with pieces of old iron, such as
+shrapnel bullets and pieces of burst shells which we all
+collected--and most deadly weapons they proved, if a Turk got one in
+the stomach it simply blew him in two.
+
+Word came in the early hours of last night that we had to prepare for
+our return to Gallipoli on Monday August 2. No one seems actually
+sorry, we feel that we have got all the good out of this place that is
+to be had, and the sooner we are all in our places the sooner will the
+war be over. We had much wind and dust in the morning, the wind
+falling later when it became uncomfortably warm. We had few flies in
+our camp at first, but they soon found us out and became as trying a
+plague as in Gallipoli. The Kaffirs say God made the bees, and the
+Devil made the flies.
+
+
+_August 2nd._--We left our camp in Lemnos at 12.15 and marched in a
+solid cloud of dust to Australian Pier, where we had to wait in the
+grilling sun for another hour before we got off to the "Abessiah," of
+the Khedivial Line, which sailed at 4.15, taking a long time to
+manoeuvre before she got her head towards the entrance of the harbour.
+We had a good afternoon tea of crisp toast and real butter, likely our
+last respectable meal for many a day.
+
+As we passed through the shipping the old familiar cry of "Are we
+downhearted?" came from some of the shiploads of fresh troops. There
+was but a feeble reply from our men, very unlike their shouts as we
+passed through Malta on the way out. We could not raise a cheer
+now-a-days, we are still too tired in spite of our rest. We feel a lot
+of desperate men, prepared to go back and face the worst if need be.
+We passed a British and French submarine just inside the boom guarding
+the harbour.
+
+Before midnight our ambulance was transferred to a mine-sweeper and
+landed at V. Beach, leaving myself and twenty-one men behind to look
+after the baggage, which is always landed at W. We had a weary night
+of it, the trans-shipping of our heavy goods with fifteen mail bags
+which we picked up just as we were leaving Lemnos, being a big job. On
+coming round to W. Beach we were told we would have to remain where we
+were till 7 o'clock, or perhaps later.
+
+
+_August 3rd._--It is now 6.30 a.m. and the captain and crew are still
+sound asleep, at any rate not a soul is stirring.
+
+We overlook our old Beach, which looks as forbidding from the sea as
+it is in reality. A few minutes ago I watched a Taube drop a bomb
+beside our Ordnance Stores, another near the C.C.S., and a third a
+little further on. What has come of that French monoplane whose
+purpose was to chase such visitors? At 7 we transferred to a pinnace,
+and after much bother about baggage we reached our familiar dug-outs
+about 8. On our way up from the Beach, we passed the Signal Station
+which was a heap of ruins. A shell fell on the roof two days ago,
+killed six men outright, and wounded ten, one of these afterwards
+dying. The numerous recent shell holes in the road and elsewhere
+showed that the Turks had not been idle in our absence. The 88th F.A.
+beside us had several casualties, one day losing ten mules and three
+another, with one man wounded.
+
+
+_August 4th._--It is twelve months to-day since war was declared by
+England on Germany. The number of men slaughtered in that time should
+be an easy record in the whole history of the world.
+
+We are ordered to relieve the 88th F.A. at their dressing station near
+Pink Farm on the West Krithia road, and I walked out in the morning to
+view the place and to see what extras it would be necessary for us to
+take with us. I found Whitaker there with thirty men. Towards evening
+Fiddes and I came out with thirty-two men, and we are now in our
+dug-outs, which are really part of an old trench. It is a narrow
+bedroom but airy. We have a stretcher or two as a roof to keep the sun
+out, but with their huge blood stains they do not form an artistic
+ceiling.
+
+It is now 10 p.m. and having come 2 miles nearer Achi Baba I had to go
+out and study what was doing. The usual all-night rifle fire goes on;
+roars occasionally from the batteries near us; Asiatic shells I can
+hear exploding over at V. Beach; star shells are going up from our
+lines, and the French, but theirs are superior to ours. Ours are
+merely rockets, theirs have parachutes which open when the rocket
+reaches its highest point, and they remain practically stationary for
+a considerable time.
+
+We are in a very exposed position and have been warned that we will be
+sniped at once if we show a light. A few stray bullets have come about
+us, and I could wish that my parapet was a trifle higher, and I am,
+moreover, doubtful whether my candle light is not reflected through
+the roof stretchers which have a wrong tilt. But I will risk both
+dangers to-night, and will heighten my wall by daylight.
+
+The Achi Baba guns shelled W. Beach rather furiously to-day, and in
+the afternoon a large number of shells fell in the harbour.
+
+
+_August 5th._--Had a quiet day at Pink Farm (in some of our maps this
+is called Saliri Farm). In the forenoon, our water-cart not arriving
+when expected, I had a long hunt for a well where we could draw a
+small quantity of water, but it was with great difficulty we got it,
+every well being reserved for some particular unit.
+
+We are on the eve of a big battle. To-morrow the front of Krithia is
+to be captured at any cost. We must get on and the cost must no longer
+be counted. In preparation for this there has been much ranging by all
+the batteries, to which the Turks feebly replied. We have no right to
+have our dressing station where it is, we have dumped ourselves down,
+and have erected our largest Red Cross flag, in front of several
+closely packed lines of reserve trenches, which is contrary to the
+rules of warfare, and if we get shelled it is our own lookout. To-day
+these trenches swarmed with men, and four shells were fired at them,
+the first just grazing the trench we are in. In the same way two
+submarines lie off the coast, close to the C.C.S. on one side and the
+hospital ships on the other, hence shells are continuously dropping in
+the former, but for this we cannot blame the Turk. So far, all are
+agreed that the Turk has not only put up a valiant fight, but a
+straight one, and if he continues as he is doing it will be better for
+him when the day of reckoning comes round.
+
+
+_August 6th._--When sitting at dinner with Fiddes word reached us that
+Kellas had been killed. Such a blow to us and to all who knew good and
+gentle Kellas. Curiosity had frequently led us both into positions of
+danger where we ought not to have been, and I always noted how
+fearless he was. To-day he had been along a deep communication trench,
+along which wounded were to be carried in the action we knew was about
+to take place, and he had been viewing the ground, and while standing
+at the extreme end of this trench a sniper had caught sight of the
+group he was standing in and a shot laid him low. About an hour after
+this sad event I had orders to take his place in The Gully. As the
+fight was to begin at 2 p.m. I had little time to get into my place,
+at least three miles distant. I set off at once to our advanced
+dressing station at the Zigzag, three-quarters of a mile up The Gully
+from Aberdeen Gully.
+
+To-day's battle has been a most bloody affair, wounded beginning to
+drop in at once. As often happens, out of our four first cases three
+were wounds in the left hand--one a bullet through the centre of the
+palm, another was minus the first phalanx of his fore finger, the
+third minus another finger. All these were undoubtedly self-inflicted.
+We are bound to notify all these suspicious cases to their C.O.'s and
+until a guard is sent for them we retain them under a guard of our own
+men. If a hand is found blackened it of course shows that it was done
+at very close quarters, but to avoid this a glove or bandage is
+applied before firing.
+
+I was kept very busy and had no time for food during the rest of the
+day. The wounds were particularly severe, and very few had single
+wounds, many having four to six.
+
+
+_August 7th._--The Turks failed to make their usual counter-attack
+last night, though firing never ceased. I worked for nine hours
+without one minute's halt, and by night felt very tired. I lay down on
+a stretcher and tried to get a little sleep, but got none. The snores
+of my neighbours, the groans of a few wounded we had retained
+over-night, and the death rattle of two dying men beside me were
+sufficient to banish sleep.
+
+Two of our battalions have each lost 700 out of the 900 they went into
+action with. We have gained very little ground; we took trenches and
+lost them. The long interval from the last fight to the present gave
+the Turks time to dig trenches almost proof against shell fire, so
+that when the bombardment began they retired back to these, knowing
+there could be no assault on their front trenches by the infantry
+while this lasted.
+
+Yesterday our army made a fresh landing which we hear was most
+successful, one Division landing at Anzac, the other a short way
+beyond on fresh ground. Our casualties we are told were two, another
+report says five, so that it was practically unopposed. Our attack
+yesterday and during the night kept the whole of the Turkish army
+concentrated here. Looking at it in this light some think our losses
+were not excessive.
+
+Yesterday I spoke about three cases we suspected to be self-inflicted.
+A guard took these away to-day, and they are to be court-martialled
+to-morrow. Our fourth case also came in just as the action was
+beginning. A zigzag path comes down a steep cliff behind us, and down
+this came a man at full gallop, and I thought he was coming to warn us
+that the Turks were using gas, but, instead, he threw himself on the
+ground and yelled and kicked like an infant, and for about an hour
+nothing could calm him. It was a simple case of funk, quite a common
+ailment. A Tommy was sympathising to-day with another who was severely
+wounded and he replied, "I don't care a damn, I did for the bloke who
+shot me". That is the sort of men we want in the army.
+
+
+_August 8th._--Two Divisions were landed at Suvla Bay, beyond Anzac,
+and it is said a third Division will also land there. They are said to
+have made good progress inland, on their way to Maidos, and if they
+succeed in cutting the Turkish line of communication Achi Baba is
+likely to be evacuated--so it is said, but the Turk has already given
+us more than one surprise--we shall see.
+
+On my hurry round from Pink Farm two days ago an orderly dumped my
+pack at the Zigzag among a pile of packs belonging to the wounded, and
+since then it has not been seen. I set off to-day for Gully Beach half
+expecting to find it there as it was from here the wounded were
+transferred to the hospital ships. I next went on to W. Beach and
+inquired at Ordnance and the C.C.S. but all to no purpose; however, I
+was able to pick up a few necessities from each of these places. I
+dined at our base, the C.O. and Dickie being the only officers
+present.
+
+I afterwards attended Kellas's funeral. We buried him in the little
+cemetery inland from our Beach, to the music of flying shells, one
+landing at the entrance as the ambulance wagon with his body drew up,
+and several others followed. The padre who officiated said this was
+the first time he had seen a funeral shelled. During the service we
+all stood in the big grave for safety, and, I am afraid, were forced
+to think more of our own protection than the solemnity of the
+occasion. The whole company consisted of four officers and eight men,
+all that we could muster. Poor Kellas we left sewn in a blanket of the
+usual military type and covered with a Union Jack. I never met a man I
+respected more than Kellas, he was most gentle and brave, and in every
+way a good sort. If a man really deserved to be "sat upon" no one
+could squash him better than Kellas.
+
+
+_August 9th._--Fiddes and I came to Aberdeen Gully last night with
+most of the men, leaving twelve and an N.C.O. to act as bearers in the
+Zigzag track, these to be relieved every twelve hours. A few wounded
+stragglers reached us, but there was little doing to-day. We had one
+cowardly chap, who had had his fill of fighting and tried to do away
+with himself by taking a draught from a cresol tin. He is now under
+close arrest and will be handed over to the tender mercies of a
+court-martial.
+
+
+_August 10th._--Walked up to our advanced dressing station at the
+Zigzag, and found some unknown persons had dumped there, during the
+night, a body in an advanced state of decomposition. I managed to
+unearth his recent history. He had been killed on the 7th, being
+wounded by the Turks, and when crawling back to our lines, along with
+some others in the same condition, he shouted in the dark, "Don't
+fire, we are English". Thinking this was a ruse so often practised by
+the Turks an officer ordered his men to fire, and this poor fellow was
+killed.
+
+In the afternoon a well-known lion hunter looked in and had a shrapnel
+bullet removed from his shoulder. He was a most interesting man, and
+gave us all his views about the conduct of the war. Every mistake that
+it is possible to make has been made, he thinks. Once more we are hung
+up for want of ammunition. He is no optimist with regard to the
+duration of the war. Unless the new landing pushes on and keeps
+hitting he fails to see how they will do much. Even though Austria and
+Turkey are knocked out, Germany is one vast fort, with everything
+within herself, and will hold out for long. He condemns our statesmen
+for even now not initiating conscription, and making every unmarried
+man serve. He severely criticises the quality of our shells, half per
+cent. of which burst prematurely. The fuses of all those available,
+where this has happened, have been picked up and examined and all have
+been correctly set. A French battery of 75's is stationed behind this
+man's battery, firing its shells just 8 feet above his head, and since
+it took up its position it has only had two premature bursts, and one
+of these was caused by the shell striking the branch of a tree. We
+have been buying shells everywhere, and he says those supplied by
+America are far and away the worst.
+
+
+_August 11th._--While we were at tea this afternoon de Boer rushed
+into our mess in Aberdeen Gully to say that he had brought down, by
+our bearers at the Zigzag, Captain O'Hara, whom I have spoken about
+before as the only officer of the 86th Brigade left alive and
+unwounded. He had lately been sent to Egypt to look after prisoners,
+and I was unaware that he had again joined the firing line, but I
+fancy he had found the other job much too slow. He was full of pluck,
+it was not from attempts to save his skin that O'Hara had escaped so
+long. To-day he and a Turk were sniping each other, and after a time
+O'Hara had such a poor opinion of his opponent's firing that he got
+upright to walk away when the Turk hit him through the back. When I
+went up to him I said, "Hullo! O'Hara, I haven't seen you for ages".
+"No," he answered, "and perhaps you'll never see me again." He was one
+of our greatest heroes, and a most likeable fellow. (Long afterwards I
+heard that he progressed well for three weeks when he suddenly grew
+worse, and died on his way home.)
+
+Twenty-four K.O.S.B.'s came in between 2 and 4 a.m. to-day. They had
+blown up a Turkish sap, and on rushing forward to seize and hold it
+they found themselves greatly outnumbered. Most of them were very
+badly wounded, and four died in our station before morning.
+
+
+_August 12th._--Feeling lazy I rode from Aberdeen Gully to W. Beach,
+where I spend the next four days. This is only about the fourth time I
+have been on horseback since I left Mex, the reason for my walking is
+that I require exercise--and a lot of it--and besides you cannot dodge
+a shell when mounted.
+
+
+_August 13th._--We had a big mail to-day. The papers of July 21
+announce that all lieutenants in the R.A.M.C., T.F., become captains
+after six months' service. My captaincy will thus date from April 16
+last. The Turks made an attack on the French and our centre last
+night. We replied with a furious cannonade, then rifle fire continued
+for the remainder of the night.
+
+
+_August 14th._--W. Beach. Beautiful, still morning, as most mornings
+are, but to-day is unusually calm. The sea without a ripple, and a
+heat haze hangs over all. Our harbour at W. Beach is full of ships,
+and just beyond it, at anchor, with their smoke rising lazily, are two
+hospital ships, white to their mast heads except for their surrounding
+belt of green broken by three large Red Crosses, all dazzling in the
+sunlight. The harbour is a busy place, and is now a good and
+commodious one, formed by a pier which it has taken months to build
+from the rocks of Tekke Burnu. As the work proceeded slowly, the water
+it was desired to enclose was further shut in by sinking two large
+steamers, a costly method of pier building perhaps, but here I believe
+it may be the cheapest, as Greek labour which built the stonework is
+dear, and the Greeks poor workmen. They are so nervous that when a
+shell comes their way from "Asiatic Annie" they bolt like a lot of
+rabbits to their holes, where they cannot be unearthed for the next
+half-hour. They were not engaged, they rightly say, to work under
+shell fire, and this often happening several times a day the pier made
+little progress. We have also put the Turkish prisoners on this job,
+and this morning I watched two bodies of these being marched down
+under French guards with fixed bayonets--a capital idea this to put
+the Turks under their own fire.
+
+10 p.m.--Tremendous blasts came floating in from the sea about 5
+o'clock, so I went over to the lighthouse ruins to find out what was
+doing. One of our monitors lay beside Rabbit Island and was throwing
+her 14-inch shells at a ridge on the Dardanelles beyond Kum Kale,
+where we know "Asiatic Annie" and her sisters live. These had been
+firing at V. Beach and the French lines just before. All very well, I
+thought, the monitor can do no harm, but she will stir up these guns
+to give us a lively time at W., and I was not many minutes back when
+they started, the shells coming in fours, just to prove to us that
+their guns were all there. We received about fifty shots in all. We
+had seven destroyers all afternoon at the mouth of the Dardanelles,
+which looked as if they intended something unusual. Now again after a
+pause these guns are firing at their hardest at V. Beach--aye, and
+here too.
+
+
+_August 15th._--I wrote the last clause (aye, and here too) just
+before a shell burst behind me. It was one of a group of four, and was
+two seconds at most in front of the other three, which were
+simultaneous absolutely. Howls and cries for help at once came from a
+tent 15 yards in front of my dugout. A shell had crashed into this
+tent where five men were lying, exploding at the feet of one, and
+shattering his leg at the ankle. The other four were untouched. Some
+of the fuses of yesterday's shells have been dug up to-day, and we
+find from the brilliant orange colour on these that lydite had been
+used, in some of the shells at least.
+
+To-day a snake 38 inches long was caught in our camp. About twenty men
+armed themselves with sticks, axes, etc., and surrounded it, but kept
+a most respectful distance away, having great faith in its springing
+powers. Sergeant Gavin Greig, who has been in Ceylon and knows
+otherwise, got it by the neck and put it in a bottle which he filled
+up with methylated spirit much to the poor brute's dislike as was
+witnessed by its contortions.
+
+An order came yesterday from the A.D.M.S. asking if we could move off
+with our present equipment on a sudden call. This has stimulated all
+those responsible to overhaul all our material, which, though
+deficient in some points, is adequate. Our greatest deficiency is in
+personnel; we are short of our original number by three officers and
+thirty-eight men, this being due to casualties and sickness. Kellas
+was killed nine days ago, Whyte and Morris are home on sick leave.
+
+
+_August 16th._--At 8 a.m. as Fiddes and I were preparing to go out to
+Pink Farm, a message came that we were to embark any time after 17
+o'clock (i.e. 5 p.m.). We withdrew all men and equipment from our two
+advanced dressing stations, and had a busy day in camp packing up all
+we possessed. We left at 8.30 after a supper of chicken and
+champagne--something very unusual--and got on board the "Ermine," a
+Glasgow boat. The officers made themselves as comfortable as possible
+for the night in the smoke room, where several K.O.S.B. officers had
+already deposited themselves. I managed to sleep a little at first,
+but my nearest companion, a K.O.S.B., being unable to persuade me to
+put my legs over his, placed his over mine while I was in an awkward
+position, and rather than disturb him, I lay still. My friend was less
+considerate, he next planked his big, dirty boots alongside my face,
+which were anything but pleasant, they smelt as if their owner kept
+cows.
+
+We only steamed about one and a half hours when the anchor was let go
+with the usual rattle, and we heard some one from another boat
+shouting that the troops were to remain on board till morning. No one
+took the trouble to look out to see where we were, such a thing seemed
+to be of no interest.
+
+
+_August 17th._--Suvla Bay. Tuesday, 2 p.m. We landed at Suvla Bay
+about 5 a.m. and marched to the point of the projecting piece of land
+on the north side. The bay is entirely closed by a boom, and inside we
+have a fairly large fleet of battleships and transports, and a large
+number of smaller boats, while three hospital ships lie outside. The
+Turks have been shelling these rather furiously, but I have seen no
+hits. Our troops on land are also having their share. All our
+equipment was sent off on a lighter, which has not yet arrived, and as
+all our rations are with it we are in dire straits. Luckily another
+ambulance took pity on us and gave us tea and hard ration biscuits,
+but there is no sign of further meals, nor do we expect any.
+
+I am sitting on the side of a rocky slope, and just in front, in a dip
+of the hill, are crowded the whole of the 87th Brigade to which we are
+for the present attached. All arrived this morning and there is
+nothing but confusion. The heat is terrific, and is intensified by the
+large amount of bare rocks, which are so hot that it is impossible to
+lay your hand on them. The surrounding hills, especially hill 972,
+S.E. of the Salt Lake which glistens in the distance, are barren and
+rugged, with no sign of cultivation, except about the foot of that
+hill, where there is said to be a village, but it is invisible. Round
+the Salt Lake a good many trees are dotted about, likely olives and
+figs, and a good deal of bright green scrub exists on the lower hill
+slopes. This scrub Ashmead-Bartlett calls furze in his articles, but I
+have never seen furze in Gallipoli. This plant is generally 2 to 3
+feet high, is in very solid bushes of a stiff, fibrey nature, with an
+ovate, dark green glaucous leaf. Thyme and numerous other plants
+abound. I have been interested in the weathering of the rocks beside
+the sea, this reminding me of the Brig at Filey. This follows a most
+peculiar pattern, like a number of leopard skins spread out on the
+rocks.
+
+I wish night was here, even though we are to go supperless to bed; one
+would give anything for the cool air one can be sure of after sundown.
+
+It was here that a landing was made by Kitchener's army ten days ago.
+They are said to have put up a very poor fight. Trained and steady
+troops, it is said, would have had practically a walk over, as the
+opposition was slight, little more than a brigade of Turks having
+checked two divisions of our men. A few shells fell on the top of a
+ridge where they were advancing. This made a number of the men bolt,
+others were seized with panic, and all seem to have got out of hand. A
+splendid opportunity of turning the Turks' flank, joining up with the
+Australians, and seizing Achi Baba from the north, has been lost, and
+the difficulties in front of us are much increased. There is nothing
+for it now but to land troops in such numbers that defeat is out of
+the question, and it must be done quickly before the wet season sets
+in. I am afraid we must be content to hold the Germans in check in
+France, and withdraw the necessary troops from there.
+
+
+_August 18th._--Yesterday and to-day have been the warmest days we
+have experienced in Gallipoli. The reason that our present station is
+warmer than the point (Helles) is the attraction and retention of heat
+by the rocks, and our camp is on the south face of a high ridge, where
+we have absolutely no shade. Last evening a Taube sailed over us and
+discharged four bombs at the warships, all missing, but one was within
+a few yards of its mark. This evening two came over together, but were
+fired at before they got overhead, and bore off to the left, unharmed
+although numerous shots from the ships followed them.
+
+After breakfast I went to Brigade H.Q. to announce that the ship
+("Manitou"--B.12) which brought our baggage came in yesterday, and
+after discharging about a third of our belongings set sail for
+Lemnos, as she had to be there by a given hour. I had to explain that
+we could not open a clearing station with our shortage of equipment,
+but that by afternoon we would be prepared to put patients into
+improvised blanket shelters. The Brigadier for the time being is
+Colonel Lucas, who was absent on a visit to his regiments, and I had
+an interview with Major Brand of his staff. He gave me orders that our
+unit had to dig itself in before night. This is very necessary as we
+are still under shell fire in every part we hold here, and are just as
+exposed as in Helles. Another ambulance is encamped beside us, and two
+shells bursting among them this morning killed two men and wounded
+two. A big piece of shell hurtled over my head last night, hitting a
+rock about two yards away.
+
+Three rumours have come to us this evening, which have put us all into
+the best of spirits, although we know one is a story, and we are so
+accustomed to rumours that we doubt the truth of the other two:--
+
+1. Achi Baba has been captured!--certainly not true. The ships in the
+bay were well bombarded this afternoon, and we saw two shells hit a
+big transport. A section of an ambulance was on board this ship, and,
+on their landing in the evening, their comrades gave them a rousing
+cheer, and when this was heard in other parts the only interpretation
+that could be put on it was the capture of this troublesome hill.
+
+2. Warsaw we could guess had to fall to the German army, but we hear
+they soon had the worst of it and fled with enormous casualties.
+
+3. We hear we have advanced 26 miles in France. We try to believe
+there is some truth in this, but it must be a great exaggeration.
+
+The Turks are supposed to have a number of big guns mounted on rails
+behind one of the higher ridges overlooking us, and rumour says this
+railway was taken this afternoon, but I do not believe it. Ugly
+ridges they are, and certainly we can never capture some of them
+except by turning, many having a sheer, rocky face of 400 or 500 feet.
+We know extremely little about what is going on within a few miles of
+us. I have seen eleven sour-looking Turks marched in as prisoners
+to-day, which shows we are doing something at any rate. Constant fire
+goes on, and the ships strike in several times a day for half an hour
+or so, but naval guns are not well suited for this work. Down about
+Helles--15 miles off--we can hear much booming too.
+
+
+_August 19th._--Two days ago I spoke about the scrub Ashmead-Bartlett
+calls furze. I now find it is almost certainly the plant from which
+our briar pipes are made. The stem is slender, but the root expands to
+a considerable extent, and I have seen parts of these, which our men
+have dug up when clearing the ground, about 4 to 6 inches thick. The
+fibres are twisted in all directions, giving the wood the well-known
+bird's eye appearance. What is exposed to the weather seems quickly to
+darken.
+
+The geology is interesting. I have spoken about the strange weathering
+of the rocks at the Beach. All the rock on this point of land dips at
+an angle of 45 degrees, and points northwards. I put it all down as
+Devonian, it is almost exactly like Hugh Miller's old red sandstone,
+as seen in Ross-shire, the matrix of a paler red, but the mass of
+water-worn pebbles embedded in it is the same. The matrix contains
+lime as is seen in the large amount of calcite that exists. A vein,
+perhaps 5 feet thick, of a slatey substance runs across just in front
+of us, and contains a well, which is the only sign of fresh water I
+have seen so far. The Engineers have sunk a well in a marly part near
+this, but the earth they are throwing up is perfectly dry, and they
+might as well give it up.
+
+_Later._--Some one now tells me that the rocks are Tertiary and not
+Devonian, and that my slatey vein is cobalt. Much of the stone peels
+readily into large flat slabs which we find useful in building our
+dug-outs.
+
+There was much rifle and big gunfire last night. The ships have
+displayed about a normal amount of activity to which the Turk has
+replied, but his marksmanship is worse than it was yesterday.
+
+We had rain this morning, which was heavy enough to be disagreeable,
+and it was with difficulty we kept ourselves and our belongings dry.
+It gives us a foretaste of what to expect soon. But before then we
+must get on. About Helles the naval guns are very busy.
+
+This morning we had sixty-nine cases of sick and wounded in our
+hospital. We are expected to keep all minor cases of wounds, and cases
+of sickness likely to return to duty in a few days, while the more
+severe cases we send to the hospital ships for the various bases. We
+saw besides about fifty walking cases, all belonging to our 86th
+Brigade.
+
+
+_August 20th._--Last night was very chilly, and for the first time for
+weeks we had to put on our tunics and unroll our shirt sleeves. But
+the weather has again changed and to-day is uncomfortably warm.
+
+On landing on the 17th a man I chanced to speak to told me that a
+rumour is afloat that the Kaiser was suing for peace through the Pope.
+This I give no heed to, but to-day we have it on better authority, and
+it is said he is prepared to give up Belgium, Poland, and
+Alsace-Lorraine. He will have to give these up and a great deal more,
+nothing but unconditional surrender will be listened to, with
+partition of his fleet among the Allies. The Emperor of Austria is
+also said to have declared that he will not allow his people to endure
+another winter campaign.
+
+7 p.m.--The bearers of our Ambulance have been ordered to proceed to
+the foot of a hill 3 miles off, beside the Salt Lake, and to take up
+their position before dawn. I for one will have to go too. I know the
+spot well in the distance, and know it is a favourite dumping ground
+for Turkish shells. At present it is pitch dark at night, and we have
+no idea what we have to encounter on the way.
+
+
+_August 21st._--Last night we were all busy preparing for our start at
+3 a.m. We got off punctually at that hour, and marched in the dark for
+nearly 3 miles, by an unknown road, which was only a rough twisting
+track with many off-shoots. We were bound for "Chocolate Hill," east
+of the Salt Lake, but we have not got there yet. We floundered, and
+squabbled about what should be done so that daylight was on us before
+we passed the bar between the bay and the lake, where the main
+Clearing Station is, also three or four Ambulances. One of these took
+pity on us, and gave us breakfast, and the use of their ground until
+we should hear from the A.D.M.S. to whom we have sent a message for
+instructions. The A.D.M.S. Lt.-Col. J.G. Bell, appeared about 10, and
+we were planted by him in the middle of the bar, facing the bay, where
+we can get no shelter from the sun or shells, the bank behind us
+rising after much digging to less than 5 feet. Our orders are to form
+an Aid Post here, catching all the wounded that come our way.
+
+We have an attack at 3 p.m., and apparently a very big one is
+expected, and we are waiting for its commencement. I have explored the
+bar which is about a mile long, and 300 yards wide, and have studied
+its flora. There is a large lily with a bunch of sweet-smelling
+flowers, not unlike the Madonna lily, but the flower is more notched
+and less of a funnel. It has enormous bulbs, some of which I scraped
+out of pure sand at a depth of 2 feet. Other bulbous plants are
+common, and huge downy reeds.
+
+It is now 2 p.m. I am sitting in a juniper bush in the middle of the
+bar, scribbling, all the country in a scorching haze, the shells from
+the ships screeching over our heads, searching all the ridges and
+hollows in front of us. The Turks' guns have been silent for the last
+hour, no doubt in anticipation of giving us something warm; our
+bearers are off and have just passed in twos and threes across the
+north side of the lake, which at this period of the year is dry,
+except in the middle. On our side all is ready to give the Turk a good
+hiding, but every time at Helles we were just as prepared and the
+result always a practical failure. Now for the battle, and little
+chance of concluding my notes to-day.
+
+6.50 p.m.--Ever since the appointed hour a very big fight has been in
+progress. To me the most exciting part was the advance of the 11th
+Division from the south side of Lala Baba, over a mile of absolutely
+unprotected country, where our men could not fire a shot in return to
+the perfect hail of shrapnel to which they were subjected, shells
+coming in fours and fives at a time right in their midst. There was
+the breadth of the lake between us, but with our glasses we had a good
+view of the whole proceedings. The number bowled over seemed small,
+considering that the last half-mile had to be crossed at the double,
+in a dense cloud of smoke from bursting shells. Whenever the cloud
+cleared off we saw distinctly that many dead and wounded lay about the
+field.
+
+What I admired most was the plucky way the bearers did their work, all
+round the north and east side of the lake, while all the time they
+were subjected to fire, and towards the end of the day, when the Turk,
+apparently desperate, sent shell after shell among the bearers and
+ambulance wagons, at a time when there were no other troops near.
+
+We have tried to dig ourselves into the banks of soft sea sand for the
+night, but the constant stream of fine sand fills up our excavations
+as fast as we dig. Four ships still keep firing--"Lord Nelson,"
+"Swiftsure," "Agamemnon" (?) and "Euryalus"--and every shot brings
+down more sand.
+
+Being off the direct track from the battlefield we have missed the
+wounded we expected. In spite of our tramping about all night in the
+dark we feel very fresh, and disappointed at having nothing to do,
+although in good spirits over our victory--for such we take it to be.
+
+This is the first occasion on which we can find fault with the Turks'
+method of fighting, but to-day they have fired on all and
+sundry--bearers, ambulance wagons, Red Cross flags, and the C.C.S.
+
+
+_August 23rd._--I ended my notes two days ago by remarking that we
+were all in good spirits over what seemed to us to be a victory. Soon
+after that some of us had to change our tune. Two officers were
+ordered up to Chocolate Hill, so Agassiz and I went across the north
+side of the Salt Lake which we found dry and caked hard. Towards the
+far end, as we neared the terrible hill, bullets were flying in
+hundreds--one struck the ground practically under my left foot,
+another passed between Agassiz and myself when we certainly were not a
+foot apart. A few more hundred yards, at the double, took us to that
+absolute inferno, Hill 53. (The hills were named according to their
+height, 53 meaning 53 metres high.) We got to the top through dead and
+dying men lined out everywhere. We at once looked up the A.D.M.S. who,
+along with the heads of the 29th Division, was in a deep and strongly
+protected dug-out. Now came the terrible and most unexpected
+news--the Staff were in a state of hysterics--Hill 72, which is
+separated from Hill 53 by a small dip, had been fought for all day and
+captured at immense cost, and was now about to be given up, it was
+impossible for us to hold it. The 11th Division had sent word that
+they were at a certain point which was their objective, but they were
+actually some distance behind that, and never did reach that point.
+But this piece of information, which the line had been eagerly waiting
+for, now allowed our centre to advance, thinking they had the 11th
+Division protecting their flank. They soon got too far forward and
+were at once enfiladed. This was the beginning of what was a
+catastrophe and which will cost us thousands of lives to rectify. "We
+are to give up Hill 72," said the A.D.M.S., "and if the Turks make a
+night attack, as they always do after an engagement, we'll be pushed
+off this Hill (53) into the valley, and it is hard to say where it
+will end. In that case we want every stretcher-bearer we can lay our
+hands on to work with might and main to get the wounded back from the
+trenches, or they will fall into the hands of the Turks." This sounded
+terrible, but we had to face it, so we sent back for all our men who
+could be spared, and many regimental men had to help to carry the
+wounded back, which was a most difficult piece of work.
+
+In making communication trenches along which the wounded have to be
+carried from the firing trench, the carrying of stretchers is never
+considered. Traverses must be made certainly, and the narrower the
+trenches the better while fighting, but they should be made wide
+enough to let stretchers along, and the corners of the traverses
+should be rounded. As it was the stretchers could only be carried
+along the straight parts with the stretcher traverses "kicked in," and
+even then the backs of all the men's hands were peeled to the bone.
+Being impossible to get round the corners the stretchers had to be
+raised above the top of the trench, and as a rule the bearers soon
+tired of doing this at every few yards, and got right over the
+parapets and carried in the open.
+
+We had a terrible night, and next morning as soon as the day began to
+break, although we were on the opposite side of the Hill from the
+enemy, they knew the range so thoroughly that they dropped their
+shells at the exact angle of the Hill, which was but a gentle slope,
+and raked it from top to bottom time after time.
+
+Those of us who escaped were lucky, but it was a bit trying to one's
+nerves. The Turks had made great preparations for this battle, which
+of course had to come off, and they fired as much ammunition as we
+did, and everything was to their advantage. Their snipers, often armed
+with machine-guns, played the very devil with our men. By good luck
+the Turks had had enough and did not attack at night, and we were glad
+when daylight came, although with it came again the terrible, raking
+fire.
+
+Through the day our troops deliberately and slowly evacuated part of
+Hill 72, but most of it we unexpectedly managed to hold, and are
+likely now to stick to. Had we thoroughly defeated the Turks, as we
+should have done had there been no bungling, the end of this part of
+the campaign might have been in sight, but now we are held up, and how
+we are to get out of the fix will sadly baffle our Staff.
+
+The men of the 89th F.A. behaved with admirable pluck, and worked
+hard, and up to evening we had eight men more or less badly
+wounded--one at least fatally, poor Adams. The 21st and 22nd were
+spent practically without food, and hardly a drop of water was to be
+had, and all suffered badly from thirst--more bungling.
+
+In the afternoon of the second day it was rumoured that the whole of
+our Division was to be withdrawn to the reserve lines, and that our
+86th Brigade, to which we had been again attached, were to march off
+as soon as it was dark, and we were to follow and take up our position
+behind the Infantry. Good news indeed! The G.O.C. in C. had done a
+wise thing in bringing two Brigades of the 29th Division round from
+Helles to stiffen Kitchener's Army. Our Royal Fusiliers were in
+reserve all the time, and although they never fired a shot were in
+such a position that they were badly exposed to shell fire, and were
+within view of snipers, and lost no fewer than 150 men.
+
+In the dark we set off over the N.W. corner of the lake making for a
+certain point at the foot of a ridge. It was difficult to strike the
+exact spot, the night being dark, but we got wonderfully near it, and
+after spending a bitterly cold and cheerless night at the back of a
+low stone wall, across which bullets whistled all night we rectified
+our position before the sun rose. As we came across the lake three
+more of our men were hit, bullets flying about for the first mile or
+so. To-day, after reaching our destination, and while in a shelter, a
+bullet hit another in the thigh, bringing our casualty list for this
+fight up to sixteen. All are agreed that it has been a very bloody
+affair, and the difficulty of seeing a way out of our present position
+has made all despondent, and a number of those in high positions are
+being torn to shreds. Our men are not grumbling, and look as if they
+could go through it again, but it was a very trying two days and
+nights.
+
+Fires broke out in the thick scrub almost at the very start of the
+battle, and after a few hours many acres were ablaze, and as it was
+largely from such places the men of both sides were firing many
+wounded were burned to death.
+
+
+_August 24th._--Last night we got orders to move as we were certain to
+be shelled, lying as we were behind the Infantry of our Brigade. We
+accordingly moved after dark to a gully, which is really a dry
+watercourse entering the middle of the north side of the Salt Lake.
+Agassiz and I, followed at a short distance by a few men, had no
+difficulty in striking the desired spot, but the others, following in
+small lots, got lost, only one lot reaching its destination that
+night. Others lay behind bushes till daylight, while Stephen and his
+men returned for the night to their starting-point. It showed the
+difficulty of moving about in the dark in a strange country. The 86th
+Brigade, which left Chocolate Hill the same time as ourselves got lost
+and wandered about for six hours. Our new site is no safer than the
+last, we are beside a well where men congregate from the various
+battalions encamped near us, and this was shelled furiously on two
+occasions yesterday.
+
+
+_August 25th._--Four calendar months since we landed on Gallipoli. And
+not much progress made yet.
+
+The Royal Fusiliers, who had watched our men at work in the "Battle of
+Chocolate Hill," are giving them great praise for their daring. Pirie,
+who was waiting for bearers for his wounded, on hearing that some men
+coming towards him belonged to the 89th F.A. replied, "Thank God, now
+we are all right". Several--two at least--high-placed officers also
+took note of them and promised that some would be mentioned in the
+next despatch.
+
+Seeing some big black Arum lilies--known as the "Dead Turk" from its
+evil smell--with flowers about 2 feet long, I dug up two enormous
+bulbs this morning, one fully 6 inches in diameter. These, with other
+bulbs, I will send home. (They were not an acceptable gift, they were
+allowed to die owing to their horrible smell.) These were growing
+beside a well which was shelled a couple of hours ago, but I sneaked
+out in safety when this had finished. I heard this evening that I had
+been "mentioned" in Sir Ian Hamilton's first despatch. Two other
+medical men of our Division are also mentioned--Col. Yarr, our
+A.D.M.S. at Helles, and Major Lindsay of the 87th F.A.
+
+
+_August 26th._--Pottered about in the morning after seeing some
+batches of sick sent in by the Regimental M.O.'s, then walked to our
+base on Suvla Bay Beach. Fiddes and McKenzie, who joined our Ambulance
+two days ago, walked out with me. They dilated to Agassiz and myself
+about a great discovery they had made, namely, that excellent rissoles
+could be made of bully beef and ground biscuits. On their departure we
+decided to have rissoles for supper, so Agassiz prepared a frying pan
+and a tin of bully, while I with a pick-shaft ground up a couple of
+our flinty biscuits. We had them done to a turn, and felt much better
+for a decent feed. We then smoked and watched big, threatening clouds
+scurrying over the moon, and away in the S.W. constant flashes of
+lightning. The weather is changing, and the rainy season is not far
+off. Then what on earth is to come of us? We'll be washed out of the
+gullies, to be shot down in the open.
+
+
+_August 27th._--Agassiz and I returned to the base at 7.30 p.m. and
+were relieved by Fiddes and McKenzie. Plenty of firing by both sides,
+but nothing worth noting.
+
+
+_August 28th._--A day at the Beach--a weary place and I wish I was
+back in The Gully. Here we are encamped at the top of Suvla Bay, at
+the edge of a wide stretch of soft sand, which is dotted all over with
+men and their shallow dug-outs in the sand. We are protected by a
+number of Red Cross flags, several Ambulances and the C.C.S. These
+have never been shelled by the Turks, and one feels absolutely safe,
+but I miss the healthy excitement of our little Gully. As I watched
+the bearers and wagons being shelled during the last fight it struck
+me at the time that all the shrapnel might be coming from a single
+battery, and I now think there can be no doubt about this. It must
+have been a battery of four or five guns in command of a beastly
+German.
+
+
+_August 29th._--Sunday. Nothing doing--except that the usual artillery
+duel goes on, and a Taube crossed over us. These we occasionally fire
+at but never hit.
+
+
+_August 30th._--Feeling bored to death I took a pleasure walk out to
+our dressing station in The Gully, where Stephen and Thomson are at
+present on duty. After dark I returned alone, trudging first down The
+Gully almost to the Salt Lake, then cutting off to the right towards
+our base. It is very different from the great Gully at Helles (The
+Gully), being but a watercourse, averaging 8 to 10 yards in width and
+most of it not over 6 feet deep. It has huge clumps of rushes and
+lofty, graceful reeds which give it a tropical appearance, and in a
+few places are pools of dirty, green water that has not dried up since
+the last rainy season, and in these water tortoises and big green
+frogs live in hundreds. To-night it was rather weird as I came along,
+with the bull frogs croaking, and several other nocturnal animals
+making loud cries, down past the "Turk's grave," where a pile of dead
+had been collected in The Gully and a little earth thrown over them,
+and now the odour is so strong that one has to pass at the double,
+holding one's breath. The very earth over them looks wet and greasy as
+I noticed to-day. The whole Gully is full of dug-outs from end to end.
+These had been made on the first days of the landing and are now
+untenanted. Lying about unheeded is equipment of all sorts, which had
+belonged to our dead and wounded.
+
+A Taube dropped two bombs at our ships to-day, but missed as usual. And
+our not firing at the marauder showed that we had not much faith in our
+own shooting. The warships and a monitor were busy towards evening
+battering some unseen object away beyond the mountains--perhaps the
+forts of "The Narrows".
+
+We have two Welsh Ambulances beside us. The men move very smartly and
+are evidently well drilled. They are great psalm singers, and always at
+it.
+
+
+_August 31st._--The Australians over at Anzac seem very busy to-day.
+So also are the Turks whose shells are falling thick on land and sea,
+and our ships are firing at some target beyond Sari Bair (Hill 972).
+
+We had a curious plague of midges last night: they attacked the lamp
+and table in our mess in thousands, and made things so unpleasant that
+we had to hurry from the table. These have never bothered us before,
+and I doubt if I ever saw a midge on Gallipoli before.
+
+
+_September 1st._--Agassiz and I came out to the dressing station as it
+was getting dark last night.
+
+Two new officers and twenty men joined us yesterday--Captains Wilson
+and Tawse.
+
+Wiseley, M.O. to the Lancs., passed through our station this forenoon,
+badly wounded in the head by a sniper. It looks as if it was all up
+with him. (He died before he reached the C.C.S.) Tawse followed from
+our base to take his place. Pirie of the Royals looked us up, and told
+us he was down for "mention" in the next despatch. We have all
+admired, and often spoken about, the good work and earnest devotion of
+Pirie, and are delighted these are to be recognised, even in this
+small way. We were talking about the huge bungle of the landing at
+Suvla. It seems agreed had it not been that two Territorial Battalions
+turned tail when faced by a handful of Turks things here would have
+been totally different, and the ridges which are not yet ours should
+have been taken and held the first day. A distinguished General is
+said to have remarked: "Had there been more sweat on the part of the
+men there would have been less blood". We have one excellent General
+here now who pokes his nose into everything, says what he thinks,
+whether polite or otherwise, and swears at large. He says that without
+a good backing of swears people will never believe you are in earnest.
+Only men of blood and iron are of any use at the present moment for
+filling our high places.
+
+Pirie was telling us that they had two Australian snipers attached to
+the Royals, and one of their own men who had done a good deal of
+jungle shooting was an excellent sniper. One night he was out and had
+crawled to within 30 yards of the Turks' trenches trying to get as
+much information as possible, when lo, and behold! he found by his
+watch it was 5.30 and broad daylight. He had fallen asleep. However,
+by careful crawling he succeeded in gaining his own lines in safety.
+It is always by night these men work, and the Australian snipers get
+two days off every week to go to the base for a rest. This time is
+usually spent in their going somewhere else to snipe. Fighting to the
+Australians is great sport and nothing else.
+
+In the afternoon an East Kent officer paid us a visit. He tells us
+that rumours of peace with Turkey are again afloat. We have heard this
+sort of stuff before and don't believe it.
+
+
+_September 2nd._--Agassiz and I had attended the sick of our Brigade
+during the day, and spent a quiet time about the dressing station,
+gathering enough brambles to make an excellent dish for supper, when
+suddenly at 7.30 the scene changed. First two cannon shots, the
+well-known signal for a Turkish attack, a short pause then a general
+cannonade from the Turks which was fast and furious. I do not suppose
+anyone could have guessed they had so many guns in position, but for
+half an hour--twenty-three minutes to be exact--they simply deluged
+with shrapnel our trenches on the hill on our extreme left (Hizlar
+Dagh), and rifle fire from both sides was equally furious. The part of
+The Gully we occupy as a dressing station runs north and south, and I
+could not have believed it could possibly have been enfiladed, but
+bullets, after the first few minutes, got diverted our way, and came
+right along our position in a most alarming way. All lay low at once,
+except our servant, Wallace, who had just removed our supper things
+and was sitting on the edge of a low trench leading into our dug-out
+when he called out, "Oh!" I turned round and said, "What's up?" "I am
+struck," he said, and fell into my arms. We laid him down on the floor
+of the dug-out, and in a few minutes he breathed his last. So ended
+the days of an excellent fellow. Formerly a ship's steward he had seen
+the world, and was a splendid servant and much liked by the whole
+Ambulance. This only added to the alarm that had seized us all, which
+was due to the very insufficient protection we had on the side the
+bullets were coming from. Agassiz and I lay hard up against the north
+side of our dug-out--little more than a few dry lumps of clay--while
+Wallace's body was stretched alongside us. As I have said, this attack
+ended in twenty-three minutes, but at 8.30 there was a second and
+similar one. We had all made up our minds that the Turks were to break
+through and would be down on us, and all had secretly decided what
+they were to do, and how much of their equipment they would take in
+case we were forced to retreat. All this fighting was but a very short
+way to our left.
+
+This morning we sent Wallace's body back to our base, where it lay
+till the return of C Section at 7.30 p.m., as we wished to be present
+at the last rites, and we could only turn out in a body after dark.
+The moon was not due for hours, but in the dark, with only the stars
+for light, and a brilliant planet in the east, we listened to Padre
+Campion's short service. He, being an Episcopal clergyman, had to
+accommodate himself to us Presbyterians, and he recited "Abide with
+me," then read the piece, "I am the Resurrection," and ended with "The
+Lord's Prayer". Then back again to camp, supper, and general
+conversation.
+
+Rumours reach us that the Germans are still being pressed back about
+Warsaw, that the Austrians have been defeated in Galicia, and the
+Turks in the Caucasus.
+
+The Australians at Anzac are making steady, though slow, progress,
+which appears to be the only point where we can press on at all. The
+Marquis of Tullibardine arrived here to-day with a body of Scottish
+Horse--unmounted of course. Padre Campion says he was at Eton with
+this brilliant soldier.
+
+
+_September 4th._--A very moderate S.W. breeze is blowing to-day, and
+our pontoon pier of about thirty boats has gone all to pieces and lies
+on the sand. Its sole use was to get patients away from the C.C.S. to
+the hospital ships. This shows us the difficulties we will have to
+face in winter with our patients and stores--if we are to be here,
+which heaven forbid! Padre Dennis Jones has just told me that the
+betting is that the war in Turkey will be over in a fortnight. He also
+says he was in the trenches last night when word was passed round to
+prepare to meet a big Turkish attack after dark. This did not come
+off, last night was quiet except for an occasional spurt of rifle
+fire.
+
+
+_September 5th._--Sir Ian Hamilton is reported to have said that the
+war will be over in ten days.
+
+This morning we have been notified that we go to Imbros, probably for
+a week, on the night of the 8/9th. This does not seem to give pleasure
+to many. It means a night spent in crossing, and being tired all next
+day when we will have to work hard to provide shelter, then returning
+before we get really settled down. If this order takes effect we will
+besides miss the "grand finale" which will be held among the forts of
+"The Narrows" (!!!)
+
+There was much artillery fire by both sides yesterday, and this
+morning they have been very busy--they even managed to send two shells
+after a Taube, these bursting many hundred yards behind their
+objective. But it let the Taube see that we were not asleep at 7.30
+a.m.
+
+My friend Pirie, M.O. to the Royals, passed through this in the
+afternoon, having been wounded in the back while he was holding his
+Sick Parade--only a "couchy wound," such as the Irish pray to the
+Virgin Mary to send them at the beginning of a fight, so that they
+might escape something worse. Pirie walked in with his usual smile,
+and pleaded with us, before we knew there was anything wrong, "not to
+make him laugh as it was sore". (To everyone's sorrow, Pirie was
+afterwards killed in France.)
+
+
+_September 7th._--It was the duty of Agassiz and myself to take over
+the dressing station last night, and there we now are. After the
+experience we had last time when we did not feel over comfortable
+after dark and the bullets began to fly, we were glad to occupy the
+same dug-out during the night, for the sake of company. It is a most
+unpleasant feeling to find you are fired at when alone. I have noticed
+this especially when out a walk just as it is getting dark. You ask
+yourself how long you may have to lie, if you get wounded, before
+anyone comes your way. But even in daylight if shells are dropping
+about they are doubly terrifying if you are alone.
+
+This Gully has been a most uncomfortable place all along, its banks
+afford little protection from rifle fire; they are too low for
+cross-fire, and a few days ago we found it could be enfiladed. At
+ordinary times we have only occasional bullets during the day, but as
+soon as the shades of night begin to fall they come in a constant
+stream, and we are only safe when we retire to the depths of our
+dug-outs--if our shallow pits are worthy of the name.
+
+We keep wondering what sort of a holiday we are to have in Imbros. Are
+there to be plagues of flies and dust as in Lemnos? However, it will
+break the monotony which is getting very oppressive, and some of ours
+keep up a constant grumble at everybody and everything.
+
+The nights are now very cold, but the heat by day seems about as
+intense as ever.
+
+
+_September 9th._--We had orders yesterday to embark at Little West
+Beach, at the north point of Suvla Bay. We were there at 7.30 p.m. and
+were to embark at 8. It was a weary trudge, for we were heavily laden,
+along the very edge of the bay to take advantage of the narrow strip
+of firm sand that gets washed by the "tideless Mediterranean". Our
+four Battalions were present, and after some delay over our baggage,
+all which was finally got on board, the great lumbering barge, which
+had 400 men and all the regimental baggage on board, refused to budge.
+She was fast on the rocks where the water was very shallow. At last
+she moved, going out a few yards then returning and taking all the
+Dublins and so many Royals on board. Then she again stuck fast. It was
+now getting late; the ship this barge was taking us out to was booked
+to sail at 3.30 a.m., and this time had to be kept regardless of our
+convenience. As she was still aground at that hour the order was given
+to disembark. All this time we had been lying shivering on the dust
+and stones, waiting for our turn, and now, with our spirits at zero,
+we marched back to our base, reaching it at 4.45 as light was showing
+in the east, so that we got back none too soon. The long wait we had
+put in, with a cold wind blowing, had chilled us all thoroughly. All
+had some brandy on our return, we got to bed at 5.30, and I for one
+slept like a top and rose refreshed at 8.30, as also did Agassiz. He
+and I felt so famished that we ground up some ration biscuits and made
+porridge, which we enjoyed. None of the others got off their
+stretchers before mid-day, when they did not know whether to order
+breakfast or dinner. It ended in high tea.
+
+A wagon with six mules passed behind us this afternoon, and drew a hot
+shrapnel fire on all the Ambulances on the Beach. We had one man
+wounded, the 1st Welsh one killed (Capt. Clark) and three wounded, and
+the 3rd Welsh four wounded.
+
+We again have orders to embark at 7.30.
+
+
+_September 10th._--The hour for embarking was afterwards changed to
+8.30. Owing to the shelling we had just been subjected to this pleased
+us, as we could march down in the dark at this later hour. We got on
+board without any adventures and were taken out by two tow boats to
+our old friend, the "Abbassieh". The sea was choppy and our boat
+bumped unmercifully against the ship's side and ladder. We had supper
+on board, tea, bread and butter with cheese making a right royal
+feast, these articles never tasting half so good in all our lives
+before. Never till then did I fully appreciate how much we had roughed
+it since we came to Suvla Bay. Our bread has usually been vile, and
+often was not to be had at all, and everything has been unusually
+filthy and smelly. This was often due to our being unable to spare a
+drop of water to wash out our cooking utensils.
+
+No doubt what has really taken it out of us most is the constant
+danger we are in from bullets and shells, and especially the former at
+our Advanced Dressing Station in The Gully (Azmac Dere). After supper
+and a glass of beer we went to bed, and found genuine spring
+mattresses, a tremendous luxury. The very ground at Suvla seems to be
+harder than at Helles, and I often get up in the morning feeling stiff
+and sore. However, I much prefer living on chunks of anything out at
+the dressing station, and sleeping on a few rushes spread on the
+bottom of a shallow hole, to the comforts and safety of our base in
+the sandbank of Suvla Bay.
+
+When the anchor was raised, with the usual amount of rattle, it roused
+one of our men who was asleep on deck; he sprang to his feet and
+dashed over the ship's rail, and really never woke up till he found
+himself in the water. Cries of "man overboard" were raised, and with
+much scurrying the ladder was let down, and being a strong swimmer he
+was got on board none the worse for his early bath. He was sent down
+to the engine room to dry.
+
+We landed at Imbros about 9 a.m.
+
+Imbros is a busy place, and has a big natural harbour facing the
+north, dotted over with warships and transports, and a considerable
+number of monitors each armed with one or two huge guns, all 14-inch I
+believe.
+
+Our camp is in a dusty spot, and the wind makes it disagreeable and
+ruffles our tempers. There are about a dozen canteens, run by Greeks
+whose prices I am glad to see are fixed for all articles. I bought two
+kilos (4-1/2 lbs.) of grapes and a few tomatoes, intending them for
+our mess, but I could not resist the grapes, I had an overpowering
+longing for fruit, and ate most of them, skins, stones and all, on my
+way back. I have tried to take up a bet to eat 2 lbs. against every
+lb. eaten by anyone in the mess.
+
+The hills and valleys I have not yet visited, but these look inviting.
+We are encamped on an extensive dead level between the sea and the
+hills.
+
+
+_September 11th._--I had a walk with Stephen last night, just before
+dark, to a hill about a mile off. From the top we were able to get a
+good idea of the beauties of Imbros. Except for the stretch where we
+are encamped, the whole island is one mass of rough, volcanic
+mountains, with narrow, fertile flats, carefully cultivated and
+bearing healthy, looking fig, olive, and other trees. A large herd of
+goats, wending their way home down a narrow track between rugged
+hills, away down below us, all with their bells tinkling, made a fine
+picture of a peaceful evening scene. As we sat and smoked beside a
+towering pinnacle of volcanic rock a raven went sailing past us, with
+his croak, croak. I remember Professor McGillivray, in his "Natural
+History of Deeside," describes what was perhaps a not altogether
+dissimilar scene among the Cairngorms, and addressing a raven on a
+rock beside him calls him "poor fellow".
+
+
+_September 12th._--Did nothing in particular to-day. We had church
+parade in the afternoon, Padre Campion officiating, and a mail
+consisting almost entirely of parcels, every second one smashed up
+till it could not be delivered. Stephen and I have arranged to go to
+Panagheia to-morrow, and we walked out to a spot at the foot of the
+hills to order ponies, donkeys, or whatever they had, for our trip.
+When there an old Greek came riding in on a donkey with two panniers
+full of grapes, to which he asked us to help ourselves, they cost him
+nothing and he would make us welcome to as many as we liked at the
+same price. I ate a pound at least and still felt hungry. He said when
+this island was Turkish the taxes were very heavy, then the Greeks
+came along and they became worse, but he had been a sailor and a good
+deal in England, so he always swore to the tax collector that he was
+an Englishman and exempt from all taxes, so he has never paid a penny.
+We got more grapes from him, by purchase this time, big, luscious ones
+at 6d per kilo. We ate at our hardest while the Greek looked out big
+bunches that could be tied together, and for these he wanted, in Greek
+fashion, to charge an extra 3d. "Damn you for a greedy devil," says
+Stephen, we dived into his pannier and each had another big bunch,
+paid him, and returned to camp where we had a really good
+dinner--roast chicken stuffed with oatmeal and onions, beans, stewed
+pears, Vermouth, and three half bottles of champagne (from the Medical
+Comforts pannier!), then port and nuts (the former from ditto), and
+ended with cigars and Egyptian cigarettes. We had not dined so well
+since we left Alexandria.
+
+I believe to-day is the first day since we left England on March 18
+that we have not seen the sun. As we were leaving the pony depot we
+fell in with Atlee of the Munsters who had been at Panagheia, and he
+says a pony is no use except for a bit of "swank," you have to walk
+practically the whole way beside your animal.
+
+Thomson went into hospital to-day. He has been ailing for some weeks,
+and looks thin and far from well.
+
+
+_September 13th._--A red letter day. Last night we had a few showers,
+and in the morning as the sky was overcast we at first decided not to
+go to Panagheia, but as the blue sky began to break through by 9 we
+set off and were mounted on our shelties by 10. These we picked up at
+the edge of the mountains, beyond the camping ground. A dozen or two
+of animals--ponies, donkeys, and mules--were ready saddled, the owner
+of each pushing his way forward when he saw a likely customer coming
+along, eager to display the good points of his animal. I got astride a
+pack saddle, a wonderful structure of substantial sticks and raw hide,
+with a big, comfortable cushion on the top, for stirrups a piece of
+rope, and bridle the same, without bit, the rope being merely twisted
+and knotted round the lower jaw.
+
+We at once dipped into a deep valley, clothed on all sides in thick
+shrubbery, with plenty of trees in the lowest part, along which there
+was a tiny stream with occasional beautiful rocky pools. The trees
+here and all along were principally olives, figs, mulberry, and a few
+walnuts. The road was the merest track, littered with stones, and
+wound up hill and down dale. At first it was so bad that I thought it
+must surely lead soon to a better path, but little did I think what we
+were in for; we were soon among huge boulders, and nothing but
+boulders, up and down shelving rock, often 2 feet higher than the
+path, slithering over stretches of hard, bare rock, and all the time
+without a single stumble on the part of any one of our mounts. There
+were four of us--Stephen, Agassiz, Padre Campion, and myself--each
+with a guide dressed in blue material, and all sorts of head gear, and
+with the usual fold upon fold of cloth round the waist, shoes of raw
+hide with the hair outside, held on by twists of hide from the ankle
+to the knee, in proper brigand style.
+
+The scenery soon became simply glorious, and my three companions, who
+all knew Switzerland, said it was exactly like that country, except
+for the absence of chalets. The hills rose on all sides, some to a
+height of 5000 feet, rough as possible, all volcanic of course, some
+looking as if they had belched out flames and smoke not so very long
+ago. One reminded me of Ben Sleoch as it rises out of Loch Maree, the
+same mass of rock atop, but here more rugged. Each mountain top and
+side was studded with enormous needle-like pinnacles and rough warty
+masses. It is strange how fertile these volcanic earths are, these
+high mountains were clothed with trees below, and had thick shrubbery
+almost to the top--mostly hollyoak, I fancy. The colouring of the
+rocks is very fine, the colours being warm reds, browns, purples, and
+yellows in one mingled mass.
+
+By 11.30 we had crossed the highest part of our path, and a wide
+valley came in sight a mile or two off, great masses of olive trees,
+with a large village away ahead on a hillside, and after a little time
+our destination hove in sight, round the shoulder of a mountain on our
+right, nestling among trees of deep green colour. These turned out to
+be mostly mulberry which has a very luscious and cool looking leaf; no
+fruit unfortunately, its season was over. We passed along the
+picturesque streets of Panagheia, with their projecting windows and
+vine entwined balconies, to a place proudly labelled "Hotel Britannic,
+J. Christie, proprietor, a British subject". The Hotel London we had
+been warned to pass by, as the catering was not so good, and strange
+to say, when we returned to camp and the orders of the day were being
+read at supper, it was there announced that this hotel was out of
+bounds for the time being, the proprietor being of suspected
+nationality.
+
+Stephen was at his best, and was the life of the party and of everyone
+we came across, and greatly amused our guides. One of the guides had
+his little son with him who was named Georgo by Stephen, who told the
+little chap that his own name was Stephanos. He mounted him behind his
+saddle, and when lifting him down at the first halt, he said, "You've
+done damnedo wello, Georgo". Georgo showed by a broad grin that he
+felt flattered.
+
+Lunch was ordered in the fine hotel of J. Christie, which was
+upstairs over a cobbler's shop, and consisted of one very small room
+which we filled, with a larger one off it, and behind was the kitchen,
+only half of which was floored, and through the great gaping part you
+looked down to the back of the cobbler's premises, a place full of
+empty bottles and the abode of J. Christie's poultry. That was the
+whole establishment, but they could cook. J. Christie, being an
+Italian and not a Britisher, was an excellent _chef_, and soon
+prepared for us first-rate soup, then boiled partridge which was
+likely a chicken from the hole I have mentioned. Then came the dish of
+the day--honey omelettes, which were brought in one at a time,
+glorious creations over which we poured delicious drained honey. They
+were so good that Stephen gave the order that they were to go on
+turning them out till he told them to stop. Each had two big ones, and
+after each you felt hungrier than ever. The wine of the country we of
+course also had, one called Morea not unlike champagne. Then cheese
+and Turkish coffee, after which we set off to view the village. We
+landed at the school when it chanced to be play time, but we went
+through the rooms followed by all the scholars, fine bright boys and
+girls, and Stephen with a piece of chalk showed them some new method
+of multiplication, which was far more complicated than the old way we
+all know. In a hall they had two large pictures, one of Venezelos, who
+they declared was good, the other of Gunariz who was bad. One little
+chap was the son of the local doctor and spoke French well. He said
+his father was a graduate of Paris University.
+
+It was altogether a most enjoyable day, the padre saying it was the
+day of his life. He was a good fellow the padre, and nothing delighted
+him more, he remarked, than to hear Stephen saying "damn," he put so
+much expression into the word.
+
+We commenced the return journey at 4.45 when the colouring of the
+mountains was perfect, and the padre always insisted on dismounting to
+take a sketch of some particularly fine scene. He got ahead of us one
+time when we came upon him seated on a big stone in a rough
+watercourse, surrounded with oleanders and sketching a peep of a grand
+mountain between two nearer ridges.
+
+When we returned we found Sir Ian Hamilton had inspected our
+Ambulance, and made himself pleasant all round.
+
+
+_September 14th._--A cold wind blew all day--from the north of course.
+Saw the sun only occasionally.
+
+I took the Lancashire Fusiliers Sick Parade this morning, when 215
+presented themselves as sick--every fourth man. I expect the order of
+the day had included a route march. There is nothing Tommy hates more
+than a route march.
+
+
+_September 15th._--The nights get still colder, and this forenoon was
+like an October day at home, but later it was bright and warm without
+a breath of wind. Our airmen made the most of the calm spell and took
+out the only airship we have here and circled about for at least two
+hours, with a fast monoplane scouting in case of reprisals. The sun is
+at present sinking in the west and the evening colouring among the
+mountains makes one long for everlasting peace, there is too much
+discord between such scenes and our errand out here.
+
+
+_September 16th._--Just as I got out of bed at 7 am some one called
+out that a Taube was dropping bombs. It dropped four a short way from
+us. It was at a great height and got a good peppering from our ships
+in the harbour. In about fifteen minutes it returned, or it may have
+been another aeroplane, and let loose five or six bombs at the G.O.C.
+in C.'s H.Q. where, I afterwards heard, five men were wounded. It was
+heading straight over us, but the fire again got too hot for it and it
+made off to the south, but it was most daring and persistent and put
+in a third appearance, when one of our monoplanes, a very fast
+machine, went up and we expected some fun. After ascending in large
+spirals they got on the same level when the Taube turned round and
+faced our machine, both now at a very great height, and both evidently
+firing at each other, when suddenly our machine dived down at a
+tremendous speed. We of course thought the airman or his plane had
+been disabled. We heard in the evening that his gun jammed, and being
+helpless he wisely cleared out.
+
+Stephen and I were to take the whole Ambulance to Panagheia, and I
+went early to the Lancs. to get their Sick Parade over. Stephen
+promised to assist and was to be up early too, but he turned up last
+for breakfast, and I had inspected two companies before he arrived.
+
+Nothing eventful happened on our 6 or 7 mile march across the
+mountains. Big, threatening thunderclouds, with rain on the high peaks
+before us, rather detracted from our enjoyment, and the Greeks we met
+pointed to the clouds and with a descending motion of their hands
+prophesied rain. However, it never did rain and the afternoon was
+perfect. The Greeks followed us with pony loads of grapes (Staphila,
+they call them), pomegranates, and figs, and we fared well. A pony in
+front of us tumbled down a steep incline and we straightway wished to
+buy its load which was scattered everywhere. I picked up a lot of figs
+which were dead ripe and delicious. The black grapes of these parts
+would be difficult to beat, and I must have eaten 3 lbs. of these on
+our way.
+
+After halting the men beyond the village, and having lunch to which
+they were allowed beer, a luxury which few of them had tasted for many
+months, Stephen and I went to a small village half a mile further on.
+Many go from Panagheia to Castro, a fishing village, but our little
+place was off the beaten track and quite unspoiled. We entered a
+primitive café where we had a cup of good coffee, served as usual in a
+very tiny cup with a big tumbler of water. Two Greek policemen were
+sipping their coffee and playing cards, and we managed to enter into
+conversation with them and some other loafers. Many of the old women
+were spinning about their doors, and we saw some of their work. Their
+wool (goat's) when carded is very fine and fluffy, but the material
+when woven is hard and looks as if it would wear for ever.
+
+Next we sat down in front of what we thought was a school and made a
+sketch of it. It turned out to be the church of Sainte Varvara. The
+school is alongside, and the dominie had eyed us and came over and
+took us through the church. We thought he was a verger, and Stephen
+wished to purchase every holy relic in it. Then we tipped him a few
+coppers, and tapers were accordingly lit and planted in a basin of
+sand. All the Greek churches we have seen are very ornate and tawdry,
+with a multitude of pictures and tall candlesticks. The pulpit towered
+till it almost touched the low ceiling. The centre of the churches is
+always vacant, and round this space there is always a row of
+high-backed seats. I fancy the difference between the Greek and Roman
+churches is not great. Both give much prominence to the Virgin and
+Child, but I am told that one of the differences is that the former
+does not regard the Virgin as a Saint. A number of saints were
+pictured here, including Sainte Varvara, to whom the building is
+dedicated.
+
+We next looked into the school, a tumble down place, but clean and
+tidy, and with about forty bright, neatly dressed children. Stephen
+was delighted at the sight and beamed on them all, and yelled and
+laughed, gave a little chap a sum of multiplication on the blackboard
+which he did correctly, then he had to show him his new and more
+complicated way of getting the answer. This new method is very
+peculiar, but the two answers were identical, to the astonishment of
+the dominie, who was apparently able to follow the steps. "Now," says
+Stephen, "I want all the children to say 'Venezelos good' and to give
+him a cheer." This was done most heartily. "Now, say Gunariz bad."
+This time, I think, they did not understand what was wanted of them;
+however, with a little persuasion from Stephen and the dominie they
+got through it in a mild way. There was something refreshing and
+homelike in our visit to the kiddies. They all jumped smartly to their
+feet as we were leaving. The dominie accompanied us up the street,
+where we admired the trees laden with clusters of beautiful
+red-cheeked pomegranates. I had never seen this fruit growing before,
+but here every garden was full of it.
+
+We next stopped to watch a woman spinning inside a doorway, with an
+instrument like a fiddle bow--either that or she was carding the wool
+with it, this being in fluffy billows about her on the floor. She
+asked us to enter--all by signs of course. We had a look round her
+kitchen which was very clean, the fireplace and articles about being
+mostly not unlike what one could see at home. In a corner was a broad,
+low divan on which she threw some cushions, on which we sat with our
+legs tucked under us, which we supposed was the correct fashion, and
+what was expected of us. She next got us two small glasses of brandy,
+a saucer with a few small biscuits and two tumblers of water, and
+placed all neatly on a small table with a cover. The brandy was strong
+and scented, and not much to my liking; however, I drank it and felt
+grateful to this good soul for her hospitality and showing us a
+little Grecian home life. At one side of the room there was a part
+shut off by a curtain which we concluded was a box-bed, but Stephen
+had a look in and found it full of shelves with blankets and articles
+of clothing. "But where do the devils sleep?" Stephen kept on saying,
+and by resting his head on his hands and snoring he tried to get the
+woman to understand that he was curious as to this point. Her
+demeanour at once changed, her temper was up, and we cleared off down
+the street.
+
+
+_September 20th._--There has been nothing to take note of during the
+last few days. The Lancs. Fusiliers have occupied a good deal of my
+time, their Sick Parades varying from 215 to fifty-seven. We have had
+a few visits from Taubes, mostly after dark, one dropping two bombs
+yesterday, and the night before we had six. The hangar seems to be
+their objective. Two others we heard approaching last night but they
+never came over us, they could see we were on the alert by the amount
+of our fire, and some red rockets went off high in the air.
+
+To-day should end our holiday to Imbros, but as it blows a gale we
+have been notified that this has been postponed. In the afternoon
+Agassiz and I had a delightful walk up a valley that was new to us. It
+was a mass of huge rocks and boulders, with an attempt at a stream
+which would be a raging torrent in winter. We came on a curious
+geological formation, which we thought could be nothing but fossilised
+trees, but how a tree came to be in the middle of a lava rock was a
+puzzle. We soon found many others and saw that, however, this shape
+came about, trees were not the foundation. Each consisted of a large
+number of concentric circles exactly like the rings in a tree stump,
+some fully 3 feet in diameter.
+
+On our way back we had a good view of Achi Baba--of unpleasant memory.
+
+We had two padres to tea, Beardmore being one of them. They told us
+how Turkish snipers were paid--20 piastres for a lieutenant, 40 for a
+captain, 80 for a lieutenant-colonel, but if a Staff officer was shot
+the sniper got shot himself--not very flattering to our Staff.
+
+If you meet a Greek on a fine day his usual greeting sounds like
+"kalumaera". It was only to-day that I discovered this was the modern
+pronunciation of kale hemera, and on greeting a man in the ancient
+form he stood up and wondered what I meant, then said, "No, no". He
+explained that all aspirates are dropped in modern Greek. They use the
+word "su" for water, but they also understand the ancient word hudor.
+Many of the accents also seem to have changed.
+
+
+_September 22nd._--We reached our old camp at Suvla about 9 p.m.
+yesterday, after a pleasant crossing, and a good meal of tea and
+coffee, ham and eggs before disembarking. We watched the usual Turkish
+"evening hate" from our place of safety on board, the shells bursting
+in places we could recognise. One fell in the sea not far from us as
+we marched from the Beach in the dark. To-day we had a large number of
+shells just round us.
+
+I had an order early this morning to join the Lancs. Fusiliers, and
+after breakfast set off in search of their lines. I was directed to
+various places where the North, South, and Royal Lancashire Regiments
+lay, but it cost me a whole hour to find our Fusiliers. They are in
+reserve, with the supports and firing lines just in front of them, all
+on the steep slope of Hizlar Dagh. During Sick Parade we had to keep
+ducking from shells, the Turks evidently having discovered that the
+86th Brigade was once more among them. As I was passing through the
+Dublin lines on my return to our base two shells fell just beyond
+them when de Boer shouted to me to take shelter under a projecting
+rock where all their officers had retired for safety, but before I got
+in another shell landed almost in the centre of their line, among some
+very thick scrub, which had prevented pieces from flying far. As I
+passed this spot when things had got a bit quieter I asked one of the
+men if none of them were hit. "No," said Paddy, "but we smelt the
+pouther."
+
+
+_September 23rd._--As it was getting dark last night the A.D.M.S.
+ordered me to join the Lancashire Fusiliers at once, and to remain
+with them, they having no Regimental M.O. I hurriedly put everything
+necessary into my pack, and with Conroy, as servant, set off to the
+slopes of Hizlar Dagh. I reached my post in half an hour, and was
+assigned as my quarters a scraping in the earth not a foot deep. Here
+I spent a most wretched night, an icy cold wind blowing down the
+depression in the hill where the Battalion is encamped. I simply
+shivered and shook till the sun rose at 6 o'clock, when I felt too
+cold to wash and shave, but so did every one. I breakfasted with
+Lt-Col. Pearson and his Adjutant, Captain Johnson (killed three months
+afterwards), and at 10 held Sick Parade. The Turks can fire straight
+along our hollow, and General de Lisle made a wise proposal yesterday
+to run a long series of terraces crossways, each with a back about 7
+feet high and a trench 7 feet wide in front. If this is continued to
+the foot there should then be room for 5000 troops. The Turks have not
+yet found us out, although they gave us a few shells yesterday,
+otherwise they could have made it too hot for us to continue
+operations. All have been busy to-day digging, picking, and quarrying
+stones, and already we have fairly safe trenches for one company. The
+Lancs., who have a large number of miners in their ranks, have been
+selected to do this, job, otherwise they would have taken up a
+position half a mile further back as was first intended.
+
+In the afternoon I strolled down to our Advanced Dressing Station
+which is only half a mile off, at the foot of the hill. Stephen had
+walked out as far as this with me last night, and to-day I find the
+place in charge of Sergt.-Major Shaw. Agassiz had paid them a flying
+visit very early this morning on his way to the C.C.S., he too being
+sick. All our original officers are now away or at present ailing
+except Q.-M. Dickie and myself, and it looks as if he and I were to be
+left alone in a few days.
+
+_Later._--Had a note from Stephen saying Fiddes has gone off sick
+along with Agassiz, and that his own temperature is 101--this looks
+bright.
+
+
+_September 25th._--After writing the above two days ago, and about 10
+p.m. when I had retired to bed, the Adjutant announced to me that
+another M.O. had been found and that I was to be relieved. This had
+been arranged owing to the shortage of officers in our Ambulance. I
+therefore left the Lancs. yesterday morning, Touhy, an Irishman,
+taking my place. I was enjoying myself thoroughly with the Lancs., and
+regretted this change as we were going into the front line in a day or
+two. Colonel Pearson is very popular with every man in his Battalion
+and is a most charming man, and I regretted leaving him.
+
+Stephen went off sick to-day. Hoskin joined us yesterday, being
+detached from hospital work at Imbros. He is a good fellow, and eager
+for work and still more for excitement.
+
+This morning I went up to our Advanced Dressing Station at the foot of
+the hill. It has now to be run without a permanent medical man. I saw
+the sick and wounded who had come in; took the Sick Parade of the
+London R.E.'s who are at present without an M.O.; returned and had our
+own Sick Parade; attended the sick in our hospital; saw several relays
+of Royal, Dublin, and Munster Fusiliers; returned to the dressing
+station at 6 p.m. and saw some fresh cases of sick and wounded;
+besides other duties, and altogether had an unusually busy day.
+Something of this sort will now go on daily until the D.M.S. sends us
+more officers.
+
+There was fighting all along the line last night, especially about
+Anzac where we hear the Australians advanced half a mile.
+
+The R.C. Padre who is attached to the Munsters, and has messed with us
+for the last week or so, leaves us to-morrow to our general regret. He
+is the most amusing man I have met in the army. Now that the hardiest
+of us, although we are still carrying on, are far from fit, and our
+spirits none of the best, we will miss him sorely.
+
+
+_September 27th._--I have had a very busy day especially at the
+dressing station. A messenger came from there a few minutes after
+midnight, and I had to go up to see some Munsters who had been wounded
+two hours before in a scrap with the Turks. As I tramped back alone in
+the dark (this is entirely against orders) the frequent ping of
+bullets was not too comforting, and as I neared our base several
+shells came about, at no great distance, when I found myself pushing
+my fingers inside my shirt to make sure that I had my identity disc
+round my neck, a habit I have got into when alone and in a hot corner.
+When I returned in the evening I found still another officer had been
+attached to us--Stott. The padre told us many amusing stones at
+dinner. He said he knew one of the Dewar family who always began his
+speeches with the remark that he was not a speaker but a "doer," and
+ended by saying, "I must now do as the lady of Coventry should have
+done, and make for my 'close'".
+
+The Regimental M.O.'s are too lenient--that is my experience at any
+rate--and send too many away to the base hospitals, and to-day Hoskin
+and I returned ten of their cases to their lines, which we have the
+power to do. Probably 150 a day are leaving Suvla alone on sick leave,
+many with mere trifles, and a large number through sheer funk--I
+approve of getting rid of these, they are worse than useless, they
+cause panic very often. Last night we had two cases of acute insanity
+from this cause, both boys of nineteen, and to-day I sent off one of
+seventeen with the same trouble.
+
+
+_September 28th._--Last night about 7 a furious attack was made by the
+Turks which lasted half an hour. A gun behind Sari Bair, which has
+bothered us before, threw about twenty shells round our base, their
+objective being either the road in front of us, or the ships behind.
+Pieces were flying about in all directions. This was followed by a
+quiet night, only one shell going over us and out to sea about
+midnight.
+
+8.15 p.m.--I have come out to our dressing station for the night, and
+am in a newly made dug-out, which has been deepened and heightened by
+myself since I arrived here three hours ago. Its back towards the
+enemy is 7 feet high, dug into a bank, with a high parapet of earth
+and a stone lined face. (It is never advisable to build with stone, a
+shell landing among stones can do a great deal of damage. In this case
+I could not do otherwise, sand bags were very scarce by this time, and
+it was with great difficulty we got any from the R.E.'s for the
+protection of our patients. A little after this date these stones of
+mine were sent flying.) It is of course open to the heavens where the
+stars are unusually bright to-night. It promises to be a warm night,
+the wind being S.W., very unlike what we have had of late when the
+winds were from the north and keen by night. Just as it was getting
+dark--before 7--I watched an aeroplane, evidently in difficulties from
+its low flight and with its engine knocking badly. It descended on a
+wide dusty road behind our base, when I expected the Turks to open
+fire on it, as they once did on a similar occasion at Helles, but they
+have left it in peace.
+
+General Percival, our Brigadier, paid us a visit here a couple of
+hours ago, and I tried to get the date of our next stunt from him but
+failed. I admired his caution--if he knew. He tells me a special
+telegram came from Kitchener to-day announcing the capture of 23,000
+Germans in France, and forty guns, and more coming in all the time.
+
+One can do little here after dark--and so to bed. Between mother earth
+and myself is a ground sheet, near my feet my pick and spade, handy if
+I should feel cold and wish to do some digging during the night, as I
+may do when the moon rises about ten; beside me a miserable candle
+lamp and my revolver, and after getting into my heavy overcoat, with
+my pack for a pillow, hard though it is with mess-tin, jug and other
+such like material inside, and a blanket over my feet, I hope to get a
+few hours' sleep.
+
+
+_October 1st._--During the last few days I have been very busy at our
+dressing station preparing for the big attack which we know is near
+and to be on a big scale. We are told that next time we must push
+through and seize the Turkish lines of communication. We did some
+heavy work, and as I had been the Engineer of the alterations and
+earth works I felt responsible and was more on the spot than I would
+have been otherwise. I thoroughly enjoyed it all the same, and all the
+while did my full share of navvy work. We had large numbers of sick
+and wounded to see to at the same time, Hoskin and I seeing about 100
+a day between us. I was roused one night to see a case of snake bite,
+the first I had seen or heard of out here--and I had my doubts about
+this case, although the man declared he had none.
+
+We had orders the other day to change our base to a site well up the
+side of Hizlar Dagh, well back towards Divisional H.Q. where we should
+be fairly safe from gun fire, although in full view of the Turk, but
+we now have faith in his respect of the Red Cross. The winter rains
+are probably not far distant now, and here there should be no danger
+of being washed away. I am there now, our men having pitched two tents
+yesterday as an experiment to see if the Turks would leave them alone.
+Stott and I came up to it last night after dark. Everything is very
+simple--so much so that we had to forage to get some food. In my pack
+I luckily had a tin of café-au-lait and one of us had a mug so we
+stirred up a spoonful in cold water and both pronounced it remarkably
+good--as everything is when you are almost dying of hunger and thirst.
+Stott, a famous raconteur, contributed to our amusement with
+drawing-room stories till 11 o'clock when both fell asleep.
+
+This morning I wandered out of our tent about 6.30 to find a very
+thick mist, the first time we had seen a trace of this. The tents were
+soaked and the ropes as tight as fiddle strings.
+
+We had been here about ten minutes last night when a rifle shot went
+off behind some bushes beside us, followed by howls from some one in
+agony. A soldier lay on his back with his rifle beside him, his left
+foot merely held on by his puttee. We learned that at the end of the
+war he had to undergo some years of penal servitude for some offence,
+and his comrades, I see, are convinced that this was an intentionally
+inflicted wound. I have never before seen a man shoot off more than a
+finger or toe, carrying off a foot shows that the man has plenty of
+pluck of a sort.
+
+
+_October 2nd._--A terrifically hot day.
+
+Everything seems to be upset to-day. We have been slaving and
+preparing for a big stunt, and now it is said that no such thing is in
+contemplation. In my opinion this change of plan is due to the
+position Bulgaria has definitely taken, or seems certainly about to
+take, in the present troublous times.
+
+For some strange reason she has taken the side of Germany and Turkey.
+We must reserve our strength, according to a statement made by Sir
+Edward Grey in the House of Commons, as we have promised to assist
+Servia with troops should this eventuality come about. We half expect
+some of us will be withdrawn from here and landed in Greece or
+wherever it is most suitable for a march on the Bulgars. Many of us
+would go right gladly, the monotony of living all these months on a
+small patch of ground gets more irksome as time goes on.
+
+I am now at the dressing station, having come out for twenty-four
+hours' duty. We have a collecting station, where we keep a few
+stretcher squads, half a mile in front of this, and this is to be
+withdrawn to a site near our old station in Azmak Dere, but slightly
+further forward, between the Green Pool (a filthy hole full of frogs
+and tortoises) and the end of a communication trench. I had to inspect
+the situation this evening, and marked off the boundaries, and
+to-morrow our men start to dig themselves in. The position is very
+exposed and I reported that I did not like it. Three artillery
+officers who passed said they were to plant a battery a few yards in
+front of us, and they thought the place anything but safe. However,
+the spot was chosen by General de Lisle and there is no getting away
+from it.
+
+
+_October 3rd._--Dressing station. I was up to-day at 6.30 and at once
+set to work with pick and spade, not stopping till breakfast was
+announced at 8, when Morice, the cook, brought me three huge slices
+of bread, two chunks of very fat bacon, and a mug of black dixie tea
+that had boiled for a full hour, all on such a lavish scale that at
+ordinary times they would have taken away my appetite; but not so
+to-day, I devoured the lot and never enjoyed a breakfast more in all
+my life. I next had a large Sick Parade drawn from twelve units, and
+returned to their duties several who were on their way to the C.C.S.
+with very trifling ailments. This will put up the backs of the
+Regimental M.O.'s, but in such serious times, with our numbers getting
+more depleted every day, manners must not be considered. I mentioned
+this subject to the A.D.M.S. to-day, and he backs me up and is to see
+what can be done to check this wastage.
+
+Padre Mayne held a short service under the tarpaulin-covered space we
+reserve for patients, his congregation being twelve poor beggars on
+stretchers waiting to be sent down, and about twice that number of
+sick walking cases. The wounded tried to cheer up and suppress their
+groans, but these occasionally got the better of them. Then I returned
+to my spade and worked till 12.30.
+
+I returned to our new base for lunch and am now sitting on the edge of
+a dug-out in the setting sun, which has annoyed us all day. It is a
+most glorious evening, not a breath of wind, and deep down below me
+the Aegean glistens without a ripple; all is at peace, except the big
+guns, and they are very busy, the ships having fired incessantly for
+the last two or three hours at the Sari Bair ridge. The Anzac guns are
+also very active. But the Turks are at present lying low and not
+making a single reply.
+
+I was explaining the position of our collecting station to the
+A.D.M.S. to-day, telling him about the proposed battery in front of
+us, and the preparations to build a bridge over the gully just beside
+us. He had not heard of either of these, and he now thinks our site
+will have to be given up for one further back. To-morrow the C.O. and
+I go over to inspect the ground on this side and report.
+
+Our magnificent dressing station, over which I have taken no end of
+trouble, is to be given over to the 88th F.A. Their Colonel jokingly
+thanked me for all we have done preparing for him--we give it up with
+regret.
+
+
+_October 4th._--The day opened with a violent bombardment about Anzac
+and the adjoining end of Sari Bair, this spreading gradually along the
+ridge to our right centre. The C.O. and I should have started for the
+centre of the line after breakfast but this journey had to be
+postponed till eleven, when there was again quietness, and before
+lunch we surveyed the ground already occupied by our men in digging,
+and other probable sites behind that in case we should have to retire
+further back. The position we do not consider good, but we can find
+nothing more suitable, and we examined the ground all the way back to
+Hill 10. The work must therefore go on as arranged. We passed Azmak
+Dere, the warm spot we held so long, and Col. Fraser had a look at it
+for the first time.
+
+Col. Riley, D.D.M.S., to-day says we are to retain our present
+dressing station, and being Divisional and not Brigade troops, it does
+not matter which Brigade we serve. Still we hope in our present
+position to be able to attend the sick and wounded of our 86th
+Brigade, and are willing to take all others who come our way. The 86th
+have moved from our extreme left--where we are--to our right centre,
+hence the re-arrangement of Ambulances.
+
+
+_October 8th._--Daily writing of these notes gets monotonous as there
+is nothing much doing. Artillery duels are constant, and during the
+last few days the naval guns have fired more than usual. Occasionally
+a Taube flies over us and drops bombs, but such things are now not
+worth noting.
+
+Four new officers joined us yesterday--Captain McLean, Lieutenants
+Russell, Campbell, and Hodgkinson, and to-day Lieutenant Fyfe, so that
+we now have ten medical men in our unit, or one over strength. Forty
+medicos landed at Suvla yesterday, fifteen at Anzac, and fifteen at
+Helles, and more are landing to-day. More than enough surely, but all
+units must be very short.
+
+The Turks used poison gas to-day for the first time. Tomlinson of the
+Lancs., who told me his experience, says it made him feel sick and his
+eyes smarted, but his respiration was not affected. One or two men
+were overcome by it but none fatally. Curiously the evening before all
+our naval and field guns were bombarding Jeffson's Post, the front
+line of the Turks on Hizlar Dagh, and on climbing to the top of the
+hill behind our camp to see what was doing the smell of chlorine was
+well marked, although I was nearly a mile from the above place. The
+shells were bursting well over the Turks who had to fly into the open
+where our machine-guns got them. (The smell of chlorine probably came
+from chloride of lime somewhere near, this being much used as a
+disinfectant.)
+
+
+_October 11th._--The statement that the Turks used gas the other day
+now turns out to be false, it was ordinary lydite the Lancs. mistook
+for one of the new fangled German devices. My apologies to the Turks.
+
+Yesterday we had a visit from General Sir Julian Byng, our Army Corps
+Commander (formerly in the 8th Army, we are now in the 9th). He
+roughly inspected our camp, and the C.O. being in undress and unshaved
+I had to take the party round. Sir Julian was complimenting the Turks
+on their straight fighting.
+
+
+_October 13th._--A day of intense cold after a still colder night.
+Last night while we were at dinner a terrific rain came on suddenly,
+and when I got over to my tent it was to find my bed soaked through,
+as was almost everything I possessed.
+
+To-day we had a lecture on the hillside by Sir Victor Horsley on
+surgical wounds in warfare, mainly of the head. A very good lecture it
+was.
+
+This afternoon one of our aeroplanes came down in the Salt Lake. It
+was well shelled and must be useless for the present. The two aviators
+were seen leaving it amidst a storm of shrapnel, one evidently getting
+hit, he was seen applying something white round his leg.
+
+This is one of the great routes for the migration of birds. Yesterday
+and several times to-day I saw flocks of geese flying over our heads
+and steering south, likely on their way to the Nile and great African
+lakes. During last night they kept up a constant cackle as they flew
+over us.
+
+
+_October 14th._--Geese in large flocks are crossing to-day, mostly in
+V formation of twenty-five to thirty. A good many are in two V's and
+some of the largest flocks must number about 500. Many thousands must
+have crossed before 11 a.m. when they suddenly came to an end.
+
+A shrapnel shell struck the back of my dug-out at the dressing station
+two nights ago, blowing all the walls down. Two of our new officers
+were in it at the time, one being rather badly hit on the head by a
+flying stone. He is besides badly shaken and has had to go to a
+hospital ship. The other was blown right into the trench in front, got
+well shaken up and had a hand cut, but he looks on it all as a bit of
+a joke.
+
+
+_October 15th._--I have been off colour for some little time, and I
+question if I'll be able to carry on much longer. Of the ten officers
+we had the other day only three are quite fit, and most of them landed
+but a few days ago.
+
+
+_October 16th._--This morning, about 4 o'clock, the orthodox hour for
+attacking being one hour before dawn, a furious gunfire opened on Sari
+Bair, which I got out of bed to watch. Many shells were bursting
+simultaneously all along the ridge and down this side of the hill. It
+is hard to say whether the Turks or the Australians were the
+assailants, but I noticed in the forenoon the Turks were shelling a
+spot near the bottom of a gully which crosses Sari Bair, and which a
+few days ago was in their own hands. All forenoon a most interesting
+shelling went on in these hills and foot hills, but after watching it
+carefully I cannot satisfy myself that there is any material change of
+position. The Turks and ourselves have fired many thousand shells
+to-day, and the Turks have kept the end of Sari Bair held by the
+Australians enveloped in a continuous smoke.
+
+About three days ago the Turks had placed a new gun of large calibre
+in the line of Hizlar Dagh, and its huge shells come screeching over
+our heads on their way to Little West Beach at all hours of the day
+and night. Its first day's bag I hear was forty-one, and its second
+eighteen. This is the busiest landing place we have, men in large
+numbers embarking and disembarking all night long.
+
+A Turkish aeroplane crossed over our camp about 10.30 a.m. flying so
+low that, when I heard it in my tent, I said to myself only one of our
+own machines could fly at that height. It must actually have gone
+right over an anti-aircraft gun on the top of Hizlar Dagh, almost
+immediately behind us, and before this fired a shot it was allowed to
+go nearly a mile. Then it opened fire and shells went after it in
+quick succession, but every shot burst, as is almost invariably the
+case, hundreds of yards behind it. The machine glided gaily along past
+the point of the bay, straight over the British lines to Sari Bair,
+rifle shots being fired in a regular fusillade. It turned, perhaps
+three miles from here, went to its right, came straight over the
+warships in the bay towards us, all the time flying at the same low
+elevation. It then went to the east right over our centre lines where
+all our infantry opened on it, but it never veered from its straight
+course. I was watching all this with an officer of the London
+Territorial Fusiliers, and asked if he thought there could have been
+20,000 rounds fired, and after thinking a little he said there must
+have been twice that number. At least fifty shells also went after it.
+I hope the aviator got a V.C. or its equivalent on his return to his
+own lines. Our shell fire was atrocious; I felt so thoroughly ashamed
+of it that I hoped the Turks were not watching the puffs of smoke as
+the shells burst a good quarter of a mile behind their mark. When the
+machine came within range again on its return journey the
+anti-aircraft gun opened fire on it again and did no better than at
+first, but at the very end there was a distinct improvement. I can't
+think how all these shots at such a short range could have missed a
+vital spot. The man's sailing over us a second time was the coolest
+act I have ever witnessed, and I would have been sorry to see him
+drop.
+
+As McLean was coming in from the dressing station after dark last
+night two bodies of troops passed each other, a sergeant of one
+shouted to a ditto of the other, "Are you the West Ridings?" "No," was
+the reply, "we are only the bloody Monmouths walking."
+
+Lt-Col. Fraser, our C.O., who has been ailing for some time, left for
+hospital to-day. This leaves me as C.O. of the Ambulance, Dickie and I
+being the only officers remaining of the original ten.
+
+Up to the present time our losses are six killed (including one
+officer), two died of disease, and either twenty-four or twenty-five
+wounded (including two officers). (This is an under-estimate.)
+Sickness has also been excessive, and we cannot have more than a third
+of our original men. We have had four drafts, mostly Englishmen.
+
+
+_October 19th._--Walked to our new dressing station this forenoon and
+examined "well thirty," this being by order of the S.C. of the
+Engineers of our Brigade. I was presented with a bottle of water thick
+with blue mud. Being intensely thirsty I adopted the only test
+available and drank it off, and promised to report if it had any bad
+effects.
+
+In the evening another draft of thirty men reached us, this time from
+Swansea. Every man is turning up his nose at the thought of a Welsh
+detachment.
+
+Had a long interview on many subjects with the A.D.M.S. (Lt-Col. J.G.
+Bell).
+
+A large flock of geese crossed this morning, but I have seen none for
+the last day or two.
+
+
+_October 21st._--Preparations were made to meet a Turkish attack
+yesterday, which was some great feast or fast day with them; however,
+it did not come off. Dickie thinks such exertion on either a feast or
+fast day would have been a mistake. Then at night when there was a
+full moon we half expected this attack, and an Engineer officer at
+present at H.Q., who called to see me yesterday, said he was always to
+keep his boots on at night after this, as he said he had no faith in
+the troops we now have in our front line being able to check any sort
+of attack.
+
+Another of our heroes, Nightingale of the Munsters, left for home
+yesterday in bad health, but greatly against his will. He pleaded to
+be allowed to go back to the trenches, but we were partly influenced
+by a letter from his C.O., who requested that we should give him a
+rest as he had been on the peninsula since the landing. Almost without
+exception those who get a chance to go home go with the greatest
+pleasure, and it is refreshing to come across one who is really not
+suffering from "cold feet". All are more or less ill I admit.
+
+
+_October 24th._--A particularly cold, wet and rough day. According to
+an article which appeared in the "Westminster Gazette," and was
+reprinted in our local "War Office Telegram," there is always a cold
+rough snap from October 20 to October 25. The first date was correct,
+and I trust the latter, which is to-morrow, will be as accurate, for
+we are miserable. Geese are crossing in very large numbers to-day.
+
+The thirty Welshmen who were attached to us were exchanged for an
+equal number of the 4/1 Highland F.A. from Aberdeen. Our men had taken
+to the Welshmen and were sorry to part with them, especially as they
+were doing excellent work.
+
+
+_October 25th._--The above weather forecast was wonderfully accurate,
+the cold snap ran from the 19th to 24th. Yesterday opened rough, wet
+and cold, but later in the day the wind fell to an absolute calm and
+the temperature rose. To-day is ideal, not a breath of wind, a few
+fleecy clouds, and delightfully warm. Geese are flying south in
+thousands. Where do they all come from?--the lakes of Norway and
+Sweden, Finland and Northern Russia, or where? Their destination is no
+doubt that delectable country for the winter, Africa. Yesterday the
+A.D.M.S. thought I required a change and recommended me to go there
+also, but I refused absolutely. I prefer the hardships of Suvla and it
+may be the Balkans, to a life of ease and comfort in the hospitals of
+Alexandria. Had things not looked so bad here I might have accepted
+such an offer, but now that the outlook is as bad as could be, and the
+danger to ourselves gradually thickens, it is out of the question.
+Mackensen is said to be in Servia and pushing south rapidly. He has an
+army of 216,000, while the Servians can oppose them with only 80,000
+or 90,000. French and British troops have been rushed north from
+Salonika, and we are in contact with the Bulgars, if not the
+Austro-Germans. All here expect to be ordered to the Balkans any day;
+at Suvla we are now being wasted, all we can do is to hold up the
+Turks which is not good enough.
+
+
+_October 26th._--We hear to-day that the "Marquette" which brought us
+from Avonmouth to Alexandria was torpedoed two days ago, on her way to
+Salonika. About 1000 troops were on board, and 600 are said to have
+been lost, including thirty nurses. The "Marquette" sent out the
+S.O.S. signal, but the submarine came to the surface and signalled,
+"No assistance is required".
+
+
+_October 28th._--Nothing much doing except artillery fire. According
+to evidence given by the Turkish prisoners our artillery fire does
+little harm, they are so well dug in, one Battalion putting its daily
+casualties at six. Yesterday about mid-day every Turkish gun opened
+fire on our trenches from the extreme right to the extreme left and
+along Anzac, and all at the self same moment. We wondered what it
+meant and whether it was preliminary to a wild assault all along our
+lines, which was to drive us into the sea; one would have expected
+something extraordinary to follow, but in less than fifteen minutes it
+was all over. No doubt they caught many of our men in the open,
+sitting smoking on their parapets and such like, and 100 or 200 may
+have been knocked out. We are continually being caught napping, and
+one shell often lands in the middle of an unsuspecting group and plays
+terrible havoc.
+
+I see in G.R.O. (General Routine Orders) that General Sir C.C. Munro
+takes over command of the Mediterranean Expeditionary Force from
+yesterday's date.
+
+
+_November 2nd._--The weather on the whole gets colder and more
+bracing, sometimes too much so, but by day it is occasionally
+uncomfortably warm. The Turks and ourselves keep shelling each other
+as of old.
+
+I am now feeling so very much off colour that I know I ought to go
+home, but I am unable to tear myself away from Suvla in case I should
+miss the chance of going to the Balkans. Still, I am afraid I will be
+left behind if our Ambulance was to go. During the summer I had two
+months of dysentery. Since then I have never felt quite fit although I
+have carried on the whole time, and for the last three weeks I have
+had an attack of jaundice, of which there has been a very widespread
+epidemic. (This epidemic was afterwards proved to be Paratyphoid.)
+
+
+_November 7th._--For some days the weather has been perfect, bright
+and warm as midsummer, and the nights cool without being cold, but
+with dews heavy enough to drench the tents.
+
+To-day we had the most deliberate shelling the Turks ever gave the Red
+Cross. So far they have shown us more or less respect, in fact no one
+could find fault hitherto; when shells came among us, there was always
+some excuse for it. To-day I think they must have been retaliating for
+some mischief our guns had unintentionally done to their Crescent. The
+88th F.A. is encamped alongside us, and six big high explosive shells
+fell among the two of us, costing each of us a tent, but strange to
+say no other casualty occurred. All, including about sixty sick, made
+for our two big trenches which we made some time ago in case anything
+of this sort should happen.
+
+
+_November 8th._--A Medical Board was summoned for this morning for the
+examination of a well-known rascal, and being one of its members I had
+an opportunity of a talk with the President, our A.D.M.S., Colonel
+Bell. I represented to him that I had long felt I would be compelled
+to leave the peninsula, although much against my will, but after three
+months' illness my strength had got so undermined that I could stand
+it no longer. I took no care of myself, otherwise I might have felt
+better now, but since I landed on April 25, I have not been a day off
+duty. As Colonel Bell remarked, I should have left Suvla long ago. I
+am now writing on a hospital ship, trying to feel that I have done my
+bit.
+
+Dickie, who also goes on sick leave, and I decided to go forthwith, so
+we packed up all our belongings. We boarded a lighter at the C.C.S.
+and came out to the hospital ship "Rewa". The evening as we came out
+was beautifully still, with a little haze hanging about the foot
+hills, chilly, and we were glad to put on our overcoats. I felt
+depressed at being forced to leave, and cowardly when I thought of
+those left behind; still on gazing around I felt astonished I had been
+able "to stick it" so long. The monotony lately has been very trying;
+living on a small piece of ground with the enemy in front and the sea
+behind, and no progress being made, could have been nothing else.
+
+
+_November 9th._--Went to bed early last night and had a. talk with
+Major Turner of the 53rd C.C.S. who was in bed alongside. Talking
+about our being shelled on Sunday he said his hospital was twice
+shelled, getting three shells each time, and they were informed, with
+apologies, by the Turks that they were retaliating. On one occasion
+one of our naval shells landed in the middle of a Turkish Ambulance.
+This confirms my theory that our shelling was an act of retaliation
+for something or other. Although the door and port-holes were open
+last night I was greatly oppressed by the closeness of the atmosphere,
+due to my revelling in the open air for many months.
+
+
+_November 10th._--We lay at anchor outside the boom of Suvla Bay till
+mid-day to-day, when we had got on board nearly 500 sick and wounded,
+and we set sail for Lemnos. Our boat is so coated with barnacles that
+her speed is reduced from 18 to 12 knots. Two monitors were firing at
+Achi Baba as we came opposite it. Each had two guns and the four were
+fired together. We passed close to one which gave a magnificent roar,
+the like of which I am not likely to hear again for many a day.
+
+The sick officers occupy one table in the saloon, the Staff eating at
+a separate table. The latter a well-fed, happy lot, the others yellow
+and jaundiced, and looking very weary.
+
+
+_November 11th._--We reached Lemnos yesterday at 6 p.m. and anchored
+in the outer harbour with four other hospital ships and many
+transports. Our boat has orders to proceed to Alexandria and we are
+again on the move, leaving at 9 a.m. to-day.
+
+
+_November 13th._--We reached Alexandria at 11 a.m. taking fifty hours
+from Lemnos. On the pier at which we drew up stood a train refulgent
+in stars and crescents. This was soon filled, and passed off, into the
+unknown--likely Cairo.
+
+Next, how was I to get a wire off? Quite easy, said some one. You see
+that lady along there with the green umbrella, that is Lady C---- who
+meets all boats and looks after such things. Lady C. soon gets off a
+bale on which she has been sitting, and stalks slowly down our way,
+gets a bundle of what turns out to be telegram forms and awaits the
+hoisting of the gangway, a great lumbering affair which it takes an
+army of multi-coloured Egyptians to shove along on its wheels. Then
+they swing it round, amidst great shouting in chorus, and nearly catch
+her ladyship's shins in so doing, but she is wide awake, jumps back,
+digs the hand that is not holding the green umbrella into her waist,
+her head jerks a little, and I can imagine she is consigning all these
+Egyptians to a certain place. She comes on board where all are very
+deferential, and she is asked to lunch with us but declines.
+
+
+_November 14th._--Ras-el-Tin Military Hospital. Towards evening
+several officers were brought to this hospital yesterday. We enjoyed
+our ride through the streets, all gay with the brilliant colours of
+the East. At last we entered a big gateway and landed in an exquisite
+garden. At the distant end of this is a tall lighthouse, the hospital
+being at the very point of a long promontory on the east side of the
+harbour entrance. The garden is full of palms and flowers of the most
+brilliant hues.
+
+A medical fellow came round and gave me an overhaul this morning. He
+tells me my heart is dilated--hence my severe breathlessness. I was
+told I must go to England, but need not expect to get away for a
+fortnight or so. The hospital is very airy but uncomfortably warm.
+
+
+_November 18th._--I am already feeling much better. I have a wonderful
+appetite and am thoroughly enjoying the good things set before me. My
+weight is now 10 stones 1 lb., and I must have gained at least 2 or 3
+lbs. since I left the peninsula. I am still over 2 stones under my
+usual weight. I took a walk half-way up the promontory to the
+Khedivial Palace where I hoped to walk through the gardens. I had seen
+in the papers that the Sultan was up the Nile, but the two Egyptian
+N.C.O.'s at the gate refused to admit me, one saying, "de Sultan is in
+Alexandria". "Nonsense," I said, "he is up the Nile." "No, no, no,"
+said the black, "de Sultan is here," pointing over his shoulder to the
+palace.
+
+
+_November 19th._--At mid-day I was ordered to pack up as I was to
+start for home. At the docks I was put on board the "Rewa" where the
+officers and nurses greeted me as an old friend. I learned that our
+destination was back to Lemnos, where I would be trans-shipped to the
+"Aquitania" which is booked to sail on the 22nd.
+
+We sailed in the afternoon. The sea is rough, spray splashing all over
+the ship, the windows of the music room have to be kept shut, and it
+is hot and stifling--and I melt.
+
+
+_November 21st._--We reached Lemnos to-day after a run of forty-five
+hours from Egypt, a distance of 580 miles. The object of the "Rewa's"
+trip to Alexandria was to get drydocked and have her hull scraped. We
+could have done the trip in a few hours less than we actually took,
+but all last night and to-day we have had a furious gale in our teeth,
+which made us drop 4-1/2 knots per hour. The decks have been swept by
+the waves all day, and the awnings blown down more than once. We now
+lie in the outer harbour, while the four great funnels of our next
+boat can be seen towering over the hills that form the south side of
+the inner harbour. The cold is intense.
+
+
+_November 22nd._--We spent the night at anchor outside the boom. They
+commenced to raise the anchor at daylight, but were stopped by signal,
+so that now at 10 a.m. we lie here waiting orders. The cold to-day is
+terrific. The wind is probably stronger than ever and goes whistling
+through the rigging. Our latest orders are to lie here till the gale
+moderates.
+
+3 p.m.--During the forenoon the "Olympic" passed close to us as she
+entered the harbour, and is now anchored near the "Aquitania".
+
+
+_November 23rd._--We raised anchor about 7 and moved straight out to
+sea for 2 or 3 miles when we thought we were to go home on the "Rewa,"
+which had been spoken about as possible, but it turned out we had only
+gone out to bury a man who died last night. We turned and were soon
+manoeuvring to get alongside the "Aquitania," but after very nearly
+giving her a bad bump we had to sheer off, and we have again anchored
+and wait for that tantalising wind to moderate.
+
+In the afternoon we made another attempt to get on board the
+"Aquitania" and again failed.
+
+
+_November 24th._--After two hours fiddling about we managed to attach
+our fore and aft hawsers to the "Aquitania," and after breakfast we
+went on board our new home. This magnificent boat had 2300 patients
+last night and expects 2000 more to complete her load. She has a crew
+of 1000, thirty-six medical men and a large number of nurses. The
+"Aquitania" was at first a troopship and mounted four 6-inch guns, and
+has carried 7000 troops at a time, besides her crew. The distance from
+Lemnos to Southampton is 3080 miles, and with her proper coal, a
+mixture of Welsh and Newcastle, she has covered that distance in 4
+days 18 hours. But for coal she has to rely mainly on the inferior
+stuff she picks up at Naples.
+
+The fittings in the wheel house are most ingenious. For example,
+should fire break out the captain has only to open a cupboard which
+tells him where it is, and by touching a button he can flood any one
+of the six watertight compartments. A fan works automatically in this
+cupboard every five minutes, and if there is smoke in any compartment
+it is sucked up its corresponding tube. There are thirty-eight
+electric clocks on the ship, and as the time has to be changed
+continually as we go east or west, by moving the hands of a clock in
+the wheelhouse the hands of the thirty-eight move in unison.
+
+We hear Greece has been presented with an ultimatum demanding her to
+come into the war on our side, otherwise to demobilise within two
+days. Another story says she has already joined the other side, and
+that our fleets have been engaged.
+
+
+_November 26th._--The Germans are at present accusing us of carrying
+troops and ammunition on our hospital ships, an excuse given out to
+the world for sinking the first good prize of the sort they come
+across. Of the sixty-four hospital ships we are said to possess the
+"Aquitania" would make the most desirable capture, and our most
+dangerous spot is the Aegean, from behind any of whose numerous
+islands a submarine lying in wait may dart out.
+
+We are now approaching Sicily on our way to Naples. We cannot go
+through the Straits of Messina after dark, and our quickest and
+cheapest way is to anchor for the night, but the danger of attack
+prevents this and we have to go right round the island. We are doing
+about 20 knots against a stiff head wind. When pushed beyond this the
+consumption of coal is out of all proportion to the increase of speed,
+and being in no hurry they prefer to stick to what is called her
+economical speed.
+
+
+_November 27th._--I have been talking to an officer in the
+smoking-room who, like myself, was waiting for the library to open. He
+wished to hand in "The Life of Oliver Goldsmith," by Washington
+Irving. He says he is descended through his mother from Goldsmith, and
+he had taken out this book to find where Irving put his birthplace.
+"At Pallas," as he expected, "they all do so; even Johnson, who wrote
+his epitaph, made the same mistake." Goldsmith's father was rector of
+Pallas, and his wife had gone home to her parents at Elphin, in
+Roscommon, and it was here this great writer was born.
+
+Naples Harbour. We arrived at this historic place at 6.15 p.m. We
+began to get in among the islands of the Bay between 4 and 5, but
+daylight soon began to fade and we did not get a good view of our
+surroundings. The first land we approached was Capri on our left, an
+island famed for its wines. On the other side was a small island,
+little more than a huge volcanic rock, with the gleaming white houses
+of a small town half-way to the summit. We could see Naples away at
+the top of the Bay, large houses all the way up the high rugged hills
+on which the town is built in the shape of a horseshoe. Behind the
+houses on the sea front rises mighty Vesuvius, her highest peak
+covered with snow, and belching out volumes of smoke which roll down
+the side of the hill and stretch out to sea in one big dense cloud.
+The whole town is most brilliantly lit, the glare of street lamps
+being a relief after Gallipoli.
+
+We had some mild amusement to-day. These submarines are still a terror
+to those in charge of the ship. All the invalid Tommies are in hospital
+dress, trousers and jacket of light grey, and a brilliant red cotton
+handkerchief round the neck. All officers who wished to go on deck were
+ordered to wear this dress on account of the German publication that we
+carried troops, and if spies saw a lot of officers in uniform--and
+we'll have spies among the coal-heavers--there might be some faint
+reason for their pretended suspicions. After tea we donned our new
+garb, and about twenty of us collected on the wheelhouse deck. Out came
+a sailor who shouted, "No one but officers allowed here, away you go".
+Then in a few minutes out came another, "Now you privates, clear out of
+this; this is only meant for officers". The disguise was apparently
+complete, and the two poor sailors were the only ones who did not enjoy
+the joke. Our service caps were also forbidden, and we had all sorts of
+headgear. I had a long scarf wipped round my head in turban fashion and
+was said to be the worst looking ruffian of the lot.
+
+It was bitterly cold on deck, and about 2 p.m. we had had a shower of
+hail. The hills beyond Naples are covered with snow.
+
+
+_November 28th._--On looking over the rail on my way to breakfast I
+found we were coaling at the hardest on both sides of the ship,
+barefooted coal-heavers, all at the gallop, carrying their baskets of
+coal from the barges and tilting them into shoots down among the lower
+decks. Bum boats, not unlike those of Malta, swarmed about the
+harbour, loaded with merchandise, such as oranges, tobacco, picture
+post cards, and beautifully finished models of mandolines and guitars,
+the vendors yelling at the pitch of their voices. Their transactions
+were carried on away down on E. deck, and even at that low level a
+bamboo rod twice the length of a fishing rod, with a bag at the end,
+had to be hoisted to reach their customers. You bawled out your order,
+put your money in the bag, and your goods appeared in a minute or two.
+
+Another of our leviathans came in this morning to coal, the
+"Mauretania," a Cunarder like ourselves. She is a big boat but is
+dwarfed by the "Aquitania". I notice her bridge is on the 7th storey,
+ours is on the 9th.
+
+The air is sharp but it is bright and sunny. Vesuvius and the
+magnificent city of Naples stand out clear in all their glory, and
+away to the north one gets a good view of the lofty Apennines, all
+with their peaks covered with snow, and over these the wind blows icy
+cold.
+
+6 p.m.--We were allowed to tramp the boat deck in our hospital garb
+until mid-day when the O.C. the ship took it into his head to have us
+removed below. Now that it is dark we are allowed up again, and one is
+tempted, in spite of the cold, to remain there and admire the city
+which is a beautiful sight even at night. Vesuvius is in one of her
+quiet moods and gives out no glow from her crater. On the top of the
+hill behind the city is the Castle which reminds one of Edinburgh, and
+to the left of it towers Bartalini's hotel with its numerous storeys,
+a place where, an officer tells me, "you can get a hell of a good
+lunch, but you have to pay for it". There are trees everywhere among
+the houses. Many with tall, branchless stems and a spreading top,
+evidently of the fir family. Lombardy poplars and tall dark cypresses
+are everywhere.
+
+Between us and this old Castle, at the water's edge, stands a lofty
+stronghold, black and forbidding, and I believe many atrocities were
+perpetrated here in the days of Garibaldi. Its high castellated
+battlements look as if they had a history.
+
+We finished coaling about 3 p.m. and expected to get off at once, but
+no, the ship had snapped one of her cables and we could not sail until
+the 20 ton anchor and 50 fathoms of chain were fished up, and
+apparently this had not been done before dark, and we must now lie
+here till to-morrow. The harbour has a rocky bottom, and if an anchor
+catches behind a rock such an accident is apt to occur from a sudden
+jerk, and this is the second time it has happened to our boat in this
+self-same place.
+
+
+_November 29th._--Our whistle began its terrific row at 4.30 this
+morning. Its blasts are most unpleasant and seem to affect the stomach
+more than the ears. We began to circle round the "Mauretania" about 8,
+and by 8.30 we had cleared the breakwaters and were going down the
+Bay, the morning gloriously fine, almost a dead calm, and the houses
+and rocks sparkling in the sun. The whole forms a magnificent picture.
+"See Naples and die." We sailed close in to Ischia and we could see
+the terraces where the vines grow, beginning at the top of the
+perpendicular rocks and ascending the hill-sides like a giant's
+staircase. We pass a big liner flying the French flag, and she dips
+her stern flag as a salute.
+
+At 8.15 p.m.--We passed Sardinia, but all that was visible was the
+revolving light of the lighthouse on the south point. There is now a
+strong gale, and we pitch and roll a good deal. But the wind is soft
+and warm, blowing from the African desert instead of the snowclad
+Apennines.
+
+
+_November 30th._--A beautiful day and warm.
+
+I have been having a talk with one of our two captains of the ship. He
+tells me we have the most powerful wireless installation afloat,
+except on the big battleships. In Lemnos we can easily pick up the
+Poldhu messages, although our receiving distance is given as 2000
+miles only. We can send out messages to a distance of 500 miles, but
+the only one allowed just now is the S.O.S. Between Lemnos and Sicily
+we received a message saying that submarines were operating all round
+Sicily, and the Consul of Naples warned the captain of another
+dangerous spot which we are at the present moment approaching. This
+boat was once fired at by a torpedo as she was entering Lemnos, and at
+the time was steaming slowly to let the "Mauretania" pass outwards,
+when another torpedo was fired at that ship, which also missed.
+
+Our numbers on board are 3873 invalids, and the crew and all other
+staffs at least 1400, or a total of 5273. We have 106 boats, each
+capable of holding from fifty-six to sixty-nine, so that all could be
+accommodated in these--if we had time which is never the case in an
+emergency.
+
+Noon.--Our wireless news for the day has just been posted up. There is
+nothing much in it except the news that "Sicily is literally besieged
+by German submarines". Germany says she has accomplished her immediate
+object in the Balkans, whatever that is, but I understood this was to
+join hands with Turkey which she has not yet done. Austria is said, on
+the authority of "The Tribune," to be asking for a separate peace, and
+at home, considering the reliability of this paper, they think there
+may be some truth in this.
+
+
+_December 1st._--The steward when he brought me tea at 6.30 this
+morning, said "Gib." was in sight. On looking out I could see rocks
+but not "the rock". But it soon appeared and I got hurriedly into my
+clothes and quickly swallowed breakfast and was on deck with my
+glasses. Here was the rock close at hand, a brilliant morning, the sun
+lighting up the side we were nearing, a big mushroom-shaped cloud
+floating on and obscuring the summit. This side is bare and black with
+its acres of concrete rain catchments, the only means of water supply.
+Last time I saw it it disappointed me, but now we headed straight
+round its projecting south point towards the harbour and had a
+glorious view of the razor-backed hill, the point bristling with guns,
+walls, and forts, and all along the west side buildings in white and
+ochre, with red roofs, all lit up in bright sunshine; plenty of trees
+about, palms and others, and green grass which is always a surprise
+to me after the barren peninsula. At the northern point of what is
+quite a large bay lies the harbour full of shipping, its one entrance
+guarded by a most powerful boom. The view all round is not much behind
+Naples--the rock with its large and beautiful buildings; across the
+bridge, connecting the rock with the mainland, the Spanish town; to
+the left the snow-white town of Algeciras, famed for its bull fights.
+Behind all the great towering, rugged mountains of Spain.
+
+We lost two hours here waiting for orders, but by 10 we had turned our
+head for the Atlantic, and were soon going full steam ahead. The 970
+miles from Naples we covered in forty-eight hours, at economical
+speed. Our speed and size dwarf everything we come up against.
+
+Before sunset we passed a small tramp steamer which halted, as we also
+did, and for long signals were carried on between the two of us. The
+passengers were unable to read these, but they must have been very
+important when a ship like the "Aquitania" came to a dead halt.
+
+At Gib. we had been told that a rumour had reached England, and
+appeared in the "Daily Mail," that the "Aquitania" had been torpedoed.
+
+
+_December 2nd._--The air is soft and balmy, a few drops of rain have
+fallen, but the lower clouds fly fast as if a breeze was brewing.
+
+6 p.m.--We have had a stormy afternoon, a driving rain and a 50-mile
+gale as reckoned by the captain. As I came along a passage a cupboard
+door flew open and scores of dishes fell out with a crash. In the
+wards bottles and tables are flying all over the place. As I was
+steadying myself on deck the ship's whistle gave a blast that seemed
+unending. There was a rush from below to the boat deck, but as there
+was a thick haze we decided it was only a fog signal. "Fog signal,"
+said the captain, "I call it a d----d fool's signal. This boy,"
+pointing to a very guilty looking little chap, "placed his back
+against the whistle lever, and the d----d fool never noticed he was
+raising hell."
+
+
+_December 3rd._--All last night the rolling had been particularly bad,
+so much so that the ship is pronounced to be much too top-heavy. I had
+slept straight on till 5 and did not feel a particularly heavy roll at
+2 a.m., which every one is talking about, and which had tumbled a lot
+of people out of bed. One old sailor says he got a terrible fright, he
+thought the ship would be unable to right herself from her great
+weight, and he fled on deck expecting the worst.
+
+4.45 p.m.--A revolving light can be seen through the mist but must be
+many miles off. At 3 we had all been warned off the deck as a message
+had been received that we were again in a danger zone. We are now near
+our haven, and if that light is from the Needles another hour should
+take us there.
+
+_Later._--We anchored off the Solent as it was getting dark. In time a
+pinnace came alongside, presumably a pilot came on board, so we up
+anchor and are now moored inside the outer boom.
+
+
+_December 4th._--As soon as it was daylight we began to move, and went
+slowly up the Solent in a drizzle and thick mist; ships no end at
+anchor all the way; past Netley Hospital facing great mud-flats; New
+Forest stretching away to the left; Cowes in thick haze. When nearing
+Southampton four tugs came alongside, two were attached to the bow,
+the other two on guard crept along with us. At last the docks
+appeared, we were hauled round by our tugs and went in stern first.
+The four tugs then arranged themselves along our starboard side, got
+their noses up against the "Aquitania's" ribs and butted her up
+against the quay wall.
+
+7 p.m.--I expected to get off hours ago. The Military Landing Officer
+says the best he can do for me is to send me to Glasgow. I know what
+Glasgow is like in a drizzle at this time of the year--"coals in the
+earth and coals in the air," as some one says. It has rained all day,
+is foggy and altogether British, unlike anything I have seen for a
+long time. I can understand how our colonials come home and curse our
+leaden skies.
+
+
+_December 5th._--Sunday. We left the "Aquitania" at 10 last night,
+many hundreds being left on the boat for discharge next day. They had
+poured out of the ship by two big gangways the whole day long,
+straight into the private station of the Cunard Line. In half an hour
+we were all in our cots, round came an orderly asking what we would
+have to drink, tea, cocoa, or oxo? I asked if that was his full list.
+"Yes," he said. "No, thank you, I am going to sleep."
+
+We reached Yorkhill Hospital, Glasgow, this forenoon, and found the
+town in 2 inches of snow--real white snow too.
+
+
+_December 7th._--Was examined by a Medical Board at 4.30 p.m. and just
+managed to catch the 5 o'clock train for Aberdeen. Am now in Perth
+where we have been kept standing for some time. The three men forming
+my Board said I had a well-marked heart murmur, and all three solemnly
+shook hands with me. Evidently their impression was that I was going
+home to die. They do not know how much I have improved since I left
+Gallipoli. I feel myself that I'll soon be at the Front again.
+
+(Feeling ill and almost useless I had intended to ask for sick leave
+from the A.D.M.S. a fortnight before I actually left.) On going to
+H.Q. for this purpose I met Col. Bell who said he had intended to look
+me up to let me know the result of a conference the previous evening,
+when it was announced we were to evacuate the peninsula. This was a
+strict secret, but I had to be told about it so that we might begin at
+once to get rid of as much of our equipment as we could spare. After
+such an announcement I felt it would be cowardly to miss what all
+considered would be a terrible experience, and the object of my errand
+was not mentioned. Such an eventuality was often discussed; we felt
+that our remaining there for the winter would be a mistake, and no one
+ventured to put our losses at less than 50 per cent. of all our forces
+should it be attempted.
+
+The preparations for the evacuation had been carried out with the
+utmost efficiency, so much so that our losses were perfectly
+marvellous--six casualties at Suvla, Anzac, and Helles combined.
+(Suvla and Anzac were evacuated on December 10, 1915, and Helles on
+January 8, 1916.)
+
+
+1916.
+
+_March 2nd._--On February 21, I received a long telegram from the War
+Office, ordering me to hold myself in readiness to embark for the
+Mediterranean at an early date to join an overseas unit. This order
+pleased me, as my last Medical Board threatened to put me down for a
+home job, which I told them would not be at all to my liking, and I
+was glad to find they had carried out my wishes and allowed me to go
+in for General Service once more.
+
+Then on February 28 I had the order to report myself 10 the Military
+Embarkation Officer at Devonport by noon on March 1. After a tiresome
+journey of twenty-two hours I reached the docks and was directed on
+board the Anchor Liner "Transylvania". Three medical men were down for
+duty to the troops on board, these numbering over 3000, with Lt.-Col.
+Humphreys as P.M.O.
+
+We have some heavy work allotted to us; the order to inoculate all the
+troops against cholera, which means two injections for each man, is a
+big job in itself. Many have never been inoculated against enteric and
+these have also to be seen to.
+
+The "Transylvania" is a big boat of 15,000 tons. We lie in the bay
+although all has been in readiness for twenty-four hours, and we
+believe the delay is due to the fact that there have been several
+casualties in the Channel, within the last few days, from mines that
+have floated down from the Dover end, and we are likely to lie here
+till the Channel is swept.
+
+My first thought about our ship was that she was such a big target
+that a torpedo could hardly miss her, and as yesterday was the date
+the German threat to sink every armed ship at sight came into force,
+our danger is no doubt great. (She was afterwards torpedoed in the
+Mediterranean with the loss of 402 lives.) All are ordered to put on
+our life belts, and even as we lie here many are going about with
+these cumbrous things on, but most are content to carry them under
+their arms.
+
+A meeting was held yesterday, and crews of two N.C.O.'s and thirteen
+men were chosen to man each of our fifty-five boats in case we should
+get holed, while the rest of us have to scramble into the nearest boat
+that has not its full complement.
+
+
+_March 3rd._--We still lie in Plymouth Bay. Rumour says two German
+cruisers have broken through our cordon and are somewhere on the
+prowl. This is the latest reason I have heard for our still lying
+here.
+
+A corporal shot himself this morning, the result of a letter from his
+sweetheart who dreamt that she saw him badly wounded, with his head
+swathed in bandages. Stupid fellow, superstition should have told him
+that this meant a wedding. He made a clumsy job of it, and a big mess
+in the Orderly Room where it happened.
+
+2 p.m.--At noon we cast off and in less than an hour had sailed
+through the tortuous waterway and were out in the open sea. We have
+two destroyers ahead and one astern. All are happy at the thought of
+being on the move, lying in the bay was getting irksome. All have now
+taken to their life belts. As a precaution against a surprise we have
+a submarine guard of 200 men on duty at a time. These parade the top
+deck with their rifles.
+
+
+_March 4th._--Our escort left us last night at 7. Few are thinking of
+submarines as is proved by two out of every three appearing for
+breakfast without their preservers, or war babies as they are often
+called.
+
+
+_March 5th._--Yesterday afternoon while I was busy inoculating down in
+D. deck six short blasts were given by the whistle, denoting danger,
+when all had to rush to their allotted posts at the boats with life
+preservers on. I guessed it was only practice, which is invariably
+carried out the second day a troopship is at sea, and as I had only
+four more injections to give, and these four men had not heard the
+signal, I finished these, detaining my orderly who got as white as a
+ghost. All must have got into their places quickly, all were in
+perfect order when I reached the Orderly Room, the post of all
+officers not in command of boats. An officer tells me that on his last
+voyage an important and very stout Colonel was in his bath when the
+alarm sounded. He obeyed the order to fly absolutely at once, getting
+into his life belt and taking up his station without another stitch
+on.
+
+To-day I was in my cabin when I heard a terrific roar. Thinking a
+torpedo might have hit us I put my head through the port-hole and saw
+several getting into their belts, so I made for the deck to find our
+big gun was practising on a barrel that had been dropped astern. Such
+practice is usually carried out several times on a trip.
+
+
+_March 6th._--We are nearing Gib., and as the danger gets worse here
+our zig-zagging has increased. It rains hard, with a fairly thick fog,
+and is altogether disagreeable. The M.O. for the crew had to be locked
+up to-day and has a military guard placed over him. He had been
+threatening all about him with a big amputating knife.
+
+6.30 p.m.--Just passing "The Rock". It is dark and a brilliant
+searchlight has been fixed on us. Once more in the Mediterranean, and
+I expect I have a long, trying summer to spend somewhere in its
+neighbourhood.
+
+
+_March 7th._--Another dirty, wet day.
+
+
+_March 8th._--It still rains and we have a violent gale, and as we
+zig-zag this at times catches us full on the port side and the ship
+rolls badly. She creaks from stem to stern.
+
+We are nearing Malta and are warned to look out for submarines which
+are more active here than anywhere. Each of our fifty-five boats is to
+have its crew of fifteen posted on deck to-night, and many of the
+officers say they are to sleep in their clothes.
+
+
+_March 9th._--The sea has been very rough ever since we entered the
+Mediterranean, and to-day has been the worst. We were opposite Gozo at
+noon, then skirted the north of Malta but made no halt. Now we zig-zag
+so much that we have no idea whether we are bound for Salonika or
+Egypt.
+
+
+_March 10th._--On the whole we now go south so that Alexandria is
+likely to be our destination.
+
+
+_March 12th._--When I woke this morning I found we were lying outside
+Alexandria. We soon afterwards entered the harbour.
+
+Hinde (one of our M.O.'s) and I were ordered to report our arrival to
+the A.D.M.S., Arsenal Buildings, and getting into a "garry," with our
+baggage mountains high, and a dirty native on the top of all, we left
+the docks. Cabby did not know the Arsenal and we took this native
+because, after infinite jabbering, he declared he knew it. But instead
+of taking us about a mile along the quay he landed us in Place Mahomet
+Ali, miles off. He was a beast this guide, ready to swear he knew
+everything, a filthy, thick-lipped pimp who offered his good services
+again when night came. "Sir will have a fine evening to-day," he
+began, then detailed all the beauties he was to show us, in spite of
+our violently swearing at him and his ancestors for centuries back.
+After inquiring at half a dozen places we found the office of the
+A.D.M.S., and a man, springing forward to assist us out of the garry,
+hoped I felt quite fit again. This was Dorian, one of our Ambulance,
+who had been sent here sick, and was acting as orderly to the A.D.M.S.
+Here we were ordered to report at the Officers' Rest Camp at Mustapha,
+five miles off.
+
+We wandered about for a time, asked for the Post Office which was
+closed by this time, being Sunday, then we asked for the telegraph
+office and were directed everywhere but to the right place. Question
+an Egyptian he will direct you anywhere, ask him for some place that
+has no existence on the face of the earth and he will show you the way
+with absolute confidence.
+
+We got out to Mustapha about 6 and reported ourselves at the office of
+the adjutant of the camp. All details as they arrive go to Mustapha
+or Sidi-Bishr. About 200 of us dined together and had a good dinner,
+most of us washing it down with the beautifully clear water of the
+Nile.
+
+Mustapha is a typical African camp, planted on sea-sand, but not so
+barren as my camp of twelve months ago at Mex. Here we have a good
+many date palms and other trees, and wherever a little irrigation is
+done there is a profusion of flowers.
+
+
+_March 13th._--I am directed to report to the O.C. "Camp 2," to whose
+company I am accordingly attached while here. My duty is to hang about
+his lines and take an interest in what the men are doing up to noon.
+This is a mere formality so that the authorities might know where to
+find us should we be wanted. To-day I came straight away and went to a
+mosque near by, where I was refused admittance unless I removed my
+boots, which I did not care to do, although I was assured the floor
+was most clean. It is usual to supply visitors with slippers big
+enough to go over their outdoor boots, but none are kept here. I
+wished to borrow a pair from a row on the door step, the owners of
+which were inside at their devotions.
+
+A flock of about 300 cranes flew over us an hour ago, all bound for
+the north, reversing the course I watched them taking last autumn at
+Suvla. The morning is intensely warm, and I sit in my tent minus my
+tunic and with shirt sleeves rolled up. A few days ago I left 6 inches
+of snow in Aberdeenshire--and almost as much in Devonshire.
+
+When I landed yesterday I heard that my old Division the 29th, had
+already started for France, and that the remainder sailed one of these
+days. Those still in Egypt are said to be at Suez, and I must see what
+I can do to join them. I am told that once you are cooped up here you
+may be forgotten for months.
+
+
+_March 14th._--I reported myself at my company office at 9, inspected
+the kits of a few men, and since then have wandered about like a lost
+soul, hot and gasping for breath in the furious heat and glare. There
+is a big house beyond us called Pasteur Villa, tumble down and
+uninhabited, with a large disordered garden of several acres, with an
+abundance of palms, cacti, etc., with high walls on which lizards
+sport, chasing each other up and down. The bigger ones are nearly a
+foot in length, with big ugly heads which they twist about in all
+directions while their bodies are kept fixed. They keep a guarded eye
+on you and allow you to get within a reasonable distance, but if you
+go an inch beyond that they are off like greased lightning. They are
+equally at home on the face of the smooth wall with their heads
+upwards or downwards, have well-spread out legs and long sharp claws,
+and whether going up or down are always at the gallop.
+
+There is a most persistent rumour that the 29th Division sails for
+Marseilles this week. When strolling about after dinner in the cool of
+the evening I stumbled across an office of the 29th just beside our
+camp. Here I was told that although they had heard this rumour they
+personally believed that it would likely be another week or so before
+they left. Anything rather than be stranded here for several weeks
+doing nothing. Several remarked that I would be a lucky beggar not to
+have to go to France. I hear most of the troops now in Egypt are
+likely to go there, as though Turkey was not expected to give us much
+more trouble.
+
+
+_March 15th._--One of my old Ambulance men, Davidson, recognised me on
+parade this morning and watched for an opportunity to speak to me. He
+is on his way home and left his unit only twelve days ago. He says the
+Ambulance expected to start for France two days after he left. Lt-Col.
+Bell, our A.D.M.S., on Gallipoli, is now in command, and as he is a
+most able and genial officer I must do my best to join my old unit at
+Suez should it be still there. (Col. Bell took over command of the
+89th F.A. a week or two before this date, and was with us till the end
+of the great Somme push of July. He was a most capable C.O., strict
+but much respected by the men, and under him the Ambulance attained a
+high degree of smartness and discipline such as it had never reached
+before.)
+
+
+_March 16th._--I have spent the afternoon with Hinde at the Nuzha
+Gardens, the Kew of Alexandria. On getting beyond the town we came to
+a broad, well-made road, bordered on both sides with orange trees, and
+extending behind these the eternal palm and fig trees. This passed
+Lake Hadra with its swampy edges full of long reeds and rushes, its
+waters a dirty green, beloved by noisy frogs, with an abundance of
+bird life, among which we saw two king fishers, and several times big
+lizards darted across the road and mounted trees like squirrels.
+
+The Gardens are particularly fine, the plants mostly tropical. I
+noticed here that the new date crop is already well advanced. Our home
+bedding plants, such as geranium, verbena, nemesia, were all in full
+bloom and the soil and climate seemed to suit them. There was a large
+rose garden, but the flowers were nearly over for the season, and the
+blooms were but poor specimens, nor was their method of culture
+conducive to the growth of prize flowers; the plants were mostly 3 to
+5 feet high, thick stemmed, old and branchy.
+
+
+_March 17th._--Still hearing rumours that the 29th goes to France one
+of these days. I thought it was about time I was stirring up the
+authorities, so I called at the adjutant's office at the Base Depot.
+He was out, and on asking if there was any one else I could see, an
+orderly said, "Of course there is the Colonel," in a tone of voice
+that denoted that he would be a bold man who tackled him. However, I
+dared to face him and found him a most charming man, but he could do
+nothing for me directly, but advised me to go to the H.Q. of the 3rd
+Echelon, Hotel Metropole, Alexandria, and ask for Captain B----. On
+such an introduction I was received there with open arms, a 'phone
+message was sent out to my depot, and I was assured everything would
+be cut and dry before I could cover the four miles tram ride back to
+camp. This I found carried out to the letter, and I am now on the
+point of starting for Port Said to join my old Ambulance.
+
+Hinde and I spent the afternoon visiting Pompey's Pillar and the
+catacombs. At the latter we had to go down and down a long spiral
+staircase which ended at two fine pillars, all cut from the solid
+rock. Most of the larger rooms were family vaults of kings and others,
+mostly of the Roman period. All the sarcophagi and recesses had been
+rifled and the mummies taken to museums, but some still contained
+large quantities of bones. One good specimen of a skull bone I slipped
+into my pocket to find on my return to camp that it was reduced to
+what resembled coarse oatmeal.
+
+
+_March 18th._--Last night all men belonging to the 29th Division--and
+there is a large number here on their way back to their units after
+sick leave--were ordered to fall in at 6.30 p.m., and from then till
+10.30 they were kept at their post. This long delay was merely for the
+purpose of preventing their wandering away and getting too much drink
+before their departure. We were booked to start soon after midnight.
+We had a heavy train with about 600 on board, mostly in cattle trucks.
+
+I could see little of the country till dawn when we were passing
+through a most fertile, well-watered region; date palms in thousands;
+native villages of mud houses, the whole usually surrounded by low mud
+walls; hundreds of water wheels driven by oxen, the water drawn from a
+canal we were skirting.
+
+We cut across, striking Suez Canal at Kantara. The last 20 miles or so
+was by an absolutely straight single track, through a sand desert,
+without a trace of animal life, and with only scattered clumps of
+fibrous vegetation. On looking forward one could see the sand flying
+like snow drift in front of a gentle breeze. This must continually
+block the line. The only surfacemen I saw were old fellows in dug-outs
+about a mile apart, each with a plentiful supply of great water jars.
+As we neared the Canal vegetation got rather more plentiful, with
+bushes resembling clumps of whin in the distance. Then houses, camps,
+and khaki, strings of camels led by natives in long white robes. We
+had struck the Canal; tramp steamers were passing through, and numbers
+of native boats were moored to the edges. Along the Canal were armed
+men, field guns studded about, and on the other side bigger guns in
+emplacements. The railway from Kantara to Port Said runs along the
+west bank, and within a few yards of the water's edge, and along this
+bank trees and shrubs form one continuous thicket.
+
+We had much shunting on reaching Port Said before we got the train
+alongside the docks, amidst the awful shrieking of our most unmusical
+engine whistle. The Egyptian is notorious for his love of this
+fiendish noise, one blast is never sufficient at any time, but he
+gives shriek after shriek till you feel inclined to kick him off his
+engine.
+
+We boarded one of the old Gallipoli lighters which were specially
+built for the landing, and were delivered three months after that
+event. This took us out to the "Lake Manitoba," an old tub that could
+barely do ten knots. As we drew up to the ship some one away aloft
+shouted, "Three cheers for Captain Davidson," which call was heartily
+replied to, and on looking up I found a lot of our men leaning over
+the rail and waving their helmets. I felt at home again on recognising
+this as Sergeant Stewart's voice and seeing "kent faces". On ascending
+the gangway, McLean and Russell gave me a warm reception. These are
+the only two officers remaining of the nine I left behind at Suvla in
+November last. Colonel Bell was soon found when I got another hearty
+handshake. He had heard of my arrival at Alexandria some days ago,
+through Colonel Humphreys, P.M.O. of the "Transylvania," who, being
+home on ordinary leave, had gone straight to Suez, and he said he had
+been wondering how he was to get a hold of me. Our new officers are
+mostly Scotch. The N.C.O.'s and many of the men I have had a talk
+with, and I am proud to find they are pleased to have me back among
+them, and I am just as glad to see them; the dangers we have come
+through together will always be a link between us. Sergeant Gilbert
+said the men had given me a ringing cheer at Suez when they heard I
+was in "Alex.". The men are looking extremely well, totally different
+from what they were when I left them. They are fat and bronzed, and
+say they feel very fit. They have had next to nothing to do since the
+evacuation in December, since when they have been stationed at Lemnos,
+Alexandria, and Suez.
+
+
+_March 19th._--We still lie at Port Said. At first the delay was said
+to be due to our waiting to have a big gun mounted at our stern, but
+this operation was finished in the morning, and now at 2 p.m. there is
+no sign of our moving. We have at least a dozen ladies and children
+on board, the impedimenta of officers returning from India.
+
+
+_March 20th._--We left last night after dark. The precautions against
+attack are very slack on this boat. There is of course a man in the
+crow's nest, but the submarine guard practically does not exist, the
+men pile their arms and wander about as they like. They are certainly
+particular about showing light after dark; by 6 p.m. all port-holes
+are closed, and every cabin has its iron deadlight down. After 7
+o'clock dinner all the electric lights in the whole ship are switched
+off, which is quite unnecessary; on the "Transylvania" we got absolute
+darkness without such drastic measures. You have to go to bed in the
+dark, no candles being allowed, the only lights being an oily lamp in
+the smoking-room, and one in each long passage.
+
+We have had a stiff gale most of the day, with waves washing over our
+foredeck. Although we pitch badly I was never in a ship that rolled so
+little.
+
+
+_March 21st._--A beautiful day with the sea like a mill pond. In the
+morning a destroyer was seen astern, convoying a large transport. They
+forged along till they came abreast of us where the ship remained, the
+destroyer going some distance ahead and keeping there for the
+afternoon. Towards evening we had five other ships in sight.
+
+
+_March 23rd._--The M.O. of the ship has just told me as a great secret
+that the "Minneapolis" was torpedoed two hours ago, at a spot we
+crossed yesterday about 10 p.m. He also says we have had a bad reverse
+in France--another absolute secret, and I had to promise not to
+breathe a word before my informant would tell me the news.
+
+_Later._--The above news could not be kept secret long, all knew it by
+afternoon, even the ladies from whom we wished to hide it.
+
+
+_March 24th._--As we approached Malta yesterday afternoon a big
+steamer coming from there wheeled round and returned to port; a
+destroyer dashed out and passed us at full speed, while we received
+orders not to enter Valetta as had been previously intended, but to go
+ahead at full speed. All this, we discovered by evening, was due to
+another transport, name as yet unknown, being torpedoed 60 miles east
+of Malta. We had crossed the spot very shortly before and must have
+had a narrow escape.
+
+A great tug-of-war has been in progress for the last two afternoons.
+Our unit, which is the largest on board, had four teams, two of them
+managing to reach the semifinal rounds when their opponents knocked
+them out, but only after a severe effort.
+
+We hear this morning that a third trooper was "plugged" somewhere in
+the course we have covered. If we are bound for Marseilles, which it
+is taken for granted is our destination, we are not taking the direct
+route. I am Orderly Officer for the day and having to inspect the
+men's breakfast I was up early--even earlier than was needful, but I
+was flooded out of bed as soon as scrubbing the decks commenced; half
+a bucket of water came through my port-hole during a roll of the ship.
+On looking out I could see land on our port side, which turned out to
+be Cape Bon. At noon we are skirting close in to the African coast.
+Either we intend to go through Gib., or we will go straight north to
+Marseilles, well to the west of Sardinia. Being now a long way west of
+Malta we feel that our chances of being torpedoed are perhaps less,
+but the neighbourhood of the Balearic Islands is considered anything
+but safe.
+
+
+_March 25th._--6.30 p.m. Darkness is coming down and the captain says
+that if we are not attacked within the next half-hour he will consider
+us practically safe. The danger of a night attack is almost
+negligible.
+
+The weather gets much colder as we go north. We are about opposite the
+north of Corsica, and a cold wind bears down on us from the Continent.
+Two small birds have accompanied us the whole day, resting in the
+rigging at times, but spending much time on the wing. I cannot make
+out what they are, some say chaffinches, but that is certainly a
+mistake, they are too small. A lark fell on deck in the forenoon
+utterly exhausted, lying for some time on its breast with wings spread
+out. It disappeared among the lifeboats and has not been seen since. A
+whale, or probably two, was seen spouting a few hundred yards distant.
+Some said they saw their backs, but I could not say I was fortunate
+enough to see more than the jets of water which were repeated several
+times. Porpoises have been plentiful all the way from Egypt.
+
+
+_March 26th._--Marseilles harbour. I woke at 2 and thought we had
+reached our journey's end, but I could feel that the screw was still
+revolving, though slowly. Evidently we were killing time, there is no
+chance now-a-days of entering a harbour during the hours of darkness.
+By 6 we were steaming slowly into the fine Bay of Marseilles, high
+rugged rocks on both sides, in front of us the town with its
+surrounding girdle of limestone mountains.
+
+("The Incomparable 29th" was a name well earned by this famous
+Division. The Gallipoli landing could only have been made by
+well-seasoned troops. Many and many a time I have heard the Anzacs wax
+eloquent over their doings. As fighters no troops in the world can
+surpass, or perhaps equal, the Anzacs, but they always declared they
+could never have done what the 29th did. The red triangle, the badge
+of the Division, they had a great love and respect for, and, although
+not over-fond of saluting, no officer with this on his arm was ever
+allowed to pass without a most deferential salute.
+
+The casualties of the Division on the peninsula exceeded 600 per
+cent., having been practically wiped out time after time. I afterwards
+served with them in France and Belgium till early in 1917, when I went
+to the Base and remained there till I was demobilised in June, 1919.)
+
+
+
+
+ABERDEEN: THE UNIVERSITY PRESS
+
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
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+    | Typographical errors corrected in text:                   |
+    |                                                           |
+    | Page  36: Andenia replaced with Andania                   |
+    | Page  36: Manihou replaced with Manitou (twice)           |
+    | Page  43: causalty replaced with casualty                 |
+    | Page  44: o'oclock replaced with o'clock                  |
+    | Page 115: court martial replaced with court-martial       |
+    | Page 136: 'order s' replaced with 'orders'                |
+    | Page 153: court martial replaced with court-martial       |
+    |                                                           |
+    +-----------------------------------------------------------+
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+
+
+
+
+
+End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of The Incomparable 29th and the "River
+Clyde", by George Davidson
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+    <title>
+      The Project Gutenberg eBook of The Incomparable 29th and the "River Clyde", by George Davidson, M.A., M.D.
+    </title>
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+<pre>
+
+The Project Gutenberg EBook of The Incomparable 29th and the "River Clyde", by 
+George Davidson
+
+This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with
+almost no restrictions whatsoever.  You may copy it, give it away or
+re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included
+with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org
+
+
+Title: The Incomparable 29th and the "River Clyde"
+
+Author: George Davidson
+
+Release Date: May 5, 2008 [EBook #25342]
+
+Language: English
+
+Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1
+
+*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE INCOMPARABLE 29TH ***
+
+
+
+
+Produced by Jeannie Howse, David Clarke and the Online
+Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net (This
+file was produced from images generously made available
+by The Internet Archive/Canadian Libraries)
+
+
+
+
+
+
+</pre>
+
+
+<br />
+<hr />
+<br />
+
+<div class="tr">
+<p class="cen" style="font-weight: bold;">Transcriber's Note:</p>
+<br />
+<p class="noin">Inconsistent hyphenation in the original document has been preserved.
+This document has unusual spelling that has been preserved.</p>
+<p class="noin" style="text-align: left;">Obvious typographical errors have been corrected.
+For a complete list, please see the <span style="white-space: nowrap;"><a href="#TN">end of this document</a>.</span></p>
+<p class="noin">Click on the image to see a larger version.</p>
+</div>
+
+<br />
+<hr />
+<br />
+<br />
+<br />
+<br />
+
+<div class="img">
+<a href="images/frontis.png">
+<img border="0" src="images/frontis.png" width="50%" alt="Point of Gallipoli" /></a><br />
+<p class="cen" style="margin-top: .2em;">POINT OF GALLIPOLI</p>
+</div>
+
+<br />
+<br />
+<br />
+<br />
+<hr />
+<br />
+<br />
+
+<h1>THE INCOMPARABLE 29<span class="fakesc"><sup>TH</sup></span><br />
+AND THE "RIVER CLYDE"</h1>
+
+<br />
+<br />
+<br />
+<br />
+<br />
+
+<h4>BY</h4>
+<h3>GEORGE DAVIDSON, M.A., M.D.<br />
+<span class="sc">Major</span>, R.A.M.C.</h3>
+
+<br />
+<br />
+<br />
+<br />
+<br />
+
+<h5>ABERDEEN<br />
+JAMES GORDON BISSET<br />
+85 BROAD STREET</h5>
+
+<br />
+<br />
+<hr />
+<br />
+<br />
+<br />
+<br />
+
+<h2>Dedicated</h2>
+<h4>TO THE</h4>
+<h3>STRETCHER-BEARERS OF THE<br />
+89<span class="sc"><sup>TH</sup></span> FIELD AMBULANCE</h3>
+<h4>IN WARM ADMIRATION OF THEIR CONSTANT ZEAL AND PLUCK<br />
+AND IN REMEMBRANCE OF THE MANY EXCITING TIMES<br />
+WE HAD TOGETHER</h4>
+
+<br />
+<br />
+<br />
+<br />
+<hr />
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_vii" id="Page_vii">[vii]</a></span><br />
+
+<h3>PREFACE.</h3>
+<br />
+
+<p>I had not the slightest intention of ever publishing these notes in
+book form while jotting them down for the sole purpose of giving my
+wife some connected idea of how we at the Front were spending our
+time. I found, to my surprise, that keeping a diary was a great
+pleasure, and I rarely missed the opportunity of taking notes at odd
+times&mdash;and often in odd places.</p>
+
+<p>Several of my friends read the parts as I sent them home, and it is on
+the valued advice of one in particular that I now offer these scraps
+to the public. I make practically no change on the original, but in a
+few places, for the sake of sequence, or more fulness, I have made
+additions. These are always in brackets.</p>
+
+<p>Some of the remarks in the original might safely be published fifty
+years hence, but at present the war is too recent for these to see the
+light of print.</p>
+
+<p class="right">GEORGE DAVIDSON,<br />
+<span style="font-size: 90%;">R.A.M.C.</span></p>
+
+<p><span class="sc">Torphins, Aberdeenshire,</span><br />
+<span style="margin-left: 2em;"><i>June, 1919.</i></span></p>
+
+<br />
+<br />
+<br />
+<br />
+<hr />
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_1" id="Page_1">[1]</a></span><br />
+
+<h2><a name="DIARY" id="DIARY"></a>DIARY.</h2>
+<br />
+
+<p><i>March 16th, 1915.</i>&mdash;After serving for five months as a lieutenant in
+what was at first known as the 1st Highland Field Ambulance, and
+afterwards, as the 89th Field Ambulance, I left Coventry, our last
+station, to do my little bit in the great European War, our
+destination being unknown. We had heard well-founded rumours that we
+were going to the Dardanelles, or somewhere in the Levant, and our
+being deprived of our horses and receiving mules instead, and helmets
+(presumably cork) being ordered for the officers, all pointed to our
+being sent to a warmer climate than France or Belgium, where the war
+is raging on the west side of the great drama.</p>
+
+<p>Leaving Coventry at 1.50 p.m. we reached Avonmouth about 5, to find
+that our boat was not in. The men were put up in a cold, draughty shed
+for the night, where they had little sleep, while the officers took
+train to Bristol, nine miles off, where we dined excellently at the
+Royal Hotel, but, there being no vacant rooms, we went to the St.
+Vincent's Rocks Hotel, overlooking the Clifton Suspension Bridge and
+the great gorge of the Avon.</p>
+
+<br />
+
+<p><i>March 17th.</i>&mdash;Returned to Avonmouth and wandered about inspecting the
+huge transports lying in the docks, and H.M.S. "Cornwall," just
+returned for repairs from the fight at Falkland Islands. She had
+received three shell holes in her hull, one under the water line, and
+a large number of perforations in one of her funnels.</p>
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_2" id="Page_2">[2]</a></span>We then got on board our boat, the "Marquette," of the Red Star Line,
+built by Alexander Stephen &amp; Sons, Glasgow, of over 8000 tons, and
+said to be a good sailer. We lunched with the captain, a Scotchman of
+course, hailing from Montrose. At 5.30 we got the men on board, and
+all spent the night in our new quarters.</p>
+
+<br />
+
+<p><i>March 18th.</i>&mdash;After getting numerous details on board during last
+night and to-day, amounting to about 1300 men, 60 officers, about 700
+horses and mules; besides 20 tons of explosives and 50 tons of barbed
+wire, and wagons by the hundred, we set sail at 10 p.m. under sealed
+orders. No lights were allowed owing to the danger from submarines
+which had been busy within the last few days in the Bristol Channel
+and about the Scilly Islands. As escort we had two torpedo-boat
+destroyers, one on each side and slightly ahead. These left us after
+twelve hours, when we were in less danger, and 100 miles west of the
+usual course, sailing W.S.W. into the Atlantic.</p>
+
+<br />
+
+<p><i>March 19th.</i>&mdash;Beautiful day with slight breeze, but biting cold at
+first; ship pitching and rolling moderately, a few officers a little
+sick early, and about 80 per cent of the men, the latter suffering
+badly from the close atmosphere in their deck, in which their hammocks
+are slung as close as sardines in a tin and all port holes closed. The
+electric light had been shut off so that no one might be able to show
+a light.</p>
+
+<p>Dr. K&mdash;&mdash;, the ship's ancient doctor, is a curious customer, full of
+stories and quaint remarks. Captain Findlay is very communicative but
+will not reveal any private orders. He is directed to steer for the
+Mediterranean by a certain course. About 5 p.m. to-day he altered his
+course from W.S.W. to S. At 5 an order was issued to have the iron
+shutters put over the port holes, otherwise no lights to be allowed.</p>
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_3" id="Page_3">[3]</a></span>Very little shipping has been seen to-day, although several ships of a
+small size have passed at a long distance on our port side. One of the
+reasons for choosing this course was to avoid ships that might carry a
+wireless installation and signal our movements to the enemy.</p>
+
+<p>The captain, when swearing at the head steward about some
+forgetfulness, gave what he considered proof of the superiority of the
+memory of the lower animals over the human in a little story. He had
+carried Barnum and Bailey's menagerie once from America and
+occasionally fed a young elephant, Ruth by name, after President
+Cleveland's daughter, she taking apples from his pocket. After three
+years he came across her again, and calling her by name, she came up
+and put her trunk into the same pocket as of old. On the trip over he
+carried 1200 animals, only two dying, one being the giraffe which fell
+down a hatchway and broke his neck in two places&mdash;somehow a very
+fitting death for a giraffe.</p>
+
+<p>Saw several porpoises playing and jumping beside the boat. A wireless
+message to the captain tells of the appearance of a German submarine
+at Dover last night.</p>
+
+<p>Towards 6.30 two very large steamers crossed our bows, coming out of
+the west, while we went slowly to avoid them. One carried no lights
+and was probably carrying troops from Canada.</p>
+
+<p>Had an amusing talk on the boat deck with the old doctor. He was
+telling us about three padres who left our boat just before we
+started, preferring to go by another as they did not like travelling
+with so many animals. There being no parson for the coming Sundays
+they requested him to hold the services, but he replied that there was
+no use asking him, he could not pray worth a damn. He explained that a
+ship rang eight bells at 12, four at 8, and one for each half-hour
+after <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_4" id="Page_4">[4]</a></span>these, as one bell at 4.30, two at 5, three at 5.30, and so on.</p>
+
+<p>Beautiful night, stars clear, and sea very smooth for the Atlantic and
+the Bay of Biscay, where we now are. The equinoctial gales usually
+begin on March 20 (to-morrow), so the captain says. We have averaged
+12&frac12; knots since we left Avonmouth. A small bucketfull of water is
+taken from the sea every two hours, and its temperature taken to see
+if we are near ice.</p>
+
+<br />
+
+<p><i>March 20th.</i>&mdash;Weather to-day typical of the Bay of Biscay, half a
+gale all day, and blowing furiously at 7 o'clock, bottles, glasses,
+etc., flying off the dinner-table. Sea-sickness very rife, almost
+every one suffering more or less. Saw only two passing ships to-day.
+The captain prophesies warmer weather to-morrow if the wind remains in
+the east as at present. It will then be off the land, we being
+opposite Finisterre about 8 a.m. to-morrow.</p>
+
+<p>The orders to the captain are to remain sixty miles off land while
+skirting Spain and Portugal. By wireless we hear the Allies still gain
+ground in Flanders, and of a railway collision in Lancashire.</p>
+
+<br />
+
+<p><i>March 21st.</i>&mdash;Sunday.&mdash;Good news by wireless of the progress of the
+war. Wind changed to S.E., showery in the morning, and pleasantly
+warm. Church parade at 10. "Old Hundred" by the congregation, led by
+Serg. Gibb, the Lord's Prayer by Serg. Gaskin&mdash;as much of it as he
+could remember&mdash;a chapter of Matthew by Capt. Stephen followed by some
+words of advice, when the attempts of the audience to look solemn were
+all in vain&mdash;then off to the deck with "The Innocents Abroad".</p>
+
+<p>During the day the weather has been very variable, occasionally very
+heavy rain showers, but very mild; <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_5" id="Page_5">[5]</a></span>strong gale all day right in our
+teeth which must retard our progress. At dinner&mdash;7 p.m.&mdash;the captain
+said we were not quite opposite Lisbon, but nearly. With a few
+exceptions all have found their sea legs.</p>
+
+<br />
+
+<p><i>March 22nd.</i>&mdash;Being Orderly Officer I was up at 6.45 and inspected
+our unit's breakfast at 7.15, expecting a repetition of the grousing
+about their food which has gone on since we came on board, but to-day
+all are satisfied for the first time. They began with porridge which
+looked palatable, though sloppy for a Scotchman's taste, and was said
+to be without salt, which would certainly be the case were the cook an
+Englishman. Then each had a cup of coffee which looked fair enough and
+smelt good to a hungry man like myself, with two thick slices of bread
+with salt butter and jam. I feel as fit as a fiddle, and believe the
+equinoctial gales at their worst would be none too much for me. The
+feeling that I am to sink to the bottom of the ocean when the boat
+pitches has entirely gone.</p>
+
+<p>Stephen and I are wondering what our folks at home are doing, and if
+they are always looking for letters from us by the next post. If so
+they will be disappointed for many days yet. A good many of our horses
+are sick, and two died yesterday and were thrown overboard. The poor
+brutes have very cramped quarters.</p>
+
+<p>The sea was fairly rough during daylight and the ship rolled so badly
+that at lunch and dinner "fiddles" had to be put along the tables to
+keep the dishes in their places. In the evening the wind fell to a
+very gentle, balmy breeze, when a number of us spent some time on the
+boat deck watching the phosphorescence of the jelly fish, which we saw
+in many hundreds.</p>
+
+<br />
+
+<p><i>March 23rd.</i>&mdash;Got up early and on going on deck at 7.30 found we were
+making straight for the sun. Most <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_6" id="Page_6">[6]</a></span>glorious morning, sun bright, sea,
+except for the eternal swell, perfectly calm. We had changed our
+course and were heading 8 degrees S. of E., making for the Straits of
+Gibraltar. At 8 the captain, wishing to be sure of his longitude,
+began bawling out to some unseen person, "Mark 23, 22; mark 23, 19,
+add another 1; mark 23, 25". He explained that he took the reading
+three times then struck an average.</p>
+
+<p>In time land hove in sight, faint at first, but gradually the rocky
+coast of Spain, north of Cape Trafalgar, became distinct, then this
+cape itself came out of the mist as white as snow&mdash;so white that the
+purser said he believed it actually was snow. Then higher hills beyond
+appeared with others of a similar nature on the African coast. All
+looked forbidding and barren. Swallows were flitting about, and would
+have meant summer at home, but I fancy they are here all winter. The
+heat of the sun was intense, and I observed that his altitude seemed
+as high as I was accustomed to see him in midsummer.</p>
+
+<p>The captain soon pointed out "The Rock," and after passing the white
+town of Tarifa on the Spanish main it got clearer and clearer, but to
+our disgust our boat kept towards the south side of the Straits, and
+all were disappointed we were not to have a chance to post letters
+here as we expected. Tangier in the outer part of the Straits was
+invisible from mist. The Rock was not quite as impressive as I
+expected, nor could I with certainty make out more than one gun
+position, although I saw several black spots where guns may have
+frowned at us.</p>
+
+<p>A gunboat came after us and made us turn about in a circle till she
+was satisfied of our identity, the ship's number being invisible
+through the mist to those on shore. Ceuta with its snow-white houses
+lay on the south coast almost opposite Gibraltar. Some large buildings
+could be plainly seen, and between the town <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_7" id="Page_7">[7]</a></span>and the sea, on the
+north-east side the fortified hill held by the Spaniards since they
+lost Gibraltar.</p>
+
+<p>Later I found we sailed directly east, our next halt being as yet
+unknown. All roll has entirely departed from our ship, which almost
+seems unnatural after the tossing we have had. What struck me most
+to-day was the rocky nature of both sides of the Straits&mdash;we might
+have been among the rugged mountains of Ross-shire. Apes Head seemed
+to be made of rugged and split masses of limestone. The rocks with
+their bright colours were a great relief to our eyes which had rested
+on nothing but water for five days.</p>
+
+<br />
+
+<p><i>March 24th.</i>&mdash;A quiet uneventful day; colder than yesterday in the
+Atlantic. I find that all along we have sailed with only two lights
+showing, both faint, one on either end of the bridge, red to port and
+green to starboard. In the last twenty-four hours we covered 286
+miles, and going east fast, the clock being now advanced twenty-three
+minutes daily. We left Avonmouth with 1500 tons of coal on board, and
+we use sixty-five tons daily. We carry a poultry yard and get fresh
+eggs for breakfast, one some one had to-day was so fresh that
+according to the date written on it it was laid to-morrow (25/3/15).
+We have a lot of Irishmen on board which explains this Irishism. We
+had a concert in the evening, got up by Col. O'Hagan, the O.C. the
+West Lancashire Field Ambulance, when we had many amusing songs and
+tales. The sea was as smooth as a duck-pond all day. Towards night the
+wind rose, strong enough to cause a big pitch had we been still in the
+Atlantic, but here it is hardly noticeable. The south-east corner of
+Spain was seen in the morning and a peep of Africa got in the
+afternoon.</p>
+
+<br />
+
+<p><i>March 25th.</i>&mdash;Just returned from the engine room, <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_8" id="Page_8">[8]</a></span>having made up to
+the chief engineer, who took me over the machinery and stokehole. The
+three cylinders develop 4500 horse-power. The largest is 96 inches in
+diameter.</p>
+
+<p>All day we have been in sight of the African coast, the Atlas
+Mountains making one continuous range. They reminded me strongly of
+Ross-shire, the whole outline being rough and rugged. Mount Atlas,
+which we did not see, is 14,740 feet high. About 9 a.m. we were said
+to be near the town of Algiers. Great snowfields were visible on most
+of the highest mountains. These were very picturesque with the sun
+shining on the snow. We have seen little shipping, one large oil boat
+passed west. All are taking the lack of news philosophically, nothing,
+as far as I can make out, being heard to-day. Code messages from
+battleships speaking to each other are received but are unreadable.</p>
+
+<p>Helmets were issued to the officers to-day, but the wind is too cold
+to make these necessary.</p>
+
+<p>As Sanitary Officer for the day I had to go over the whole of the
+horse decks with the Military Officer of the ship, Lt.-Col. Hingston,
+R.E. The alleys between the horse lines, all of which had to be
+traversed, must be nearly half a mile in length, all the heads of the
+horses projecting in double lines into the narrow passages, which
+makes tramping along these dark ways anything but pleasant. The close
+stench is very sickening, and I was glad when our journey came to an
+end. We have lost four horses so far. The mules are hardier and have
+stood the voyage well. They are besides accustomed to the sea, all
+having come lately from the Argentine.</p>
+
+<br />
+
+<p><i>March 26th.</i>&mdash;An ideal day and the sun delightfully warm. We had the
+African coast in sight the whole time till early afternoon. Passed
+Cape Blanco, which in the distance might have been part of Deeside,
+hills with <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_9" id="Page_9">[9]</a></span>stretches of verdure which looked like forest with brown
+spaces between which were probably sand.</p>
+
+<p>Helmets were issued to the men to-day. These with their broad brims
+look very serviceable against the sun. One man coming on a friend who
+had just donned his, yelled: "Hello, man, come oot o' that till I see
+yer feet".</p>
+
+<p>At the present speed we should reach Malta at 6 a.m. to-morrow where
+surely we'll be able to post letters, but they have a long way to go
+to reach home. At 5 o'clock we were opposite Pantellaria, an Italian
+penal settlement, and about 140 miles from Malta. On the north coast
+of the island the settlement is visible, big white houses at different
+levels on its rocky face. There are very steep rocks on the east side
+rising straight out of the sea.</p>
+
+<br />
+
+<p><i>March 27th.</i>&mdash;My first peep at the East&mdash;although it is perhaps not
+the East proper. I rose at 5.30 to find Malta right ahead, and Valetta
+only a mile or two distant. The sight was gorgeous, the rocky land all
+tints of yellow, and the houses of divers colours, flat-roofed, domed,
+and altogether Oriental.</p>
+
+<p>Two warships, which turned out to be the "Prince of Wales" and the
+"Paris," were steaming rapidly from the north-east, and we were
+ordered to lie to till they entered the harbour, then to follow. The
+scene on entering this harbour baffles description, with its cliffs,
+forts, and frowning guns and numerous warships. There were signs of
+war preparations everywhere. The entrance to the harbour was guarded
+by booms, only a small opening being left where they were folded back.
+A short way inside came another row of booms. Then came a French
+warship on our port side, coaling at its hardest, from which came
+shouts to our decks crowded with troops of "where are you going"? The
+reply had to be "We don't know". Immediately to starboard we had
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_10" id="Page_10">[10]</a></span>another French ship which turned out to be the largest in the harbour.
+All her crew and band were drawn up on deck, and the latter struck up
+"God save the King". We at once stood at attention, all in silence,
+but when the strains ended every man hurrahed at the pitch of his
+voice. The band then gave us "It's a long way to Tipperary".</p>
+
+<p>On going a little farther we were moored to a buoy in the middle of
+the waterway, with all sorts of shipping round us, mostly French
+warships, there being at least a dozen of that nationality, the only
+British men-of-war being the two we saw enter. The transparency and
+greenness of the water are remarkable. The whole harbour is dotted
+over with "bum boats" which are said to be peculiar to Malta, and have
+high boards at their stem and stern, and are worked by one or two men
+standing upright. Most sell fruits and odds and ends to those on
+board, while others convey passengers to and from the land. The houses
+about the harbour are largely forts or connected with the army and
+navy. They rise tier upon tier to the top of the surrounding rocks
+which may be about 150 feet high.</p>
+
+<p>After lunch permission was given to the officers and N.C.O.'s to go
+ashore. There was great excitement of course, and all asked for leave
+forthwith. Being "Officer of the day," whose duties applied to the
+whole ship, I decided not to remind the C.O.&mdash;Col. Hingston&mdash;of this,
+but our C.O. mentioning at lunch that I need not look for leave I
+could not sneak off as I had intended, and was to be permitted only if
+I found a substitute, which, of course, I failed to do. Every one has
+gone to stretch his legs on land except the "Captain of the day" and
+myself. Still I hope to get a short turn ashore before we sail at 6
+p.m. which is announced as the hour of our departure&mdash;and our
+destination? we wish we knew.</p>
+
+<p>8.30 p.m.&mdash;Fiddes very kindly returned early to relieve <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_11" id="Page_11">[11]</a></span>me and I
+spent two very enjoyable hours in Valetta, wandering about its narrow
+and stair-like streets. There were goats everywhere, many being milked
+on the doorsteps as I passed. I bought some pieces of Maltese lace,
+which is pretty much of one pattern, generally a Maltese cross
+surrounded by flowers. The inhabitants are plainly of Italian descent,
+but if you ask if that is their nationality, they always deny it and
+say they are Maltese. The shops are totally different from anything I
+have ever seen, and except in the best streets, have no windows,
+merely a huge, gaping doorway. The weather was very close and many of
+the inhabitants and the children generally, were bare legged and well
+bronzed. The women's dress was very peculiar, all being in jet black
+with a strange lopsided head-dress. The edge has a stiff hoop and
+projects well in front of the face.</p>
+
+<p>The plants were all tropical&mdash;palms, cacti of many sorts, and masses
+of a deep purple flower that covered large expanses of wall. All trees
+were in full leaf, but they would be mostly evergreen. Worthy looking
+padres in their shovel hats were plentiful, also monks in dark brown
+cloaks, rope girdles and sandal shoon, and usually bareheaded,
+although a few wore a tiny cap, little bigger than the top of an egg,
+which it resembled in shape.</p>
+
+<p>I was much interested on discovering the reason why all the women in
+Malta wear black, which seems to be commenced about the age of eleven
+or twelve. Napoleon and his army had exercised great liberties with
+their sex during a visit, and in consequence it was decreed by the
+Pope that all women in Malta should go into mourning for the period of
+a hundred years. This time is up but they seem to know that their mode
+of dress is very becoming, and it looks as if the decree was to hold
+good for all time.</p>
+
+<p>It is impossible to go round the stair-like streets, which abound in
+Malta, with a milk cart, hence you find <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_12" id="Page_12">[12]</a></span>all over the town a man or
+boy with about half a dozen goats, shouting something or other, when
+the women appear at their doors with jugs into which the men milk the
+quantity required, as they sit on the doorstep. This is all very
+quaint and picturesque, especially when combined with the bright
+clothing of the men and children, the bright projecting upper windows,
+and the altogether foreign and tropical appearance of the whole town
+and island.</p>
+
+<p>All the officers thoroughly enjoyed what was a new experience to most
+of us, all returning to the boat laden with parcels, and being
+unusually lively at dinner, and the wine flowing more freely than
+usual among a body of men who rarely drink anything but water&mdash;and
+very flat and unpleasant water it is too.</p>
+
+<p>We left Malta at 6 p.m. <i>en route</i> for Alexandria, as I am told by the
+captain, who says it is no longer a secret. This is evidently to be
+the place of concentration of the 29th Division. Another transport,
+the "Kingstonia," left half an hour before us, amidst great cheering
+from the warships and us. We too had a right royal send-off from all
+the warships we passed, their decks being packed with cheering
+multitudes, and our French friends of the morning played the National
+Anthem again in the usual silence. We half expected it this time, but
+its coming so unexpectedly in the morning made it most impressive.
+Eleven powerful searchlights were playing at the entrance of this
+important harbour&mdash;a harbour which must be one of Britain's greatest
+assets. When thrown on us even a mile off the light was absolutely
+dazzling.</p>
+
+<br />
+
+<p><i>March 28th.</i>&mdash;Churning all day through a sea of ultra-marine hue,
+with a brilliant sun overhead and a fair breeze behind. We are now a
+long way east of the longitude of Greenwich, the clock at noon
+yesterday <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_13" id="Page_13">[13]</a></span>being seventy minutes before G.M.T. This means a daily loss
+of sleep and consequently much swearing. At one time in the Atlantic
+we were between fifty and sixty minutes behind G.M.T.</p>
+
+<p>There was a great fuss last night over the supposed discovery of six
+cases of measles in our unit. This morning a Medical Board sat and
+pronounced all the cases to be merely erythematous rashes following
+vaccination four days ago, and consequently the quarantine instituted
+last night has been relaxed, but only in a modified form, so as to let
+the guilty party down gently. As a result of all this unnecessary fuss
+the two field ambulances on board were nearly split into two camps.</p>
+
+<br />
+
+<p><i>March 29th.</i>&mdash;Another quiet day and a calm sea.</p>
+
+<p>Three interpreters joined our boat at Malta, they leaving home two
+days after us by a P. &amp; O. boat. These men have a thorough knowledge
+of Turkish, Greek, and French.</p>
+
+<p>The heat of the sun has been intense to-day, and a number of us were
+glad to don our helmets. These are not altogether a success, they are
+too heavy.</p>
+
+<p>We had a short lecture on "Turkey" by one of the interpreters, when he
+spoke about the roads, which seem to be few, woods still fewer, water
+supply and some other points likely to be of practical interest to us
+shortly. Rains usually cease in the end of March, and, except for an
+occasional shower, the heat of summer lasts till the middle of
+September, the temperature being just under 100&deg; F.</p>
+
+<br />
+
+<p><i>March 30th.</i>&mdash;Lying in the harbour of Alexandria, where we arrived
+about 3 p.m. The day has been perfect, the temperature moderate till
+we came near land when the sun simply scorched us. At sea there is
+always a breeze, but as we now lie at anchor in the middle of the
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_14" id="Page_14">[14]</a></span>harbour the air is absolutely still and oppressive. We seemed to
+describe the letter "S" as we approached from the sea, this course
+being likely due to sand bars. To one who has never been in the East
+before the sight of this town with its huge commercial buildings, its
+great palm trees which are visible not far from the water's edge, and
+a harbour full of great liners, and looking big enough to hold all the
+shipping of the world, is a great education. Three ships have entered
+since we came in, one being the "Kingstonia," one of our divisional
+transports, another full of French troops. We were, of course,
+surrounded by boats trying to do a little honest trade with us, but
+our men were strictly forbidden to purchase anything from them owing
+to the risk of infection.</p>
+
+<p>These boats were manned principally by Arabs in their peculiar dresses
+of brilliant hue and many wore the fez. All were burned as dark as an
+old penny. Owing to our being supposed to have had measles on board,
+although it was proved to every one's satisfaction that there was no
+reason for this suspicion, we had to enter with the yellow flag flying
+at the foremast. We had visits from official boats, one with the
+police flag, very likely expecting to hear that we had cholera or
+smallpox among us. At any rate the objectionable flag was soon hauled
+down and we half expected to get permission to land, but so far no
+orders have come from shore.</p>
+
+<p>The deep blue of the Mediterranean has been left behind for a time,
+which may be very short, and certainly cannot be long, and we now
+float on the light green waters of the Nile. The bugle has just
+sounded "the officer's mess," a sound that is welcome to me; the heat
+has not yet taken away my appetite.</p>
+
+<br />
+
+<p><i>March 31st.</i>&mdash;We were towed to the wharfside at 3 p.m. Then the
+unloading of our great sea monster began, men trooped on shore,
+followed by the horses <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_15" id="Page_15">[15]</a></span>which, unused to daylight in the miserable
+dens they had just left, looked terrified and floundered down the
+gangways. It took hours for this procession of animals to end, the
+exit from Noah's ark must have been a poor show in comparison.</p>
+
+<p>Our men set off for their camp at Mex, three miles away, about 6 p.m.,
+I being left with a fatigue party of twenty-seven men to finish the
+packing of our stores on railway trucks, and see them despatched in
+time to arrive at Mex before the men, so that on their arrival they
+could set to and pitch their tents on the piece of land allotted to
+them, and which is said to be composed of equal parts of sand and
+lice! I feel that I have scored in having one night's relief from this
+plague&mdash;but we are in the land of plagues, the home of the Pharaohs.</p>
+
+<p>About 8 p.m. I set off on a visit to Alexandria, and from the docks
+passed up a street lined on both sides with our animals tied to picket
+ropes for the night, and at the top of the street came on a grove of
+many acres of towering palm trees. After a mile or a mile and a half,
+seeing no newspaper shops, nor anything resembling a British shop, I
+asked an Egyptian where a "journal" was to be had. We could not
+understand each other, even signs were of no use, so I tried again and
+the next man understood me, and directed my black Soudanese friend,
+who had attached himself to me as my guide, where to go, but from the
+deviations he took into narrow and remarkably gay by-streets, he
+plainly thought that this newspaper hunt was a ruse for seeing
+Alexandria by night. All this was very interesting all the same. I
+rubbed shoulders with many an Egyptian "nut" who made no pretence
+about his errand to this questionable part of the town. The many
+streets I passed through, and I must have penetrated about three miles
+into the town, seemed very familiar to me, they were so very like
+pictures one sees of this part. The caf&eacute;s were crowded with <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_16" id="Page_16">[16]</a></span>Egyptian
+revellers, and occasionally I saw groups of our Tommies enjoying a
+drink among them. The former were all in their brilliant robes, and as
+they stood or squatted about, smoking their long pipes, they formed a
+most interesting picture. Their big pipes even blocked the pavement at
+times, the men squatted on their haunches with their pipes a couple of
+feet in front and a passer-by had to be careful not to upset and smash
+them. A fine picture was made by two old fellows squatting on a rug in
+the open window of a small shop, smoking and drinking coffee, and
+looking as if they could curse to fourteen generations any customer
+bold enough to disturb them in their innocent enjoyment of doing
+nothing. One of our officers who knows this town and its inhabitants,
+says if you curse a man he will only laugh in your face, but when you
+begin cursing to all eternity his brothers and sisters, father and
+mother, he begins to wax wroth, and by the time you reach the tenth to
+the fourteenth generation he dances about with fury and gnashes his
+teeth.</p>
+
+<br />
+
+<p><i>April 1st.</i>&mdash;Up early and breakfast at 6.30. By this time the engines
+were rattling and new ropes creaking, while stores of all kind were
+being landed. Some acres of quay and side streets were covered with
+these, the horses and mules having been mostly landed yesterday. Then
+began the scramble for wagon poles, crossbars, etc., any unit finding
+itself short just seized the first it came across. We lost odds and
+ends and followed the recognised custom, known as "skirmishing," and
+in the end were only short of our full complement by a crossbar and a
+bicycle. I had a very busy day up to 3 o'clock when we started for Mex
+camp. We marched out, reaching this at 4.45 after a very warm tramp,
+tempered by a gentle breeze off the Mediterranean. The country through
+which we passed was barren in the extreme, <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_17" id="Page_17">[17]</a></span>honey-combed all the way
+from quarrying the soil, which is full of salt and soda with a white
+chalky base. There are everywhere deep holes full of salt water with
+salt-loving plants about them, practically the only vegetation to be
+seen; between these there is a mass of hummocks, and pinnacles, with
+occasional sheep that look like goats, feeding on I do not know what,
+unless it be a tuft-headed small grass which is found sparsely on the
+higher grounds. In front of our tents are larger mounds on which four
+camels are nibbling at this grass, these being kept by some Bedouins
+for giving milk. Seeing some dark-skinned rascals having a ride on
+them I went up to them and was offered a mount for a penny; then the
+urchin, who had an early training in fleecing, thought he might double
+his charge and held up two fingers to designate the amount and marched
+off his camel till I consented. The brute nearly broke first my neck
+and then my back, but I greatly enjoyed my short ride.</p>
+
+<p>Immediately after this an Inniskilling Fusilier raced Thomson and
+myself over these terrible salt pits to the sea edge where an
+unconscious man was lying, having been dragged out of the water after
+disappearing like a stone, although said to be a strong swimmer.</p>
+
+<br />
+
+<p><i>April 2nd.</i>&mdash;A day of great heat, were it not for an occasional air
+from the Mediterranean. The whole of our camp is covered with ordinary
+soft sea-sand, and it gets very hot and very glaring. Immediately
+behind the more or less level ground on which the 29th Field Ambulance
+is encamped the pure white, chalky higher ground commences, peopled by
+camels, goats, and sheep. The last two are so much alike it is
+difficult to say which of the families they belong to.</p>
+
+<p>About 6 p.m. I set out for Alexandria with four of our officers. After
+a little shopping and haircutting we had an excellent dinner at the
+Grand Restaurant du Nil, all <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_18" id="Page_18">[18]</a></span>considering some fried mullet to be the
+finest fish we had ever tasted. With a fairly liberal supply of wine
+the dinner for the five of us cost only about 17s. Then to the Moulin
+Rouge, which I should say is the counterpart of its better-known
+namesake in Paris. The newness of the whole show made it amusing.</p>
+
+<br />
+
+<p><i>April 3rd.</i>&mdash;Apparently it never rains here after summer has
+commenced. I have been studying the ornithology of these bare chalk
+mounds, and find the birds are practically the same as our commonest
+ones at home&mdash;swallows, stonechats&mdash;which have been very busy
+to-day&mdash;our two water wagtails, and the wretched little sparrow. I
+thought the flamingo was to be found along the coast but have never
+seen a specimen on this inhospitable shore. I have also seen a bird
+not unlike a thrush, and a few small things apparently of the linnet
+family. Creepy animals are only too plentiful, the most objectionable
+at present is the common housefly which is a perfect plague. They are
+everywhere and are specially fond of the rope suspending my lantern.
+Unfortunately the place that is second favourite is one's nose.
+Locusts are said to be in greater abundance in Lower Egypt than was
+ever known before. Here I have seen but a few dozen, and at first I
+took them for small dragonflies. They have the same beautiful wings,
+but their style of flight is quite different, the locust alighting
+every few yards to have a look at you. Ants, great and small, are
+everywhere in the morning, but when the sand gets too hot most of them
+disappear. One big ant has a huge head, a fairly broad tail piece and
+small body. Lizards are very common on the chalk mounds, and yesterday
+I watched four huge specimens basking in the sun half-way down an old
+lime kiln.</p>
+
+<br />
+
+<p><i>April 4th.</i>&mdash;Easter Sunday. We had a service suitable for the day
+from a Presbyterian Chaplain on the <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_19" id="Page_19">[19]</a></span>hillside, when there were 700 to
+800 present from different units. During the sermon we all lay on the
+sand, while overhead a lark carolled forth in notes more mild than are
+uttered by our British lark, but the habits of the two are similar,
+but ours soars highest.</p>
+
+<p>We have improved our field mess, stores having been got privately
+among us. By this means we had a very good one o'clock dinner,
+followed by a snooze by some of us, while others slept straight on
+till tea-time. I set out alone for a walk into a part I had not
+visited before, namely, along the seashore west of Mex Camp, to
+Dakeilah village. I passed an old fort with three very old cast-iron
+guns of 9-inch bore, lying uselessly on their sides, one labelled
+"loaded&mdash;dangerous". Beyond that the sand is a great depth, and the
+natives seemed to have it divided into allotments, each piece dug into
+a deep, wide trench from 6 to 12 feet deep, and along the bottom they
+have a row of tomatoes. These grow luxuriantly, apparently in pure
+sand, but there is probably a liberal supply of manure below. Figs,
+dates, and grapes seem to be the chief fruits grown.</p>
+
+<p>I passed in a corner shaded by tall palm trees a large well which
+formed a perfect picture&mdash;children frisked about, while women drew
+water, and all about were their big water jars. Just beyond that my
+walk took me through a native cemetery, all the tombs exactly alike, a
+big base about five feet long and nearly three high, and a five foot
+column on each end. These were the more recent ones, the old graves
+were merely rough hillocks of stones and clay, as the modern ones will
+be some day.</p>
+
+<p>I was much astonished to-day at the large number of botanical
+specimens I came across. For such a sterile part it is most
+remarkable. I should say 200 species could be picked up in a
+forenoon's walk.</p>
+
+<p>On returning we all had a talk with a very intelligent Arab boy of
+about twelve summers, and got a number of <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_20" id="Page_20">[20]</a></span>words and a few phrases
+from him. All the native children are very pretty, they have good
+features, splendid eyes and teeth, and look as sharp as needles. If
+you dare speak to one it at once gives him an opening to demand
+backsheesh. I omitted to mention that the only Moslem minaret I have
+seen so far was in Dakeilah. These may be plentiful in Alexandria, but
+I have never been there in daylight.</p>
+
+<p>The following are some of the words taught us by the young Arab, but I
+found it impossible to find a satisfactory spelling for most of
+them:&mdash;</p>
+
+<div style="margin-left: 10%;">
+<table border="0" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="0" width="50%" summary="Arabic Words">
+  <tr>
+  <td class="tdl" width="40%">Gatusheira</td>
+  <td class="tdl" width="60%">Thank you.</td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr>
+  <td class="tdl">Daphtar</td>
+  <td class="tdl">A book.</td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr>
+  <td class="tdl">Chaima</td>
+  <td class="tdl">A tent.</td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr>
+  <td class="tdl">Muphta</td>
+  <td class="tdl">A key.</td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr>
+  <td class="tdl">Sigara</td>
+  <td class="tdl">A cigar.</td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr>
+  <td class="tdl">Salama lecho</td>
+  <td class="tdl">Good morning.</td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr>
+  <td class="tdl">Dasoyak</td>
+  <td class="tdl">Good-bye.</td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr>
+  <td class="tdl">Homar</td>
+  <td class="tdl">A donkey.</td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr>
+  <td class="tdl">Asioa</td>
+  <td class="tdl">Yes.</td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr>
+  <td class="tdl">La</td>
+  <td class="tdl">No.</td>
+  </tr>
+</table>
+</div>
+
+<p>The following Arabic words and phrases are from a piece of paper I
+picked up in Cox's Bank, Alexandria:&mdash;</p>
+
+<div style="margin-left: 8%;">
+<table border="0" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="0" width="70%" summary="Arabic words and phrases">
+  <tr>
+  <td class="tdl" width="33%">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;1. Wahed.</td>
+  <td class="tdl" width="33%">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;6. Setta.</td>
+  <td class="tdl" width="34%">&nbsp;&nbsp;11. Hidashar.</td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr>
+  <td class="tdl">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;2. Etneen.</td>
+  <td class="tdl">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;7. Saba'a.</td>
+  <td class="tdl">&nbsp;&nbsp;12. Etnashar.</td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr>
+  <td class="tdl">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;3. Talata.</td>
+  <td class="tdl">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;8. Tamanya.</td>
+  <td class="tdl">&nbsp;&nbsp;13. Talatashar.</td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr>
+  <td class="tdl">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;4. Arba'a.</td>
+  <td class="tdl">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;9. Tessa.</td>
+  <td class="tdl">&nbsp;&nbsp;20. Ashrin.</td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr>
+  <td class="tdl">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;5. Khamsa.</td>
+  <td class="tdl">&nbsp;&nbsp;10. Ashara.</td>
+  <td class="tdl">100. Miya.</td>
+  </tr>
+</table>
+</div>
+
+<div style="margin-left: 15%;">
+<table border="0" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="0" width="50%" summary="Arabic words and phrases">
+  <tr>
+  <td class="tdl" width="40%">Naharak said</td>
+  <td class="tdl" width="60%">Good morning.</td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr>
+  <td class="tdl">Sa'a kam</td>
+  <td class="tdl">What time.</td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr>
+  <td class="tdl">Sa'a waked</td>
+  <td class="tdl">One o'clock.</td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr>
+  <td class="tdl">Maragsh Arabi</td>
+  <td class="tdl">I don't speak Arabic.</td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr>
+  <td class="tdl">Kam tamanu</td>
+  <td class="tdl">What does it cost?</td>
+  </tr>
+</table>
+</div>
+
+<br />
+
+<p><i>April 5th.</i>&mdash;This has been a day of exceptional heat, and curiously
+is the religious day of the Moslems called Shem-el-nessim, which in
+Arabic means "breathing the <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_21" id="Page_21">[21]</a></span>cool breeze". To-day all their shops are
+shut, and the whole day is spent in the country. What is celebrated is
+the first of the hot simoon winds which last fifty days, and
+apparently the day for their commencement is most accurately gauged.
+We were all only too glad to carry out the written instructions we
+received some days ago, to keep under cover and try to sleep from noon
+to three o'clock, and if you cannot sleep yourself you must keep quiet
+and allow others to sleep. No bugle calls are allowed between these
+hours. All round us there has been haze through which the sun could
+not penetrate, but if he had the result would have been truly
+terrible. The dust has also been worse than usual and everything in my
+tent is grey. This is another of the plagues of Egypt. However, if
+rumour is true, we will soon depart from here for more active service.</p>
+
+<p>After dark to-night we went out in search of men supposed to be
+wounded, six of our bearers acting as these and starting fifteen
+minutes before the stretcher bearers. The night was very dark and the
+pure white ground looked absolutely even, and some narrow escapes were
+made, several finding just in time that they were on the edge of a
+precipice. We had planned a few signals, but the principal lesson we
+were taught was that these were too few in number, and owing to this
+whole stretcher squads got lost.</p>
+
+<p>We are still finding and having visits from new animals. To-day I had
+a dragon fly brought to me. I find I had seen several of these before
+but had mistaken them for locusts. The latter have much heavier
+bodies, but very similar wings. We have just had a visit from a huge
+beetle which we heard battering the tent, then it gradually got
+nearer, next hitting the tent pole and falling on the small table on
+which my candle flickers, the glare of which had attracted him. Kellas
+caught a moth and kept it for me. It was nothing much to look at, but
+it is <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_22" id="Page_22">[22]</a></span>the very first I have seen here. He also describes another moth
+he saw to-day as fluttering in front of a flower without alighting on
+it, but hovering and thrusting its proboscis into a long-tubed flower.
+I once saw a similar moth at Torphins (this had been the Humming bird
+moth which I have seen hundreds of since then).</p>
+
+<p>When different units get together in a camp the amount of thieving,
+technically called skirmishing, is beyond belief to anyone
+unaccustomed to camp life. At present we have two mules that do not
+belong to us. One wandered into our camp and a man who claimed it as
+belonging to his unit was told he had to prove his statement before he
+would be allowed to remove it, which he failed to do. To-day another
+was brought in tied to the tail-board of a wagon. It was seen
+wandering near the road between this and Alexandria, and the men in
+the wagon commandeered him at once, and here he will remain. I am a
+fairly good skirmisher myself, and when a wagon pole, for which I was
+responsible when unloading at the docks, did not turn up, I had two in
+its place in no time. We afterwards found that neither of them would
+fit any of our wagons. The cook has been handicapped in his work by
+having no table, but to-day he has one about 12 feet long which he
+tells me he got "over the road" last night when it was dark. Agassiz,
+our transport officer, requests us to look out for a picket rope; he
+would like it two inches thick and about 100 feet long. Rather a big
+order but should not be beyond our combined efforts.</p>
+
+<br />
+
+<p><i>April 6th.</i>&mdash;Two Infantry Brigades, our Ambulance (89th) and the West
+Lancashire Ambulance (87th) were inspected by General Sir Ian
+Hamilton. Like ourselves he is an Aberdonian, being a member of the
+Hamilton family of Skene House. We had a very dusty day, all returning
+to camp quite grey.</p>
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_23" id="Page_23">[23]</a></span>In the afternoon I visited Alexandria with Stephen and Thomson and had
+tea at the Hotel Majestic in the Square of Mahomet Ali, the finest
+part of the town, then we flattened our noses against shop windows and
+bought a few odds and ends for home. The shops along the street to the
+left of the Bourse (Rue Sheref Pasha) were good and interesting,
+especially one that sold only Egyptian goods&mdash;Tawa's&mdash;where we made
+most of our purchases.</p>
+
+<p>Then I chanced to come across Fiddes and Morris driving down this
+street when they hailed me and announced that they had just come from
+the Excelsior Hotel, the headquarters of the 29th Division, with the
+news that our bearers had to set off for the front before morning, and
+that I was one of the three officers who were to accompany them. We
+finished our shopping, and I went to Cook's office and wrote two post
+cards, then drove out to Mex, we all meeting round the mess table to
+hear the latest orders.</p>
+
+<br />
+
+<p><i>April 7th.</i>&mdash;Hung about all day in expectation of the promise from
+H.Q. that they would 'phone to us when it was decided at what hour we
+were to start. No message came during the day, then after 9 p.m. an
+officer came in from our Brigade H.Q., saying they were wondering at
+the boat "why the devil we were not on board". After a little 'phoning
+we discovered we had been overlooked, and we were ordered to march at
+once as our boat was to sail at 7 a.m. to-morrow. It was now past 10
+p.m. and the men had to be roused from their tents and the mules
+yoked. We fell in, 124 men and 3 officers, and amidst loud cheers and
+handshakes we set off and reached the docks about 1.30. We were only
+allowed light equipment, the men their kitbags, waterbottles,
+haversacks, and coats rolled in bandolier fashion (i.e. full marching
+order) while the officers were supposed not to exceed the regulation
+35 lbs. of baggage. Most of our equipment <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_24" id="Page_24">[24]</a></span>we left to come on with the
+tent subdivision and transport which are expected to sail on the 10th,
+in our old ship the "Marquette". Thus ended the first four miles of
+our journey, on this the last stage, while to-morrow we sail north,
+presumably for Gallipoli, but some say Smyrna, to join in what will be
+a most bloody affair&mdash;so we have been warned by Lord Kitchener who, in
+an address to our Infantry Battalions, has said that the work before
+us will be hard in the extreme, and that he had reserved our Infantry
+as the finest Battalions in the Army for this arduous job, and told
+them that they must be prepared to face great hardships and great
+sacrifices. In the 86th Brigade, to which our Ambulance is attached,
+we have four veteran Battalions, 2nd Royal Fusiliers, 1st Lancashire
+Fusiliers, 1st Royal Dublin Fusiliers, and the 1st Munster Fusiliers.
+This Brigade was described by Sir Ian Hamilton as the flower of the
+British Army. All have served nine or ten years in India and all have
+smelt powder.</p>
+
+<br />
+
+<p><i>April 8th.</i>&mdash;At 10.45 a.m. the Cunard liner, the "Ausonia" (better
+known at present as B4) cast off, and with the help of two tugs we
+were soon out on the open sea. She had sailed from Avonmouth on March
+16, the night on which we were booked to sail, and in the Bristol
+Channel some suspicious craft suddenly appeared. She at once altered
+her course and the two attendant torpedo boats gave chase to what was
+taken to be a German submarine. We had been told that the reason for
+our not sailing on the same date was that our boat was not in, but our
+captain afterwards told us he had been lying to for a whole week, but
+the presence of this submarine was the real reason.</p>
+
+<p>The forces for the present expedition against Turkey have concentrated
+in Alexandria, and are at present over 100,000 strong, mostly British
+but also largely French. <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_25" id="Page_25">[25]</a></span>To-day the pioneers of this huge force have
+set sail, and as far as I can gather our boat was the second to go
+out. We are doing 14 knots and in two or three days should reach our
+journey's end. The day is beautiful and the Mediterranean its deepest
+blue.</p>
+
+<p>I have been having a talk with the captain of the "Ausonia". He has
+only 64 tons of water on board, while he should have had ten times
+that amount. There are no pipes laid to the docks and the whole of the
+shipping has to depend on six water lighters which carry 60 tons each.
+At present these are totally unable to supply the huge number of
+transports in Alexandria. The half of these are flying two flags
+beside each other to denote a shortage of water. In both the ground is
+red, the upper with red diagonal stripes while the lower has a yellow
+cross.</p>
+
+<p>I find the cooking on the Cunard line very superior to what it was on
+the Red Star. Here it is as good as in a first-class hotel.</p>
+
+<br />
+
+<p><i>April 9th.</i>&mdash;At 10 a.m. we were opposite rocky land to port. Some say
+this is the island of Rhodes, others Abydos, but not having a map of
+the southern part of the Archipelago I am unable to give an opinion.
+About 11.30 we had land to starboard which a naval man assured me "was
+Rhodes right enough". He pointed to a camel-backed hill and said, "If
+there is a lighthouse opposite the middle of that, then I have no
+doubt about it". It was there sure enough when examined through a
+field glass.</p>
+
+<p>A short time after leaving Alexandria I found by the compass we were
+steering 20&deg; to 25&deg; W. of N. while all this forenoon we have gone due
+N. I have been out on the deck watching an engineer unit preparing
+posts for barbed wire. At present they have poles 12 feet long; both
+ends are being pointed and a pencil mark is drawn <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_26" id="Page_26">[26]</a></span>round the middle of
+the pole. They can thus quickly make two pointed posts by means of a
+saw, but they expect to find the long poles useful before that
+happens. They will lash their shovels and other tools to these, and
+two men can carry them on their shoulders.</p>
+
+<p>After lunch I had a conversation with my new friend, the captain of
+the "Ausonia". He tells me the island on our port side was neither
+Rhodes nor Abydos. The most interesting piece of news I got out of him
+was that our destination was Lemnos, but that he expected that it was
+merely as a rendezvous for the whole force, and was only 48 miles from
+Sedd-el-Bahr, on the south point of Gallipoli. His view is that we
+will land a short way north of that. He is against its being so far
+north as the Gulf of Saros and the narrow neck of land there. He
+thinks the preparations against our landing there would be too
+complete by now. He is in distress over his shortage of water as none
+is to be had in the small islands. This shortage of water got me into
+trouble with the O.C. the troops on board at general parade this
+morning. Many of the men had not shaved for two days, and some looked
+untidy and unwashed, but all put this down to their being denied water
+to slake their thirst, which must come before washing and shaving but
+the order was "see that it does not happen again". I advised one
+particularly hirsute chap to lower his shaving brush into the sea
+to-morrow at the end of a string.</p>
+
+<p>It is a remarkable thing, noted and spoken about by us all, how seldom
+the thought of home enters our minds. I merely note this as a curious
+fact. There is no excitement about the "bloody errand"&mdash;as some one
+called it this morning&mdash;we are on, so that that is not the cause.
+Perhaps it is just as well for us that we have worried so little.
+There is far too much pity lavished on us when we go forth to war.</p>
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_27" id="Page_27">[27]</a></span>The officers are in a state of wild excitement to-night. Wishing to
+have a game of baccarat some of them asked Whyte and myself to join
+them, which we did willingly, feeling that it was possibly our last
+night in civilisation. I did not understand the game but ended 7s. to
+the good.</p>
+
+<br />
+
+<p><i>April 10th.</i>&mdash;Reached Lemnos about noon. We passed numerous islands
+in the Archipelago, many small, and none showed signs of life except
+for an occasional lighthouse, but all the larger ones are inhabited,
+and grow currants, figs, and grapes in abundance.</p>
+
+<p>Lemnos has a huge roadstead, open to the south, and at present
+protected at the two southern points by big guns and searchlights. A
+long arm forming the inner harbour extends to the right, and here a
+large number of ships is lying, eight battleships being among the
+number. We and another transport are anchored in the middle of the
+roadstead, awaiting the arrival of the other members of the
+expedition. It is said that over 100,000 will arrive from Egypt. The
+greatest warship afloat, and one that figured largely in the
+bombardment of the Dardanelles two months ago, the "Queen Elizabeth,"
+lies a short way off on our starboard. The whole is shut in by steep
+hills, rough and rugged, some of which must be over 1000 feet high.
+The land between these and the water looks well cultivated, the
+brilliant green of young crops being a relief to our eyes after our
+long voyage. We have seen nothing but sea, rocks, chalk and sand since
+March 18. I see no chance of getting ashore, but nothing would delight
+me more than a scramble to the top of the highest peak away to the
+west.</p>
+
+<p>I was asking a Royal Naval Officer on board if our occupying Lemnos
+involved any breach of neutrality, belonging, as it does, to Greece.
+Although Greek, it has been leased by Turkey for years, and we have in
+reality seized it from the latter.</p>
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_28" id="Page_28">[28]</a></span>In the afternoon we entered the inner harbour and cast anchor in the
+middle of a number of transports. This inner harbour is more or less
+circular and is about three miles long and two wide.</p>
+
+<br />
+
+<p><i>April 11th.</i>&mdash;Several transports have arrived since we entered
+yesterday. When I looked through my port-hole at 6 o'clock this
+morning the surrounding country looked very fresh, and free from all
+haze, and the bright green of the crops and grass on the hill-sides
+would have done credit to old Ireland.</p>
+
+<p>After lunch I met Lt.-Col. Rooth of the Dublins, who gave me some
+authentic information concerning the proposed military landing on
+Gallipoli. The covering party for the whole expedition is to be our
+86th Brigade. The Munsters are in the S.S.T. "Caledonia," (B ii) lying
+alongside our ship. The Lancashires are there also. All these, along
+with our stretcher bearers, land together from cutters, and the date
+fixed is in all probability Wednesday, April 14, or the following day
+at latest. A very warm reception from the enemy on shore is expected,
+as I gather from the way the Dublin officers talk. It is also said
+that we will have to make a dash for it under the cover of night.</p>
+
+<p>Practically due north from where we lie we can see the top of a
+snow-clad mountain which must be several thousand feet in height. Is
+this in Imbros? (Samothrace.)</p>
+
+<p>A German Taube was seen over us to-day flying very high. Two
+hydroplanes went up from our fleet and scouted round us for several
+miles for over an hour. Some say another was seen very early in the
+morning.</p>
+
+<br />
+
+<p><i>April 12th.</i>&mdash;Orders were issued yesterday that we were to practice
+disembarking to-day in preparation for the landing on Gallipoli. The
+different units had to line <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_29" id="Page_29">[29]</a></span>up in the stations allotted to them, ours
+luckily being on the saloon deck where we will get use of the
+accommodation ladder instead of the rope ladder as first proposed.
+Except for our rations, which had not been issued, we had on our full
+marching order loads&mdash;revolver, water-bottle, ammunition, haversack,
+field glasses, map case, Burberry and ground sheet. When we land we
+will have about 5 lbs. of rations in addition.</p>
+
+<p>Several of the officers on our ship visited the "Queen Elizabeth"
+yesterday and returned with very alarming reports, this boat having
+many times taken part in bombarding the Dardanelles Forts has a good
+idea of what awaits us. They say the whole of Gallipoli swarms with
+Turks, and the whole coast is covered with trenches and barbed wire
+entanglements 6 feet high. They talk as if it meant absolute
+annihilation of our small covering force of about 5000. The whole
+remainder of the Expeditionary Force, I presume, will lie out at sea
+till the coast is clear&mdash;should we succeed in clearing it, but it is
+very evident every man I have spoken to has practically no hope of
+ever returning. They expect our landing cutters to be well peppered
+with shot and shell, and in our practice to-day we had to appear with
+the straps of all our equipment outside our shoulder straps, and the
+ends of our belts free, ready to whip open and get rid of it at a
+moment's notice. I noticed that all our officers were unusually quiet
+and serious last night, while they discussed the situation no doubt. I
+went to bed at my usual hour and slept like a top.</p>
+
+<p>The "Queen Elizabeth" went round to the Dardanelles to-day with the
+C.O.'s of the regiments which are to take part in the covering
+operations, looking for suitable places to disembark. We saw her
+return to harbour about 6 p.m., and we hear she was fired on.</p>
+
+<p>Whyte, Morris, and I anxiously watched a four-masted transport enter
+the harbour this evening thinking <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_30" id="Page_30">[30]</a></span>it was possibly the "Marquette,"
+but it proved to be A5, so that we have no chance of hearing from home
+before to-morrow. We want our mail before we set off again, as the
+next time will be for a long and indefinite period. All the transports
+are named "B," "A," or "C"&mdash;British, Australian, or Colonial. Ours the
+"Ausonia" is B4&mdash;no fewer than ninety transports lay in the harbour of
+Alexandria ready to carry our troops to Lemnos.</p>
+
+<br />
+
+<p><i>April 13th.</i>&mdash;I have just returned from a trip ashore, the O.C. the
+troops granting me leave on request to do so with twenty-four of our
+men. We had three-quarters of an hour on land and had time to climb to
+the top of a small hill. What struck me most on the more level ground
+was the amount and stickiness of the mud, which was almost equal to
+our horse lines at Bedford. Every spot was covered with flowers,
+mostly of the vetch family. The corn crops were absolutely choked with
+a large, spiked, dark purple vetch, with a sprinkling of the common
+poppy (<i>Papaver Dubium</i>), and the ordinary charlock of the corn fields
+at home, and another species of this same family. I found two mallows,
+two or three thistles, one with a head like our Melancholy thistle,
+but the commonest was one with white lines on the leaf. There were
+numerous other flowers, so numerous that I thought this explained why
+so much of the honey used in Britain came from Greece and these
+islands. At the top of the hill we met a few shepherds tending sheep
+and cattle, many of the sheep wearing bells which kept up a constant
+tinkling. The men were very picturesque in their moccasin shoes,
+sheepskin waistcoats and heavy coats with hoods. On the way from shore
+with fourteen men at the six oars it was very nearly too much for us
+to reach our boat, the wind having risen suddenly. It must have taken
+us an hour to row about half a mile.</p>
+
+<p>Orders have come to us to-day about our landing. <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_31" id="Page_31">[31]</a></span>We are warned to
+keep our equipment dry as we will be waist-deep in water on leaving
+the tow boats. Rumour had it yesterday that Thursday night had been
+definitely fixed, but this afternoon it is said that the landing is
+likely to take place to-morrow. The thought of this, in spite of the
+warm reception promised, does not frighten one in the very least: I
+can honestly say that it never once entered my head when on shore
+to-day. When it comes to the pinch one can face the inevitable with
+perfect coolness.</p>
+
+<p>The following I have copied from the directory of the 29th Division,
+there being two alterations since it was published:&mdash;</p>
+
+<div class="block">
+<table border="0" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="0" width="60%" summary="86th Infantry Brigade">
+  <tr>
+  <td colspan="2" class="tdc">86th Infantry Brigade.</td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr>
+  <td class="tdl" width="30%">Commander</td>
+  <td class="tdl" width="70%">Brig.-General S.W. Hare.</td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr>
+  <td class="tdl">Brig.-Major</td>
+  <td class="tdl">Capt. T.H.C. Frankland, R. Dub. Fus.</td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr>
+  <td class="tdl">Staff. Capt.</td>
+  <td class="tdl">Capt. H.M. Farmer, Lanc. Fus.</td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr>
+  <td class="tdl">2 Royal Fus.</td>
+  <td class="tdl">Lt.-Col. H.C.B. Newenham.</td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr>
+  <td class="tdl">Adjt.</td>
+  <td class="tdl">T.D. Shafto.</td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr>
+  <td class="tdl">1 Lanc. Fus.</td>
+  <td class="tdl">Lt.-Col. H.V.S. Ormond.</td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr>
+  <td class="tdl">Adjt.</td>
+  <td class="tdl">Capt. C. Bromley.</td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr>
+  <td class="tdl">1 Munster Fus.</td>
+  <td class="tdl">Lt.-Col. H.E. Tizard.</td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr>
+  <td class="tdl">Adjt.</td>
+  <td class="tdl">Capt. H.S. Wilson.</td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr>
+  <td class="tdl">1 W. Fus.</td>
+  <td class="tdl">Lt.-Col. Rooth.</td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr>
+  <td class="tdl">Adjt.</td>
+  <td class="tdl">Major C.T.W. Grimshaw, D.S.O.</td>
+  </tr>
+</table>
+</div>
+
+<p>The commander of the Division is General Hunter-Weston, R.E.</p>
+
+<p>The great harbour of Lemnos is gradually filling; we had about thirty
+troopships in the inner harbour, and before lunch seven were lying in
+the outer. It was a magnificent sight from the top of the hill I have
+mentioned.</p>
+
+<br />
+
+<p><i>April 14th.</i>&mdash;Wednesday. Had a very slow day on board, feeling that I
+was badly in need of some hard physical exercise. No attack to be made
+to-day, that is <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_32" id="Page_32">[32]</a></span>evident, and I doubt if we are ready for it
+to-morrow. Orders are out for the usual drill to-morrow which now
+always consists of boating, landing, and climbing rope ladders
+swinging about in mid-air.</p>
+
+<p>After dinner I had a long talk with one of the ship's officers who had
+been in the navy for years, and is now attached to this boat to look
+after things naval. "The charge ashore" of the covering party he
+considers a vast mistake, and his idea is that the authorities have
+just discovered this too, and are reconsidering its advisability. A
+few machine-guns could wipe us all out before we get ashore. We are to
+be covered by the navy, but what is the use of big guns against
+individuals planted everywhere in trenches. However it is not for us
+"to reason why". My informant had been talking yesterday to the
+Brigade Major, and on asking him if we were still going to Gallipoli
+he said, "Oh, I think so".</p>
+
+<br />
+
+<p><i>April 15th.</i>&mdash;Prepared this morning to go ashore with full equipment
+and lifebelt, but in the end no boat was available for the R.A.M.C.
+Just after breakfast I met a naval man on the stair leading down to
+the saloon, looking for the O.C. the troops, Col. Rooth, and he sent
+him a message through me, introducing himself as the commander of our
+covering ship. Looking over the rail I found H.M.S. "Cornwallis"
+painted on his steam-launch.</p>
+
+<p>6.15 p.m. Just returned from a five mile sail in a rowing boat, Morris
+and I being determined to find the "Marquette" if she was among the
+ships out in the offing, being anxious to get our letters, but she was
+not there. We sorrowfully wheeled about and returned, encircling the
+"Queen Elizabeth" with her eight 15-inch guns, then along to examine
+the German ship "Acane Herksman," which struck one of their own mines
+off Smyrna. A huge hole 7 or 8 feet wide had been blown in her bow
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_33" id="Page_33">[33]</a></span>which must have flooded her in a minute or so, but I forget how she
+was kept afloat. She was brought round here as a prize with her stern
+heavily loaded with sandbags which tilted her bow completely out of
+the water.</p>
+
+<p>Our row was a most enjoyable one, and the men rowed with a will, all
+expecting to get their home mail. The country round the bay was very
+beautiful with its green cultivated fields near the water, and
+complete circle of rugged hills, and the distant snowclad mountains
+away to the far North. All returned hungry, and while enjoying a cup
+of tea at a table of Engineer officers, we heard what is evidently the
+latest proposal about the invasion of Gallipoli. Instead of landing us
+from troopships we all go on battleships, which seems to us to be an
+improvement. We are also likely to land at three if not four different
+points at the same time. This new plan will likely take a few more
+days to develop, so that we may expect a few days' grace yet. We have
+very exact maps of Gallipoli on a large scale, with full accounts of
+all the possible landing places and the interior, with soundings round
+the whole peninsula, the nature and the amount of water to be expected
+at various points, etc.</p>
+
+<br />
+
+<p><i>April 16th.</i>&mdash;Beautiful day; nothing stirring, even no fresh rumours
+afloat. Had a long sail to-day again with Whyte and twenty-five men in
+search of the "Marquette". Believing that the "Marquette's" new name
+was "B. 8," I boarded "B. 9," which has been here for a day or two,
+hoping the captain might be able to tell me something of her
+movements, but he thinks she has not left Alexandria. This is a
+terrible disappointment to us all, and as her load is mainly
+horse-flesh it is likely true. Horses would suffer badly lying in the
+harbour where the ventilation would be very bad and would mean death
+to many of them. I think I omitted to state that we lost nineteen
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_34" id="Page_34">[34]</a></span>horses between Avonmouth and Alexandria, this high death-rate being
+due to the want of proper ventilation.</p>
+
+<p>Whyte and I next went over a Hospital ship, the "Soudan"&mdash;which we saw
+in Malta, but was lying here on our arrival. She has four lady nurses,
+two of whom we saw. One can hardly imagine petticoats out here. We
+both agreed that the sight of them did us a lot of good.</p>
+
+<br />
+
+<p><i>April 17th.</i>&mdash;Had breakfast at six, paraded at seven and stood on
+deck till 10.45 waiting our turn to cross to a collier that is to be
+used in the Gallipoli attack. The intention is to run her ashore at
+full speed, ploughing into the sands, when her load of 2000 men are to
+get overboard as best they can on to floating gangways. By a long
+circuitous route we all got into our places, and were packed close on
+the various decks which have had large square openings cut through the
+iron plates of the sides of the ship, and from these and the upper
+deck we have to decamp as quickly as possible.</p>
+
+<p>But there is now a rumour that the 89th Ambulance may not have the
+honour of participating in this dash. Whyte and I are greatly upset by
+this rumour which we hope to goodness is nothing but a mistake on
+Morris's part.</p>
+
+<p>Went out in the afternoon looking for the "Marquette," but she has not
+yet arrived. With some officers of the West Riding Engineers, Whyte
+and I visited the "Queen Elizabeth," the most powerful ship afloat,
+and went over her lower front turret, climbing by an iron ladder to
+the top, lowering ourselves through a manhole and clattering down on
+the floor behind the breeches of the guns. The muzzles of these guns
+look enormous, but I was completely thunderstruck when I saw the two
+great breeches side by side. They reminded me of two big engine
+boilers. They must be about 6 feet in diameter and are <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_35" id="Page_35">[35]</a></span>probably not
+less. The officer who took us round had a breech block swung back, and
+we were allowed to examine everything freely.</p>
+
+<br />
+
+<p><i>April 18th.</i>&mdash;Started once more on the hunt for the "Marquette" (now
+B. 13) and found her at last out in the offing waiting for medical
+leave and orders to enter the harbour. Until she was medically
+examined we were not allowed on board, and had to yell to our friends
+on the upper deck and had a large mail bag lowered for the Ambulance.
+My letters had been looked out by Stephen, and these were lowered in
+his helmet at the end of a 2-inch rope.</p>
+
+<p>We enjoyed the sail over an absolutely smooth sea, and being Sunday we
+could hear and see that service was being conducted on several
+warships and troopers. That warlike tune "Onward! Christian Soldiers"
+was well played by a band on an Australian troopship, all singers and
+non-singers on our boat joining in. "Queen Elizabeth" is familiarly
+and affectionately known as "Lizzie" by all and sundry.</p>
+
+<br />
+
+<p><i>April 19th.</i>&mdash;To-day is warmer than we have felt it since we left
+Mex. I have been observing all along how few birds are to be seen
+here. I saw a few small ones the day I was on shore, but I have never
+seen any of these flying over the bay or about the ships. The harbour
+gets very filthy, and highly "smelly". All refuse is dumped overboard,
+and pipes are continually discharging their filth from openings at
+various levels all round each ship. Food of all kinds, especially
+whole loaves and buns float about everywhere, enough to feed thousands
+of gulls, if they would only come along and scavenge. To-day I counted
+over thirty gulls in one flock, but I would not have believed before
+that there were so many about the whole bay.</p>
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_36" id="Page_36">[36]</a></span>We had a call in the afternoon from our friends of the "Marquette"
+with another mail bag. I had one letter and an Aberdeen "Evening
+Express". Whyte and I returned with them and all had a very jovial
+dinner together. The latest news from H.Q. on the Cunarder "Andania"
+is that we are not to lose our post of honour after all. It was after
+nine when we started for our own ship and had a pleasant and noisy
+trip. We were challenged by "Lizzie" under whose stern we passed, with
+"boat ahoy," and we had to explain who we were. Not one of the ships
+is showing any light.</p>
+
+<p>Our "Marquette" friends told us of a narrow escape they had had. On
+their way from Alexandria they were immediately preceded by the
+"Manitou" (B. 12), which had three torpedoes fired at her by a Turkish
+torpedo boat, but at such close range that the torpedoes as they dived
+into the sea from the deck, went so deep that they passed under the
+ship. The "Manitou" is a sister ship of the "Marquette". Making sure
+that their end had come there was a panic, and as a boat was being
+lowered past the upper deck so many crowded on board that the davits
+broke and the whole mass crashed down on another boat already in the
+water, killing about forty.</p>
+
+<br />
+
+<p><i>April 20th.</i>&mdash;In the afternoon I visited the village of Mudros on the
+south side of the harbour. There are several camps near this, and I
+first visited the French Foreign Legion where there were troops from
+many parts&mdash;Zouaves, Turcos, etc. I walked through the village which
+was very interesting. The money-making Greek is taking advantage of
+there being so many men about, and almost every house contains
+something for sale, with numerous newly erected wooden shops near the
+French quarters. Alcohol is cheap, a bottle of wine costing
+sevenpence. There were fig trees in every garden, and dried figs for
+sale, strung on string, which <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_37" id="Page_37">[37]</a></span>looked dry and filthy. Honey was much
+in evidence, this part of the world producing enormous quantities of
+this. The principal article of merchandise was Turkish delight. When
+examining various articles at a stall, I chanced to open a box of this
+and said "Turkish Delight!" "No, no, no," said the man, "Graeke
+Delight!" The name "Turkish" will not do at present.</p>
+
+<p>An old fellow, clean shaved except for an enormous moustache, took us
+over his windmill, and it was strange to see the great wooden wheels
+and wooden teeth all dry and creaking, no oil being used.</p>
+
+<p>The wind had risen and it cost us an hour and a half's hard pulling to
+cover less than a mile. A big gathering of men at the stern of our
+ship watched our perplexity and began to sing "Pull for the shore,
+sailor," which was replied to by volleys of oaths and threats of
+vengeance. By this time my hands were badly blistered, and we had
+smashed an oar so that our tempers were none of the best.</p>
+
+<br />
+
+<p><i>April 21st.</i>&mdash;Marching orders were received this morning. They run as
+follows: "The object is to capture and dominate Kilid Bahr. The Royal
+Naval Division is to make a feint attack on Bulair. The Australians
+are to land at Kapa Teke. The 29th Division is to land at Helles
+Burnu. The French are to land at Kum Kale on the Asiatic side.</p>
+
+<p>"The 29th Division are to attack Kilid Bahr:&mdash;</p>
+
+<p>"A. A force to land at Eski Hissarlik.</p>
+
+<p>"B. A force west of Krithia.</p>
+
+<p>"C. A force on the rest of the south of the peninsula.</p>
+
+<p>"1. The first line of defence to be '114, '138, '141.</p>
+
+<p>"2. The second through the "e" of Old Castle to join hands with Y.
+Beach.</p>
+
+<p>"3. From Eski Hissarlik to East of Krithia to '472.</p>
+
+<p>"4. To capture Achi Baba and line running south of it.</p>
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_38" id="Page_38">[38]</a></span>"5. To occupy a line running East of Achi Baba to the sea; and west of
+it to sea by 472.</p>
+
+<p>"The covering force is the 86th Brigade, the South Wales Borderers,
+1st King's Own Scottish Borderers, 2nd Hampshires less two companies,
+Plymouth Royal Naval Division, West Riding Engineers, 1st Section
+Royal London Engineers, and a tent-subdivision of the 87th Field
+Ambulance, and a part of a tent-subdivision of the 88th Field
+Ambulance, and three bearer-subdivisions of the 89th Field Ambulance.</p>
+
+<p>"A hot meal is to be taken before leaving the ship.</p>
+
+<p>"There will be a signal station at W. Beach, Divisional Head-quarters
+on the 'Euryalus'.</p>
+
+<p>"No water to be drunk till tested owing to the risk of its being
+poisoned."</p>
+
+<p>So ran the orders from our G.O.C. in C.&mdash;General Sir <span class="sc">Ian
+Hamilton</span>.</p>
+
+<p>On going on deck before breakfast I found everything had been arranged
+for our departure this afternoon at four o'clock, and since then all
+has been hurry and bustle. But from early morning till about 3 p.m. it
+rained and the wind blew, and the whole world was in haze, and as it
+had been arranged that Gallipoli was to be well bombarded by our ships
+to-day before the army attempted a landing all had to be postponed for
+another twenty-four hours.</p>
+
+<br />
+
+<p><i>April 22nd.</i>&mdash;To-day we gave the men their Iodine ampules for use
+with their first field dressings, and distributed General
+Hunter-Weston's address congratulating our Brigade on the honour done
+us on receiving the chief post of danger in the coming attack, which
+will likely be at daybreak on Saturday, April 24. Before the Turkish
+trenches can be reached by our men it is expected that they will have
+to get through a wire entanglement 25 feet wide and 6 feet high.
+According to the present <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_39" id="Page_39">[39]</a></span>plans we are to be preceded by the Royal
+Munster Fusiliers.</p>
+
+<p>There is great activity in Lemnos Harbour this morning, especially
+among the torpedo boats which have been flitting about at their
+hardest. No boats have been allowed to leave our ship for two days,
+the order being that this can only be done if to save life. Water,
+which we were much in need of, was brought on board last night, and we
+are ready to start off&mdash;and have been since yesterday at 4 p.m. the
+appointed hour. But it would be contrary to all my experience if we
+got away at the fixed time.</p>
+
+<p>Fiddes arrived from the "Marquette" at lunch time and brought my
+service cap, helmets having been recalled a week ago.</p>
+
+<p>Lord Kitchener sent us the other day an account of the fighting at
+Busorah, preparing us for what was before us. The Turks had fought
+desperately, were well trained, and well led, and could only be turned
+out of their trenches at the point of the bayonet.</p>
+
+<p>General Sir Ian Hamilton, Commander-in-Chief of the Mediterranean
+Force, sends us his address:&mdash;</p>
+
+<div class="block">
+<p class="right"><span class="sc">"Force Order (Special),</span><br />
+<span class="sc">"General Head-quarters,</span><br />
+<span style="padding-right: 2em;">"<i>April 21, 1915.</i></span></p>
+
+<p>"Soldiers of France and of the King!</p>
+
+<p>"Before us lies an adventure unprecedented in modern war. Together
+with our comrades of the fleet we are about to force a landing
+upon an open beach in face of positions which have been vaunted by
+our enemies as impregnable. The landing will be made good, by the
+help of God and the Navy, the positions will be stormed, and the
+war brought one step nearer to a glorious close.</p>
+
+<p>"'Remember,' said Lord Kitchener, when bidding <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_40" id="Page_40">[40]</a></span>adieu to your
+commander, 'Remember, once you set foot on the Gallipoli
+Peninsula, you must fight the thing through to a finish'.</p>
+
+<p>"The whole world will be watching our progress. Let us prove
+ourselves worthy of the great feat of arms entrusted to us.</p>
+
+<p class="right">"(Signed) &nbsp;&nbsp;<span class="sc">Ian Hamilton</span>, <i>General</i>."</p></div>
+
+<br />
+
+<p><i>April 23rd.</i>&mdash;Spent most of the forenoon on the "Caledonia" (B. iii),
+which is lashed to our port side. Agassiz and Thomson arrived there
+yesterday with nineteen men, forming one tent-subdivision, and go with
+us.</p>
+
+<p>A different atmosphere pervades our ship to-day, a feeling of strain
+and anxiety is more or less on every mind, not that it would be
+apparent to an outsider except in a case or two. Bad news has leaked
+in all the time from the navy and our airmen, all the time this
+getting worse, such as the account that Gallipoli swarms with
+well-armed Turks, wire entanglements of great breadth and height
+everywhere, and, of course, trenches. We have plans of their trenches
+and gun emplacements, but these can only be roughly correct. Then
+yesterday the airmen made another reconnaissance, and they say they
+have found a great increase of guns. We may be outnumbered ten or
+twelve to one, and our having to face their well-defended positions in
+open boats is not altogether comforting, and naturally all feel a bit
+anxious. General Hare, our Brigadier, spoke to me on the "Caledonia,"
+and I thought he looked worried, and is thinner than when I saw him
+last at Coventry. Col. Rooth of the Dublins does not look over happy.
+He came down to lunch, had a look at the table, and went up to deck
+with a cigarette, and at the present moment he stands near where I am
+writing with both hands in his pockets, peering straight down the side
+of the ship into the waters. Those of us with less responsibility are
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_41" id="Page_41">[41]</a></span>certainly less troubled; all are prepared for great sacrifices, and
+every one is ready to play his part in what will certainly be a great
+tragedy.</p>
+
+<p>The particular part of the coast on which I land with the 89th Field
+Ambulance is a short way west of Sedd-el-Bahr, landing in the collier
+"River Clyde," on which there will be a force of 2100. I have already
+spoken about this boat. From what is going on I will be surprised if
+we do not leave Lemnos to-night.</p>
+
+<p>8.30 p.m. Off! We set sail from Lemnos at 4.57, two boats of the A.
+class going out before us, but these two anchored outside while we led
+straight on. On coming on deck after dinner we found three warships on
+our starboard side, said to be the "Swiftsure," "Dublin," and
+"Euryalus," all in line, no lights on them or us. Our port-holes are
+covered first with cardboard and the iron shutters are down over it.
+The sharer of my cabin (Lt. G.A. Balfour, a relative of the statesman)
+and I wonder if we should sleep on deck, the atmosphere here will be
+uncomfortably close. The evening as we started was perfect, warm and
+absolutely calm. Now the moon looks watery and has a big halo, and
+wind is prophesied by the ship's officers. We drag three large barges
+alongside which prevent our going at much speed, and it is expected
+that we will reach Tenedos about 3 a.m.</p>
+
+<br />
+
+<p><i>April 24th.</i>&mdash;Saturday. Reached Tenedos and cast anchor at 9.30 a.m.
+We had been delayed by the wind rising and the waves dashed over our
+lighters till they were nearly swamped. On our east we have the coast
+of Asia with several high hills near the coast.</p>
+
+<p>All the transports&mdash;not many yet arrived but B. s. i., ii., and iii.
+form a little group&mdash;torpedo boats and destroyers, mine-sweepers, tugs
+and other small fry lie in a bay, and as if for defence, and no doubt
+that is their <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_42" id="Page_42">[42]</a></span>purpose, eight big battleships are drawn up in line
+facing the open sea. The famous "Horse of Troy," the "River Clyde,"
+lies near, and the thought of spending the coming night on her lowest
+deck is not attractive. She is painted khaki on one side I see, but
+only in patches, the idea evidently is to make her resemble a
+sandstone rock&mdash;all very ingenious no doubt, but she will make a good
+target in spite of her paint.</p>
+
+<p>I said yesterday that all the officers looked anxious, but in the
+evening all were their old selves exactly, and baccarat went on as
+usual among the younger officers who sang all their usual songs and
+yelled and laughed till midnight. I was in bed by ten and slept even
+better than usual, and it was with an effort I got up at 8 o'clock.
+The fact that I was in a new part and in the midst of a big fleet did
+not even seem to interest me very much. Nor does the thought of
+to-morrow disturb any one, and, as far as I can judge, it is not very
+often in one's mind.</p>
+
+<p>We lie on the north side of Tenedos, near the foot of Mount St. Elias.
+Several of us were guessing the height of this hill, and none put it
+at over 250 feet although its actual height is 625 feet.</p>
+
+<p>At 3 p.m. came a naval message ordering us all to be ready for
+transfer to our respective boats at 3.45&mdash;all hurry and bustle. I have
+loaded up and am at present guarding a pile of coats, water-bottles,
+etc., belonging to our men who have hurried off to the galley to get
+their last meal for the day. The sea has been rough all day but is now
+calmer, and there is every prospect of fine weather for to-morrow's
+murderous work. Away to the east the Asiatic coast is beautifully lit
+up by the setting sun, also the yellow rocks that stretch to Kum Kale
+on the south of the entrance to the Dardanelles, while the hills on
+Gallipoli are visible but in haze. From my present post I look over
+the Plain of Troy to the high <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_43" id="Page_43">[43]</a></span>mountains beyond. To-morrow it is to be
+Troy Field and the wooden horse of Troy all over again.</p>
+
+<p>10.30 p.m.&mdash;Arrived on coal boat at 6.30. Place in stern fitted up for
+officers' supper; two lime barrels and a few rough boards form table:
+whisky: tinned meat: biscuits: 2200 of us on board: all happy and fit.
+We start in two hours: only 12 or 13 miles to go: then anchor 1&frac12;
+miles from land and wait for daylight and bombardment; then at proper
+moment rush in: said that coast is to be battered with 150,000 shells.
+Supper finished some time ago and am writing this in the mess I have
+just mentioned. Some sleeping or pretending; others smoking; I doing
+latter and sitting on board after trying to snooze with head on a big
+box and less high one in small of back; but too uncomfortable for
+anything, so whipped out my "bookie" and scribbled; light bad, only an
+oily lamp with glass smoked black, and nearly 20 feet distant. Queer
+scene altogether.</p>
+
+<br />
+
+<p><i>April 25th.</i>&mdash;Sunday is just ten minutes old, and the ship's screw
+has started&mdash;we are off!</p>
+
+<p><i>Later.</i>&mdash;Still Sunday the 25th&mdash;5.15 p.m.</p>
+
+<p>Hell with the lid off! Yes, I know what hell is, nor do I believe
+anyone in the world knows better. To-day I have seen shells plunging
+through the ship's hold in which I was, carrying off heads and legs,
+but my pulse has not once given an extra beat. "My word, sir," said a
+tar coming up to me, "you have a nerve." Tars have no lack of nerve as
+I have seen to-day, and I felt vastly proud of the compliment. Three
+of our Generals are reported on the casualty list, and Col.
+Smith-Carrington shot through the head on the bridge of our ship.</p>
+
+<p>The bombardment commenced at 4.50 a.m. and was expected to carry on
+for an hour or a little over, but after twelve hours of the most
+terrific cannonade ever experienced in this world it has not yet come
+to an end. Now <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_44" id="Page_44">[44]</a></span>at 5.30 an occasional shot comes from a battleship.
+The constant roar has made my head ache, and I am dead tired, having
+worked hard all day, and I must give an account of this another day.</p>
+
+<br />
+
+<p><i>April 26th.</i>&mdash;The battle of Sedd-el-Bahr still rages, and with a fury
+but little less than yesterday. Yesterday was a very hard day, after
+attending wounded almost continuously up to 8.30 p.m. I volunteered to
+go ashore to see the wounded on the beach. The dead and dying were
+here in hundreds. Before I got back to the ship at 4 this morning I
+had a very hot time of it, and cannot understand why I am not a dead
+man. We were told yesterday that a counter-attack was to be made and
+that the Turks intended to blow the ship to pieces with cannon, which
+they were to bring up in the night. When the attack did come I gave up
+all hopes of anything but slaughter, as the men we had on land were
+insufficient in number to meet a large force.</p>
+
+<p>About fifty men were leaving the ship when this started, and at the
+sound of the firing all fell flat on their faces, and if any one dared
+to move he was at once fired at. Some one on a barge next the small
+boat in which I had taken shelter asked if he could crawl into our
+boat, but I dared him or anyone else to move as such movement would
+only draw fire on every one of us. Not a man stirred, but lay on his
+face from midnight to 4 o'clock. It was not till the end of the attack
+that I learned these men had an officer with them. As I lay in the
+boat I shouted to them that an assault on us was likely, and ordered
+them to load and fix bayonets, and to see that all had plenty of
+ammunition. Extra bandoliers of cartridges were passed up from the
+rear, each pushing these along with a clatter. All this with the red
+cross on my arm! And with loaded revolver in hand I was prepared to
+die game.</p>
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_45" id="Page_45">[45]</a></span>The wounds I saw yesterday were in every part of the body, and most
+were severe, and the death-rate in proportion to wounded will be very
+high, many having four or five wounds.</p>
+
+<p>Snipers are giving an extraordinary amount of trouble, the ground
+yielding itself to numerous hiding places overlooking our beach, about
+the rocks on our left as well as the immense old fort. The end of the
+fort nearest us is now but a jumble of huge stones and is an excellent
+place for snipers. A number of jackdaws and three huge storks had
+their dwelling here and have now to live pretty much in the heavens,
+circling over their old home in an excited condition.</p>
+
+<p>It is now but 11.30 a.m. and I have been having a rest preparatory to
+the advance we are to make this afternoon. I have not had a wink of
+sleep since the 24th.</p>
+
+<p>We join up with the French this afternoon. How the guns still thunder!
+The "Queen Elizabeth" with her 15-inch guns thundering over our heads
+as we rushed in past her at close quarters seemed to make our boat of
+6600 tons sink some way in the water at every broadside. I was
+surprised to find that the heavy gunfire gave me no trouble, although
+like most of the others I began with cotton wool in my ears, but half
+an hour of this was enough, it interfered with sounds it was necessary
+to hear.</p>
+
+<p>Here I am writing in the midst of one of the greatest battles in
+history. Any bombardment this world has ever known was a mere
+bagatelle to this.</p>
+
+<p>To-day we had a naval funeral of General Napier and Colonel
+Smith-Carrington. The former was killed on a barge attached to us, and
+the other on the bridge. No one is to be present but the Catholic
+padre. A number of men are to be buried at the same time. The orders I
+received stated that all bodies had to be got rid of before we
+advanced. A pinnace from a warship was signalled for and all were
+taken out to sea.</p>
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_46" id="Page_46">[46]</a></span>Our advance from the shore began to-day about noon, our men lining out
+along the sands and the banks above, and gradually getting forward by
+short rushes. Barbed wire had also to be cut. But the advance through
+the village was the most difficult, as the remains of houses and
+garden walls contained snipers. I almost shiver to look back on a mad
+thing I did to-day&mdash;mad because it was done out of mere curiosity. I
+was asked to go to "Old Fort" beyond the village, near the outermost
+capture for to-day to see Colonel Doughty-Wylie and Major Grimshaw who
+were reported badly wounded. Both were dead, and as I was about to
+return I was next asked if I would go to a garden at the top of the
+village to see some wounded men. Afterwards I went right through the
+village alone, with only my revolver in my hand, and from the houses
+sniping was still going on. I had been assured that it was supposed to
+be safe. I peered into a number of wrecked houses&mdash;every house had
+been blown to bits&mdash;and I had not long returned when sniping commenced
+from a prominent corner house I had just passed. The only living
+things I saw in the village were two cats and a dog. I was very sorry
+for a cat that had cuddled close to the face of a dead Turk in the
+street, one leg embracing the top of his head. I went up to stroke and
+sympathise with it for the loss of what I took to be its master, when
+I found that the upper part of the man's head had been blown away, and
+the cat was enjoying a meal of human brains. The dog followed till I
+came upon three Dublin Fusiliers, who wished to shoot it straight away
+when I pleaded for it, but one of them had a shot at it when my back
+was turned and the poor brute went off howling. I had done my best,
+when going along the fosse of the "Old Fort," to save a badly wounded
+Turk from three of another battalion who were standing over him and
+discussing the advisability of putting an end to him, but I am afraid
+my interference was in vain here also.</p>
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_47" id="Page_47">[47]</a></span>Away beyond the heights we have taken to-day the country is very
+pretty with plenty of trees and vegetation. Here I saw dead and
+wounded Turks in abundance, especially at some of their own wire
+entanglements, several wounded being stretched out on the wires. Their
+wire is very barbarous and has long, closely set spikes, and the
+position must have been anything but comfortable.</p>
+
+<p>Another counter-attack&mdash;the third&mdash;has just been made, and one of our
+battleships has joined in.</p>
+
+<p>The Dublins, whose officers I have associated most with, have only
+three of these left out of twenty-seven. I came across two of these
+to-day&mdash;Padre Finn, R.C. Chaplain, whom I knew well and greatly
+respected, I found at the edge of the sea, with his clothes thrown
+open exhibiting a wound in the chest. And in the village, all huddled
+up among long weeds and nettles I found a lieutenant who sat at my
+table on the "Ausonia"&mdash;Bernard. In both cases death must have been
+instantaneous.</p>
+
+<p>Here comes a fourth attack. Our boys are to have a night of it.</p>
+
+<p>To-day only about eighteen shells were fired at the "River Clyde" all
+from the Asiatic side, only one hitting. We were putting wounded on
+board at the time and most of the shots were directed against these
+operations.</p>
+
+<p>I have had no sleep since I left Tenedos, but to-night I feel very
+fresh, although the day has been long and busy.</p>
+
+<p>All who know are quite satisfied with to-day's progress, and the hope
+that the worst is over cheers one. To-morrow we will have to move on,
+we must keep the Turks on the run. Some of the prisoners taken to-day
+are German.</p>
+
+<p>(Being unable in my letters to my wife to give a full account of all
+that was doing, my diary was meant to fill in gaps, and as I had sent
+home a fairly full account of the landing much is omitted here, and I
+will give a more <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_48" id="Page_48">[48]</a></span>extended description as seen by myself. About this
+time in particular my diary had to be written at odd moments, and it
+was rare that I could go far without being disturbed, and writing a
+few sentences half a dozen times a day, or even oftener, often ended
+in a jumble.)</p>
+
+<p>Of the five British landings the one at Sedd-el-Bahr (V. Beach) was
+the most difficult and disastrous.</p>
+
+<p>On the 24th of April we were still lying at Tenedos, and in the
+afternoon were transferred to the "River Clyde". We learned the
+previous day that we were to land from this old coal boat that had
+been rendered so peculiar with her great, gaping holes, and khaki
+splashes on her starboard side. She had been an object of curiosity to
+us in Lemnos harbour, no one having any idea of her purpose.</p>
+
+<p>Before dark all the men were served with tea and food, which we were
+told was to be their last solid meal. Soon after this the men retired
+to rest in a hold near the stern which had been allotted to the West
+Riding Engineers and ourselves. The officers took up their quarters in
+the stern deck house, where we had cocoa, tinned meat, etc., after
+which we too tried to make ourselves as comfortable as possible in the
+most uncomfortable of all quarters, most shutting their eyes and
+pretending to be asleep.</p>
+
+<p>Our nerves were now fully strung, we knew we were on the very eve of
+the landing, which we were assured was to be rendered easy by the
+Navy, which had promised that their bombardment was to be so terrific
+that nothing the size of a cockroach would be left alive on the
+peninsula. We soon learned to our cost how difficult it was to
+substantiate this assertion.</p>
+
+<p>From Tenedos we were but a small party of ships. In the pitchy
+darkness we had fallen in with the bigger fleet coming direct from
+Lemnos, and as we crept along, every ship in total darkness, we could
+just make out other <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_49" id="Page_49">[49]</a></span>ships alongside us. One with big hull and unusual
+length of guns was immediately on our port. At close quarters there
+was no mistaking this for anything but a dummy warship.</p>
+
+<p>After a time the searchlight on the point of the peninsula could be
+seen sweeping its rays in long, regular flashes across the sea. By
+this time those ships that had furthest to go were ahead of us to the
+right and left. Just as the inky darkness was beginning to be
+dispelled there was a change in these lazy flashes. We were detected.
+At once they changed their long, comprehensive sweeps into sharp jerks
+from one ship to another as each hove into the rays. The searchlight
+soon went out, while hurried messages were no doubt being flashed over
+the wires to Constantinople and many points in our immediate
+neighbourhood, announcing our long-expected arrival.</p>
+
+<p>Soon the guns began to roar, the first I heard being to our left up
+the Gulf of Saros, but in a few minutes all the ships had joined in
+the chorus, from what was afterwards known as Anzac all round the
+point and some way up the Dardanelles. A grand roar such as the world
+had never heard. The peninsula was quickly one dense cloud of
+poisonous-looking yellow-black smoke, through which flashes of
+bursting shells were to be seen everywhere. It was truly a magnificent
+sight, and the roar of the guns stirred one's blood like some martial
+skirl from the bagpipes. The feeling one had was a longing for them to
+hurry up and do their work, and let us get at the Turk at close
+quarters.</p>
+
+<p>Our old ship crept slowly in through the ring of warships, took a
+circular turn just as we were passing through the line&mdash;apparently we
+were in too great a hurry&mdash;then we straightened our course and passed
+close past our covering ship, "Queen Elizabeth," the finest ship in
+the whole Navy, and which had been detailed to look after us. How her
+guns roared as she poured out <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_50" id="Page_50">[50]</a></span>broadside, as we passed by her port
+side, straight in on full steam for the strip of sand under the
+village and fort of Sedd-el-Bahr.</p>
+
+<p>Unable from our hold to see properly what was doing, I had spent most
+of the time on deck, and when about 200 yards from land I darted down
+below to warn the men to lie down in case we struck rock, when the
+impact would have been violent. I held on to a stanchion. We were fast
+in the sand before I was really aware that the ship was aground&mdash;there
+to lie for four years, to be shot at constantly whilst we occupied
+Gallipoli, but in spite of all her buffeting to serve many uses, and
+finally to become an object of veneration, "as holy as Westminster
+Abbey" some one says of her in "The Sphere". For the 2100 of us on
+board there was to be no retreat whatever happened. We had crossed the
+Rubicon and burned our boats.</p>
+
+<p>On board we had the 1st Munster Fusiliers, two companies of the 1st
+Dublin Fusiliers, one company of Hants, 100 marines, a few of the
+Signal Company, the West Riding Engineers, and 124 stretcher-bearers
+of the 89th Field Ambulance.</p>
+
+<p>We had been dragging along huge barges on either side, enough to form
+a couple of gangways, had they only behaved as was intended. When the
+ship struck, the momentum these had on should have been enough to keep
+them on their way till they grounded ahead of us, drawing but very
+little water as they did; but somehow or other this part was a
+failure, they grounded too soon, then broke away from each other. The
+men had then to get ashore in open boats manned by the marines we had
+on board. This was at once pushed on, boat after boat left the ship's
+side for the beach, perhaps 30 yards off, terrific machine-gunfire
+sweeping each boat.</p>
+
+<p>The first few loads escaped with comparatively few casualties, but
+soon the fire was so hot and accurate that <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_51" id="Page_51">[51]</a></span>practically not a man got
+to the shelter of the 10 to 12-foot high sandbank beyond the narrow
+strip of sand. About 300 yards to our left was a high projecting rock,
+a continuation of the high ground that closed in that side of the long
+slope of V. Beach, and from here came that infernal shower of bullets
+that was causing such terrible havoc. From the "Clyde" one could
+easily tell where the bullets were coming from by their sputter in the
+water.</p>
+
+<p>A constant stream of shells was being kept up all the time on this
+rock from the ships. The whole rim of V. Beach, as it stretched
+backwards for 500 or 600 yards, was searched time after time by high
+explosives, each shell bursting with accurate precision 5 or 6 feet
+under the crest. But the mischief was not coming from this crest, it
+was from that infernal rock alone, but in spite of all their efforts
+our guns could not silence this machine-gunfire.</p>
+
+<p>It was an extraordinary sight to watch our men go off, boat after
+boat, push off for a few yards, spring from the seats to dash into the
+water which was now less than waist deep. It was just on this point
+that the enemy fire was concentrated. Those who got into the water,
+rifle in hand and heavy pack on back, generally made a dive forward
+riddled through and through, if there was still life in them to drown
+in a few seconds. Many were being hit before they had time to spring
+from the boats, their hands were thrown up in the air, or else they
+heaved helplessly over stone dead. All this I watched from the holes
+in the side of the ship, but when not otherwise occupied, from the
+deck where I could see on all sides.</p>
+
+<p>But soon we of the Field Ambulance had other work to do. Many of the
+boats had all their rowers killed and never returned, others were able
+to push back, generally with most of their marines laid out, but with
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_52" id="Page_52">[52]</a></span>sufficient left to man a boat. Back they came to our starboard hole,
+and the wounded were lifted up to us and attended to. Repeatedly the
+whole of our floor was covered with wounded and dead men; a pinnace
+would arrive from a ship and relieve us of our wounded, but we filled
+up again almost at once.</p>
+
+<p>Along the water's edge there was now a mass of dead men, on the sand a
+mixture of dead and weltering wounded, while a fair number had reached
+the sandbank just beyond, where, under an enfilading fire from the
+rock, they scraped themselves into the recesses. Boats from the other
+ships were being towed in in threes by pinnaces, till close to the
+beach when the pinnaces wheeled about, and for the last short distance
+they had to trust to their oars. Those landing to our right and left
+as they came in from the other ships were faring no better than those
+from the "Clyde". One boat half-way to the rock, and which had been
+left stranded, had three men caught in the festooned rope that runs
+round the gunwale. Into this they had dived, probably as the boat
+heeled over to that side and the rope had floated outwards, and there
+they swung for the rest of the day, two not moving a muscle and
+evidently dead, but for long I could see the other poor fellow stretch
+out his arms time after time, but before evening he too was still.</p>
+
+<p>They still kept splashing on between the boats and the sand, dived
+forward and fell dead at once, or were drowned, till at last it was
+seen that it was useless to continue such slaughter to no purpose, and
+the landing at this point had to be given up for the time being.</p>
+
+<p>After the hellish morning we had had, the afternoon thus became
+comparatively quiet. Those who were still unwounded made for the ruins
+of the round tower of the fort, slightly to our right. Round this pile
+of stones they peered, looking for the Turk, who was always <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_53" id="Page_53">[53]</a></span>found,
+but here there were but few shots exchanged, as the Turks advanced our
+men made a rush backwards, or to the sands below, in time to prowl
+forward once more to have another look, and make the same rush back.</p>
+
+<p>Then came night with its full moon. An attempt was made to land more
+men about 8 o'clock. These were fired on and again we had to desist.</p>
+
+<p>About 8.30 an officer on shore made a dash for our ship, and on
+describing the terrible condition and suffering of the wounded who had
+been in the sandbank for about fourteen hours, I decided to go to
+their assistance. We had previously been officially warned that it
+would be impossible for any of the Ambulance to land before morning,
+but heedless of this I set off alone over the barges and splashed
+through the remaining few yards of water. Here most of those still
+alive were wounded more or less severely, and I set to work on them,
+removing many useless and harmful tourniquets for one thing, and
+worked my way to the left towards the high rocks where the snipers
+still were. All the wounded on this side I attended to, an officer
+accompanying me all the time. I then went to the other side, and after
+seeing to all in the sand my companion left me, and I next went to a
+long, low rock which projected into the water for about 20 yards a
+short way to the right of the "Clyde". Here the dead and wounded were
+heaped together two and three deep, and it was among these I had my
+hardest work. All had to be disentangled single-handed from their
+uncomfortable positions, some lying with head and shoulders in the
+tideless water, with broken legs in some cases dangling on a higher
+level.</p>
+
+<p>At the very point of this rock, which had been a favourite spot for
+the boats to steer to, there was a solid mass of dead and wounded
+mixed up together. The whole of these I saw to, although by this time
+there was little I could do except lift and pull them into more
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_54" id="Page_54">[54]</a></span>comfortable positions, but I was able to do something for every one of
+them. My last piece of work was to look after six men who were
+groaning in a boat stranded close to the point of the rock. Three lay
+on each side with their legs inwards; a plank ran the whole length of
+the middle of the boat, and along this as it rested on their legs, men
+had been running during the landing. Getting on this plank some of
+them howled in agony and beseeched me to get off. I then got into the
+water and as I could do nothing more for them, my dressings being
+finished some time before, I gave each a dose of morphia by the mouth.</p>
+
+<p>I had just finished and was standing waist-deep in the water when the
+Turkish counter-attack commenced with a volley from the distant end of
+the fort, not over 300 yards off. The only person the Turk could see
+was myself, the sandbank protecting the others from view, and at least
+seven or eight bullets spluttered round me in the water. I had been
+well warned that this counter-attack would take place at any moment,
+but I never gave it a single thought. It was in anticipation of this
+that the others clung to the shelter of the sandbank and I was left to
+work alone. I immediately splashed for a small boat that formed the
+end of one of the gangways, and into this I hauled myself. On looking
+at my watch I found it was just midnight, and that I had thus been at
+work for three and a half hours.</p>
+
+<p>Midnight had evidently been chosen by the Turk as the hour at which to
+attack, and also by us to make another attempt to land men. At this
+moment a body of our men were coming along the gangway, the first of
+them being close to this boat which was on a slightly lower level than
+the barges that formed the bulk of the gangway. The five foremost
+threw themselves into my boat and we lay stretched across the seats,
+the men on the barges lying down at once where they were. <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_55" id="Page_55">[55]</a></span>Here none
+of us had any protection, and it was a miracle any one of us escaped,
+the fire from machine-guns and rifles was so terrific. Each bullet as
+it struck the "Clyde" drove sparks, while the old ship was ringing
+like a great bell. Two of our six were hit, the man stretched
+alongside me fatally. A seventh man in the water hauled himself in
+beside us, and as he was getting over the gunwale shouted, "Oh! I am
+hit". Hit or not hit we could not pay the slightest attention to each
+other now, all we could do was to lie low.</p>
+
+<p>All this time I was expecting a rush for the "Clyde" by the Turks, and
+the boat I was in would be the first part of the gangway they would
+reach, and I could not help wondering what it would be like to get a
+bayonet through my stomach, but the feeling that this would certainly
+happen was not half so terrible as I should have expected. I had my
+revolver in my hand all the time, and it was a comfort to think that I
+would almost certainly account for two or three Turks before I
+experienced this new sensation.</p>
+
+<p>The fire was kept up for about four hours, mainly on the side of the
+ship. As soon as there was a lull an officer in my boat shouted out.
+"This won't do, we must now land, follow me." He got up and splashed
+ashore, but the men, thinking he had been too hasty, preferred to wait
+a little longer after the Turks had ceased fire, but soon they began
+to move and dash singly for the land. I wished to get on the ship, and
+not half liking to get into an upright position either, I crept
+through and over those still on the barges, amidst much cursing from
+my paining the wounded, who must have been numerous.</p>
+
+<p>I had had a strenuous and exciting day and night, and I must say I
+felt it a relief when I hopped through the nearest hole in the
+"Clyde". It was now 4 o'clock, and I shivered with cold. I had been
+soaked over the head, and lying four hours in the open boat in a cold
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_56" id="Page_56">[56]</a></span>night it was impossible to keep warm. A big, black cloud had floated
+up over the moon, and we had a fairly sharp but short shower of rain.
+By this time the moon was nearing the horizon, and it was when another
+cloud came over her face that I succeeded in reaching the ship.</p>
+
+<p>I found they had had a fairly trying time here too, although the
+ship's plates were thick enough to resist bullets. The noise of
+100,000 bullets showering on the sides of the "Clyde" had caused a
+deafening din, and many had the wind up badly, not knowing what was
+going on outside.</p>
+
+<p>The behaviour of the "River Clyde" had been a great puzzle to the
+Turks. She was not long aground when the guns on Kum Kale, across the
+Dardanelles, opened on us, and this fire was kept up the whole day&mdash;on
+us and us only as far as I could make out. It took them some time to
+get our range, and for a considerable time we were not hit, all the
+shells being shorts or overs. At last they got us, the first shell
+that hit going through our hold at an angle of 45 degrees, coming
+through the deck over our heads, and going out at the junction of the
+floor and side wall. In its course it struck a man on the head, this
+being splashed all through the hold. Another man squatting on the
+floor was hit about the middle of both thighs, one leg being
+completely severed, while the other hung by a tiny shred of skin only.
+He fell back with a howl with both stumps in the air.</p>
+
+<p>In five minutes a second shell entered our hold, wounding two or three
+where we were, mostly by the buckling of the floor plates, then
+passing down below to the lowest hold where many men were sheltering
+under the water line. Here six or seven were laid out.</p>
+
+<p>After this we had many narrow escapes, but I believe only two other
+shells actually struck the ship that day. By good luck none exploded
+in their passage through, otherwise the casualty list would have been
+very heavy. <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_57" id="Page_57">[57]</a></span>Many had been hit and killed on deck by machine-gun
+bullets, and many bullets had found their way through the small
+openings cut for working the twelve machine-guns that were placed
+there.</p>
+
+<p>(I have the kind permission of the author, a scholarly and
+much-respected member of our Corps, to insert the following poem which
+appeared in "The British Weekly" and one of the Aberdeen papers.)</p>
+
+<br />
+
+<div class="poem"><div class="stanza">
+<span class="i5">THE FACE OF DEATH.<br /></span>
+</div><div class="stanza">
+<span class="i2">(<i>Dedicated to Lieutenant George Davidson.</i>)<br /></span>
+</div><div class="stanza">
+<span class="i0">We shall not be the men we were before,<br /></span>
+<span class="i2">No, never while we draw this mortal breath:<br /></span>
+<span class="i0">For we have probed existence to the core,<br /></span>
+<span class="i2">And looked upon the very Face of Death.<br /></span>
+</div><div class="stanza">
+<span class="i0">Upon our famous collier, "River Clyde,"<br /></span>
+<span class="i2">We sat as men who wait the summons dread.<br /></span>
+<span class="i0">Brave soldiers fell, defenceless, at our side,<br /></span>
+<span class="i2">We, too, might soon be numbered with the dead.<br /></span>
+</div><div class="stanza">
+<span class="i0">With fateful frequency the shells did burst<br /></span>
+<span class="i2">Around and near the members of our Corps:<br /></span>
+<span class="i0">Within our hearts we asked, "Who'll be the first<br /></span>
+<span class="i2">To converse with his comrades never more?"<br /></span>
+</div><div class="stanza">
+<span class="i0">O never, never from our memory's page<br /></span>
+<span class="i2">Shall be erased these moments of despair:<br /></span>
+<span class="i0">An hour seemed an interminable age,<br /></span>
+<span class="i2">But, in His mercy, God our lives did spare.<br /></span>
+</div><div class="stanza">
+<span class="i0">We care not what the worldly wise may say,<br /></span>
+<span class="i2">We owe deliverance to the God of Heaven,<br /></span>
+<span class="i0">Whose Power Omnipotent the worlds obey,<br /></span>
+<span class="i2">'Gainst whose decrees mankind in vain hath striven.<br /></span>
+</div><div class="stanza">
+<span class="i0">Had He but chosen that our hour had come,<br /></span>
+<span class="i2">No scheming had availed our lives to save:<br /></span>
+<span class="i0">'Twas not the hour to call our spirits home,<br /></span>
+<span class="i2">The Lord must take, as 'twas the Lord that gave.<br /></span>
+</div><div class="stanza">
+<span class="i0">And not in vain were we to death brought nigh,<br /></span><span class='pn'><a name="Page_58" id="Page_58">[58]</a></span>
+<span class="i2">For He whose presence came our hearts so near<br /></span>
+<span class="i0">Hath taught us we can ne'er His Will defy,<br /></span>
+<span class="i2">But evermore should live in reverent Fear.<br /></span>
+</div><div class="stanza">
+<span class="i0">And men have scaled the sacred slopes of Prayer<br /></span>
+<span class="i2">Who ne'er before aspired to heights above:<br /></span>
+<span class="i0">And find the Universe divinely fair<br /></span>
+<span class="i2">Because 'tis governed by a Heart of Love.<br /></span>
+</div><div class="stanza">
+<span class="i6">GEORGE STEPHEN.<br /></span>
+<span class="i0">89th Field Ambulance, R.A.M.C.,<br /></span>
+<span class="i0">Gallipoli, <i>24th May, 1915</i>.<br /></span>
+</div></div>
+
+<p>(The following is taken from my diary and dated August 3, 1916, just
+after we had landed in the Ypres salient to which the remains of our
+Division went after being wiped out in the great Somme fight the
+previous month:&mdash;</p>
+
+<p>"I have to-day received a copy of the Aberdeen 'Free Press,' dated
+July 28, where there is an article on Gallipoli by one of our
+transport men, G. Burnett, who is now a lieutenant in the Scottish
+Horse. It runs: 'It is scarcely fair to single out officers and men
+who did gallant service that first week, but I feel that I ought to
+mention the names of Lieutenant George Davidson, and Private Gavin
+Greig. Lieutenant (now Captain) Davidson gained the D.S.O. while Greig
+was promoted sergeant shortly afterwards. We were told that Lieutenant
+Davidson led a bayonet charge, but he certainly did go into
+Sedd-el-Bahr, revolver in hand, to look for curios when there was yet
+great danger from snipers. And he used to go up towards the Turkish
+trenches, gathering flowers which he would show us on his return.
+Every man of us would have followed him anywhere. I recollect going
+out to help the bearers to take in some wounded, when the party of
+which I formed a member fell in with Lieutenant Davidson. <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_59" id="Page_59">[59]</a></span>"Oh," he
+said, "would you men like to look for wounded on the hill-side?"
+"Yes," we answered. "Well, follow me," and we did until an officer
+forbade us to go any further.'"</p>
+
+<p>The D.S.O. never materialized. I am assured a Cairo paper announced
+that it did, and I was often congratulated on the honour. But, as
+Artemus Ward would say, "Please, Mr. Printer, put a few asterisks
+here".)</p>
+
+<br />
+
+<p><i>April 28th.</i>&mdash;Yesterday was spent dodging shells, with a short
+advance in the evening, and I had not time to write up my diary. At
+the present moment I am out reconnoitring alone, my post being the top
+of the high cliff west of our landing place, where the snipers gave us
+so much trouble, and I sit on the slope of the two gun battery which
+has its big Krupp guns dismantled, the result of the naval battering a
+few weeks ago.</p>
+
+<p>A great advance on Krithia has begun, the various combatant units
+having already moved off, or are busily preparing. Those already over
+the ridges near the south point of the peninsula are having the
+attentions of the Krithia guns, a constant stream of shells coming
+from there. Many are also landing about our beach where the enemy
+knows large bodies of troops are still landing. All our sea monsters
+are busy off the whole point of Gallipoli, so far up the Dardanelles,
+and round the west coast. The air vibrates, and the roaring echoes all
+round never cease. And over all is a brilliant, scorching sun, the air
+otherwise a dead calm, and not a ripple on the Aegean. In spite of
+this calm a terrific day is in progress for the Turk and us, but we
+hope to make a great advance before night towards the capture of the
+forts at the Narrows. All round where I sit the ground is ploughed up
+with great holes, some beside this battery the largest of any, big
+enough to completely hide a horse and cart. Pieces of shell of several
+hundredweight lie <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_60" id="Page_60">[60]</a></span>about. The precision of our gunfire has to be seen
+otherwise one could not believe how accurately they can hit a small
+object miles off. The very birds have got accustomed to the din, and
+on the face of the rocks where I sit is a pair of exquisite
+birds&mdash;probably jays&mdash;flitting about as though nothing unusual was
+going on. The variety of birds is not great, but all are new to me and
+have interested me greatly, so also have the flowers, which are very
+fine. I was specially taken with a big light purple rock rose, nearly
+three inches across, and in great abundance.</p>
+
+<p>From this place of vantage I have watched our beach for some time, but
+as our services are not likely to be much needed here I must return to
+our Ambulance which lies to the east of the rock, and we must follow
+our Brigade (86) shortly.... Back and seated here again. The van of
+the Munsters arrived at this spot before I left, and dodged and ducked
+at every shell. On Sunday and Monday they had 286 casualties,
+including most of their officers. They still stream past just behind
+me, with the Lancs. and others. The Lancs. had suffered very badly at
+W. Beach, while the Dublins lost 550, with twenty officers out of
+twenty-three. Four Dublin officers sat at my table on the "Ausonia
+"&mdash;two are dead, the other two wounded.</p>
+
+<br />
+
+<p><i>April 29th.</i>&mdash;I had no time to finish my account of the day's doings
+yesterday. It was too soon for our Ambulance to go out so I spent part
+of the forenoon at the General's Observation Hill with General Reeks,
+who was afterwards joined by General Hunter-Weston. By way of excuse
+for being there I was waiting to see how our attack on the Turks was
+getting on to see when I could get off with my bearers. The A.D.M.S.
+Colonel Yarr, was also present. By 5 a.m. the attack had stretched
+right across the peninsula, the French on our extreme <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_61" id="Page_61">[61]</a></span>right, next the
+Hants and Lancs., with Munsters and Dublins on the left. A furious
+cannonade went on for many hours, we advancing slowly till we were
+near the foot of Achi Baba, when the Hants ran short of ammunition and
+had to retreat, the French of course retiring also. Things were really
+looking bad for a time, and rumours of defeat were soon afloat.
+Ammunition at last coming up, we could get on, but during the retreat
+which had to be carried out over an open piece of ground, the want of
+shelter was the cause of very heavy casualties.</p>
+
+<p>By 1 p.m. wounded began to pour past our camp from the 88th Brigade,
+and, although it was not our Brigade, I went up to their front with
+all the bearers, Morris remaining behind. We were able to do a lot of
+work, collecting the wounded beside a water supply, nearly two miles
+from where we started. After a time I left the men where they had
+plenty of work, and went forward by myself for some distance, past the
+"Five Towers," meeting scores of walking cases and assisting where I
+could. Shells, especially from the Asiatic side, were numerous, three
+big ones bursting quite near me. After a time I ordered the men to
+load their stretchers and had some trouble with a General who insisted
+on our remaining, but about this time we were to go out to our own
+Brigade, and I marched them off all fully loaded. Things were not
+looking too well and the General wished to get the wounded collected
+as quickly as possible. But we had to go, we had been ordered to a
+point further to the left "about 4 o'clock".</p>
+
+<p>The A.D.M.S. had seen Morris and suggested that I should not go out
+again, so I remained behind and formed a Divisional Collecting Station
+for all cases that passed the lighthouse. Morris now went out with his
+men, mine remaining to assist me. We soon had several hundreds through
+our hands, largely stretcher cases which we arranged in rows in front
+of the ruins of the lighthouse, <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_62" id="Page_62">[62]</a></span>till we had more than we could do
+with, and soon had to forward most of our cases to W. Beach. At
+midnight we still retained about thirty-five cases, and all had to be
+nursed and protected from the bitterly cold wind and rain as best we
+could. The men willingly parted with their own coats and ground
+sheets, and some even their tunics. We all spent a most miserable
+night, and I never all my life felt the cold so acutely. But by
+morning, in spite of this, most of the wounded had recovered from the
+initial shock and were much brighter, and we had them forwarded to the
+88th H.Q.</p>
+
+<p>The chief reason for our not retaining over night a much larger number
+was that most hopeless accounts of the battle were being received from
+the wounded, that all our line was in retreat and that before morning
+we would be forced back to the sea, if not to our boats. I called for
+volunteers, at the suggestion of Major Bell, to go out and assist, and
+a number went off at once with their stretchers and did yeoman
+service, some not returning till 3 a.m. The Turks had been mutilating
+the wounded&mdash;at least so it was said&mdash;and we were anxious none should
+again fall into their hands.</p>
+
+<p>Through the night firing was heard a very short distance off, but this
+was only from a few snipers who had somehow got through our lines.</p>
+
+<p>By daylight the weather got warmer, and except for naval firing the
+29th was a day of rest. Whyte had been detached from the
+stretcher-bearers before the landing and was in the tent-subdivision
+that landed at W. Beach. He wished to have a little more excitement
+and he and I exchanged places, I now joining Thomson at W. Beach.
+Thomson, Whyte, and their nineteen men had done much work at the
+landing and had a very hot time. After four days and nights of hard
+work, although I could not say I was tired, I felt that a rest might
+be advisable, but the thought of leaving the bearers, even for a day
+or two, was depressing.</p>
+
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_63" id="Page_63">[63]</a></span><i>April 30th.</i>&mdash;A slack day in a way, although I have been on my feet
+since early morning. A great number of shells have landed near our
+camp at W. Beach at various times to-day, coming from Krithia or Achi
+Baba. It is strange how many shells may land in the midst of closely
+packed men and horses and little or no damage be done&mdash;but there are
+exceptions.</p>
+
+<p>In the afternoon a hostile aeroplane flew over us&mdash;not the first
+time&mdash;which dropped three bombs at an anchored balloon we have
+floating just off the coast. It missed and received a fierce cannonade
+from a number of warships but escaped, apparently untouched, and was
+able to report to the Turks that our landing places would make a
+splendid target, and the firing, which had been fitful before, now
+became continuous for a time. One man only was hit. About 12 yards
+from the opening of my dugout one plunged into the ground with a
+terrific crash. Thomson and I reconnoitred for a mile or so to the
+north to view a spot to which we had been ordered to shift our camp,
+probably to-morrow.</p>
+
+<p>Last night, not being altogether in the open, I expected a comfortable
+night, but it was intensely cold, as the nights here always are, the
+very hot days making the cold noticeable. By day the sun is always
+scorching hot, and I am absolutely nut-brown and my nose painfully
+burned.</p>
+
+<p>On all sides I still hear of fresh casualties. The battalions I have
+been connected with have been nearly wiped out&mdash;the Munsters and half
+the Dublins at V. Beach, the Lancs. and the other half of the Dublins
+at W. Beach, and the Royals at X. Beach. Our total casualties are put
+at over 4000. We must have reinforcements before we can do much more,
+and within the next two days 20,000 are expected from Egypt.</p>
+
+<p>Last night when some one shot a dog at Sedd-el-Bahr the French thought
+the Turks were on them and they <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_64" id="Page_64">[64]</a></span>opened fire on their own men, several
+being killed and wounded.</p>
+
+<br />
+
+<p><i>May 1st.</i>&mdash;More or less idle all day, all resting before the proposed
+attack on Achi Baba. In the afternoon we had a visit from an enemy
+aeroplane again, which dropped a bomb 40 yards from my "funk hole,"
+and 4 yards from what had been taken for a pile of ammunition boxes
+but was really provisions&mdash;only damage, a big hole and a vile smell.</p>
+
+<br />
+
+<p><i>May 2nd.</i>&mdash;Very fierce fighting all last night and the whole of
+to-day on the south slopes and ridges of Achi Baba, the Turks first
+charging and repulsing the French, Munsters, and Lancs. The firing
+from the sea, the French 75's and our 60-pounders was incessant,
+especially during the night. The Turks were finally driven back, but
+Krithia and the hills are still in their hands. I spent most of the
+night watching the progress of events, while the bearers, to whom I am
+unfortunately not attached to-day, were out at 1 a.m. Our casualties
+are not excessive considering the nature of the fight, while the Turks
+are said to have lost thousands from our artillery fire. Getting
+impatient at being out of it I succeeded in getting eight of the
+tent-subdivision out as bearers at 1 p.m. and I visited a good deal of
+the battlefield, as far as our reserve, where I found the Indians
+waiting for night duty and a likely attack from the Turks, or, as is
+half expected, we may offer a vigorous offensive.</p>
+
+<p>Yesterday V. and W. Beaches had a hot attack by shell fire from the
+Asiatic, Krithia, and Achi Baba guns, about fifty shells landing in W.
+where our Ambulance has now formed its base. The damage done was
+slight. Two shells in quick succession exploded exactly over the heads
+of Thomson and myself when we were crossing the beach, both times
+something hitting me about the <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_65" id="Page_65">[65]</a></span>shoulders. These shrapnel shells are
+doing little harm, I had likely been hit by pieces of the material (a
+resin) in which the bullets are embedded. The smell was the worst of
+them.</p>
+
+<p>Most of our transport came ashore to-day for the first time, and we
+are now eager to have our mails which are on board the "Marquette,"
+but I doubt if anyone will take the trouble to send them over to us.</p>
+
+<p>At 8 p.m. Thomson, myself, and fifty-six bearers set off to bring in
+wounded from a point 3 miles north of our Beach, and very nearly in a
+line with the Turkish and our firing lines. It was moderately dark
+when we started, but such a large body of men might have been visible
+to the enemy at some distance, and we spread out into a long line. All
+went well, but at several points to which we were directed as our
+destination we were always told the wounded were further on, and we
+began to think we were never to find them. We were getting very near
+the Turks' lines, and Thomson and I had various deliberations about
+the advisability of going further, but I was always determined to go
+on. At last we got a guide, but his idea of the whereabouts of the
+wounded was most hazy; all he knew was that they were collected in a
+nullah somewhere not far off. We came on a nullah at last and walked
+along its high steep banks, calling if anyone was at the bottom, in a
+voice not too loud owing to our proximity to the Turks. Just as we
+found them the fighting on our immediate right became very violent,
+the artillery and rifle fire being a perfect roar. Star shells were
+thrown over us, and we hid in the nullah while we were loading the
+stretchers and raising them to the top of the bank. Each stretcher
+squad made off at its hardest as soon as its patient was passed up.
+Thomson and I saw them all off, then had to cross an open piece of
+ground where three bullets were fired among our feet evidently by a
+sniper who was no distance <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_66" id="Page_66">[66]</a></span>away. This made us hurry still more, then
+the nullah had to be crossed to the south side. I stood in the middle
+of it, half-way to the knees in water and assisted ten stretchers
+across. Things all the time got hotter and hotter, the various
+batteries all belching forth at their hardest, star shells and rockets
+got still more numerous, and a searchlight from the Dardanelles side
+of Achi Baba swept the whole valley as far as our camp on W. Beach. It
+was a terrifying night and I was very happy to get all the men landed
+in camp at 10.15 safe and sound. Most of them enjoyed the little bit
+of sport, but Thomson overheard one of them remarking that although
+Lieut. Davidson didn't seem to know what fear was he had no business
+to bring them there. The bearers were under me and I was responsible,
+and I admit the charge was just; we had gone too far at such a time.</p>
+
+<br />
+
+<p><i>May 3rd.</i>&mdash;Only occasional firing to-day. I went out with Kellas and
+Agassiz to show them the way to a point fixed on as a dressing
+station. After much wandering about admiring the flora of Gallipoli
+with Kellas we chose a spot which is unfortunately near one of our
+batteries. An officer there told us they intended to give the Turk a
+hot night and this will draw the enemy's fire about our new station,
+and as this is the first night ashore of these two officers I hope
+they will enjoy it. They arrived from the "Marquette" this morning
+along with Lt.-Col. Th. Fraser.</p>
+
+<p>We had our usual visit from an enemy aeroplane this morning. Repeated
+shots went after it but away it flew towards the Narrows. The Asiatic
+guns have given us no trouble for two days. Commander Samson is said
+to have reported that two of these are disabled.</p>
+
+<br />
+
+<p><i>May 4th.</i>&mdash;As far as the weather goes every day has been perfect
+since we came to Gallipoli&mdash;maximum of <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_67" id="Page_67">[67]</a></span>sun absolutely, and cloudless
+sky by night always, except on two occasions.</p>
+
+<p>We still wait for reinforcements which, however, are arriving, many
+French troops landing at V. Beach. Our men are due from Egypt to-day.
+Last night the artillery and rifle fire was again constant, especially
+on our right, where the French lines were again driven in by the
+Turks, but during the day they are said to have recovered their lost
+position.</p>
+
+<p>Two aeroplanes passed over us to-day, one firing three bombs, the
+other two&mdash;no damage. Our aeroplanes were also active, circling time
+after time round Achi Baba at a height of perhaps 5000 feet. From 110
+to 120 shots were fired at one of ours, all missing. An aeroplane came
+down just behind our camp for orders. We had no aerodrome nearer than
+Tenedos before. Here we have prepared a landing place, which is
+beautifully level, but being exposed to gunfire we cannot retain our
+machines over night, all have to return to Tenedos.</p>
+
+<p>We have had notice this afternoon that our Brigade, the famous 86th,
+no longer exists as a Brigade. After its wonderful feats of bravery we
+have heard this with the greatest sadness, but some of the battalions
+being reduced to a fourth or a fifth of their original strength, and
+the officers killed and wounded in a still greater proportion, there
+was no help but to amalgamate with the other two Brigades of our
+Division&mdash;87th and 88th. The Company of Hants who were with us on the
+"River Clyde" did well. No unit in the whole Division receives greater
+praise for its work than the Royal Scots (Queen's Own Edinburgh).</p>
+
+<p>According to the original programme the French were to land on the
+Asiatic side and advance up that side of the Dardanelles, but this
+they either failed to do or we had enough work for all on this side,
+and the right wing of the advance was assigned to them, and this they
+still <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_68" id="Page_68">[68]</a></span>hold. From the point of Gallipoli to the top of Achi Baba is a
+distance of 5 miles, and before we take that it is expected that
+several thousand of our men will bite the dust.</p>
+
+<p>The troublesome gun somewhere near Kum Kale has been more successful
+to-day I hear, her bag being three men and nine horses on V. Beach.
+Well do I know the whizz and thud of her shells&mdash;sounds all their own.
+This gun is mounted either on rails behind rising ground, where she
+can move sideways after firing a few rounds, or is on a disappearing
+platform.</p>
+
+<br />
+
+<p><i>May 5th.</i>&mdash;The attack on Achi Baba was to have commenced to-day at 10
+o'clock, but the first cannon roar was not heard till 11, when all
+belched forth at the same minute. There seemed to be batteries
+everywhere, the French 75's being specially noticeable all day, along
+with some other field guns of theirs which had a peculiarly sharp
+bark.</p>
+
+<p>The Ambulance was unable to do anything till afternoon, when we got in
+touch with the Regimental Aid Post of the Lancs. and with the Drake
+and Plymouth Battalions, whose wounded we were responsible for. With
+us all went well, although some stretcher squads I was with had a
+narrow escape, two shrapnel shells bursting immediately over our heads
+and kicking up a dust all round us.</p>
+
+<p>Our transport men, who had nothing to do with carrying the wounded&mdash;by
+hand at any rate&mdash;requested me to get them some excitement, and "the
+hotter the better," and their deputy gave me a list of those eager for
+this. I took them up the lines as far as we were allowed, and it was
+with difficulty I kept them from going still further when they heard
+that out in the open there were wounded who could not be reached by
+the Regimental bearers on account of shrapnel. When we <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_69" id="Page_69">[69]</a></span>reached our
+own front line we found there was a small party of men along a water
+course still further out. Mainly for a "lark" we determined to go out
+to these to see if they had any wounded. The water course was dry
+except for green, stagnant pools, and coming on a deep and very filthy
+one I decided to mount the bank and make a rush for it. All made
+similar rushes, one at a time, and all of us were fired at at short
+range. We reached the small outpost of about a dozen men lying on
+their stomachs and got roundly sworn at, the small hole they were in
+could not hold us all and we had to show ourselves, which brought a
+torrent of bullets about the ears of all of us. It was a very
+enjoyable and exciting little outing. These men would have gone all
+the way to the Turkish lines with pleasure.</p>
+
+<p>Those in authority are well pleased with the progress made, the left
+wing being pushed well forward. The weather during the day was bright,
+but windy, and with horses and wagons at the gallop the dust was very
+troublesome, the whole scene being often blurred. Towards evening the
+cold was intense. What wind we have had here has always been from the
+north, and at night it might be blowing over snow.</p>
+
+<br />
+
+<p><i>May 6th.</i>&mdash;A furious attack was commenced by us at 11 p.m. on the
+Turkish right, while the French attacked their left. Judging by the
+increase of the Turks heavy fire they must have brought up more heavy
+guns. Rumours about Krithia being captured floated in, but I could
+never believe this, our pouring a constant stream of shells into the
+village proves that it was not in our hands. The truth seems to be
+that the Royal Scots pushed into it, and, while following the
+retreating Turks into a wood on the left, had one or more machine-guns
+turned on to them which mowed down over 200, while the remainder had
+to retreat.</p>
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_70" id="Page_70">[70]</a></span>One of our men got wounded to-day by a shrapnel bullet which followed
+round the bend of one of his ribs.</p>
+
+<p>I paid a visit this afternoon to our old ship, the "River Clyde," and
+during the ten minutes I was there three shells were fired at her.
+During my short absence from W. Beach for this purpose three had
+landed there, presumably fired at two of our aeroplanes which had
+alighted behind us. Only one of the shells did any damage and it
+smashed a limbered wagon to matchwood. All came from Asia.</p>
+
+<br />
+
+<p><i>May 8th.</i>&mdash;My goodness, such a rattle. Since Sunday, April 25, I
+doubt if I have heard its equal.</p>
+
+<p>Krithia is not yet ours in spite of the awful loss of life its
+attempted capture has cost us. Batteries, right and left, in front and
+behind all commenced a simultaneous roar at 5.30 p.m. A fairly hot
+fire had gone on since 10 a.m., but 5.30 had been fixed for a more
+furious cannonade, timed no doubt with an infantry attack on Krithia.
+The whole of that part and the whole face of Achi Baba reek, with
+denser clouds, every here and there. The roar is simply grand, and one
+cannot help glorying in the tremendous power of man's devilment. I
+wish they could make twice as much noise.</p>
+
+<br />
+
+<p><i>May 9th.</i>&mdash;I had to stop the above account of the day's doings
+suddenly and go out with the stretcher-bearers when we had a terrible
+time&mdash;hard work up to 1 a.m. and most of the time to the music of
+bullets about our ears. And amidst all the din and roar of battle a
+nightingale sang the whole day and still more sweetly all through the
+next night, perched in a clump of trees we had repeatedly to pass on
+the way to the Regimental Aid Posts of the Lancs. and Plymouth and
+Drake Battalions&mdash;such a contrast of sounds!</p>
+
+<p><i>Later.</i>&mdash;It is now 7.30 p.m. and the sun has gone down <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_71" id="Page_71">[71]</a></span>in a red glow
+behind the rugged mountains of Imbros as viewed from the entrance of
+my dugout. It has been a glorious day, uncomfortably warm, but calm
+and without dust, which has been disagreeable for a day or two. I have
+just had a bathe in the Aegean, which I was much in need of, this
+being the first time I have taken off my clothes since I left Lemnos.
+Walking along the beach I picked up a photograph of a chubby baby, the
+darling of some one no doubt. He will miss this link with home.</p>
+
+<p>The Turks have had little stomach for fighting to-day. Sniping has
+gone on, of course, and occasionally a regular fusillade, but to us
+the day on the whole has been peaceful. From 5 a.m. we have been very
+busy among the Australian wounded, these being the principal sufferers
+in yesterday's fight, owing, it is said, to their charging with the
+bayonet at an inopportune moment. Many of their senior officers passed
+through our hands, and their men, fine, big fellows, in large numbers.</p>
+
+<p>Thomson and I were in charge of our dressing station at the "Five
+Towers" from 9 a.m. yesterday till noon to-day, and were busy the
+whole time, except from about 1 to 5 a.m. to-day, when we lowered
+ourselves into a trench and tried to sleep.</p>
+
+<p>Last night I started to go as far out as possible with five stretcher
+squads, but in the dark it is difficult to move, nearly every spot is
+taken up by men, horses, and transport, and you are continually
+challenged by sentries. After showing our men across a brook with a
+dark lantern, some others crossing with stretchers asked for a light,
+and as soon as I threw a flash on the water a bullet whistled past me
+from a sniper who must have penetrated our front line. I heard the
+whistle of many a bullet at close quarters yesterday, and to-day big
+shells have fallen on all the four sides of our dressing station,
+coming from Achi Baba.</p>
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_72" id="Page_72">[72]</a></span>Yesterday when the battle raged at its worst a telegram was handed to
+me, and read: "Good luck and fondest love&mdash;Mabel," and the date was
+April 2 (March 16 it should have been). This had followed me all the
+way from Avonmouth where it failed to find me as I was leaving for
+this expedition.</p>
+
+<p>The amount of horrors Thomson and I came through yesterday and this
+morning was most sickening and depressing to both of us. The
+Australian Aid Post was a perfect shambles, about an acre of stretcher
+cases, horrible wounds, and all the surroundings soaked with blood.
+But such brave fellows!</p>
+
+<br />
+
+<p><i>May 10th.</i>&mdash;We were very busy last night erecting tents for wounded,
+being the overflow from the casualty clearing station, which, along
+with the hospital ships, is absolutely full. We had sixty-seven to
+find shelter for and succeeded. Two died during the night, and
+nineteen more in other parts of the camp. Thomson and I were still on
+duty and we were busy changing dressings, setting fractures, etc., up
+to 2 p.m. to-day, when an order came to evacuate completely to a
+hospital ship which had arrived. Welcome news! This gave us an
+afternoon's rest which we much needed. I spent the time making
+"couples" for our dugout, which was arched over before with two
+stretchers interlocking at a slope.</p>
+
+<p>The chief topic of conversation to-day is the brilliant dash of the
+Australians on the 8th, in their bayonet charge over 300 yards of
+ground without cover. The Turks with five machine-guns mowed them
+down, but they dashed on. Their casualties were about 2000. We were
+all eager to assist them, their own Ambulances being unable to cope
+with the work.</p>
+
+<br />
+
+<p><i>May 11th.</i>&mdash;What we know as "Helles" is the point of the peninsula as
+far north as Achi Baba. It is five <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_73" id="Page_73">[73]</a></span>miles long, and varies from two to
+four in width. The whole valley is saucer shaped, with a more or less
+complete high edge, except at a small part on the Dardanelles side,
+where the land shelves to the sea at Morto Bay, this low lying part
+being moist and fertile, with fairly heavy timber and huge downy
+topped reeds 12 feet high. Across this valley there has once been an
+aqueduct&mdash;perhaps centuries ago&mdash;the "Five Towers" being the remains
+of the structure. While Achi Baba remains in the hands of the enemy
+there is not a safe inch in what we occupy, the whole being within
+easy gunfire.</p>
+
+<p>Thomson and I are at present at the Five Towers Dressing Station for
+twenty-four hours' duty. From the amount of heavy gun ammunition that
+is being hurried past us we expect a heavy bombardment this afternoon,
+with a repetition of the trying work we had when last on duty.</p>
+
+<p>A Frenchman has just come into our station with half a loaf under his
+arm. Great excitement! We were all willing to purchase it at any
+price, but he handed it over to one of our men who had been hobnobbing
+with him in the morning. All are deadly sick of army biscuits, the
+only form of bread we have, hard as the nether millstone and
+tasteless. The only decent food we have is McConnachie's ration of
+meat and vegetables, which is excellent cold or hot, or as soup.</p>
+
+<p>7.30 p.m.&mdash;Had a weary day&mdash;little doing. Thomson in very low spirits,
+thinking everything is going wrong. News we get from a padre is that
+in France everything goes badly. Pirie, M.O. to the Lancs, has just
+looked us up and reports no progress here. We are certainly making
+little speed, and it is now announced, whether correctly or not, that
+Achi Baba is to be besieged into submission by starvation if
+necessary, owing to the great loss of life a direct attack would
+entail. In the afternoon I went out with a few bearers to the Lancs.
+Aid Post <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_74" id="Page_74">[74]</a></span>to find they had gone into reserve for forty-eight hours, a
+rest they much needed. Shells were coming fast and furious round us, a
+battery we had to pass being the object of attack. Two big shells fell
+very near our dressing station this afternoon, a pile of stores being
+taken for ammunition boxes, the first shell landing among these with
+terrible crash, and destroying a lot of jam. Rather a hot bombardment
+of Krithia goes on to-night, while a number of Tommies are enjoying a
+game of football close to our camp.</p>
+
+<br />
+
+<p><i>May 12th.</i>&mdash;At 8 p.m. yesterday a message reached us that the 29th
+Division had been withdrawn to give them a much-needed rest of
+forty-eight hours. We accordingly packed up and returned to our camp
+at W. Beach, and lucky for us we did, as it rained heavily during the
+night, and we had shelter against showers in our dugouts. On the whole
+very little fighting went on to-day till 6 p.m. when our big guns all
+along the line bombarded Krithia and the face of Achi Baba.</p>
+
+<p>When studying our camp fires this morning before daylight I concluded
+that we really had made but little progress since April 28, and a
+Lancs. officer I saw this afternoon agrees with this conclusion. Still
+we are said now to have about 100,000 men here, while I cannot believe
+the enemy has anything like that number, but while they are on the
+defensive, with their well-planned trenches and the best positions,
+and possessing, as they do, a large number of machine-guns, the cost
+in life entailed by an open attack would be very costly to us.</p>
+
+<p>Three shells giving out coal-black smoke, and bursting with a terrific
+crash, were fired at our beach to-day, but, as far as I know, without
+damage. They all burst high in the air and with an unusual sound. (The
+first of the "Black Marias" or "Jack Johnsons" although we <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_75" id="Page_75">[75]</a></span>had been
+accustomed to other forms of high explosive shells.)</p>
+
+<p>The following "special order" from General Sir Ian Hamilton of
+to-day's date came this afternoon: "For the first time for eighteen
+days it has been found possible to withdraw the 29th Division from the
+fire fight. During the whole of that period of unprecedented strain
+the Division has held ground or gained it, against the bullets and
+bayonets of the constantly renewed forces of the foe. During the whole
+of that long period they have been illuminating the pages of military
+history with their blood. The losses have been terrible, but mingling
+with the deep sorrow for fellow-comrades arises a feeling of pride in
+the invincible spirit which has enabled the survivors to triumph where
+ordinary troops must inevitably have failed. I tender to Major-General
+Hunter-Weston and to his Division, at the same time my profoundest
+sympathy and my warmest congratulations on their achievement."</p>
+
+<p class="right">"(Signed)&nbsp;&nbsp; <span class="sc">Ian Hamilton</span>, <i>General</i>."</p>
+
+<br />
+
+<p><i>May 13th.</i>&mdash;Resting all day&mdash;but already have had enough of the
+prescribed forty-eight hours' rest. It was besides rendered
+uncomfortable by a very hot shelling in the afternoon. It is said the
+Turks have placed a new disappearing gun in position, which is doing
+this, and is firing high explosives with jet black smoke. They have
+our range to an inch from Achi Baba. At least twenty-four shells were
+fired at our Beach with a very creditable bag&mdash;three men killed, two
+mortally wounded, twelve severely wounded, and about fifteen horses
+and mules killed. I saw the remains of some poor brutes that had been
+standing in a group when a shell fell among them. There was really
+nothing left but a large red patch. Numerous pieces of shrapnel fell
+among our tents. A piece whistled <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_76" id="Page_76">[76]</a></span>between Thomson and myself on our
+way to attend a wounded officer near the lighthouse.</p>
+
+<p>Later in the day I heard the Turk had got a larger mixed bag than I
+have stated. I now hear as a fact that sixty-four horses and mules
+were killed on our Beach.</p>
+
+<p>H.M.S. "Goliath" was sunk by a torpedo at the mouth of the Dardanelles
+at 2 a.m. to-day; 200 are said to have been saved which means a
+death-roll of 500 or 600.</p>
+
+<p>We hear that one, if not three, German submarines have passed Malta.
+The big fleet lying off the coast has always been brilliantly lit, but
+to-night all are in absolute darkness, except the hospital ships which
+are still showing their long rows of green lights.</p>
+
+<br />
+
+<p><i>May 14th.</i>&mdash;The shelling we got yesterday has made us all think, and
+we all set to to-day and dug ourselves in deeper, the wagons going to
+Sedd-el-Bahr and bringing beams and boards from the ruins, and with
+these we are to make roofs strong enough to resist splinters. By 3
+p.m. some of us had nearly finished and were getting disappointed that
+our funk holes were not being put to the test. By 4 o'clock we got
+more than we wanted, then before 5 one of our aeroplanes came to grief
+immediately behind us. Then commenced a terrible cannonade on this new
+target, and one big shot alighting just inside the entrance of one of
+our operating tents it was blown into tiny shreds, and ten stretchers
+were riven into matchwood. Strange to say, although this was in the
+middle of our camp not a soul was injured. The excitement was of
+course great, every little bit of shell and every tatter of the tent
+were carefully gathered to be kept as souvenirs. Three men and a
+number of horses had been killed in the afternoon's work. Many of the
+shells to-day were bigger than usual and some think the "Goeben" is
+the culprit. She could easily fire from the Dardanelles over the east
+ridge of Achi Baba.</p>
+
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_77" id="Page_77">[77]</a></span><i>May 15th.</i>&mdash;A quiet day in camp: little firing by either side; three
+"Black Marias" reached us&mdash;no damage; a Taube fired three bombs&mdash;still
+no harm. Rumour says one of our flying machines reports the Black
+Maria gun was silenced by our fire, and her ammunition blown up this
+afternoon. Her last shot was at 1 p.m. and it looks as if this might
+be true.</p>
+
+<p>By evening rain clouds appeared in the north and I have been preparing
+my dugout for a wet night.</p>
+
+<br />
+
+<p><i>May 16th.</i>&mdash;We have just returned from church parade which was held
+at 9.30, amidst a continuous rattle of rifles to the front, the
+booming of howitzers on the right and left, while just behind us lay
+the "Swiftsure," which had evidently got word in the middle of the
+service to open fire on some particular spot. Her guns roared till the
+concussion made the leaves of our hymn books flutter. While writing a
+Jack Johnson fell very near me (so close that in my original diary my
+pen made a big dash across the page). How helpless one feels! Now
+comes another in the very middle of W. Beach&mdash;a very big fellow
+too&mdash;and still another. We are to have a day of it. Eight of these
+brutes now in a few minutes.</p>
+
+<p>The C.O. has gone to a meeting at H.Q.; all the other officers are
+wisely at the edge of the sea under cliffs, while I am in my dugout
+too lazy to join them&mdash;but I may be forced to go yet, it is folly to
+sit here in the line of fire.</p>
+
+<p>Major Ward of the 88th Field Ambulance, which is alongside us, has
+just taken a photograph of a bursting-shell at 70 yards, which he
+joyfully declares is "absolutely it". He got well battered with flying
+dirt.... The shelling got too hot for my continuing my notes and I was
+forced to close for a short time.</p>
+
+<p>Here we are shut up in the very point of Gallipoli, <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_78" id="Page_78">[78]</a></span>100,000 of us,
+and nearly as many horses and mules, every inch within easy range of
+the enemy's guns, and for three days now he has peppered us more
+furiously than at first. For three weeks and a day we have had an
+almost continuous roar of cannon, sometimes many hundred shots per
+minute, at other times with a lull of a few minutes. To-day and last
+night the howitzers have been unusually busy, and I believe an attempt
+is to be made this coming night to straighten our lines. The horns of
+the line, especially the left, which is held by the Gurkhas, is too
+far forward for the centre. This centre is directly opposite Achi
+Baba, and is exposed to the whole opposing line, and has less help
+from the fleet than the flanks. It is held by the flower of our
+troops, and these will make any sacrifice to do what is expected of
+them. May we soon have a little more breathing space than this fouled
+little piece of the peninsula affords us.</p>
+
+<br />
+
+<p><i>May 17th.</i>&mdash;Three different spells of Black Marias to-day. One killed
+three men and wounded nine. We have several others wounded and a
+number of horses and mules killed. Altogether not a very pleasant day.</p>
+
+<p>In the afternoon Thomson and I went to Sedd-el-Bahr and photographed
+the "River Clyde," Major Frankland's grave, the whole of V. Beach,
+etc., and brought back shell cases of the French 75's and 65's. Before
+this, while helping Pirie to build his dugout, Kellas shouted to me to
+look up, and I beheld what I at first took to be a huge flock of enemy
+aeroplanes, and expected a shower of bombs, but they turned out to be
+cranes&mdash;fifty-five of them in solid formation. They were an
+interesting and beautiful sight. They hovered over us for a
+considerable time, and two of our men stupidly fired several shots at
+them which got us into trouble with the powers that be. They had never
+taken into consideration the danger from dropping bullets where there
+was such a congestion of humanity.</p>
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_79" id="Page_79">[79]</a></span>The day has been fiery hot as usual, with the usual glorious sunset
+behind the mountains of Imbros. Yesterday Stephen and I studied the
+Plain of Troy, the monument of Ajax, and the town of Troy itself&mdash;the
+old and the new&mdash;all of which are visible from the rising ground
+behind Sedd-el-Bahr.</p>
+
+<br />
+
+<p><i>May 18th.</i>&mdash;Black Marias paid their visit earlier than usual, three
+bidding us good morning at 6 o'clock. All got into our clothes at
+once, so that now at 7 p.m. we have had a long day. Curiously these
+"coal boxes" have not been seen since, and they never trouble us after
+this time of night.</p>
+
+<p>About an hour ago I was watching one of our ships shelling a gully I
+once visited on a memorable night, and got into a shallow trench and
+watched from there. I was out in the middle of the valley where I
+could easily be seen from Achi Baba and a shell came singing straight
+at me. All the time shells had been passing high over my head but my
+ear at once detected the change of flight and that a low one was
+certainly coming my way. I had just time to throw myself flat in the
+trench, which was about eighteen inches deep when the shell burst in a
+straight line for me. I raised myself intending to bolt when I heard
+the song of another at its heels. I again fell flat, but as soon as it
+burst still nearer than the last I sprang and was just on my feet when
+a third burst three or four yards to my right. The concussion and
+shower of earth and stones sent me flying, and I peeled the palms of
+both hands and sprained my right wrist. Then I made a sprint for my
+funk hole at record speed, arriving quite out of breath after covering
+about three-quarters of a mile. I felt that turning a big gun on a
+solitary individual was not playing the game. I was wearing a
+waterproof cover to my cap which had got bleached almost white, and I
+may have been taken for some "big pot," as I sat <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_80" id="Page_80">[80]</a></span>on the edge of the
+trench with this unusual head dress, peering through my glasses.</p>
+
+<br />
+
+<p><i>May 19th.</i>&mdash;Am feeling very tired, the result of my bad tumble, and
+my wrist feels stiff and tender. No doubt my behaviour made the Turk
+think I was a superior officer and worth a shell or two. With my
+glasses I had examined very carefully the whole length of the lines,
+then stepped into a half-filled-in trench and sat on the edge for some
+time, watching operations at the gully I have mentioned. The second
+shell was so near that I felt certain the third would have me. A
+fourth shell followed and burst, but by this time I had picked myself
+up and was at full gallop, and paid no heed to its whereabouts. The
+whole four were fired in five or six seconds. (I got the fright of my
+life; I felt that they were determined to have me, but the fright was
+entirely due to the fact that I was alone. Never before or afterwards
+did shells, however near, cause me the slightest discomfort.)</p>
+
+<p>A camp story has it that a mule had to be shot the other day because
+its cry was so confoundedly like the sound of an approaching shell and
+caused needless alarm. This is presumably only a story, but it is
+extraordinary how often one fancies one hears the song of a shell. One
+day just before tea we were treated to a Jack Johnson, and during our
+meal in the tent those of us who had not made off to our funk holes
+ducked at every sound under the table, or behind a biscuit tin or any
+other flimsy object utterly useless to give cover. Each time we raised
+our heads we had a good laugh at our stupidity.</p>
+
+<p>Those in the firing line are pitying us at the base to which nearly
+all the shells are directed. Padre Hardie (afterwards V.C., D.S.O.,
+M.C.) told me he had a major to tea the other day when the Jack
+Johnsons started, and he bolted in the middle of tea, saying he could
+not <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_81" id="Page_81">[81]</a></span>stand the life here, and made off to the firing line which he
+thought much safer.</p>
+
+<p>I asked a man to-day if he kept a diary. "No," he said, "there's
+naething to say, I dee naething bit sleep, jink shells, and rin to the
+Beach." It is amusing to see the "Beach Subdivision" move off when the
+shells start, all pretending they are off for a quiet stroll, and
+saunter away with their hands in their pockets.</p>
+
+<br />
+
+<p><i>May 20th.</i>&mdash;Still in reserve and absolutely idle. I was up early,
+being requested by an officer of the 88th Field Ambulance to view his
+tent which one of our water-carts had backed into and upset a number
+of boxes of breakables, which he was terrified to look into,
+especially one which contained several bottles of whisky. This gave me
+a long day, and as a heavy cannonade was in progress it gave me an
+opportunity of watching it. We have had no heavy shells at W. Beach
+(now known as Lancashire Landing in honour of the brilliant work by
+that battalion on April 25) so far, but we must not brag, they may
+give us a visit to-day yet. Shrapnel we have had&mdash;but we do not care
+twopence for shrapnel.</p>
+
+<p>6.40.&mdash;We have had no shells since I wrote the above, for which we are
+thankful. When examining the situation before breakfast I felt that
+the whole valley up to Achi Baba was to be ours before night. Advances
+all along the line have been made, some units having gained about 700
+yards, the French also taking a trench which they afterwards lost.
+This is the usual way with the French, they have repeatedly broken our
+line across the peninsula.</p>
+
+<p>The Turks have to-day used their heavy guns much more freely than on
+any previous day, and doubtless have inflicted considerable damage on
+our troops, but the range they have been firing at pointed to their
+having removed their guns further back, which points to their
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_82" id="Page_82">[82]</a></span>expecting to lose Achi Baba, which they have certainly held with the
+utmost fortitude. I am attributing the peace we have had to-day at
+Lancashire Landing to this fortunate event, if my conjecture is right.</p>
+
+<p>I visited the "River Clyde" to-day to find she has a number of new
+holes punched through her, those on the water line having completely
+flooded her. Her stern now rests on the bottom, and the lowest hold is
+full of water. All this time only one shell has actually burst inside
+the ship, and it entered a cabin on the starboard side, blew all the
+fittings to pieces, chunks flying through everything, some entering
+the engine room where they perforated and carried away pipes, and blew
+the roof of the cabin off. An officer showed me the effects of the
+rifle and machine-gun bombardment on the night on which I spent four
+hours in a boat and watched the thousands of bullets striking fire
+over my head. Many had actually perforated the steel plates,
+<span class="fakesc">9/16</span>th-inch thick, and there were deep dints innumerable. We had
+twelve machine-guns on board that memorable day, the one in the bow
+being managed by the son of the Earl of Leicester. This gun was said
+to have done brilliant work. A large pile of empty cartridges still
+lies where the gun was posted, and I carried away a few of these as
+the only memento I possess of April 25, barring the memory of a
+hellish day and night.</p>
+
+<p>To-day we felt that we were probably beyond the reach of the enemy's
+big guns, and a load is apparently off every one's mind. Many sang
+late into the night, and various hilarious games were indulged in, the
+one giving most fun being a bull fight, where one man held the end of
+a string about three yards long and tied to a peg, and carried a jug
+with a stone as a rattle, the other with a similar string having as a
+weapon a small bag stuffed with hay. Both were blindfolded, and the
+man with the bag let fly at the spot he thought the sound came <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_83" id="Page_83">[83]</a></span>from,
+the hit being usually many yards wide of the bull.</p>
+
+<p>The casualties among the Turks up to May 8 are said to number 40,000.
+Since then the Australians have accounted for another 7000. To the
+present date the total is probably not less than 60,000. We ought to
+be well enough pleased with our work.</p>
+
+<br />
+
+<p><i>May 21st.</i>&mdash;Had a walk round Tekke Burnu, the S.W. point of
+Gallipoli, where we have two 5-inch field guns. An officer to whom I
+spoke said he was the first to locate the whereabouts of the gun that
+threw the Jack Johnsons. We had all guessed from their whistle that
+they came from the right ridge of Achi Baba. Two of the shells fired
+at this battery failed to explode, and this man had the holes
+carefully exposed for their whole depth, and two poles placed in these
+pointed exactly to the same spot. Each of these shells had penetrated
+to a depth of 8 feet in very hard clay.</p>
+
+<br />
+
+<p><i>May 22nd.</i>&mdash;About 1 p.m. there seemed to be a strange stir among our
+transports. I noticed no fewer than six make off in a body towards
+Lemnos, while Thomson remarked that a destroyer had been going
+backwards and forwards among the shipping off the point of the
+peninsula. We did not guess the reason of this till all at once I
+noticed a warship fire a shot towards Imbros. This was followed by
+others, and the splashes showed they were firing at something in the
+sea, no doubt an enemy submarine&mdash;which proved to be the case. About
+six shots in all were fired. Three destroyers were flying about in all
+directions, absolutely at full speed. Two turned and made for the spot
+where the submarine had been seen. It is a beautiful sight to see
+these boats turn in their own length when at full speed. From the
+rocks at Tekke Burnu I watched for two hours the man[oe]uvres <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_84" id="Page_84">[84]</a></span>of
+these and four warships. An anxious night will be spent by our naval
+brethren. Several other transports have disappeared and gone to the
+safe anchorage of Lemnos. A large four-funnelled French steamer had
+just arrived with troops who had no time to disembark, and she has
+turned tail and gone after the others.</p>
+
+<br />
+
+<p><i>May 23rd.</i>&mdash;1.15 p.m. Am sitting near the top of "The Gully". This
+runs north and south on the west side of the peninsula. I am at a spot
+slightly north of Krithia, and in the very middle of our firing line.
+All the tops of The Gully, on both sides and along its ramifications,
+are lined with our men and all are blazing away at the hardest, while
+the Turks bullets keep up a constant whizz over our heads. The
+Worcesters have just gone into the trenches to relieve some other
+unit. One of the Hants men I have been sitting beside and talking to
+was in our hold on the "River Clyde" when we landed exactly four weeks
+ago. He tells me how gloomy his battalion was over the death of their
+C.O. that day&mdash;Colonel Smith-Carrington, "a grand fellow, the best man
+that ever lived," as he put it.</p>
+
+<p>Wearying to death after twelve days of idleness I set off after church
+parade to visit the Hants Dressing Station where I knew Pirie was
+placed. I went along the Krithia road till I came to The Gully I once
+reached late one evening, when Thomson and I were sniped at. Here I
+chanced to meet my old cabin companion, Balfour, who directed me to
+the very top of The Gully where I came across a battery which again
+directed me further to the left. Here three bullets flew past me, a
+gunner saying these stray bullets were doing a great deal of damage.
+Balfour also told me that they had lost two men yesterday from the
+same cause.</p>
+
+<p>At last I reached The Gully which is several miles long&mdash;over
+three&mdash;and averages 100 yards in width at the <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_85" id="Page_85">[85]</a></span>top. All the slopes are
+one solid mass of shrubbery&mdash;laurel, juniper, dwarf conifers, holly
+oak, and brilliant flowers innumerable. I brought back a bunch of
+Cytisus whose individual flowers might have been our broom (<i>C.
+Scoparius</i>).</p>
+
+<p>A road has been made the whole length of The Gully, and the whole way
+is occupied by our troops, especially Indians, many of whom were
+engaged in their ablutions as I passed. The sides of The Gully would
+average 100 feet in height, many parts being higher. The sides slope
+steeply in parts, in many places are quite perpendicular or
+over-hanging, the walls being the usual hard, marly clay, while I
+noticed broad layers of conglomerate and sandstone also occur. I was
+charmed with the whole place, and when describing it at the mess I was
+thought to be romancing. The heat in the depths of The Gully was very
+intense and without a breath of wind.</p>
+
+<br />
+
+<p><i>May 24th.</i>&mdash;A little rain fell in the morning, and it was more or
+less cloudy during the day. We watched a fierce thunderstorm, which
+came round the south side of Imbros, up its east side, then it turned
+west towards Samothrace. Much shelling to-day, but mostly short and
+some way from our camp. I hear of no damage.</p>
+
+<br />
+
+<p><i>May 25th.</i>&mdash;Had another walk to-day to the top of The Gully with
+Kellas, Agassiz, and Thomson. Plenty of shells over our heads.
+Twenty-six shells were fired this morning at several aeroplanes that
+had landed on our aerodrome. Two were more or less damaged, one with a
+hole through its petrol tank.</p>
+
+<p>As we were returning from The Gully and were ascending the high bank
+of Gully Beach I saw something was wrong out at sea, three or four
+ships being apparently huddled together in one mass. Through my
+glasses I saw the stern of a ship in the air, preparing for its final
+plunge to the bottom of the sea. In three <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_86" id="Page_86">[86]</a></span>minutes or so she had
+entirely gone. Strange to say what we had been watching was the last
+of the "Triumph" which had been torpedoed by the submarine that caused
+the excitement the other day. She is said to have sunk in twenty
+minutes. We have not yet heard how many perished in this most
+regrettable disaster, but if it is true that her magazine blew up, as
+we hear, the loss will likely be heavy. H.M.S. "Triumph" did much
+useful work out here. This is the second warship we have lost since we
+arrived in Gallipoli.</p>
+
+<br />
+
+<p><i>May 26th.</i>&mdash;Yesterday we opened a dressing station one and a half
+miles up the Krithia road. It was the duty of Fiddes and Whyte to be
+posted there for twenty-four hours, beginning at 3 p.m., but the
+latter having been kicked by a horse yesterday I offered to take his
+place. I am there now sitting on the edge of a deep funk hole which I
+have strewn with a thick layer of thyme, meaning to have a pleasant
+night between "lavender sheets," but I am told by Stephen and Thomson
+that there is no sleep to be had out here owing to the terrible din
+that goes on. At present&mdash;7.30&mdash;there is a violent interchange of
+shells going on, the enemy's mostly flying high over our heads on the
+way to our Beach. The aerodrome beside it has been very furiously
+attacked during the last two days with considerable damage.</p>
+
+<p>Beside us is the grave of a Turk who smells as all Turks do. Our men,
+I fancy, think they do not deserve much burial. This reminds me of a
+Turk on the top of whose grave I lunched with Pirie up in the firing
+line last Sunday. A man the day before was digging a funk hole, and
+coming on something soft he plunged his spade into it. The smell was
+so terrific that he threw his spade and bolted, and the Turk had to be
+covered up by sand thrown from a distance of several yards. Then the
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_87" id="Page_87">[87]</a></span>night before one of our men, when it was getting dark, saw a
+suspicious object slipping down the side of The Gully, as he thought,
+so he proceeded to stalk it through the dense shrubs that clothe all
+the slopes of The Gully, and, on getting close enough to get a view of
+it through the bushes he recognised the Turkish uniform and sprang on
+the man like a tiger driving his bayonet clean through him. The Turk
+had been dead for nearly a month, and his assailant, like the other
+man, had to make a hasty retreat.</p>
+
+<p>We are to have a very lively night, that is evident. The Turks usually
+cease firing their big guns by this time of night, but their shells
+are still flying thick. The British guns are at present quiet, but the
+French 75's are barking furiously. It is a delight to hear their
+sharp, clean bark. The enemy's machine-guns have also been very active
+this afternoon, the crack, crack, crack, of the Turkish one being
+easily distinguishable from the noise made by ours. The day of our
+landing taught me this.</p>
+
+<br />
+
+<p><i>May 27th.</i>&mdash;I must have slept three or four hours last night, but not
+soundly. There was constant rifle fire beside us with one big
+fusillade before midnight. But what annoyed me was the smell of the
+thyme and other sweet-smelling herbs I had made a bed of, covering all
+over with a new rubber ground sheet which was very odoriferous. The
+mixture of odours was not pleasant. I had trampled the plants with my
+boots to produce as strong a smell as possible, and succeeded so well
+that it actually made my eyes smart all night. I rose early and was
+over near Gully Beach about 6 o'clock. Since then shells have been
+flying on our four sides and high in the air, and I hear of
+considerable damage.</p>
+
+<p>We are much upset by the news which reached us at 7.45 that at 7
+another of our ships had been torpedoed, lying just off our Beach in
+full view of all there. It is <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_88" id="Page_88">[88]</a></span>rumoured that it is the "Majestic," but
+her name we are not yet sure of. The men who brought this news out to
+us say they saw the men on board line up before she went down, and
+dive into the sea. Terrible news!</p>
+
+<br />
+
+<p><i>May 28th.</i>&mdash;Back at W. Beach. What we heard yesterday about the
+"Majestic" was only too true. She lies in front of our camp, about 300
+yards from the edge of the cliff, a considerable part of her still
+above water. There is much discussion as to what part of her it is
+that is visible, but it appears to me to be the keel, certainly the
+ram is there. The killed and drowned are between fifty and sixty.
+Several I have spoken to distinctly saw the wake of the torpedo for
+many hundred yards. The "Majestic" was lying in the midst of other
+shipping&mdash;only supply boats of no great size, besides trawlers and
+destroyers, but a gap must have been left and through this the torpedo
+had found its way. The Admiral and Ashmead-Bartlett were both on
+board. The latter was on the "Triumph" when she went down two days
+before.</p>
+
+<p>The "Majestic" was able to fire five shots at the submarine when she
+rose to find her bearings, which she did about a mile off, but whether
+struck or not she managed to discharge her deadly bolt, which went
+home right amidships, and in about eight to ten minutes the "Majestic"
+turned over and sank. Her torpedo nets were out, and as many were
+scrambling up the side of the hull, as she turned over, the nets on
+the starboard side swept right over, and must have accounted for many
+deaths.</p>
+
+<p>It is said that the form of torpedo used is most efficient at ranges
+of 3000 yards or more, this long distance being necessary to get up
+full momentum. One of the camp sanitary men, who tells me the story,
+was on the beach as the men swam ashore, and one sailor was no sooner
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_89" id="Page_89">[89]</a></span>on his feet than he said: "It was time the damned b&mdash;&mdash; was down; she
+was twenty-five years old; any of you chaps got a clay pipe, I am
+dying for a clay pipe"&mdash;all said in one breath. The "Majestic" is said
+to have been built in 1902 and was an old boat, but her armament was
+quite serviceable.</p>
+
+<p>An enemy aeroplane crossed over our heads at 7.15 this morning, and
+dropped a bomb, presumably at our C.C.S. and just missed it. Three men
+were standing near; all were knocked over, one dying soon after.</p>
+
+<br />
+
+<p><i>May 29th.</i>&mdash;This forenoon I walked out to White House Farm, which is
+about 3 or 3&frac12; miles up the centre of the valley, and is within a
+few hundred yards of our firing trenches. It was rumoured in the
+evening that these front trenches had been taken by the Turks. At the
+White House there is the finest specimen of a fig tree I have yet
+seen, being large and spreading, and growing in a piece of good turf
+beside a well. In that part the whole ground is strewn with bullets.</p>
+
+<br />
+
+<p><i>May 30th.</i>&mdash;I have not been out of camp to-day. The men in our
+dressing station came in at 3 a.m. with a long tale of the fury of the
+shelling out there, many casualties occurring round it. Evidently
+there is no better place to be had, but the part devoted to the
+wounded runs in such a way that it can be directly enfiladed by gun
+and rifle fire from Achi Baba. Another trench at right angles to this
+could easily be broadened and deepened to hold all the wounded and a
+whole tent-subdivision.</p>
+
+<p>Three shots were fired from our battery on Tekke Burnu about 6.30 p.m.
+and at once all the destroyers darted out to sea. Evidently a
+submarine had been sighted. It is now getting dark, and the sea is
+covered with our mosquito craft darting about in all directions.</p>
+
+<p>We employ several hundred Greeks, mostly road <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_90" id="Page_90">[90]</a></span>making. They receive
+2s. 6d. a day and their food. All those working at the Beach struck
+work to-day, demanding higher wages, and retired to their shelter
+holes in the cliff. A company of Dublin Fusiliers was called out, and
+fixing bayonets they kicked the mutineers out of their holes, and all
+were driven into a corner at the foot of the rocks, the open side shut
+in by a line of bayonets, and there they are to be kept, without food
+and water till they come to their senses. The Greek nation has always
+been greedy, always unreliable, and the most notorious liars on the
+face of the earth.</p>
+
+<br />
+
+<p><i>May 31st.</i>&mdash;This has been a very quiet day, the Turks and ourselves
+having fired comparatively few shots. Although there has been no hard
+fighting lately, really little more than sniping, we still have a
+casualty list of some size. Those leaving for treatment on the boats
+or at the base hospitals of Malta and Alexandria have a daily average
+of about 125. This includes sickness as well as wounds.</p>
+
+<br />
+
+<p><i>June 1st.</i>&mdash;There was much noise last night after all, there being
+much gun and rifle fire, especially on our centre, but with few
+casualties, as far as I can learn.</p>
+
+<p>It has been known for two days that the Turks are to make a determined
+attack on us to-night, for which we are no doubt fully prepared. Since
+5 this evening both sides have been very liberal with their shells.
+Krithia and its neighbourhood, as well as the right ridge of Achi
+Baba, has been reeking from the discharge of our and the French
+shells.</p>
+
+<p>It is said that the Turks and Gurkha trenches are so near each other
+at the top of The Gully that the two are connected by a tunnel through
+which they hobnob, and that the Turks have asked the help of the
+Indians to murder their German officers, then they would hand over
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_91" id="Page_91">[91]</a></span>the Dardanelles to us without further trouble. A mere story of course,
+although one firmly believes that it is these savage officers who are
+forcing the Turks to fight, under threats that they will shoot them if
+they refuse to go forward.</p>
+
+<p>A few shrapnel shells were fired half an hour ago at the top of our
+Beach, in resentment of our Ambulance men gathering on the sky line to
+watch the shells bursting on Achi Baba. This made them beat a hasty
+retreat. But on the whole the day has been very quiet.</p>
+
+<br />
+
+<p><i>June 2nd.</i>&mdash;It appeared in "Orders" to-day that we held an advanced
+dressing station 100 yards on this side of White Farm, and as no one
+understood what this referred to, the C.O. after consulting with the
+A.D.M.S. (Col. Yarr), who could throw no light on the subject, asked
+me to go out and investigate the ground to see if such a station might
+be established there. As a big engagement is anticipated within
+forty-eight hours such a place would be useful. I started at 2.30 with
+Kellas and Agassiz who were going out to our present dressing station,
+but on reaching that they proposed to go along with me, as they had
+never been in that part of the country. All went well on the way out,
+only an occasional stray bullet being heard. On reaching "Y Battery,"
+about 100 yards from White Farm a gunner joined us and took us quickly
+over the remaining short distance, where stray bullets are apt to be
+too plentiful. But worse, a sniper several hundred yards off had the
+exact range. He took us into a vineyard behind the farm, and pointed
+out to us all our advanced trenches, warning us not to shake the vines
+as that might attract fire, and on no account to show ourselves. We
+returned to this man's battery, and as soon as I started off with
+Agassiz the sniper had a shot at us, his bullet landing in a tuft of
+grass a few feet to our right. I thought it was some animal and
+proceeded <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_92" id="Page_92">[92]</a></span>to stir it out of the grass, but Agassiz declared it was a
+shot. In a second or two another kicked up a dust beside us, which
+settled the question. We scattered at once, but three other shots came
+after us before we got out of sight behind some small trees. From
+these we watched Kellas sauntering along, hoping he would also have to
+take to his heels, but the sniper left him alone.</p>
+
+<p>I had next to visit the 88th Brigade H.Q. where I explained to General
+Doran that the spot mentioned for our dressing station was much too
+dangerous. He agreed at once, and said even where he was, on the side
+of rising ground with its back to the enemy, was unsafe, and that one
+of his sergeants had just been shot through the knee lying in his
+dugout.</p>
+
+<br />
+
+<p><i>June 4th.</i>&mdash;To all appearances this is to be a great day. At 11 a.m.
+to the minute about 150 field guns and howitzers opened on the Turkish
+trenches, and now at 11.20 all is one great roar. Eight aeroplanes are
+circling about, two big battleships with seven destroyers appeared out
+of the haze, coming from Imbros. These are on the constant move, for
+submarines will be about for certain, and we must not give them more
+fixed targets, they have already had too many. Pandemonium will reign
+in a few minutes. We have waited long for this, and all are overjoyed.</p>
+
+<p>I have been round the C.C.S. and Ordnance Stores collecting all the
+stretchers I can lay my hands on. Apparently we do not expect the
+Turks to be the only sufferers to-day.</p>
+
+<p>12.10.&mdash;Achi Baba and the whole Gallipoli point reek as they have not
+reeked since April 25. The battleships keep moving and belching out
+their deadly hail, encircled always by the destroyers, while an
+aeroplane hovers, at a low height, over and around them, peering into
+the depths of the Aegean in case a submarine should come sneaking up.
+The French guns are very busy.</p>
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_93" id="Page_93">[93]</a></span>6.30 p.m.&mdash;Dressing St. Krithia Road. I came out here about two hours
+ago, with six squads of stretcher-bearers. We cannot advance yet,
+things are too hot, rifle fire being still a constant rattle,
+especially on our left. When I arrived the French were very active on
+our right, but judging from their comparative quietness now I think
+they may have seized at least part of a great gully which had been
+immediately in front of them all this time, and which has contained
+one or more Turkish batteries. These have annoyed the French for
+long&mdash;and us. The front of the hill is now fairly quiet, but we are
+firing huge shells into Krithia and that end of Achi Baba. We know
+from the wounded, who have been coming in for some hours in a steady
+stream, that our line is greatly advanced, some of our battalions
+having taken as many as five trenches.</p>
+
+<p>About 8.15 I set off with thirteen stretcher squads to the dressing
+station of the 88th Field Ambulance, which we found two miles up The
+Gully. It was getting dark when we started, and was pitch dark, there
+being no moon, when we reached that point. The order we had got was to
+send up thirteen stretchers at once, and we interpreted this to mean
+the full complement of bearers as well, but these were not required.
+The great battle was still raging, and bullets were flying across The
+Gully in thousands. During the day there had been numerous casualties
+from these in the depths of The Gully. On the way back the whole place
+was packed tight with wagons of every description, and pack animals
+taking up ammunition and stores for next day, and it was often with
+the greatest difficulty we got through the blocks. Having to cross a
+level piece of ground from Gully Beach to our station, and this being
+swept by bullets, which were passing among us, we had many narrow
+escapes, but no one was hit. At our station, which was now in the line
+of fire for stray shot, we heard bullets pass all night long. <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_94" id="Page_94">[94]</a></span>A
+bullet went "phut" into the ground at my feet as I lay on a stretcher.
+I merely drew up my feet and tried to sleep, but being saturated with
+perspiration and generally uncomfortable I never even felt drowsy.
+Then about 3 in the morning a more resounding shot landed in the same
+spot as the last&mdash;both certainly within 2 feet of me. I now got up and
+sat till 6 in a corner more protected from the N.E. which appeared to
+be the direction of the bullets.</p>
+
+<p>On the way to The Gully I had walked with a sergeant of the
+Worcester's as guide. He tells me the French did not do well to-day,
+having as usual advanced and retired, thus leaving our Naval Division,
+on our extreme right, exposed. The Turks opened fire on them and the
+K.O.S.B.'s and mowed them down with their machine-guns. At H.Q. they
+are reported to have used very strong language about this. My guide
+also tells me of the bravery displayed by the Sikhs and Gurkhas, also
+by the Territorials who are drafted through the Regulars, many of them
+mere boys, but they are said to have shown great pluck.</p>
+
+<br />
+
+<p><i>June 5th.</i>&mdash;I believe according to programme we should have started a
+big gun bombardment at 11 a.m. to-day, but we have only had occasional
+shots&mdash;so far at any rate, and it is now 5.45, too late to do much
+before night comes on.</p>
+
+<p>I mentioned yesterday that we had 150 field guns and howitzers, but I
+find the numbers were 180 French and 150 British guns. An aeroplane
+crossed us at 7 p.m. flying at a great height. No bombs were dropped.</p>
+
+<p>"Asiatic Annie," as a famous gun across the Dardanelles is called, has
+thrown a number of ugly shells this way to-day, but all were short of
+W. Beach.</p>
+
+<p>The "Majestic" is sinking gradually, her ram, which must have been 15
+feet out of the water, is now nearly submerged.</p>
+
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_95" id="Page_95">[95]</a></span><i>June 6th.</i>&mdash;Sunday&mdash;6.40 a.m.&mdash;The day by preference for a big fight.
+Last night&mdash;about 8&mdash;the Turks appear to have made a feint attack on
+the French, this going on for hours, the rifle fire very heavy. Then
+in the small hours of this morning they had concentrated on our
+left&mdash;the other end of the line&mdash;where they were in great force. My
+informants are three wounded from the Essex Regiment who have walked
+in to hospital. They say the Turks were ten to our one, and they came
+on with great dash, fighting being very fierce at a distance of only
+20 yards. Then they got mixed up with the Essex and Royals, who must
+have been badly cut up and were the last to retire. The Turks used a
+large quantity of hand grenades. These are very deadly, and have been
+making ghastly wounds as we know. We too use these freely, all the
+empty 1 lb. tins of the camp having been collected for some time back,
+and charged with gun-cotton. For missiles they have chopped up Turkish
+barbed wire into inch lengths.</p>
+
+<p>The howitzer fire was terrific between 4 and 5 when I woke up and came
+to the top of the ridge to see what was doing. Plainly something
+unusually desperate was on the move. "Asiatic Annie" was also busy and
+several shells came this way, one falling in the C.C.S. where no harm
+was done. Luckily it had chosen a clear spot in front of the store
+tent to pitch into. I had gone down to examine this when the wounded
+men I have referred to arrived. They say that all the trenches we took
+two days ago, after so much hard fighting, are lost. Now at 7.15
+firing has become much more desultory, and judging from where our
+shells are bursting the distance we have been driven back is not
+serious&mdash;and so to breakfast.</p>
+
+<p>10 a.m.&mdash;Firing is too hot for us to collect in groups, therefore,
+there is to be no church parade this morning. The walking wounded
+still come straggling in, singly or in groups, all greatly depressed
+at having such bad news <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_96" id="Page_96">[96]</a></span>to relate. Another constant stream flows from
+the C.C.S. to the little cemetery at the top of the Beach, each unit
+of this stream consisting of two bearers carrying a dead comrade on a
+stretcher. The cemetery may be small but it already contains many
+graves, and inside its barbed wire fence there is still room for many
+of our gallant men, who fondly fancy that the shell or bullet that
+could lay them low is not yet cast. This very comforting feeling I
+hope we all possess&mdash;more or less. One of the graves has a cross of
+great taste and is over a "Driver Page," a New Zealand Artillery man,
+and after the inscription is the word "Ake&mdash;Ake".</p>
+
+<p>No one knows the extent of our casualties, but they must be heavy. The
+Indian contingent alone is said to have lost 1000 yesterday. The
+Royals, Essex, and K.O.S.B.'s are said to have suffered most in the
+morning's attack.</p>
+
+<p><i>Later.</i>&mdash;I heard in the evening that yesterday's casualties amounted
+to at least 1800, but some think that an under-estimate.</p>
+
+<p>We hear to-night that General Wolley-Dod has been appointed to command
+our 86th Brigade. He is said to be a very able soldier.</p>
+
+<p>In the afternoon there was an occasional interchange of shots, but on
+the whole it was quiet till 8 p.m., the hour darkness sets in, when
+the usual fusillade began. The Turks are nearly always responsible for
+this, and our men rarely reply.</p>
+
+<br />
+
+<p><i>June 7th.</i>&mdash;I notice in yesterday's Routine Orders issued by General
+de Lisle, commanding the 29th Division, that the old Etonians are to
+have a dinner at Lancashire Landing, and those attending are requested
+to bring knife, fork, plate, and cup&mdash;their mugs in short. This
+request seems quite natural out here. Then follows a notice that some
+unit has lost a bay horse and two mules, finder to <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_97" id="Page_97">[97]</a></span>return them to
+such and such a place. This again is a curiosity, horses and mules are
+always straying. The correct way to do if you lose a horse is to seize
+the first stray one you come across, and swear you brought him out
+from England.</p>
+
+<p>Last night about 10.30 the Turks disturbed our peace by firing fifty
+or sixty shells about our Beach, some being very near our camp, near
+enough to bespatter our tents and dugouts with lumps of earth. One of
+the men of the 88th Field Ambulance, just in front of us, got wounded.
+They began again with heavier shells&mdash;Jack Johnsons&mdash;about 5 a.m.
+to-day, seven falling near us, and as we lay underground we could feel
+the earth shake with every detonation. Last night was the first time
+they ever gave us such a visit. They are chary of using their big guns
+after dark in case they should give away their positions.</p>
+
+<p>2.15 p.m.&mdash;I spent sometime on a ridge overlooking the sea and watched
+the Turks shelling the ships close by. Their firing from Kum Kale was
+wild, but there was one ship they were determined to have, shell after
+shell falling near and throwing up splashes mast high. At last she was
+hit and a loud report was followed by dense smoke from her fore part.
+Flames quickly followed, and several minesweepers and destroyers soon
+came to her aid, and unloaded part of her cargo. She was finally
+anchored close inshore to await events. By 2 o'clock the flames seemed
+to be pretty well under control.</p>
+
+<p>While watching this a young officer came up and spoke to me. He had
+arrived with us on the "River Clyde" and since then has had very
+trying experiences. He said his birthday was to-morrow, and I should
+say it might be his twenty-first. He is in the Anson Battalion, and
+had come through the Antwerp retreat. His battalion left England 1000
+strong with thirty-three officers. They are now 198 men, while he is
+the only officer remaining. He thinks we must beat a retreat from
+Gallipoli one of <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_98" id="Page_98">[98]</a></span>these days, to take it would mean too great a
+withdrawal of troops from France, but, as he says, a retreat means a
+greater loss of honour than Britain can bear. He told me about the
+Collingwood Battalion which left England on May 9, and went into the
+fight fresh and at full strength. They lost twenty-three officers and
+nearly six hundred men. In spite of all opinions and rumours we must
+bring this campaign to a victorious end, be the cost what it may.</p>
+
+<br />
+
+<p><i>June 8th.</i>&mdash;A day of wind, one big cloud of dust, and swarms of
+flies. These last have become a terrible curse lately, and as time
+goes on they will get no less.</p>
+
+<p>About a week ago Col. Yarr proposed that I should join him at
+Head-quarters, and this morning I was ordered to present myself at
+Corps H.Q. at 3 p.m. I had given the necessary undertaking to divulge
+no secrets, and as the hour approached I rigged myself out in my best
+boots and tunic, and had chosen a smart orderly to look after
+me&mdash;Melrose, from Kincardine O'Neil. Then the A.D.M.S. appeared, to
+say that their staff was broken up, most of them having gone to Gully
+Beach, and as there were only twelve all told remaining there was no
+excuse for my joining just yet. They have interesting personalities at
+H.Q. and I feel disappointed. Sir Ian Hamilton, for example, dined
+there last night.</p>
+
+<br />
+
+<p><i>June 9th.</i>&mdash;We had a visit from Pirie, M.O. to the Lancs. He is
+terribly depressed over the fight of the 6th when they lost 450 men.
+They were held up by barbed wire in a charge and were shot down. I
+have heard of three battalions that were left with only one officer
+after that fight.</p>
+
+<p>We are now erecting at the "two-gun fort" two naval guns of 4.7
+calibre to reply to our Asiatic friends. It is supposed there are
+three guns on the other side of the Dardanelles of 6-inch calibre.
+These were carefully <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_99" id="Page_99">[99]</a></span>watched last night, and it was observed that the
+flashes always came from different points, as if they were placed on
+rails and were run sideways. This has long been suspected. These
+"Asiatic Annies" have accounted for 120 Frenchmen within the last few
+days.</p>
+
+<p>Stephen and Thomson are out at the dressing station to-night. I have
+been watching Jack Johnsons bursting in their neighbourhood.</p>
+
+<p>We received four motor ambulances to-day to reinforce our mule-drawn
+wagons.</p>
+
+<br />
+
+<p><i>June 10th.</i>&mdash;The dust storm continues, and some one has been
+comforting enough to say that these storms often last for twenty-one
+days. They are about as bad as the flies.</p>
+
+<br />
+
+<p><i>June 11th.</i>&mdash;Wind stronger than ever but the dust has been largely
+blown into the sea. Towards evening it fell somewhat. The sea has been
+too rough to get patients away from the C.C.S. to the hospital ships,
+and we have had to relieve it by taking fifty walking cases into our
+tents. All are very cheery, and I fancy most are looking forward to a
+short holiday after their recent experiences. Some have not yet been
+in a fight, some of the naval men who landed two days ago were only on
+their way to the trenches when they were wounded by shrapnel, which
+was showered on them plentifully from several points.</p>
+
+<p>Stephen and Thomson had such a hot time at the dressing station that
+they were forced to return to the Beach. There were eighty-eight
+shells in their vicinity within an hour. About 2 p.m. when I went out
+the Krithia road with several squads of bearers in answer to an urgent
+but vain message, we were held up half a mile on this side of the
+dressing station by a perfect tornado of shrapnel just in front of us.
+I heard afterwards that the road in that part was entirely ploughed
+up.</p>
+
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_100" id="Page_100">[100]</a></span><i>June 12th.</i>&mdash;A quiet day but full of rumours. Late last night we had
+five Jack Johnsons with their terrific crashes, and in the distance
+rifle fire went on all night. About 5 a.m. to-day a number of shells
+landed among the shipping off our Beach. Due north about the same
+time, at the distance of a good many miles, what sounded like repeated
+broadsides from warships. Probably the Australians are having a big
+fight. Then at 7 a.m. ten or twelve rifle shots on the aerodrome
+behind us took me up in a hurry, this being unusual. I half thought
+they might be shooting a spy, but found some one had been blazing away
+at some huge bird, either a vulture or an eagle. I watched its large
+dark form as it flew towards X. Beach. Shrapnel and Jack Johnsons were
+flying about in other parts during the day, but none near us.</p>
+
+<p>Now for rumours&mdash;(1) the 29th Division is to be withdrawn for certain,
+having done its bit out here. This is an old rumour which we still
+doubt. I for one would be sorry were we withdrawn before seeing this
+part of the campaign through. (2) The Russians are landing an army
+north of Constantinople. (3) The Italians have landed at Rhodes, and
+are to make a descent on Smyrna&mdash;the last two cheer us up.</p>
+
+<p>Kellas and Agassiz had a quieter time at the dressing station than
+yesterday's two. The latter returned about 8 and said "Arthur" was too
+busy playing with a spider and he left him behind.</p>
+
+<br />
+
+<p><i>June 13th.</i>&mdash;Had a walk with the C.O. to the top of The Gully to find
+a site for a new dressing station. We breakfasted at 7 as we wished to
+cross the exposed piece of ground between this and Gully Beach. For
+sometime back this has been a favourite mark for the Turkish guns, and
+we thought the morning the most likely time to be allowed to pass
+unnoticed. We were in the foot of The Gully before 8 o'clock. The
+whole valley between this <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_101" id="Page_101">[101]</a></span>and Achi Baba was so quiet in the brilliant
+sunshine that we remarked that it might have been a Sunday at home.
+Near the top of The Gully we found Taylor of the 87th Field Ambulance
+at breakfast and had a cup of tea with him. He came along with us to
+find a suitable place, and one was fixed on, but I do not like it. In
+my opinion it will be terribly exposed to a dropping fire, the
+surroundings are not high enough to give much protection. The ground
+is also much soiled&mdash;I preferred a small side gully but the C.O.
+thought it unfeasible.</p>
+
+<p>We called on Major Ward of the 88th F.A. who was also in the
+neighbourhood. After much labour he has got an ideal spot, very safe,
+and plainly made by a man of artistic tastes. He is as happy as a lark
+up there with his camera, and is studying the birds and their nests.</p>
+
+<p>Col. O'Hagan and Major Bell were next called on at Gully Beach, and we
+reached our camp about 1 o'clock.</p>
+
+<p>We hear that Gen. de Lisle estimates that the European war will be
+ended by September&mdash;absolutely without fail.</p>
+
+<br />
+
+<p><i>June 14th.</i>&mdash;I marched a number of our men up The Gully to work at
+our new dressing station. I had a look at the place chosen but liked
+it worse than ever, and proceeded to tear down the sides of the little
+gully I preferred. By night we had converted it into a most romantic
+and safe retreat for the wounded and ourselves. The dry bed of a
+stream, for about 100 yards, we levelled down into a beautiful path,
+with several twists and high towering walls, and in the extreme end we
+levelled the floor of a water-worn amphitheatre making room for about
+twenty stretcher cases. A little water drips over the centre of the 40
+feet high overhanging wall, which in wet weather would be a raging
+torrent. (This was afterwards known, and figured in our maps, as
+Aberdeen Gully. It was most suitable for our work, very safe, and much
+admired by every one.)</p>
+
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_102" id="Page_102">[102]</a></span><i>June 15th.</i>&mdash;Been working all day in our Gully, and am now prepared
+for the night, and am sitting in my new dugout, which is merely an
+excavation on a slope with a projecting cliff overhead. At the present
+moment a long string of Gurkhas are filing up a twisting and high path
+on the north side of our little gully, on their way to the trenches
+for the night. We have watched all sorts on this path, but mostly
+Sikhs and Gurkhas on their way to the firing line, and Indian water
+carriers with their great skin bags which look as if they would hold
+about six gallons. Much water has gone up in tanks, slung on mules.</p>
+
+<p>One of our big guns is immediately above us on the top of the cliff,
+and is making a terrific din, with long rolling echoes. All our guns
+have been very busy to-day and the Turks still more so, and I am
+afraid from their long range, which I observed in the morning, these
+have got new guns with very high explosive shells. It is now 7.45 and
+they may soon stop, as it is dark by 8, but for the last few nights
+they have fired at all hours.</p>
+
+<br />
+
+<p><i>June 16th.</i>&mdash;Still at our new place, and all of us busy with pick and
+spade all day. Had a good night's sleep in spite of a continuous rifle
+fire very near us. We had a visit in the afternoon from the C.O.,
+Agassiz, and Dickie. With the two last I walked over to Y. Beach, and
+at the Artillery Observation Post there, under the guidance of the
+officer in charge, we had a capital view of all our trenches on the
+left flank, including one that has been a bone of contention for some
+time, and was the cause of an attack by the Turks last night. This
+trench was formerly Turkish, but half of it is now in our possession
+and between us is a pile of sandbags. Over this barrier each takes it
+into his head to throw a few bombs at his enemy. We are trying to
+rectify our position by cutting a new sap. The whole of the Turkish
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_103" id="Page_103">[103]</a></span>trenches from Achi Baba to the sea are visible from Y. Beach O.P. For
+a long way in front of where we were the distance between the two of
+us is not many yards, and in one part the trenches look as if they
+were mixed up in an extraordinary way.</p>
+
+<p>I spent the evening making a table for our new quarters, and retired
+to bed about 9 in the midst of big gun, machine and rifle fire, all
+very near.</p>
+
+<br />
+
+<p><i>June 17th.</i>&mdash;Aberdeen Gully. We opened our new station to-day and
+relieved the 87th F.A. We had but a few patients. Agassiz visited us
+in the afternoon with Fiddes and Dickie. The first and I walked over
+to the O.P. at Y. Beach. On the way back along the sunk mule track we
+had to pass a string of mule water carriers. Each Indian leads three
+mules in Indian file. One brute took it into his head to rub the sharp
+edge of his tank into my ribs, and with his feet well to the side he
+stood up and jammed me as hard as he could against the wall of the
+trench. Agassiz, as transport officer, had to dilate on the amount of
+intelligence he has noticed in the Indian mules, while I could only
+use strong language over the wickedness of this particular brute.</p>
+
+<p>We had a number of visitors to-day from neighbouring units&mdash;M.O.'s and
+others. Padres Creighton and Komlosy and Major Lindsay dined with us.</p>
+
+<br />
+
+<p><i>June 18th.</i>&mdash;The centenary of Waterloo. I hear the French are to make
+an attack to-day. I hope they will be more successful than they were
+this day one hundred years ago. This morning we have been annoyed by
+the Turks' shrapnel, the whole of the gully being peppered, and also
+by defective shells from our own battery above our heads. Several
+since we came up here have burst almost as soon as they left the gun.</p>
+
+<p>After breakfast I walked to Y. Beach, and for the first <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_104" id="Page_104">[104]</a></span>time
+scrambled down to the foot. "The Dardanelles Driveller," whose one and
+only copy was most amusing, said about this spot, "Why call it a
+Beach, it is only a bloody cliff"? It was here the K.O.S.B.'s and
+S.W.B.'s landed on April 25 and met with no opposition at the landing,
+and had proceeded nearly two miles inland, when they were attacked by
+the Turks in overwhelming force, and lost a large number in their
+retreat to the Beach and then to their boats. This was afterwards
+retaken by the Gurkhas, who pushed through from W. Beach, and the high
+cliff on the north side is now known as Gurkha Bluff. The Indian
+Brigade have their H.Q. here, and this morning there were about 2000
+Gurkhas and Sikhs about. I was toiling up the "bloody cliff" when some
+Gurkhas passed me, thinking nothing of the steep ascent; while I
+straightened my knees slowly at each step, I noticed they brought
+their legs straight with a jerk.</p>
+
+<p>This day two years ago I was lying in bed in Brussels, reading
+Baedeker, when I discovered it was the 98th anniversary of Waterloo. I
+had given up all intention of visiting the battlefield, being pressed
+for time, but after such a discovery I felt compelled to pay it a
+visit. I was thankful I went, it proved one of the most enjoyable days
+I ever spent. At that time Holland and Belgium hated each other, but
+were outwardly kept friendly by their common enemy, Germany, of which
+they were very suspicious. What has now happened has surprised neither
+of these two States.</p>
+
+<p>7 p.m.&mdash;Returned a few minutes ago from my favourite Observation Post
+at Y. Beach&mdash;Major Ward dragged me over to....</p>
+
+<p>11 p.m.&mdash;The preliminary big gun bombardment was to commence at 7, and
+I had just made a start with my diary when the din began, and I had to
+stop short. We are in the very middle of four batteries&mdash;two mountain
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_105" id="Page_105">[105]</a></span>(Ross and Cromarty), one 64-pounder, and a fourth of four 6-inch
+howitzers. All blazed forth at once, and all drew fire. As far as we
+could make out this was the hottest corner of the whole front. Shells
+in hundreds burst about our ears, chunks of shell and four nose caps
+came into Aberdeen Gully. The noise of our guns and the bursting of
+Turkish shells was the worst I have heard since the day of our
+landing. Stones and earth we had flying about in plenty. In the midst
+of it all Captain Rowland, R.E., shouted from the mule track, asking
+if a M.O. would go and see Major Archibald in the front trench. I set
+off with two bearers and a stretcher, and found him in a side trench
+close to Gully Beach. He was mortally wounded. I dressed him and left
+him where he lay, in charge of an orderly. We now hurried back to the
+mule track, the whole length of which we had to traverse. It had been
+repeatedly and most thoroughly shelled from end to end during the day,
+and we expected the Turk to sweep along it again at any minute. We had
+just cleared it when this actually happened, and howls behind us took
+us back to find that some Indians had been caught in the fire. A Sikh
+had a leg almost entirely blown off. Though suffering badly he was
+most plucky.</p>
+
+<p>From that time onwards we had a steady flow of wounded, which still
+goes on, but those now coming in are being dressed by the Regimental
+M.O.'s before they are carried in by our bearers.</p>
+
+<p>As far as I can gather from the wounded the Turks made an attack on
+our extreme left at the very hour appointed for the attack by the
+French and us. They came on four deep protected by their artillery
+which blew in two of our front trenches, which were held by the
+S.W.B.'s and Inniskillings. These had to retreat, as many as possible
+through their communication trenches, but many had to get over the
+parapets and rush back <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_106" id="Page_106">[106]</a></span>over the open. There were 500 Turks in this
+part alone, and our men say only two ever returned, our men forming up
+and charging quickly retook what they had lost. We have had several
+K.O.S.B.'s from the centre where there was also an attack. These were
+more successful from the beginning, and within fifteen minutes had
+taken the Turks' first line.</p>
+
+<br />
+
+<p><i>June 19th.</i>&mdash;The above was not the end of last night's work. A little
+after midnight we were requested to send a M.O. and as many nursing
+orderlies as possible to the Inniskillings Aid Post, where they were
+said to be overwhelmed with work. This was at the very top of The
+Gully, three-quarters of a mile beyond our station. I jumped at the
+opportunity of a little excitement, and set off with five orderlies.
+We found the road dotted with dead mules and horses, but could not
+find the M.O. for some time. At last he was roused out of his hole
+half asleep. He said he had never sent for help, that they were quite
+able to cope with the work, his men being at the time occupied with
+cases, which seemed to be coming in fast. What cases he had we took
+back with us, an Inniskilling who had a bad wound in the foot from a
+grenade I helped back with his arm round my neck.</p>
+
+<p>The guide who came for us deserted us half-way to the Aid Post, and on
+returning I found him minus his equipment making himself comfortable
+for the night in our gully. I ordered him off to the firing line
+knowing that this was a favourite dodge to escape for a time. After
+half an hour I found him in our cook house, when I took his number and
+name to report him to his C.O. The man was in a state of funk, and
+declared that the Turks would certainly break through before morning.
+Believing that there might be some reason for his alarm I made sure
+before starting that my loaded revolver was at my belt, in case of our
+having to beat a retreat.</p>
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_107" id="Page_107">[107]</a></span>By 3 a.m. I was able to lie down for a short time, but another furious
+attack by the Turks commenced at 4.15. Later in the day I was relieved
+by Fiddes, and about 11 o'clock set off with Agassiz who had ridden
+out from our base. On reaching Gully Beach we took the high road for
+home, but opposite X. Beach the explosions of high explosive shells on
+the road in front of us were too terrifying, and we descended to the
+under-cliff road.</p>
+
+<p>W. Beach had had the worst bombardment it had so far experienced
+during the morning, hundreds of shells falling. Many horses and three
+men were killed. At Corps H.Q. and V. Beach the same went on, and no
+doubt with similar results.</p>
+
+<br />
+
+<p><i>June 21st.</i>&mdash;The A.D.M.S. Col. Yarr, called at 9 a.m. and asked me to
+relieve him for the day, and I am now in his dugout at H.Q. of the 8th
+Army Corps, perhaps the hottest place to shell fire on the whole
+peninsula. I found six aeroplanes drawn up waiting for messages, and
+before 10.30 we had twenty-nine shells all within a few yards of us.
+Only very few exploded luckily, but the others buried themselves at
+least six feet in the earth. H.Q. is a network of deep dugouts with
+communication trenches, but a direct hit will pierce any one of them.
+Already two have been struck since I arrived, and the wings carried
+off a French biplane. They had 200 shells here yesterday, one of the
+orderlies being killed and another has been showing me how his tunic
+was riddled by pieces of a shell that exploded. The aeroplanes are
+really the target aimed at. Two have just ascended, but as long as it
+is daylight they will come and go. We usually get less fire when a few
+of our planes are up, when the Turks' guns lie low not to give away
+their positions.</p>
+
+<p>Corps H.Q. is on the east side of the aerodrome, while our camp at W.
+Beach is on the other. When I <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_108" id="Page_108">[108]</a></span>entered the mess for lunch the only
+person there was an officer in a half faint, seated in a corner
+glaring at a shell on the floor. This had come through the roof that
+very minute and was luckily a "dud". The roof is made of heavy beams,
+thick iron plates from the "River Clyde," sandbags and earth, but this
+shell entered at the edge of the iron which did not project far enough
+over the wall. The place had just been excavated and completed and was
+used to-day for the first time. General Hunter-Weston and his staff
+were present at lunch, also Compton Mackenzie, author and war
+correspondent.</p>
+
+<p>The French have been very busy all day. The Turks are only a little
+less active from their having fewer guns&mdash;fifty-two on Achi Baba said
+to be, and they must have six very big guns on the Asiatic side, and
+these have been throwing huge shells into our lines, across Morto Bay,
+all morning. Occasionally there is a burst of rifle fire which would
+show that the French are making an attempt to regain two trenches I
+hear they lost yesterday or the day before. It is said that to-day's
+attack is to be entirely French. We are giving no help at present, but
+for an hour in the early morning we bombarded, likely with the view to
+distract the Turks' attention from the French front.</p>
+
+<p>10.15 p.m.&mdash;The French are said to have been very successful in their
+attack at 4.30, when they captured two Turkish trenches. The story
+about their losing two trenches is said, at H.Q., to be incorrect.
+About 8 o'clock a counter-attack was made, the result of which is not
+yet known.</p>
+
+<br />
+
+<p><i>June 22nd.</i>&mdash;The fight between the French and the Turks raged without
+the slightest intermission for seventeen hours, in which time the
+former must have fired at least 60,000 shells. I hear the French had
+taken either two or three trenches in the early morning, and during
+the day had repulsed several counter-attacks. <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_109" id="Page_109">[109]</a></span>Just before dark I
+observed the continuous bursting of French shells on the S.E. corner
+of Achi Baba, as if the Turks were forced back out of Kereves Dere,
+which has so long been a natural protection to them.</p>
+
+<p>I have been asked to-day for a report of the case of &mdash;&mdash; No. &mdash;, who
+is to be court-martialled for spreading alarmist reports of the fight
+the other day. The double charge of leaving the firing line without
+permission and spreading alarmist reports is a serious one.</p>
+
+<p>The last time Agassiz and I were at the Y. Beach O.P. we had peeps at
+the Turks' trenches from four different points, and at each a bullet
+flew past us, showing that their snipers keep their eyes open. Major
+W&mdash;&mdash; and I were fired at the other day when out in the open, and we
+had to take to our heels to find cover.</p>
+
+<p>To-day the 5th Battalion Royal Scots have received the highest praise
+from General Hunter-Weston for their brilliant work. They have three
+times retaken trenches from the Turks that had been lost by our
+Regulars. This is the only Territorial Battalion in the whole of our
+Division, and was looked on by the others as our one weak point. Their
+Lt-Col. (Wilson) received the D.S.O. from His Majesty by cable the day
+after he was recommended.</p>
+
+<p><i>Later.</i>&mdash;The French captured five lines of trenches, a large concrete
+redoubt, and possibly a battery, but there is some doubt about this
+last. All are greatly satisfied at the result, although the cost to
+the French was very heavy. A great number of Turks are said to have
+been slaughtered and a large number taken prisoners, but so far I have
+heard no exact figures.</p>
+
+<p><i>Still Later.</i>&mdash;The French casualties are placed at 3000 and they are
+said to have taken that number of prisoners, but as a man said to me,
+"Where are they then, they must have buried them?" General
+Hunter-Weston, I was told, "is as proud as a dog with two tails over
+the French success".</p>
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_110" id="Page_110">[110]</a></span>A Taube visited us early and one of our biplanes gave chase and is
+said to have winged it, as it was seen to descend behind Achi Baba,
+while our airmen dropped bombs on it. I watched the chase as the two
+circled about. While the chase was in progress a second Taube
+appeared, and the coast being clear it flew round us and dropped a
+couple of bombs.</p>
+
+<p>Yesterday I passed in The Gully what remained of the Dublin
+Fusiliers&mdash;less than a company. They were parading in their gas
+respirators, their M.O. lecturing them, and saying that if a rifle is
+a soldier's best friend, his respirator should come next. We are all
+provided with these.</p>
+
+<p>A strange occurrence happened the other day at W. Beach, when I was up
+The Gully. A figure appeared over the sky line in petticoats, as it
+was thought. Our men began yelling "A wuman, a wuman," and all tore
+out to see what they had not seen for months. Lieut. Thomson and
+Corporal Morrice were the most excited. These two have not yet got
+over their disappointment on discovering this was an Egyptian&mdash;and a
+male one&mdash;in a long coat.</p>
+
+<br />
+
+<p><i>June 24th.</i>&mdash;Whyte left us to-day on sick leave. There is a proposal
+that the rest of us should get short leave&mdash;four days to Lemnos.</p>
+
+<p>I have just had a visit from a couple of Senegalese&mdash;French troops.
+They were going through our camp, grinning as only a nigger can, our
+men making fun of them. One carried off a tin of jam in great glee.
+They stopped at my dugout and I could not get rid of them till I gave
+each a chunk of Turkish delight, which pleased them immensely. I had
+to get rid of two sailors the same way yesterday, giving each a
+Turkish nose cap. Every Turkish curio is valued in the Navy, extensive
+barter being carried on between them and men ashore, whisky and all
+sorts of goods being received by us.</p>
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_111" id="Page_111">[111]</a></span>10 p.m.&mdash;I have been watching a big green frog which came jumping
+through our tents at a great speed, as if bound on business. He went
+straight to the cook's tent and crept under the flap. Plainly he had
+been there before. Flies are everywhere by the million, but he knew
+where they were particularly plentiful. Half an hour ago I saw a
+brilliant speck of light on a piece of heath, which I thought was too
+bright to be the reflection of the moon from some bright object. I
+found it came from an insect nearly one inch long, jointed like a
+lobster, the glow coming from the last two joints on the under side.
+Even when held close to the flame of a candle the apple-green glow was
+still very bright.</p>
+
+<br />
+
+<p><i>June 25th.</i>&mdash;Walked to Aberdeen Gully, but nothing worth noting
+to-day.</p>
+
+<br />
+
+<p><i>June 26th.</i>&mdash;Like yesterday an uneventful day&mdash;unless a visit from a
+Taube is worth noting, and a thunderstorm over in Imbros. The sky has
+been more or less cloudy, which is certainly unusual, while yesterday
+in The Gully the heat was perhaps more trying than I ever felt it.</p>
+
+<p>All preparations are ready for a very big day on Monday (28th) when
+the Turks on our left are all to be blown sky high; such a bombardment
+as Flanders has never seen the like of. So says General de Lisle who
+has been in France from the beginning of the war until the other day,
+when he became our Divisional-General.</p>
+
+<br />
+
+<p><i>June 27th.</i>&mdash;I went to Aberdeen Gully to-day with Kellas, Agassiz,
+and Morris. We wondered if we could extend our accommodation for
+wounded in anticipation of to-morrow's fight. We did nothing in that
+direction, but Kellas getting a message to attend a meeting at Brigade
+H.Q. as we went up The Gully, he brought up word that General de Lisle
+wished us to open another <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_112" id="Page_112">[112]</a></span>dressing station, as far as I could make
+out, in the slight dip immediately in front of our first firing line
+to which we are expected to creep out, and dig ourselves in, and wait
+for to-morrow's advance. I know the ground, and saw his sketch of the
+site, and pronounced it impossible. We next went to Y. Beach and along
+a small gully beside Gurkha Bluff, till we were stopped by our front
+trenches, and could find no possible way of opening another station.
+We next visited the A.D.M.S., Major Bell, who had not heard of this
+suggestion.</p>
+
+<p>The bombardment by the naval and field guns commences at 9 to-morrow,
+and as Thomson and I, who are at present in reserve at W. Beach, are
+both anxious to take part in what is likely to be one of our biggest
+fights, we have permission to be out in Aberdeen Gully before it
+starts. I have just been ordering breakfast for 6.45 to-morrow, the
+cook remarking sarcastically to a bystander, "Widna five be a better
+oor": "I dinna think ye shud gang to bed, min," was the reply.</p>
+
+<p>We had seven aeroplanes up at one time this evening, viewing the land
+and the movements of the Turks, preparing for to-morrow's row.</p>
+
+<br />
+
+<p><i>June 28th.</i>&mdash;After an early breakfast Thomson and I set off for
+Aberdeen Gully, and as our three mule ambulance wagons were going up
+for the day we had a ride in a four-in-hand to Gully Beach. All the
+way out we watched the Turks' shells falling right along The Gully,
+all the batteries, which are numerous there, getting their attentions,
+while we sat and wondered what we were to do. At the foot of the steep
+descent into Gully Beach Major Bell shouted to me from a high terrace
+in which he lives, and advised us not to risk taking the wagons and
+mules further, especially as mules were getting scarce and are very
+valuable, so, after consulting with Col. O'Hagan, he suggested parking
+them where they <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_113" id="Page_113">[113]</a></span>were. Col. O'Hagan, thinking this gave him the power
+to do with our wagons as he liked, dared our men to do anything
+without consulting him, otherwise he would put them under arrest&mdash;a
+threat not much to the liking of Serg. Philip.</p>
+
+<p>We now decided to give The Gully as wide a berth as possible and took
+the track by the foot of the rocks to Y. Beach, about 2&frac14; miles
+further on. The attack was to commence at 9 a.m. and we had
+three-quarters of an hour to do this, climb the long, steep ascent at
+Y. Beach, and cross by the sunk mule track to Aberdeen Gully. The guns
+had been unusually active for the last two days, and to-day from
+daybreak the heavy howitzers had been throwing shells among the Turks
+to knock in their trenches, and these and many others were dropping
+their shells a short way to our left as we crossed the mule track. The
+heat by this time was intense, and I was absolutely soaked by the time
+I reached the top of the cliff, scrambling through the Gurkha and Sikh
+dugouts by the nearest cut possible, not much to their relish I
+thought. Many of the Gurkhas were handling their knives, and one or
+two sharpening them on stones. These knives of theirs are not so
+sacred as some say they are, although I was once warned sharply not to
+touch one I was to pick up beside its owner. I have often seen them
+chopping wood and meat with these, hence the necessity for their
+requiring sharpening this morning. Poor Gurkhas! later in the day some
+of our men mistook them for Turks and mowed down seventy of them with
+their machine-guns. In every battle we have had some such mistake, and
+the Dublins in the afternoon had the same experience as the Gurkhas.</p>
+
+<p>We were not many minutes in Aberdeen Gully when the Turks shrapnelled
+the mule track very thoroughly, as they did in our last battle, and
+wounded came in thick from here. Of course the Turks, by means of
+spies, who <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_114" id="Page_114">[114]</a></span>are said to be numerous, knew the exact minute of the
+attack, and were fully prepared to give us a hot time. The mule track
+is merely an old trench widened and deepened, and when there is
+fighting many troops pass along this, and the Turks guessed they could
+get a rich harvest here.</p>
+
+<p>From 9 to 11 every gun on the peninsula fired as fast as it could be
+loaded&mdash;between 300 and 400 guns. We were in the thick of it, between
+the two artillery lines, and the shells of both passed directly over
+our heads. Orders to the artillery were that ammunition was not to be
+spared.</p>
+
+<p>At 11 the infantry assault on the first Turkish trench was to be made,
+and the guns were then to lift and be trained on the third. All along
+the first line seemed to fall easily, and many of our men rushed to
+the second, some even taking a third, while a Scotch battalion even
+took five. This sort of thing usually proves disastrous, as most of
+our own big guns are out of sight of their objective, and fire
+entirely by range, and in this case the guns were trained on the third
+trench while this battalion rushed through to the fifth, with
+calamitous results. This battalion&mdash;either Royal Scots, Scotch
+Fusiliers, or K.O.S.B.'s I forget which&mdash;had lost all its officers,
+but, with no one to lead them, they dashed on, greatly to the
+admiration of all onlookers. Two Munster officers had finally to go
+forward and recall them. Pushing forward at this rate, even apart from
+the chance of running into your own artillery fire, generally ends
+disastrously; if too much progress is made we can rarely retain our
+position.</p>
+
+<p>The Turks were entirely demoralised by the heavy bombardment and
+cleared out of their trenches, some of our men, as they came to us
+wounded, complaining that they ran so fast that they could not get
+near them. Many got down on their knees and surrendered, still
+shouting their war cry, "Allah, Allah".</p>
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_115" id="Page_115">[115]</a></span>Large bodies of prisoners, all motley crews, passed us during the day,
+and we had a good many wounded Turks to attend to. I dressed one I was
+much interested in&mdash;a short, swarthy chap of middle age, who was
+brought in by some Fusiliers. This man had jumped on the parapet of
+his trench, where he coolly stood upright and shot five Fusiliers dead
+before they managed to bowl him over, but a shattered left arm left
+him helpless. He walked in with about sixty other prisoners, with a
+bullet through his upper jaw and tongue, which had come out at the
+back of his neck; another shattered completely his left arm, the
+splintered humerus being at a very sharp angle, and a third through
+his thigh. He had lost much blood from the divided brachial artery,
+and was very thirsty, and soon drained the fill of a feeding cup of
+water, in spite of the state of his mouth. He soon wanted more "su"
+(Turkish for "water") and was given a bowlful, but he would have
+nothing to do with the bowl, he stuck his finger to its side to show
+that he wanted the one with the spout. Evidently he was surprised I
+did not cut his throat, and all the time I was dressing him he patted
+me with his sound hand.</p>
+
+<p>All the guns were trained on a small patch to begin with, a
+troublesome part known as the "boomerang," a redoubt with sixteen
+machine-guns. This was blown to smithereens.</p>
+
+<p>The whole fight was on our extreme left, with a front of not much over
+half a mile. This must have been very thoroughly ploughed up, and a
+large number of Turks blown to pieces. One woman was found among the
+dead, but it is believed that many of them had their wives with them.
+Many of their underground dwellings were so elaborate that they had
+evidently made up their minds that they were to spend the coming
+winter here.</p>
+
+<p>Our casualties, although light compared with the Turks, must be heavy.
+Over 300 passed through our <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_116" id="Page_116">[116]</a></span>station before dark, but at that time
+perhaps the bigger half was still to come. Those lying between
+trenches have usually to lie where they fall till dark. Our losses
+would likely be 3000 to 4000.</p>
+
+<p>The Asiatic guns, finding they could take little active part in the
+proceedings, although they fired occasionally on the French, amused
+themselves by firing at W. Beach and the battery on Tekke Burnu, and
+with forty-two shots managed to kill two men and wound eight. One of
+our men, Corporal Dunn, got badly hit while in Aberdeen Gully by a
+two-pound shell cap. It was due to the premature bursting of one of
+our own shells. (Corporal Dunn died a day or two afterwards.) So far
+the wounds received by our Ambulance have been slight.</p>
+
+<p>Padre Creighton had a peculiar experience at 1 a.m. to-day, while
+asleep in his "crow's nest". He has taken up his quarters with us in
+Aberdeen Gully, and has a dugout about 15 feet above the path that
+winds the length of our Gully. This is almost sheer up and is reached
+by steps cut in the rock and sandbags. It was formed by levelling a
+natural recess, and had a galvanised iron roof. Sheer up from this
+again the rock rises another 70 or 80 feet to the mule track above. A
+packhorse with two heavy tanks lost its footing on its way up and fell
+crashing down on Creighton's place, carrying away the roof and a
+number of sandbags, and dropping one of the boxes in the middle of his
+bed. The padre escaped untouched. Kellas, sleeping further down the
+path, rushed out and found himself face to face with the runaway
+steed, which, still more strange to say, was also unhurt. The padre in
+the bright moonlight was standing in his pyjamas on the top of his
+steps, scratching his head, and wondering what it all meant.</p>
+
+<p>The heat all through the day had been most trying, and as I trudged
+down The Gully by myself, Thomson remaining behind, in the sweltering
+heat, the whole way <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_117" id="Page_117">[117]</a></span>packed tight with ammunition and other wagons,
+through a dust that filled The Gully to the very brim, I felt dead
+tired after a hard day's work and the long tramp of yesterday, when we
+looked in vain for a site for a new advanced dressing station. The
+road seemed without end. As I neared "home" and came over the slight
+rise at our cemetery the moon rose through a slight haze over the
+classic Mount Ida, as a great blood-red ball, while on my other side,
+out in the Gulf of Saros, a dense cloud hung over Imbros, which every
+few seconds was lit up by a flash of lightning. I had little food all
+day, and was too tired to eat, but after a big drink of lime juice I
+retired to bed and slept the sleep of the just&mdash;of the tired at any
+rate.</p>
+
+<p>And so ended a day in which we had had a good specimen of a modern
+battle, where both sides had shown equal and indomitable pluck.</p>
+
+<br />
+
+<p><i>June 29th.</i>&mdash;Spent the day resting and washing clothes. When I can I
+have a washing day twice a week.</p>
+
+<p>Many wounded passed through Aberdeen Gully after I left last night,
+the total up to some hour this morning being 566, which meant a lot of
+hard work.</p>
+
+<p>After I left, Ashmead-Bartlett was passing, and recognising Padre
+Creighton he went over our Gully, and greatly admired the place for
+its suitability and picturesqueness, and is to give a description of
+it in one of his early articles to the home papers&mdash;so he says. He
+told our fellows the following story of a friend of his, who had been
+through the landing of April 25. He wrote home saying that shells flew
+thick about his ears, torpedoes chased him about, and mines floated
+all round; still he was not in the least afraid, he just thought of
+what his padre told them the previous Sunday, when he exhorted them
+when in danger to look upwards. He <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_118" id="Page_118">[118]</a></span>looked upwards, and behold! here
+was a bloody aeroplane dropping bombs.</p>
+
+<p>Early in the afternoon we had a goodly number of shells. Yesterday,
+when I was up The Gully, a large piece of shell flew through our mess
+tent, where the servants were sitting, and landed in a jam pot on the
+table, splashing an orderly all over; he, mistaking jam for his own
+blood, did not know whether he was really alive or dead.</p>
+
+<br />
+
+<p><i>June 30th.</i>&mdash;We had seven large shells during the night, all landing
+on our side of W. Beach. Two traction engines have been fitted up
+lately down on the shore, and one of these was smashed, and a
+tool-house beside it blown pretty well to pieces. There was also some
+fighting about our left and centre, but I have not heard the result.
+The Turks have now a plentiful supply of ammunition, and all yesterday
+afternoon and this morning have poured a constant stream of high
+explosives into the French side of Kereves Dere.</p>
+
+<p>Soon after 8 p.m. lightning flashed thick about Imbros, which had an
+inky black cloud hanging overhead. The storm moved to the east, till
+it came over Achi Baba, and by this time the flashes were almost
+constant and the thunder loud. It was one of the grandest
+thunderstorms I ever saw, and what made it more impressive was the din
+and flashing of all our guns, the searchlight from Chanak, which
+always plays over the Dardanelles and us, and then we had a severe
+shelling from Asia all to ourselves. We just wanted a good rattling
+earthquake to complete this fearsome picture of hell where both man
+and the gods warred.</p>
+
+<p>The Turks have started a new form of frightfulness. They shell us
+every now and then from Asia, and from there last night they dropped
+into W. Beach a huge shell that detonates with a terrible crash, and
+every twenty <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_119" id="Page_119">[119]</a></span>minutes or so they treated us to one of these, and made
+the whole night hideous, and sleep impossible.</p>
+
+<p>This afternoon a French battleship stationed herself off the entrance
+to the Dardanelles, and fired about fifty rounds from her biggest guns
+at a point on a hill about a mile beyond Kum Kale. As the Turkish guns
+are believed to be in tunnels they were firing practically at right
+angles to these, and I could not possibly see how they could get a
+direct hit, and prophesied that as soon as the ship left they would
+show that there was life in the old dog yet, by giving a worse
+cannonade than usual, and this was just what happened. No fewer than
+five shells fell in the C.C.S. beside us, killing the cook, and
+wounding two orderlies, and a number of the already wounded. I saw
+several horses and mules fall to their bag also. Then as soon as it
+got dark they made up their minds that we were not to be allowed to
+sleep, and every fifteen to twenty minutes we had a terrific crash in
+the camp up to 5 a.m. This becomes very trying, and all wish that
+something could be done to silence these guns. Nothing will do but a
+landing on the Asiatic side.</p>
+
+<br />
+
+<p><i>July 1st.</i>&mdash;I came out to Aberdeen Gully after breakfast. Here one
+feels comparatively safe, and we are enjoying the peace after our
+nocturnal shellings, and the thought of a good night's sleep braces
+one up wonderfully. Fiddes and I walked over to the Artillery
+Observation Post to see the extent of our advance, the other day, and
+I was surprised to find our front trenches so far forward. Some of
+these front trenches we still divide with the Turks, and during their
+attempts to recover some of these last night the darkness of the night
+and the thunderstorm terrified the Gurkhas so much that they nearly
+lost their most advanced line.</p>
+
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_120" id="Page_120">[120]</a></span><i>July 2nd.</i>&mdash;Spent a quiet day out at the dressing station&mdash;as far as
+work went. I went over to Y. Beach by the mule track, but as shells
+were dropping about both these places I returned sooner than I
+intended. In the afternoon a message from the Turks, dropped from an
+aeroplane, gave the whole army half an hour to clear out of the
+peninsula, otherwise they would shell us into the sea. The shelling
+had to be resorted to, and commencing at 5 p.m. they worked so
+vigorously that plainly they meant what they said. The artillery duel
+then started was on this left side, and, our Gully being between the
+two fires, all the shells went right over our heads, and the shrieking
+was as bad as any I ever heard. At periods during the three hours this
+lasted they crossed at the rate of 200 per minute. We were close to
+three of our own batteries, and these had to be peppered over our
+heads, and most of the shells being shrapnel, timed to burst in the
+air, we had many an explosion immediately above us. We all cowered as
+well as we could up against the rocks, and although shrapnel bullets
+and half a shell base came among us no one was hit. In spite of all
+this bombardment, an artillery officer told me next day that all the
+casualties he knows of are one man and five horses wounded. All these
+were hit in a small side Gully like our own, a shell bursting in their
+midst.</p>
+
+<p>Padre Creighton came back tired and hungry at 8.30 and found no supper
+nor fire to cook it with, the cook's life having been frightened out
+of him he forgot the necessity for bodily sustenance for the rest of
+us. I noticed the cook at one time flourishing a spade like a cricket
+bat, and on asking him what this was for he declared, "You can easy
+see the bloody thing comin'". He intended to let fly at the first
+shell that came his way. Creighton in his usual energetic way buckled
+to, and prepared an excellent supper of fried onions on toast, <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_121" id="Page_121">[121]</a></span>with a
+little bacon. This was much enjoyed, as was also the Bivouac cocoa
+with which it was washed down.</p>
+
+<br />
+
+<p><i>July 4th.</i>&mdash;Aberdeen Gully. A glorious Sunday morning. A slight
+shower during the night has refreshed the air and nature's dusty face,
+and now, with a brilliant sun and a gentle breeze, one can feel as
+happy as one can out here, thousands of miles from home&mdash;but are we
+downhearted? No! There is also almost an absolute calm from those
+noisy death dealers, shots being only very occasional. A big howitzer
+is going off at times, but apart from that the unnatural silence seems
+ominous, like a calm before a storm.</p>
+
+<p>Padre Creighton is to-day offering five pounds to a shilling that it
+will be Christmas before we take Achi Baba. My forecast is we will be
+there before this day week, while any combatants I have spoken to say
+it will take us to the end of July. At the present rate we will take
+months, but in my opinion it will be necessary to push on faster than
+we have been able to do so far, although I believe by wearing out the
+Turks slowly our casualties will be less. But a more rapid advance
+would be a greater help to our comrades fighting in other parts of the
+Continent.</p>
+
+<p><i>Afternoon.</i>&mdash;Had an excellent lunch cooked by Fiddes, who is a
+first-rate <i>chef</i>. An officer lunched with us who says he is the last
+of his battalion. He came in slightly wounded, but his nerves have so
+completely gone that he says he will never be able to shoot a rabbit
+again, and sheds tears at the thought of such cruelty. Many will
+follow in the same condition if we cannot get relief, and out of reach
+of the Turks' guns for an occasional rest.</p>
+
+<br />
+
+<p><i>July 5th.</i>&mdash;We have had a terribly hot morning, we opening the
+artillery ball at 3.45, when the Turks made an attack on the most
+important front trench we now <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_122" id="Page_122">[122]</a></span>hold, and took from them this day last
+week. Now, at 9 o'clock, things are still very warm, but nothing to
+what they were during the first three hours, when the fire from both
+sides was about equal. After the first rush of the Turks the fight has
+been nothing but an artillery duel.</p>
+
+<p>In Aberdeen Gully, we are wonderfully protected by our high rocks, and
+natural banks which have been improved by ourselves, and although many
+pieces of shell have fallen in it to-day no one was hit.</p>
+
+<p>The Turks are said to have suffered enormously, being taken by
+surprise in a nullah along which they were marching in close
+formation. An officer with a machine-gun says he alone accounted for
+about eighty. We have had about twenty-four wounded Dublins so far,
+some mere boys. Those boys who are slightly hit are in great glee over
+their prowess, one as he walked proudly in exclaiming, "Py Jasus, we
+gave them a holy paestin' this mornin'".</p>
+
+<p>Last night we had a call from the M.O. of the Scottish Rifles. He was
+telling us about the casualties in the Lowland Brigade on Monday last.
+They went in 2900 strong and only 1200 came out. Their Brigadier and
+three Colonels were killed. I have spoken to several officers of the
+Brigade, and they unanimously put this loss down to some tactical
+mistake. They charged much too soon, and moreover the men had to
+assault trenches that had never been shelled. This M.O. says he had
+been speaking to an officer who said he assisted to cut the rope by
+which one of the Turkish gunners was bound to his machine-gun. To
+prevent their running away we have heard that they are sometimes tied
+to their guns by chains.</p>
+
+<p>6 p.m.&mdash;I am back again at W. Beach where I find they have had a
+perfect hell of a time. A big French transport was sunk off this by a
+torpedo on Saturday.</p>
+
+<p>In the morning after the fight of the 29th I met in The <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_123" id="Page_123">[123]</a></span>Gully three
+wounded soldiers of the Lowland Brigade, two of them trying to put a
+sling on the third, who had a smashed hand. I assisted and asked about
+their casualties. One said, "We lost our Brigadier, Scott-Moncrieff,
+did ye ken him, a wee wiry beggar?"</p>
+
+<p>After dinner to-day I walked to the Dublin trenches with Creighton,
+who was to bury some of the men killed last night. As we passed a
+workshop and engineers' dump on our way back, Creighton was again
+asked to bury a man. While he was doing so I sharpened my pocket knife
+on a grindstone standing by, and asked a soldier if that was all the
+killed they had last night. "Yes," he said, "and we had an officer
+buried to-day." "Oh," said I, "when was he killed?" "He wasn't killed
+at all." "Then why did you bury him?" "A shell blew in a trench on the
+top of him, but we dug him out, and he was none the worse."</p>
+
+<p>Another mule&mdash;but it was a horse this time&mdash;toppled down from the path
+above us this afternoon. He started on his career with his full load,
+but he had nothing but his saddle when he dumped himself down on the
+path three yards from my sleeping bunk, after a drop of about 50 feet.
+I would much rather have a whole mule flying in among us than a chunk
+of shell. He picked himself up and looked scared, and went away
+puffing hard, but quite unharmed except for a bleeding nose.</p>
+
+<br />
+
+<p><i>July 6th.</i>&mdash;W. Beach. What's wrong? Not a shot in our neighbourhood
+during the night, and I must have slept seven hours.</p>
+
+<p><i>Later.</i>&mdash;By afternoon we had a few shells, some dropping
+uncomfortably near&mdash;forty-five in all, so many from Achi Baba, and ten
+huge ones, with big explosions, from Asia. These last were aimed at
+our ammunition dumps, where some damage was done.</p>
+
+<p>At supper our Q.M. Dickie told us the following <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_124" id="Page_124">[124]</a></span>little anecdote,
+which I jot down as it was connected with our Corps. One evening a
+recruit presented himself at Fonthill Barracks, Aberdeen, and informed
+the CO.&mdash;Captain Robertson&mdash;that he wanted to "Jine". "But we are full
+up," says R. "Oh, I thocht ye wintet men." "Oh well, as you are a
+likely looking chap, I think I'll take you; when would you like to be
+examined?" "I'll be examined noo, far's the doctor?" "I'm the doctor,"
+said R. "God," says the chap, "ye dinna look muckle like a doctor."
+"But why do you wish to join?" "It's jist like this, I hid a dram, an'
+the maister said I was a damned feel, so I telt him if I wis a damned
+feel, he wis a damneder, an' he telt me to gang tae hell, sae I jist
+gaed, an' here I am." "When can you join?" "Weel, this is Saeterday
+nicht, it wid need tae be Tiesday or Wednesday. Ye see I drive the
+milk caert, a damned responsible poseeshen." Not much of a story but
+real Aberdeen.</p>
+
+<br />
+
+<p><i>July 7th.</i>&mdash;Had seventy shells to-day on W. Beach, mostly big ones
+from the "Asiatic Annies"; bag, two killed and three wounded.</p>
+
+<br />
+
+<p><i>July 8th.</i>&mdash;W. Beach. Yesterday we had a big mail&mdash;great rejoicing.</p>
+
+<p>When we came out of the mess tent to-day at 1.15 we found a great
+swarm of what we all think must be locusts, but no one is sufficiently
+well up in zoology to be certain. All are flying inwards in the same
+direction, as if they had come out of the sea, but it is more likely
+they have come from Asia, across the Dardanelles. There is a slight
+breeze and they have difficulty in flying, and are resting everywhere,
+and bump up against tents and everything that comes in their way, and
+are not strong flyers. They have powerful grasshopper legs, red from
+the knee downwards, and an inner pair of <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_125" id="Page_125">[125]</a></span>wings, which are also red
+and give the whole animal a red colour when in flight. Now, after an
+hour, they are still more plentiful, and are flying past actually in
+myriads.</p>
+
+<p>At 4.30 I got a message to relieve Col. Yarr at Corps H.Q. An
+aeroplane was drawn up there, and along with myself a second one
+arrived. Now I am in for a shelling, I said to myself, and I had just
+entered Col. Yarr's dugout when the first shell exploded a few yards
+off, and this was immediately followed by two others. Near the middle
+of the aerodrome a large gun emplacement&mdash;or whatever it is&mdash;is being
+dug, which, it is hoped, will draw some of the fire away from here.</p>
+
+<p>The swarm of locusts (?) did not diminish for three hours, when it
+tailed off. Their bumping into one's face made walking almost
+impossible.</p>
+
+<br />
+
+<p><i>July 9th.</i>&mdash;Head-quarters. We have had a quiet night. The shelling
+does not commence here till the aeroplanes arrive from Tenedos. Last
+night at dinner various subjects were discussed, such as the duration
+of the war. The views of all were very depressing, although no one had
+the slightest doubt as to the ultimate complete smashing up of
+Germany, and the longer the war lasted the more complete would the
+smashing be. One man was sure it would be ended by next spring,
+another, who had lived long in Macedonia, is positive it will take two
+years from now. General Hunter-Weston took no part in this discussion,
+but looked interested and amused while his juniors threshed the
+subject out. All agreed that it was most laughable to read the
+forecasts in the papers at home, and that it was only now that England
+was realising how enormous the task before her was, and that the war
+will continue till both sides are just about played out, but there can
+be no doubt of our ability to hold out longest.</p>
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_126" id="Page_126">[126]</a></span>The plans for the next big attack were also discussed. The General,
+who commands the whole army on the peninsula&mdash;including the
+French&mdash;arranges all details, under the Commander-in-chief, Sir Ian
+Hamilton. The dates of former attacks were known to us all several
+days before they took place, and these invariably reached the Turks.
+To avoid this more secrecy is now observed, and it amused me last
+night to hear the General emphasise his dates in a voice that denoted
+that he did not mean them to be taken literally. This was to bamboozle
+me, I thought, the only non-combatant present, but occasionally he
+stumbled. As it was always with regret that I came to know the dates
+of former attacks some days ahead I was glad to observe this attempt
+at secrecy. I remember we were once to commence at 7 o'clock, and the
+Turk let fly at us at 6.45, determined, sensible man, to get in the
+first blow.</p>
+
+<p>When talking about crushing Germany, all regretted that our country
+was so soft, and would not crush sufficiently; however, they thought
+they could rely on Russia and France insisting on this being carried
+out very thoroughly.</p>
+
+<p>After breakfast I walked down about 300 yards to Helles point,
+wondering what had come of all our shipping. The hospital ships are
+there, one small supply ship only, a few mine-sweepers, and close in
+under the rocks a British and a French submarine, lying beside the
+keel of the "Majestic". It appears a German submarine had been sighted
+last night, hence as many of the ships as possible had fled. A French
+ship is battering Kum Kale, and kicking up a tremendous dust. An
+officer from H.Q. was regretting the inability of the Navy to help us.
+At last, I hope, even the Navy has discovered this for themselves, for
+land operations they are of little use. Then we must rely on our field
+guns and howitzers, and these only. Another 5-inch howitzer battery
+arrived <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_127" id="Page_127">[127]</a></span>last night, I hear, and we have 9.2-inch guns somewhere, but
+I fail to gather whether these had been actually landed.</p>
+
+<br />
+
+<p><i>July 10th.</i>&mdash;We had an unusually good dinner last night, a feast fit
+for the gods to one who has had nothing but camp rations for three
+months, where the staple diet is bully beef. We had various liqueurs
+before dinner, and excellent cocktails made by the General's A.D.C.
+But I never enjoyed anything so much as a bottle of Bass the night
+before. The A.D.C. is a jovial fellow, always happy, with plenty of
+foresight, and with a fatherly interest in everybody. General
+Hunter-Weston has been spending the night at Imbros with Sir Ian
+Hamilton, and the Staff had asked several of their friends to dine
+with them. I was able to find out from one of our visitors that there
+is absolutely no truth in a most persistent rumour we hear, that the
+whole of the 29th Division is going home to be re-equipped, after
+their almost complete annihilation. He says we are to get a rest, but
+we only go to Lemnos. Why send troops away in the meantime?</p>
+
+<p>The Turks for some days back have been making a huge excavation on
+this side of the actual peak of Achi Baba. Its purpose is a great
+puzzle here. The first object one would think of is that it is a big
+gun emplacement, but, as they say at H.Q., they have made it on the
+wrong side of the hill. Still I cannot see why not, if they front it
+with a big enough mound. But there could be no advantage in making it
+on this side, where we could so easily "spot" our shots.</p>
+
+<p>We, too, are making a big excavation on one side of the aerodrome, but
+when the first aeroplane enters it for the night I am mistaken if the
+Turks do not knock it out within an hour. It is intended for a
+monoplane that can fly 113 miles an hour, and its special purpose is
+to give chase to the first Taube that appears.</p>
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_128" id="Page_128">[128]</a></span>That Achi Baba excavation makes one suspicious that the German
+officers with the Turks are to be up to some form of frightfulness. It
+cannot be gas, but, if it is, we have been prepared for that for some
+weeks, and every man has his respirator. To-day I was asked by the
+A.D.C. about a paper dealing with gases, with which we are to
+retaliate should the Turk use these first, but it contains names I
+never heard before, and can give him no enlightenment on the subject.</p>
+
+<p>6 p.m.&mdash;I have been on the General's observation hill with one of the
+staff, and his opinion about the excavation is probably correct. It
+must be a redoubt, in which the Turks will have a large number of
+field and machine-guns, which will mean some taking, but our artillery
+should make short work of it.</p>
+
+<br />
+
+<p><i>July 11th.</i>&mdash;Was knocked up at 6.30 to see the General who is ill.
+This is awkward, as I have just gathered at breakfast that the next
+big fight ("stunt" is the word always used) comes off to-morrow. I
+also heard at breakfast that in our last stunt when the first lines of
+the Turks were slaughtered, new troops as they were brought up refused
+to cross the masses of their dead comrades, and that one of the
+reasons for General Hunter-Weston refusing the armistice asked for by
+the Turks two days ago was that he wished to retain their dead as a
+wall of defence.</p>
+
+<p>Much business has to be transacted in preparation for to-morrow and
+the General is getting little rest.</p>
+
+<p>6 p.m.&mdash;I walked over to the Ambulance to notify them about
+to-morrow's stunt. The road between the aerodrome and the Beach was
+being shelled, so I took the other side of the aerodrome, past the
+Ordnance Stores, and as I was nearing these the Asiatic gunners
+thought they might pepper this side, and I had some big crashes near
+me. A shell entered the road just behind the 89th <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_129" id="Page_129">[129]</a></span>F.A. without
+exploding, and one of our men pushed a 7-foot stick down the hole
+without reaching the bottom. The hole was the cleanest I ever saw, 7
+inches in diameter, and every mark of the rifling of the driving band
+was beautifully moulded in the clay. Here at H.Q. they dug up one of
+these new and unexploded shells, and it had penetrated 14 feet into
+the ground.</p>
+
+<p>A New Zealander was telling me yesterday that his people closely
+resembled those of the old country in every respect, while the
+Australians seem to completely alter. When the British and New
+Zealanders hear a shell approaching they duck, while an Australian
+straightens his back, gets his head and shoulders over the parapet,
+and swears.</p>
+
+<p>General Hunter-Weston kept improving during the day, and by evening
+was much better.</p>
+
+<br />
+
+<p><i>July 12th.</i>&mdash;An important battle took place to-day, and still rages,
+beginning at 4 a.m. but in real earnest by 5, when many new big guns
+were used for the first time. Our centre (Naval Division) and the
+right (French) are mainly involved, although the whole line took part
+in the preliminary bombardment. News came in that the first attack
+failed, but that by 7.30 the first line of the Turks was captured. On
+the top of the Observation Hill at H.Q. I met an interesting fellow,
+who said he was the only civil surgeon who had got permission to join
+us. He had a Government appointment in the Soudan, and having three
+months' leave he was allowed to spend it here without pay. He said he
+would have been ashamed to go home.</p>
+
+<p>The General feels better to-day, and by lunch time looked as if things
+were going well at the Front. However, the French have a most
+difficult piece of work before them, namely, the capture of Kereves
+Dere, which has blocked their way since April 28. This gully runs in
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_130" id="Page_130">[130]</a></span>a S.E. direction from the foot of Achi Baba to the Dardanelles, is
+flat at the bottom, and about 400 yards wide, with steep perpendicular
+cliffs on both sides, nearly 200 feet high. At the bottom each side
+holds a trench facing the other, while there are others half-way up
+wherever there are slopes. In a spot or two the French are said to
+have pushed through before, and for a time held a piece of the other
+side, but the difficulty is to get the Turk entirely out and the
+position consolidated.</p>
+
+<p>The enemy submarines would like to do some mischief to-day, could they
+find something worth a torpedo, but all our shipping has gone, except
+three hospital ships and the torpedo craft. Within the last fifteen
+minutes a destroyer has given a long blast on her whistle, followed by
+two short, the signal that a submarine has been sighted. Three
+destroyers are at the present moment grouped together evidently having
+a conference.</p>
+
+<p>6.15 p.m.&mdash;The battle has raged the whole day, but less violently from
+11 to 4, but at the latter hour, a warship, lying close in, with all
+our field guns, raised a great roar, and a solid mass of smoke and
+dust rose high in the air enveloping the whole of the Turkish lines
+from the west of Krithia to the Dardanelles. The Turks have replied
+all day, but feebly in comparison.</p>
+
+<p>Most of the day I had been watching the battlefield from the
+Observation Hill, then at 5 went to tea in the mess where I was alone.
+General Hunter-Weston entered in a few minutes, and sitting opposite
+me said, "What an extraordinary thing war is". The progress of the day
+had greatly satisfied him I could see, and he was in great glee.
+"Yes," I said, "but I wish to goodness it was all over." "My dear
+sir," he replied, "we'll have years of it yet." I asked if he thought
+there was any possibility of its ending this year. "Absolutely none; I
+think there may be trouble in Germany over the food supply by the
+beginning of next harvest and, if so, there will be a <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_131" id="Page_131">[131]</a></span>chance of its
+ending in twelve months, but it is more likely to take two years." I
+was afterwards speaking to Major &mdash;&mdash; about this, and I have always
+agreed with his remark, "It is all damned nonsense to talk about
+starving Germany".</p>
+
+<p>After tea I returned to the Hill where several of the Staff were
+collected. We watched a body of Turks, about 200 in number, leave
+their own lines and come towards ours with a large white flag. Within
+three seconds after their forming into a body five of our shells
+landed among them, and there was nothing to be seen when the smoke
+cleared off. But in a few minutes those remaining gathered into a body
+again, and immediately two more shells exploded in their midst. The
+few remaining could now be seen coming out of the smoke and tearing
+down a slope to a nullah a short way off, and they were not seen
+again. Major &mdash;&mdash; was here called away to interpret to three Turkish
+prisoners who had come in, but I have heard no particulars of their
+examination.... I hear from one of the orderlies that a prisoner
+complained that their own guns opened on them as soon as a body formed
+up to surrender. (This is what actually happened, Turkish shells, not
+ours, fell among them, a lesson to others what would happen if they
+surrendered.)</p>
+
+<p>We seem to have made a great advance in front of our Naval Division.
+It is more difficult to say what the French have done, their line is
+more hidden from here, owing to the contour of the ground. It will be
+dark by 8, and now at 6.45 it is high time we were straightening up
+our line, otherwise the forward positions will be enfiladed by night.</p>
+
+<p>I heard our Artillery Staff-General being asked at the Observation
+Hill if he was satisfied with the day's work, and he replied, "Quite,
+on the whole, quite, quite".</p>
+
+<p>I was interested to find that none of our Generals <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_132" id="Page_132">[132]</a></span>left H.Q. to-day;
+everything is worked from there by telephone. Each was at his own post
+and spent little time on the Observation Hill&mdash;much less than I did
+myself.</p>
+
+<br />
+
+<p><i>July 13th.</i>&mdash;Rumours after a battle are always plentiful, but at H.Q.
+one has an opportunity of sifting these, in fact I could always get
+the exact truth by asking members of the Staff, but I feel as a
+non-combatant that I have no right to openly poke my nose into purely
+military matters. Rumour said we had taken 700 prisoners yesterday;
+another rumour puts the number at 2000. I heard at dinner that eighty
+had come in. Mention was laughingly made of "the lost regiment". I
+could not imagine at the time that we had lost a regiment and thought
+it was a joke of the General's, but to-day I find that a whole
+battalion of K.O.S.B.'s are amissing. Those must be prisoners in the
+hands of the Turks. They had lost so heavily before that they could
+not have been at anything like full strength. The curious thing is the
+officers are said to have turned up, and can give no account of what
+happened. I expect this is not the exact truth. They are said to have
+pushed too far forward, which is the usual cause of our worst
+disasters.</p>
+
+<p>Three violent counter-attacks were made last night. Fighting had never
+ceased the whole night, and I hear we had to retire all along the
+line. The extent of our falling back I do not know, but the news is
+most depressing.</p>
+
+<p>Major &mdash;&mdash; told me yesterday that the best troops in the world would
+get so completely demoralised under a shelling like that we gave the
+Turks that every man would be absolutely limp, and could not even aim
+when firing. Then, the more shells we have the better, as we all know
+here and at home. Yesterday we used very little shrapnel, it was
+almost entirely high explosives. At home it was discovered that we had
+used too much <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_133" id="Page_133">[133]</a></span>of the former in France. The demoralising effect of
+shrapnel is slight, and it has little effect on troops under cover,
+but you might as well fight an earthquake as the other, if it is
+anywhere near you.</p>
+
+<p>Yesterday's casualties up to evening were put at 3000 to 4000, but
+this number will have been added to over night.</p>
+
+<p>10.55 p.m.&mdash;Fighting has gone on all day, and with great success on
+our side; we have regained our lost trenches and taken several new
+ones.</p>
+
+<p>I had a very exciting and hot motor ride in search of the Liaison
+officer, at General Hunter-Weston's request, word having come in that
+he was badly wounded. I had many narrow escapes, especially from high
+explosives fired at a battery astride the road through which I had to
+dart, and afterwards from bullets when I left the car and went forward
+on foot. On stepping out of the car a man seeing I was on business
+stepped up to me and immediately dropped dead with a bullet through
+him. I searched our own and the French front lines amidst showers of
+bullets but could find no trace of the man I wanted. I had taken Col.
+Yarr's orderly with me, an old regular. After clearing the battery,
+where big shells from Asia were dropping on all sides of us, and at a
+terrific rate, he picked himself up from the floor of the car and
+swore roundly, and said Col. Yarr would never have taken him into such
+a hot place.</p>
+
+<br />
+
+<p><i>July 15th.</i>&mdash;About 5.30 a.m. we had a Taube overhead, which dropped
+two bombs on W. Beach, the acres of boxes at the Ordnance Stores being
+aimed at. A man's arm was blown off and two or three mules killed. We
+have moved our ammunition from Tekke Burnu, where it was too exposed,
+and the Turks seem to think we have mixed it up with these stores as a
+deception, hence these bombs to-day. The machine was at an enormous
+height, <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_134" id="Page_134">[134]</a></span>and its approach was neither seen nor heard, and the French
+monoplane gave it a start of at least five minutes before pursuing.
+The Taube went in a westward direction, ours directly north, evidently
+with the view of cutting it off from its usual landing place. Our
+machine returned after forty minutes, but I have not heard if it was
+successful.</p>
+
+<p>I went to Aberdeen Gully this morning having returned from H.Q.
+yesterday forenoon.</p>
+
+<br />
+
+<p><i>July 16th.</i>&mdash;Woke this morning about 6 after a delightfully peaceful
+night. I lay in my bunk, surrounded by muslin to keep the flies out,
+and felt wonderfully contented with my lot. Such peace could not last
+long, soon the booming of guns was heard some way off, others nearer
+followed, and one over our heads joined in the chorus, and by 10
+o'clock rather a fierce Turkish cannonade commenced.</p>
+
+<p>6 p.m.&mdash;I took the temperature of the air to-day for the first time
+and found it 92.5&mdash;not the hottest day I have felt here, still
+uncomfortably warm. Walked over to Y. Beach in the forenoon, and up
+The Gully later, meeting the Hants and Worcesters marching down with
+their full kits&mdash;all off to Lemnos or somewhere out of the reach of
+shells. These are the very last of the 29th Division to leave except
+the three ambulances.</p>
+
+<br />
+
+<p><i>July 17th.</i>&mdash;W. Beach. Returned from Aberdeen Gully to-day. Last
+night the Asiatic guns were troublesome about W. Beach, also a Taube
+which dropped bombs about the ammunition dump. By shell or bomb a fire
+was started that cost us 1,000,000 rounds of rifle ammunition.</p>
+
+<p>I had an order in the forenoon to inoculate the H.Q. Staff against
+cholera. On going over at 6.15, the appointed hour, I found General
+Hunter-Weston had <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_135" id="Page_135">[135]</a></span>gone some hours before, along with Col. Yarr, to
+Lemnos for a much-needed rest. I inoculated two other Generals and
+forty-five others, finishing up with a dose for myself.</p>
+
+<p>One of our men had a letter from a friend who is with the 2nd Highland
+F.A. in France. He spoke about them retiring out of shell fire for a
+rest, and after pitching camp a shell fell in the next field. They
+then struck camp and went back another 5 miles. "Good God," some one
+heard him declare, "an' here's his, we could na gang five inches."</p>
+
+<br />
+
+<p><i>July 18th.</i>&mdash;Last night about 11 o'clock seventeen shells came over
+from Asia, and one hit a huge pile of cartridge boxes and set it
+ablaze. It burned furiously, with a very alarming sputter, bullets
+flying everywhere, although their velocity was not great. They were
+flying over our heads and we had to go underground. Several about the
+fire got rather badly wounded. When fully alight the noise was the
+most earsplitting I ever heard, not that it was so very loud, but
+there was something painful about it. This pile was composed of
+cartridges taken off our own dead and wounded, and those picked up
+about the trenches, where a sinful waste goes on, although I believe
+the big half was captured Turkish ammunition. Many millions were
+burned.</p>
+
+<p>In the morning I was asked to spend the day at H.Q. to relieve Col.
+Yarr's successor. Major-General Stopford (afterwards in command at the
+Sulva landing) was acting as G.O.C. Everything seems very quiet at
+present, as if we were to be in no hurry to make another attack&mdash;a
+pity, I think.</p>
+
+<p>At 9.30 p.m. I went over to the "River Clyde" to guide an ambulance
+that was coming out from England. They landed at midnight, and are to
+encamp with us&mdash;we fondly hope and believe for the purpose of
+relieving us. Asiatic shells were flying as they landed, and for <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_136" id="Page_136">[136]</a></span>some
+hours afterwards, an unfortunate and alarming experience as all were
+raw to warfare.</p>
+
+<br />
+
+<p><i>July 19th.</i>&mdash;For some days we have been looking for orders to go
+somewhere for a rest. The order came suddenly to-day at 8 p.m. and we
+were ordered to be on board at 10 at V. Beach. A tall order indeed,
+all had to pack up and stow away what we were leaving behind. The most
+of B Section was at Aberdeen Gully, 4 miles away. Word was sent to
+these, but the note miscarried, and by the time they were able to come
+in it was long past midnight.</p>
+
+<br />
+
+<p><i>July 20th.</i>&mdash;Last night C Section was sent off in advance, A
+following about 11 o'clock. We hoped to get off quickly, the object of
+the rest being to take us out of shell fire. We had to pass along the
+road at the top of the lighthouse cliff, and C Section, as they waited
+for us beside the "River Clyde," observed a signal about the time we
+had been passing that point. The Kum Kale guns gave us what they
+considered a fair time to cover the remaining piece of ground, and
+just as we were coming up to the "River Clyde," under whose shelter we
+were to embark, we heard the whistle of an approaching shell. We lay
+flat but there was no time for shelter. Instead of one shell, as we
+thought, four (some say six) burst simultaneously about us, all high
+explosives. Not a man was hit, which was an absolute miracle; all had
+burst beside us, and actually among us, as I thought. I rushed back
+through the dense smoke and dust, expecting to find terrible havoc in
+our ranks, and found the men had bolted to shelter, leaving their
+packs in the middle of the road. I shouted but got no reply, but in
+twos and threes they collected near the pier, and rushed along to the
+side of the boat. Other men had been passing along this pier when the
+shells burst, <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_137" id="Page_137">[137]</a></span>and a number were killed and mangled, one of the barges
+being simply splashed with blood. All this was most unfortunate, but
+it did not end until we got sixteen shells in all. The officers after
+the first salvo sheltered at the entrance of a deep dugout owned by a
+Frenchman. Whenever he saw the flash of a gun over the water he
+shouted "Kum Kale" and pointed to his dugout, when we dived down in
+beautiful style, tumbling over each other down the dark steps. At last
+our mine-sweeper came in and we boarded her about 1.30 a.m. to-day.
+She took us beyond the reach of the guns to the "Osmanieh," a fine
+boat of the Khedivial mail line. I had had practically no sleep for
+the last three nights, and I was soon on the top of my bed half
+undressed and fast asleep.</p>
+
+<p>We breakfasted at 8 as we were entering the outer roads of Lemnos.
+Here we had two more transfers before we landed on the most
+inhospitable looking shore we had ever seen. We soon wished ourselves
+back in Gallipoli with its shells. The wind blew, and such a dust. All
+the land round the harbour, and far inland is one large camp. The
+harbour is covered with battleships and transports, most of the former
+flying the tricolour flag, and among the others are many of the
+largest liners in the world, the "Mauretania" with her four funnels
+being one of them. We trudged on for 1&frac12; miles through the most
+terrible dust, underfoot and in the air, and took possession of a
+rushy piece of ground, the only natural piece we could find, all the
+rest being under cultivation of vines, French beans, maize, and other
+crops. It is a god-forsaken place in the meantime. We could get
+nothing to eat or drink, but finally, after 4 o'clock, we managed to
+"borrow" sufficient water to make tea. After a meal of bread, and a
+small tin of salmon between us all, we felt a bit revived, and the
+desire to return to the shells of Gallipoli lessened. But <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_138" id="Page_138">[138]</a></span>we are
+ordered to strike camp, we are interfering with the privacy of some
+fellows who have the honour to belong to H.Q. of the 87th Division,
+and we must be off to-night.</p>
+
+<br />
+
+<p><i>July 21st.</i>&mdash;I expected to have to go to bed hungry last night, but
+Pirie of the Lancs. called and asked Kellas and myself to dine with
+him, so that I finally went to rest under the stars feeling quite
+comfortable. I spread my two coats on the ground, thought twice about
+undressing, but, wishing to have a good sleep, got into my pyjamas,
+and with a single blanket over me slept till about 3 a.m. when I woke
+up feeling bitterly cold. We are now encamped in the midst of
+vineyards, where there is an excellent crop of grapes, but they are
+sour and unripe. I got hold of a Greek yesterday and asked him if he
+could bring a supply of fruit to us in the evening. He did a big trade
+among the men with oranges and lemons, and when he saw me produced a
+special sack with some really fine pears and oranges, and a huge
+red-fleshed water melon which we had for breakfast, in spite of the
+warning that we were to guard against all sorts of fruit, but melons
+in particular. This morning I gathered a supply of French beans and
+think a good dish of green food will benefit our health. Except at
+H.Q. I have never had an opportunity of anything of the kind.</p>
+
+<p>The 29th Division, which left Gallipoli less than a week ago, are
+ordered back already, before they have time to benefit much by the
+change. An officer of the Dublins was lamenting about this to me, and
+compared his men with Kitchener's army, which is largely represented
+here, being on their way to the Front for the first time. All the old
+campaigners are thin, hollow-eyed and haggard. I know I myself have
+lost over a stone weight, and feel very tired&mdash;to do anything is an
+exertion.</p>
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_139" id="Page_139">[139]</a></span>Here the heat is intense, and we have not a particle of shade, there
+being no trees where we are, but this morning we are arranging about
+tents, and in a few hours we may be able to escape from the sun's
+perpendicular rays. I hope within the next day or two to explore part
+of the island and its villages. The natives are inclined to be very
+friendly, the Greek who brought me the fruit absolutely refused
+payment, saying, "It's for the commander, he take Constantinople and
+me give him this". I promised to take it in less than no time. If I
+could fulfil my promise the Greek would have the best of the bargain,
+but this has been characteristic of the race from all time.</p>
+
+<p>Towards evening Thomson and I walked to Mudros by a back road, and
+were fascinated with the primitive ways of the natives. Their mode of
+threshing in particular interested us. We wandered through the
+village, meeting crowds of native men, women, and children, the men
+mostly squatting in front of dirty caf&eacute;s, or lounging inside, sipping,
+as far as I could make out, syrup and soda water. This love of syrup I
+have seen in Holland and Belgium and in France, and I fancy is
+universal in hot countries. We visited the church, which I had been in
+three months before. An old verger&mdash;for such I took him to be&mdash;took us
+round, a venerable old fellow with kindly eyes, and long beard, long
+robe, and tall brimless hat. He pointed out everything, talking a
+mixture of French and Greek; showed us the Bible on the altar, a
+beautiful silver covered tome, the various pictures, etc., and the
+pulpit of the "Episcopos". "Oh, the bishop," said I. "No, no, Castro
+Episcopos." He meant the Bishop, who perhaps pays the place periodic
+visits, his palace being in Castro, the largest town on the island. A
+candle&mdash;a mere taper&mdash;had been lighted for each of us on entering, and
+was set in a circular candlestick. For this performance we were
+expected to pay of <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_140" id="Page_140">[140]</a></span>course. Before leaving I dropped a piastre
+(2&frac12;d.) into a plate, and handed Thomson another, but he finding he
+had three British pennies dropped all in, greatly to the delight of
+our guide into whose pocket all this wealth went. "Merci, merci," says
+the old chap who dives for another candle, and lit a second for the
+good of Thomson's soul.</p>
+
+<br />
+
+<p><i>July 22nd.</i>&mdash;Thomson and I set off after breakfast to Rosapool, a
+village to the N.E. On the way we studied the method of threshing the
+wheat, which seems to be occupying the full time of every member of
+the families at this time. The threshing floor on which the operation
+is conducted is twenty yards across, circular and laid with flat
+stones. About sufficient sheaves to form half a dozen of our "stooks"
+at home is evenly spread on the floor, while a pair of oxen draw a
+sledge made of two stout boards, about 5 feet long, turned up at the
+point, and studded most carefully with flints projecting fully half an
+inch. The driver, who is usually a woman, stands on this and directs
+the cattle round and round, prodding them freely with a goad. Some of
+the larger floors have a second team: several I saw to-day consisting
+of two donkeys and a pony. These were not muzzled like the oxen, they
+had no sledge, their hoofs doing the work, and they were kept going
+round at a good pace. The winnowing follows, after the whole is
+reduced almost to snuff. This is carried out by throwing shovelfuls in
+the air, the slight breeze we have to-day carrying the pounded straw
+away and leaving the heavy grain.</p>
+
+<p>Rosapool is off the beaten track and is not much spoiled by the
+present influx of men. We managed to get a drink of excellent
+beer&mdash;Pilsner, from Athens&mdash;the old fellow who served us explaining
+that he had no right to let us have it, but as soon as a military
+policeman who was standing at his door, moved on we were <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_141" id="Page_141">[141]</a></span>placed on
+chairs at a small table and had our repast. We visited the church
+which was not unlike the bigger one at Mudros. With her head on the
+doorstep was a wizened old woman fast asleep, guarding three piles of
+salt she had laid out to dry in the sun. She got on her haunches,
+mumbled to us in a friendly way, and showed us how she worked her
+spinning machine, which she had with her. This consisted of a pole
+about 2 feet high, with a base which she clutched with her great,
+coarse, bare toes, and as she teased out the wool from the bunch at
+the top she twirled a short spindle with her right hand making a
+remarkably even thread.</p>
+
+<p>We next climbed a hill near this, which we found rough and rugged, as
+every hill here is. It was scorched absolutely brown,
+thistles&mdash;especially yellow-flowered ones&mdash;alone showing signs of life,
+along with a pretty, dwarf Dianthus. The rocks are covered with an
+orange-coloured lichen which gives them a warm colour. When lying on
+the top I could almost imagine myself in Scotland, if I kept my eyes
+above the villages and valleys, and viewed the hill-tops only. Away to
+the north of us was a large, pure white lagoon, shut off from the sea
+by a sandbar. No doubt this was a layer of salt formed the same way as
+the inland lakes with their salt we were accustomed to at Mex, and it
+was likely from this the "old wifie" had got her salt.</p>
+
+<p>Every village has its fig trees, the largest under 20 feet high, their
+large leaves rich green and luscious. Almost every house has one or
+more of these. There is but one pattern for their houses, a square box
+two storeys high, often with a bit of balcony covered with vines. The
+general colour of a village is grey, cold, and forbidding, but this is
+relieved by the fig trees, and the bright green and blue paint many
+use on their doors and windows. Everything is primitive, and long may
+it remain so; all seem happy and contented on the small <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_142" id="Page_142">[142]</a></span>pittance any
+of them can earn. There is no attempt at farming on anything but the
+smallest scale.</p>
+
+<p>Was it in Lemnos, the &AElig;gean Isle, Milton lands Satan when thrown out
+of Heaven?</p>
+
+<p>We hear that Achi Baba was to be stormed to-day, but we do not believe
+it. Big gunfire is distinctly heard at this distance (over 40 miles)
+and we have heard but a very few shots. Last night the booming was
+constant for a time.</p>
+
+<br />
+
+<p><i>July 23rd.</i>&mdash;To-day we had a route march of nearly twelve miles, the
+first since we left England. We went through Rosapool to the northern
+shore of Lemnos, where the men bathed and rested for an hour. We found
+a fine beach of silver sand. We reached camp a little after 2, with
+excellent appetites. By a little clever man[oe]uvring&mdash;and with the
+aid of Sergeant-Major Shaw&mdash;Kellas and I managed to reach Rosapool
+while the men rested outside, and we had a long, cooling drink of
+Pilsner.</p>
+
+<br />
+
+<p><i>July 24th.</i>&mdash;Went over almost every street in Mudros this morning.
+There were five of us, and we made many purchases for our mess&mdash;white
+wine, plums, Turkish delight, preserved fruit, tomatoes, etc. In the
+evening Thomson and I inoculated every one in camp against cholera&mdash;my
+second dose.</p>
+
+<br />
+
+<p><i>July 25th.</i>&mdash;When we landed at Lemnos we chanced to meet Padre
+Komlosy, who has looked us up in camp a time or two since. He had a
+service at 10 for us and the Welsh Fusiliers who are on their way to
+Gallipoli for the first time. These Welshmen wear a cockade of white
+feathers in their helmets and the officers three black ribbons down
+their backs, from below their coat collars. Padre Hardie also visited
+us in the evening.</p>
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_143" id="Page_143">[143]</a></span>H.Q. of the lines of communication is on the "Aragon," a magnificent
+ship lying in Lemnos harbour. The "Aragon" is notorious for its number
+of monocles. Up to now any officer has been allowed to go on board to
+any meal on payment, but evidently that privilege is about to be
+stopped. If anyone went in his grimy, war-worn garments, and many now
+have nothing else, he was glowered at by these toffs, as if he had no
+right to be there. Besides, many officers who were not sick enough to
+enter a hospital, but too ill to carry on at the Front, were sent
+there for a rest. These too were attacked by these fellows and told
+that if they were ill they should be on a hospital ship or if not ill
+they ought to be at the Front. These men have no intention themselves
+of going nearer the Front, they are all fat and sleek and live on the
+fat of the land, are faultlessly dressed, and strut about with their
+monocles, looking with contempt on all the poor devils who are doing
+the dirty work. Every one is now up in arms against them.</p>
+
+<p>In the evening the CO., Kellas, and I climbed a rocky hill of about
+800 feet, lying to the east. The view of the harbour with over 100 big
+ships, and about as many small craft was very fine in its setting of
+rugged hills. We watched the sun go down in all his glory on the
+distant side of the island.</p>
+
+<br />
+
+<p><i>July 27th.</i>&mdash;Still in Lemnos. There has been nothing doing to-day. We
+lie about camp a good deal where we have an abundance of light
+literature, sheltering under two large, double-lined Indian tents we
+were lucky enough to secure the day after our arrival. Yesterday we
+had a mail, which of course had to go to Gallipoli first, and was
+delayed at least a week by this short double journey.</p>
+
+<p>At 9 a.m. Fiddes and I took the men for a route <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_144" id="Page_144">[144]</a></span>march through the
+village of Romano and up a hill beyond.</p>
+
+<br />
+
+<p><i>July 28th.</i>&mdash;Another slow day. I amused myself in the morning with a
+fine specimen of a tarantula which I caught crawling up a tent. I had
+seen three others in Gallipoli but this was the finest of all. Kellas
+and I had a praying mantis in a large tin box with gauze as a lid so
+that we might watch him at his devotions. The mantis reminds one of a
+small, green monkey, the fore pair of legs being well developed and
+used in prehension. A large number of the insects we have are of the
+grasshopper tribe with well-developed hind-legs. The tarantula was put
+beside the mantis and he pounced on him like a cat at a mouse, seized
+him round the middle and with his great mandibles chewed right along
+to his head, squeezing every drop of juice out of him. Nothing was
+left but a few dry pellets. Kellas next gave him about a dozen flies
+and he found room for the lot. These he sprawled at with his
+fore-legs, rarely missing a dart, keeping his mouth open till a fly
+was grabbed and forced between his jaws. He has had another meal of
+flies and looks well satisfied with the easy way in which he has been
+able to capture his prey to-day, and is much inclined to sleep.</p>
+
+<p>An aeroplane crossed directly over us at 4.15 this morning, coming
+from the S.W., probably Smyrna. It was flying at a moderate height,
+and was quite visible in the dim light. After completely crossing the
+harbour and taking careful note of our shipping, it turned and dropped
+a bomb at something about the harbour entrance. And all this happened
+without a single shot being fired by us&mdash;like our watchful
+authorities!</p>
+
+<br />
+
+<p><i>July 29th.</i>&mdash;To-day I had a very enjoyable tramp with Stephen to the
+top of a hill, then to Rosapool, which is <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_145" id="Page_145">[145]</a></span>the only place near where
+one can quench one's thirst with bitter beer, or even the local sweet
+wine. All shops are strictly forbidden to sell either, and military
+police are everywhere on the prowl. Still the trade goes on, a Greek
+can never refuse money, he will sell his soul rather than miss the
+chance of making a penny. Our usual place of call is kept by a very
+knowing and intelligent Greek, but he was from home to-day&mdash;gone to
+Varos, we were told, to buy beer. The son, a boy of eleven or twelve,
+was in sole charge, a keen little chap as ever lived, with a genuine
+Greek eye for business, but a fine and intelligent boy, and by taking
+a seat in the shop for fifteen minutes and threatening to spend the
+day if necessary, he was at last persuaded to produce a couple of
+bottles of beer from Salonika, which we found to be really good. The
+boy has a smattering of English and French, and says he has been at
+school. I have never seen any sign of a school in any of the villages
+so far. He says "the English soldier drink, drink, he no good," and
+shakes his head, as though the national curse would end in our losing
+the war. We discovered in a corner four barrels of mysterious looking
+stuff that attracted flies. These were full of cheese floating in
+water, little more than stiff curd, but palatable, and this along with
+biscuits and beer made an enjoyable little lunch. Then we set off for
+"home," Stephen carrying a kilo of cheese, I with a bottle of beer
+inside my shirt, as a very small treat for the other fellows.</p>
+
+<br />
+
+<p><i>July 30th.</i>&mdash;Stephen, Dickie, and I set off at 9.30 to have a day's
+enjoyment at Varos, a village we had heard a good deal about. The day
+was scorching but we covered the 6 miles, via Lychkna, at about 3&frac12;
+miles an hour. In the last-mentioned village we were studying a notice
+on a house door when we discovered a nicely dressed woman beside us,
+evidently regarding us with some <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_146" id="Page_146">[146]</a></span>interest, and, what was most
+unusual, with a smile on her face. "Are you English?" said Stephen.
+"No," she replied, "but I have been in England." "What part?"&mdash;answer
+"America". She went for her husband, who, she said, would give us
+beer, although she admitted it was forbidden, but he was hard as
+adamant and absolutely refused, saying "He cared for the notice" we
+had been reading. This vowed dire punishment on all who dared to
+supply anyone with alcohol. We shortly afterwards reached Varos, with
+its twelve windmills all in a row. This being in French occupation
+there is no prohibition for the British, so we searched out a suitable
+place for a cooling drink, and chose a very interesting spot in the
+village square. All the shops are somewhat alike, bare, black rafters,
+with earth or stone floor, and in this particular one a flock of
+swallows had their nests in every niche in the ceiling. Each of us had
+a bottle of beer on the pavement, alongside a French sentry whose sole
+duty was to see that no Frenchman had a drink. He seemed to think that
+it was unfair that his countrymen were not allowed to quench their
+thirst, so he defied the law by having a drink with us, and allowing
+every Frenchman who made the request to enter and have his big
+water-bottle filled with water&mdash;but really with red wine, a whole
+litre of which they could buy for sixpence. Delicious wine it was,
+although rather sweet.</p>
+
+<p>We had very interesting talks with several of the younger men, who had
+all been in America, but had been recalled by their Government lately,
+when there were signs of Greece taking the field, which, according to
+our informants, she would do in September. All we spoke to seemed very
+desirous to have a blow at Turkey, they wished the Turk turned out of
+Europe. I had an idea there were no schools here, but I was told every
+village had its two schools. Young children were taught together, but
+as they grew up the sexes went to different <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_147" id="Page_147">[147]</a></span>schools, and education is
+compulsory to the age of fifteen. All are taught to read and write
+English. This is due, our man told me, to Alexandria being their
+greatest mart.</p>
+
+<p>We had coffee, real Turkish coffee, at another place, where we were
+attracted by a curious advertisement. It was an oil painting of a
+Scotch lassie in kilt and plaid, dancing with a jug of foaming beer
+above her head, and alongside her it was announced that they sold
+"tea, coffee, and milk". Stephen at once wished to buy it, but the
+terms were exorbitant. To make Turkish coffee you put a teaspoonful of
+ground coffee in a little pot with an equal quantity of sugar, then
+run in about two ounces of boiling water, and push this into
+smouldering charcoal until it boils. Along with this is served a large
+tumbler of ice-cold water, which you sip time about with the coffee.</p>
+
+<p>Before we could get Dickie away from Varos he insisted on being
+photographed by Stephen, astride a huge cask in front of a shop, but
+the cask refused to keep steady&mdash;so Dicky asserted, although to all
+appearances it was most solidly fixed to a substantial stand. Plainly
+Dickie was feeling weak after his long walk.</p>
+
+<br />
+
+<p><i>July 31st.</i>&mdash;Dickie much stronger to-day. I accompanied him to
+H.M.M.P. "Aragon" to get some money from the army cashier. We lunched
+on board and had a glorious meal, everything to eat good, excellent
+cider with ice, and comfortable lounges in which to smoke. Such things
+are almost unthinkable after our simple&mdash;very simple&mdash;fare on
+Gallipoli. I sat between two New Zealanders who had come over from
+Anzac last night. One of them said they were only 10 yards from the
+Turks' trench in one part of their line. The other day a New Zealander
+shouted across, "Do you want any jam this morning?" "Yes," said the
+Turks from <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_148" id="Page_148">[148]</a></span>the depths of their trench. "How many of you are there?"
+"Eight," was the reply. "All right, here's one pot of jam," and a pot
+of real jam was thrown over. The next morning the same proceedings
+were gone through, and the eight got together to get their jam. But
+this time the pot was filled with nitroglycerine and the Turks were
+blown to pieces. We are now using hand grenades from home, but till
+just lately when we had to retaliate on the Turks, who took to using
+deadly grenades, ours were made hurriedly of empty jam tins. These
+were filled with nitroglycerine mixed with pieces of old iron, such as
+shrapnel bullets and pieces of burst shells which we all
+collected&mdash;and most deadly weapons they proved, if a Turk got one in
+the stomach it simply blew him in two.</p>
+
+<p>Word came in the early hours of last night that we had to prepare for
+our return to Gallipoli on Monday August 2. No one seems actually
+sorry, we feel that we have got all the good out of this place that is
+to be had, and the sooner we are all in our places the sooner will the
+war be over. We had much wind and dust in the morning, the wind
+falling later when it became uncomfortably warm. We had few flies in
+our camp at first, but they soon found us out and became as trying a
+plague as in Gallipoli. The Kaffirs say God made the bees, and the
+Devil made the flies.</p>
+
+<br />
+
+<p><i>August 2nd.</i>&mdash;We left our camp in Lemnos at 12.15 and marched in a
+solid cloud of dust to Australian Pier, where we had to wait in the
+grilling sun for another hour before we got off to the "Abessiah," of
+the Khedivial Line, which sailed at 4.15, taking a long time to
+man[oe]uvre before she got her head towards the entrance of the
+harbour. We had a good afternoon tea of crisp toast and real butter,
+likely our last respectable meal for many a day.</p>
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_149" id="Page_149">[149]</a></span>As we passed through the shipping the old familiar cry of "Are we
+downhearted?" came from some of the shiploads of fresh troops. There
+was but a feeble reply from our men, very unlike their shouts as we
+passed through Malta on the way out. We could not raise a cheer
+now-a-days, we are still too tired in spite of our rest. We feel a lot
+of desperate men, prepared to go back and face the worst if need be.
+We passed a British and French submarine just inside the boom guarding
+the harbour.</p>
+
+<p>Before midnight our ambulance was transferred to a mine-sweeper and
+landed at V. Beach, leaving myself and twenty-one men behind to look
+after the baggage, which is always landed at W. We had a weary night
+of it, the trans-shipping of our heavy goods with fifteen mail bags
+which we picked up just as we were leaving Lemnos, being a big job. On
+coming round to W. Beach we were told we would have to remain where we
+were till 7 o'clock, or perhaps later.</p>
+
+<br />
+
+<p><i>August 3rd.</i>&mdash;It is now 6.30 a.m. and the captain and crew are still
+sound asleep, at any rate not a soul is stirring.</p>
+
+<p>We overlook our old Beach, which looks as forbidding from the sea as
+it is in reality. A few minutes ago I watched a Taube drop a bomb
+beside our Ordnance Stores, another near the C.C.S., and a third a
+little further on. What has come of that French monoplane whose
+purpose was to chase such visitors? At 7 we transferred to a pinnace,
+and after much bother about baggage we reached our familiar dug-outs
+about 8. On our way up from the Beach, we passed the Signal Station
+which was a heap of ruins. A shell fell on the roof two days ago,
+killed six men outright, and wounded ten, one of these afterwards
+dying. The numerous recent shell holes in the road and elsewhere
+showed that the <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_150" id="Page_150">[150]</a></span>Turks had not been idle in our absence. The 88th F.A.
+beside us had several casualties, one day losing ten mules and three
+another, with one man wounded.</p>
+
+<br />
+
+<p><i>August 4th.</i>&mdash;It is twelve months to-day since war was declared by
+England on Germany. The number of men slaughtered in that time should
+be an easy record in the whole history of the world.</p>
+
+<p>We are ordered to relieve the 88th F.A. at their dressing station near
+Pink Farm on the West Krithia road, and I walked out in the morning to
+view the place and to see what extras it would be necessary for us to
+take with us. I found Whitaker there with thirty men. Towards evening
+Fiddes and I came out with thirty-two men, and we are now in our
+dug-outs, which are really part of an old trench. It is a narrow
+bedroom but airy. We have a stretcher or two as a roof to keep the sun
+out, but with their huge blood stains they do not form an artistic
+ceiling.</p>
+
+<p>It is now 10 p.m. and having come 2 miles nearer Achi Baba I had to go
+out and study what was doing. The usual all-night rifle fire goes on;
+roars occasionally from the batteries near us; Asiatic shells I can
+hear exploding over at V. Beach; star shells are going up from our
+lines, and the French, but theirs are superior to ours. Ours are
+merely rockets, theirs have parachutes which open when the rocket
+reaches its highest point, and they remain practically stationary for
+a considerable time.</p>
+
+<p>We are in a very exposed position and have been warned that we will be
+sniped at once if we show a light. A few stray bullets have come about
+us, and I could wish that my parapet was a trifle higher, and I am,
+moreover, doubtful whether my candle light is not reflected through
+the roof stretchers which have a wrong tilt. But I will risk both
+dangers to-night, and will heighten my wall by daylight.</p>
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_151" id="Page_151">[151]</a></span>The Achi Baba guns shelled W. Beach rather furiously to-day, and in
+the afternoon a large number of shells fell in the harbour.</p>
+
+<br />
+
+<p><i>August 5th.</i>&mdash;Had a quiet day at Pink Farm (in some of our maps this
+is called Saliri Farm). In the forenoon, our water-cart not arriving
+when expected, I had a long hunt for a well where we could draw a
+small quantity of water, but it was with great difficulty we got it,
+every well being reserved for some particular unit.</p>
+
+<p>We are on the eve of a big battle. To-morrow the front of Krithia is
+to be captured at any cost. We must get on and the cost must no longer
+be counted. In preparation for this there has been much ranging by all
+the batteries, to which the Turks feebly replied. We have no right to
+have our dressing station where it is, we have dumped ourselves down,
+and have erected our largest Red Cross flag, in front of several
+closely packed lines of reserve trenches, which is contrary to the
+rules of warfare, and if we get shelled it is our own lookout. To-day
+these trenches swarmed with men, and four shells were fired at them,
+the first just grazing the trench we are in. In the same way two
+submarines lie off the coast, close to the C.C.S. on one side and the
+hospital ships on the other, hence shells are continuously dropping in
+the former, but for this we cannot blame the Turk. So far, all are
+agreed that the Turk has not only put up a valiant fight, but a
+straight one, and if he continues as he is doing it will be better for
+him when the day of reckoning comes round.</p>
+
+<br />
+
+<p><i>August 6th.</i>&mdash;When sitting at dinner with Fiddes word reached us that
+Kellas had been killed. Such a blow to us and to all who knew good and
+gentle Kellas. Curiosity had frequently led us both into positions of
+danger where we ought not to have been, and I always <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_152" id="Page_152">[152]</a></span>noted how
+fearless he was. To-day he had been along a deep communication trench,
+along which wounded were to be carried in the action we knew was about
+to take place, and he had been viewing the ground, and while standing
+at the extreme end of this trench a sniper had caught sight of the
+group he was standing in and a shot laid him low. About an hour after
+this sad event I had orders to take his place in The Gully. As the
+fight was to begin at 2 p.m. I had little time to get into my place,
+at least three miles distant. I set off at once to our advanced
+dressing station at the Zigzag, three-quarters of a mile up The Gully
+from Aberdeen Gully.</p>
+
+<p>To-day's battle has been a most bloody affair, wounded beginning to
+drop in at once. As often happens, out of our four first cases three
+were wounds in the left hand&mdash;one a bullet through the centre of the
+palm, another was minus the first phalanx of his fore finger, the
+third minus another finger. All these were undoubtedly self-inflicted.
+We are bound to notify all these suspicious cases to their C.O.'s and
+until a guard is sent for them we retain them under a guard of our own
+men. If a hand is found blackened it of course shows that it was done
+at very close quarters, but to avoid this a glove or bandage is
+applied before firing.</p>
+
+<p>I was kept very busy and had no time for food during the rest of the
+day. The wounds were particularly severe, and very few had single
+wounds, many having four to six.</p>
+
+<br />
+
+<p><i>August 7th.</i>&mdash;The Turks failed to make their usual counter-attack
+last night, though firing never ceased. I worked for nine hours
+without one minute's halt, and by night felt very tired. I lay down on
+a stretcher and tried to get a little sleep, but got none. The snores
+of my neighbours, the groans of a few wounded we had retained
+over-night, and the death rattle of two dying men beside me were
+sufficient to banish sleep.</p>
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_153" id="Page_153">[153]</a></span>Two of our battalions have each lost 700 out of the 900 they went into
+action with. We have gained very little ground; we took trenches and
+lost them. The long interval from the last fight to the present gave
+the Turks time to dig trenches almost proof against shell fire, so
+that when the bombardment began they retired back to these, knowing
+there could be no assault on their front trenches by the infantry
+while this lasted.</p>
+
+<p>Yesterday our army made a fresh landing which we hear was most
+successful, one Division landing at Anzac, the other a short way
+beyond on fresh ground. Our casualties we are told were two, another
+report says five, so that it was practically unopposed. Our attack
+yesterday and during the night kept the whole of the Turkish army
+concentrated here. Looking at it in this light some think our losses
+were not excessive.</p>
+
+<p>Yesterday I spoke about three cases we suspected to be self-inflicted.
+A guard took these away to-day, and they are to be court-martialled
+to-morrow. Our fourth case also came in just as the action was
+beginning. A zigzag path comes down a steep cliff behind us, and down
+this came a man at full gallop, and I thought he was coming to warn us
+that the Turks were using gas, but, instead, he threw himself on the
+ground and yelled and kicked like an infant, and for about an hour
+nothing could calm him. It was a simple case of funk, quite a common
+ailment. A Tommy was sympathising to-day with another who was severely
+wounded and he replied, "I don't care a damn, I did for the bloke who
+shot me". That is the sort of men we want in the army.</p>
+
+<br />
+
+<p><i>August 8th.</i>&mdash;Two Divisions were landed at Suvla Bay, beyond Anzac,
+and it is said a third Division will also land there. They are said to
+have made good progress inland, on their way to Maidos, and if they
+succeed in cutting the Turkish line of communication Achi Baba <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_154" id="Page_154">[154]</a></span>is
+likely to be evacuated&mdash;so it is said, but the Turk has already given
+us more than one surprise&mdash;we shall see.</p>
+
+<p>On my hurry round from Pink Farm two days ago an orderly dumped my
+pack at the Zigzag among a pile of packs belonging to the wounded, and
+since then it has not been seen. I set off to-day for Gully Beach half
+expecting to find it there as it was from here the wounded were
+transferred to the hospital ships. I next went on to W. Beach and
+inquired at Ordnance and the C.C.S. but all to no purpose; however, I
+was able to pick up a few necessities from each of these places. I
+dined at our base, the C.O. and Dickie being the only officers
+present.</p>
+
+<p>I afterwards attended Kellas's funeral. We buried him in the little
+cemetery inland from our Beach, to the music of flying shells, one
+landing at the entrance as the ambulance wagon with his body drew up,
+and several others followed. The padre who officiated said this was
+the first time he had seen a funeral shelled. During the service we
+all stood in the big grave for safety, and, I am afraid, were forced
+to think more of our own protection than the solemnity of the
+occasion. The whole company consisted of four officers and eight men,
+all that we could muster. Poor Kellas we left sewn in a blanket of the
+usual military type and covered with a Union Jack. I never met a man I
+respected more than Kellas, he was most gentle and brave, and in every
+way a good sort. If a man really deserved to be "sat upon" no one
+could squash him better than Kellas.</p>
+
+<br />
+
+<p><i>August 9th.</i>&mdash;Fiddes and I came to Aberdeen Gully last night with
+most of the men, leaving twelve and an N.C.O. to act as bearers in the
+Zigzag track, these to be relieved every twelve hours. A few wounded
+stragglers reached us, but there was little doing to-day. We had <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_155" id="Page_155">[155]</a></span>one
+cowardly chap, who had had his fill of fighting and tried to do away
+with himself by taking a draught from a cresol tin. He is now under
+close arrest and will be handed over to the tender mercies of a
+court-martial.</p>
+
+<br />
+
+<p><i>August 10th.</i>&mdash;Walked up to our advanced dressing station at the
+Zigzag, and found some unknown persons had dumped there, during the
+night, a body in an advanced state of decomposition. I managed to
+unearth his recent history. He had been killed on the 7th, being
+wounded by the Turks, and when crawling back to our lines, along with
+some others in the same condition, he shouted in the dark, "Don't
+fire, we are English". Thinking this was a ruse so often practised by
+the Turks an officer ordered his men to fire, and this poor fellow was
+killed.</p>
+
+<p>In the afternoon a well-known lion hunter looked in and had a shrapnel
+bullet removed from his shoulder. He was a most interesting man, and
+gave us all his views about the conduct of the war. Every mistake that
+it is possible to make has been made, he thinks. Once more we are hung
+up for want of ammunition. He is no optimist with regard to the
+duration of the war. Unless the new landing pushes on and keeps
+hitting he fails to see how they will do much. Even though Austria and
+Turkey are knocked out, Germany is one vast fort, with everything
+within herself, and will hold out for long. He condemns our statesmen
+for even now not initiating conscription, and making every unmarried
+man serve. He severely criticises the quality of our shells, half per
+cent. of which burst prematurely. The fuses of all those available,
+where this has happened, have been picked up and examined and all have
+been correctly set. A French battery of 75's is stationed behind this
+man's battery, firing its shells just 8 feet above his head, and since
+it took up its position it has only had two premature bursts, <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_156" id="Page_156">[156]</a></span>and one
+of these was caused by the shell striking the branch of a tree. We
+have been buying shells everywhere, and he says those supplied by
+America are far and away the worst.</p>
+
+<br />
+
+<p><i>August 11th.</i>&mdash;While we were at tea this afternoon de Boer rushed
+into our mess in Aberdeen Gully to say that he had brought down, by
+our bearers at the Zigzag, Captain O'Hara, whom I have spoken about
+before as the only officer of the 86th Brigade left alive and
+unwounded. He had lately been sent to Egypt to look after prisoners,
+and I was unaware that he had again joined the firing line, but I
+fancy he had found the other job much too slow. He was full of pluck,
+it was not from attempts to save his skin that O'Hara had escaped so
+long. To-day he and a Turk were sniping each other, and after a time
+O'Hara had such a poor opinion of his opponent's firing that he got
+upright to walk away when the Turk hit him through the back. When I
+went up to him I said, "Hullo! O'Hara, I haven't seen you for ages".
+"No," he answered, "and perhaps you'll never see me again." He was one
+of our greatest heroes, and a most likeable fellow. (Long afterwards I
+heard that he progressed well for three weeks when he suddenly grew
+worse, and died on his way home.)</p>
+
+<p>Twenty-four K.O.S.B.'s came in between 2 and 4 a.m. to-day. They had
+blown up a Turkish sap, and on rushing forward to seize and hold it
+they found themselves greatly outnumbered. Most of them were very
+badly wounded, and four died in our station before morning.</p>
+
+<br />
+
+<p><i>August 12th.</i>&mdash;Feeling lazy I rode from Aberdeen Gully to W. Beach,
+where I spend the next four days. This is only about the fourth time I
+have been on horseback since I left Mex, the reason for my walking is
+that I require exercise&mdash;and a lot of it&mdash;and besides you cannot dodge
+a shell when mounted.</p>
+
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_157" id="Page_157">[157]</a></span><i>August 13th.</i>&mdash;We had a big mail to-day. The papers of July 21
+announce that all lieutenants in the R.A.M.C., T.F., become captains
+after six months' service. My captaincy will thus date from April 16
+last. The Turks made an attack on the French and our centre last
+night. We replied with a furious cannonade, then rifle fire continued
+for the remainder of the night.</p>
+
+<br />
+
+<p><i>August 14th.</i>&mdash;W. Beach. Beautiful, still morning, as most mornings
+are, but to-day is unusually calm. The sea without a ripple, and a
+heat haze hangs over all. Our harbour at W. Beach is full of ships,
+and just beyond it, at anchor, with their smoke rising lazily, are two
+hospital ships, white to their mast heads except for their surrounding
+belt of green broken by three large Red Crosses, all dazzling in the
+sunlight. The harbour is a busy place, and is now a good and
+commodious one, formed by a pier which it has taken months to build
+from the rocks of Tekke Burnu. As the work proceeded slowly, the water
+it was desired to enclose was further shut in by sinking two large
+steamers, a costly method of pier building perhaps, but here I believe
+it may be the cheapest, as Greek labour which built the stonework is
+dear, and the Greeks poor workmen. They are so nervous that when a
+shell comes their way from "Asiatic Annie" they bolt like a lot of
+rabbits to their holes, where they cannot be unearthed for the next
+half-hour. They were not engaged, they rightly say, to work under
+shell fire, and this often happening several times a day the pier made
+little progress. We have also put the Turkish prisoners on this job,
+and this morning I watched two bodies of these being marched down
+under French guards with fixed bayonets&mdash;a capital idea this to put
+the Turks under their own fire.</p>
+
+<p>10 p.m.&mdash;Tremendous blasts came floating in from the sea about 5
+o'clock, so I went over to the lighthouse <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_158" id="Page_158">[158]</a></span>ruins to find out what was
+doing. One of our monitors lay beside Rabbit Island and was throwing
+her 14-inch shells at a ridge on the Dardanelles beyond Kum Kale,
+where we know "Asiatic Annie" and her sisters live. These had been
+firing at V. Beach and the French lines just before. All very well, I
+thought, the monitor can do no harm, but she will stir up these guns
+to give us a lively time at W., and I was not many minutes back when
+they started, the shells coming in fours, just to prove to us that
+their guns were all there. We received about fifty shots in all. We
+had seven destroyers all afternoon at the mouth of the Dardanelles,
+which looked as if they intended something unusual. Now again after a
+pause these guns are firing at their hardest at V. Beach&mdash;aye, and
+here too.</p>
+
+<br />
+
+<p><i>August 15th.</i>&mdash;I wrote the last clause (aye, and here too) just
+before a shell burst behind me. It was one of a group of four, and was
+two seconds at most in front of the other three, which were
+simultaneous absolutely. Howls and cries for help at once came from a
+tent 15 yards in front of my dugout. A shell had crashed into this
+tent where five men were lying, exploding at the feet of one, and
+shattering his leg at the ankle. The other four were untouched. Some
+of the fuses of yesterday's shells have been dug up to-day, and we
+find from the brilliant orange colour on these that lydite had been
+used, in some of the shells at least.</p>
+
+<p>To-day a snake 38 inches long was caught in our camp. About twenty men
+armed themselves with sticks, axes, etc., and surrounded it, but kept
+a most respectful distance away, having great faith in its springing
+powers. Sergeant Gavin Greig, who has been in Ceylon and knows
+otherwise, got it by the neck and put it in a bottle which he filled
+up with methylated spirit much to the poor brute's dislike as was
+witnessed by its contortions.</p>
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_159" id="Page_159">[159]</a></span>An order came yesterday from the A.D.M.S. asking if we could move off
+with our present equipment on a sudden call. This has stimulated all
+those responsible to overhaul all our material, which, though
+deficient in some points, is adequate. Our greatest deficiency is in
+personnel; we are short of our original number by three officers and
+thirty-eight men, this being due to casualties and sickness. Kellas
+was killed nine days ago, Whyte and Morris are home on sick leave.</p>
+
+<br />
+
+<p><i>August 16th.</i>&mdash;At 8 a.m. as Fiddes and I were preparing to go out to
+Pink Farm, a message came that we were to embark any time after 17
+o'clock (i.e. 5 p.m.). We withdrew all men and equipment from our two
+advanced dressing stations, and had a busy day in camp packing up all
+we possessed. We left at 8.30 after a supper of chicken and
+champagne&mdash;something very unusual&mdash;and got on board the "Ermine," a
+Glasgow boat. The officers made themselves as comfortable as possible
+for the night in the smoke room, where several K.O.S.B. officers had
+already deposited themselves. I managed to sleep a little at first,
+but my nearest companion, a K.O.S.B., being unable to persuade me to
+put my legs over his, placed his over mine while I was in an awkward
+position, and rather than disturb him, I lay still. My friend was less
+considerate, he next planked his big, dirty boots alongside my face,
+which were anything but pleasant, they smelt as if their owner kept
+cows.</p>
+
+<p>We only steamed about one and a half hours when the anchor was let go
+with the usual rattle, and we heard some one from another boat
+shouting that the troops were to remain on board till morning. No one
+took the trouble to look out to see where we were, such a thing seemed
+to be of no interest.</p>
+
+<br />
+
+<p><i>August 17th.</i>&mdash;Suvla Bay. Tuesday, 2 p.m. We <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_160" id="Page_160">[160]</a></span>landed at Suvla Bay
+about 5 a.m. and marched to the point of the projecting piece of land
+on the north side. The bay is entirely closed by a boom, and inside we
+have a fairly large fleet of battleships and transports, and a large
+number of smaller boats, while three hospital ships lie outside. The
+Turks have been shelling these rather furiously, but I have seen no
+hits. Our troops on land are also having their share. All our
+equipment was sent off on a lighter, which has not yet arrived, and as
+all our rations are with it we are in dire straits. Luckily another
+ambulance took pity on us and gave us tea and hard ration biscuits,
+but there is no sign of further meals, nor do we expect any.</p>
+
+<p>I am sitting on the side of a rocky slope, and just in front, in a dip
+of the hill, are crowded the whole of the 87th Brigade to which we are
+for the present attached. All arrived this morning and there is
+nothing but confusion. The heat is terrific, and is intensified by the
+large amount of bare rocks, which are so hot that it is impossible to
+lay your hand on them. The surrounding hills, especially hill 972,
+S.E. of the Salt Lake which glistens in the distance, are barren and
+rugged, with no sign of cultivation, except about the foot of that
+hill, where there is said to be a village, but it is invisible. Round
+the Salt Lake a good many trees are dotted about, likely olives and
+figs, and a good deal of bright green scrub exists on the lower hill
+slopes. This scrub Ashmead-Bartlett calls furze in his articles, but I
+have never seen furze in Gallipoli. This plant is generally 2 to 3
+feet high, is in very solid bushes of a stiff, fibrey nature, with an
+ovate, dark green glaucous leaf. Thyme and numerous other plants
+abound. I have been interested in the weathering of the rocks beside
+the sea, this reminding me of the Brig at Filey. This follows a most
+peculiar pattern, like a number of leopard skins spread out on the
+rocks.</p>
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_161" id="Page_161">[161]</a></span>I wish night was here, even though we are to go supperless to bed; one
+would give anything for the cool air one can be sure of after sundown.</p>
+
+<p>It was here that a landing was made by Kitchener's army ten days ago.
+They are said to have put up a very poor fight. Trained and steady
+troops, it is said, would have had practically a walk over, as the
+opposition was slight, little more than a brigade of Turks having
+checked two divisions of our men. A few shells fell on the top of a
+ridge where they were advancing. This made a number of the men bolt,
+others were seized with panic, and all seem to have got out of hand. A
+splendid opportunity of turning the Turks' flank, joining up with the
+Australians, and seizing Achi Baba from the north, has been lost, and
+the difficulties in front of us are much increased. There is nothing
+for it now but to land troops in such numbers that defeat is out of
+the question, and it must be done quickly before the wet season sets
+in. I am afraid we must be content to hold the Germans in check in
+France, and withdraw the necessary troops from there.</p>
+
+<br />
+
+<p><i>August 18th.</i>&mdash;Yesterday and to-day have been the warmest days we
+have experienced in Gallipoli. The reason that our present station is
+warmer than the point (Helles) is the attraction and retention of heat
+by the rocks, and our camp is on the south face of a high ridge, where
+we have absolutely no shade. Last evening a Taube sailed over us and
+discharged four bombs at the warships, all missing, but one was within
+a few yards of its mark. This evening two came over together, but were
+fired at before they got overhead, and bore off to the left, unharmed
+although numerous shots from the ships followed them.</p>
+
+<p>After breakfast I went to Brigade H.Q. to announce that the ship
+("Manitou"&mdash;B.12) which brought our baggage came in yesterday, and
+after discharging about a <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_162" id="Page_162">[162]</a></span>third of our belongings set sail for
+Lemnos, as she had to be there by a given hour. I had to explain that
+we could not open a clearing station with our shortage of equipment,
+but that by afternoon we would be prepared to put patients into
+improvised blanket shelters. The Brigadier for the time being is
+Colonel Lucas, who was absent on a visit to his regiments, and I had
+an interview with Major Brand of his staff. He gave me orders that our
+unit had to dig itself in before night. This is very necessary as we
+are still under shell fire in every part we hold here, and are just as
+exposed as in Helles. Another ambulance is encamped beside us, and two
+shells bursting among them this morning killed two men and wounded
+two. A big piece of shell hurtled over my head last night, hitting a
+rock about two yards away.</p>
+
+<p>Three rumours have come to us this evening, which have put us all into
+the best of spirits, although we know one is a story, and we are so
+accustomed to rumours that we doubt the truth of the other two:&mdash;</p>
+
+<p>1. Achi Baba has been captured!&mdash;certainly not true. The ships in the
+bay were well bombarded this afternoon, and we saw two shells hit a
+big transport. A section of an ambulance was on board this ship, and,
+on their landing in the evening, their comrades gave them a rousing
+cheer, and when this was heard in other parts the only interpretation
+that could be put on it was the capture of this troublesome hill.</p>
+
+<p>2. Warsaw we could guess had to fall to the German army, but we hear
+they soon had the worst of it and fled with enormous casualties.</p>
+
+<p>3. We hear we have advanced 26 miles in France. We try to believe
+there is some truth in this, but it must be a great exaggeration.</p>
+
+<p>The Turks are supposed to have a number of big guns mounted on rails
+behind one of the higher ridges overlooking us, and rumour says this
+railway was taken <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_163" id="Page_163">[163]</a></span>this afternoon, but I do not believe it. Ugly
+ridges they are, and certainly we can never capture some of them
+except by turning, many having a sheer, rocky face of 400 or 500 feet.
+We know extremely little about what is going on within a few miles of
+us. I have seen eleven sour-looking Turks marched in as prisoners
+to-day, which shows we are doing something at any rate. Constant fire
+goes on, and the ships strike in several times a day for half an hour
+or so, but naval guns are not well suited for this work. Down about
+Helles&mdash;15 miles off&mdash;we can hear much booming too.</p>
+
+<br />
+
+<p><i>August 19th.</i>&mdash;Two days ago I spoke about the scrub Ashmead-Bartlett
+calls furze. I now find it is almost certainly the plant from which
+our briar pipes are made. The stem is slender, but the root expands to
+a considerable extent, and I have seen parts of these, which our men
+have dug up when clearing the ground, about 4 to 6 inches thick. The
+fibres are twisted in all directions, giving the wood the well-known
+bird's eye appearance. What is exposed to the weather seems quickly to
+darken.</p>
+
+<p>The geology is interesting. I have spoken about the strange weathering
+of the rocks at the Beach. All the rock on this point of land dips at
+an angle of 45 degrees, and points northwards. I put it all down as
+Devonian, it is almost exactly like Hugh Miller's old red sandstone,
+as seen in Ross-shire, the matrix of a paler red, but the mass of
+water-worn pebbles embedded in it is the same. The matrix contains
+lime as is seen in the large amount of calcite that exists. A vein,
+perhaps 5 feet thick, of a slatey substance runs across just in front
+of us, and contains a well, which is the only sign of fresh water I
+have seen so far. The Engineers have sunk a well in a marly part near
+this, but the earth they are throwing up is perfectly dry, and they
+might as well give it up.</p>
+
+<p><i>Later.</i>&mdash;Some one now tells me that the rocks are <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_164" id="Page_164">[164]</a></span>Tertiary and not
+Devonian, and that my slatey vein is cobalt. Much of the stone peels
+readily into large flat slabs which we find useful in building our
+dug-outs.</p>
+
+<p>There was much rifle and big gunfire last night. The ships have
+displayed about a normal amount of activity to which the Turk has
+replied, but his marksmanship is worse than it was yesterday.</p>
+
+<p>We had rain this morning, which was heavy enough to be disagreeable,
+and it was with difficulty we kept ourselves and our belongings dry.
+It gives us a foretaste of what to expect soon. But before then we
+must get on. About Helles the naval guns are very busy.</p>
+
+<p>This morning we had sixty-nine cases of sick and wounded in our
+hospital. We are expected to keep all minor cases of wounds, and cases
+of sickness likely to return to duty in a few days, while the more
+severe cases we send to the hospital ships for the various bases. We
+saw besides about fifty walking cases, all belonging to our 86th
+Brigade.</p>
+
+<br />
+
+<p><i>August 20th.</i>&mdash;Last night was very chilly, and for the first time for
+weeks we had to put on our tunics and unroll our shirt sleeves. But
+the weather has again changed and to-day is uncomfortably warm.</p>
+
+<p>On landing on the 17th a man I chanced to speak to told me that a
+rumour is afloat that the Kaiser was suing for peace through the Pope.
+This I give no heed to, but to-day we have it on better authority, and
+it is said he is prepared to give up Belgium, Poland, and
+Alsace-Lorraine. He will have to give these up and a great deal more,
+nothing but unconditional surrender will be listened to, with
+partition of his fleet among the Allies. The Emperor of Austria is
+also said to have declared that he will not allow his people to endure
+another winter campaign.</p>
+
+<p>7 p.m.&mdash;The bearers of our Ambulance have been <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_165" id="Page_165">[165]</a></span>ordered to proceed to
+the foot of a hill 3 miles off, beside the Salt Lake, and to take up
+their position before dawn. I for one will have to go too. I know the
+spot well in the distance, and know it is a favourite dumping ground
+for Turkish shells. At present it is pitch dark at night, and we have
+no idea what we have to encounter on the way.</p>
+
+<br />
+
+<p><i>August 21st.</i>&mdash;Last night we were all busy preparing for our start at
+3 a.m. We got off punctually at that hour, and marched in the dark for
+nearly 3 miles, by an unknown road, which was only a rough twisting
+track with many off-shoots. We were bound for "Chocolate Hill," east
+of the Salt Lake, but we have not got there yet. We floundered, and
+squabbled about what should be done so that daylight was on us before
+we passed the bar between the bay and the lake, where the main
+Clearing Station is, also three or four Ambulances. One of these took
+pity on us, and gave us breakfast, and the use of their ground until
+we should hear from the A.D.M.S. to whom we have sent a message for
+instructions. The A.D.M.S. Lt.-Col. J.G. Bell, appeared about 10, and
+we were planted by him in the middle of the bar, facing the bay, where
+we can get no shelter from the sun or shells, the bank behind us
+rising after much digging to less than 5 feet. Our orders are to form
+an Aid Post here, catching all the wounded that come our way.</p>
+
+<p>We have an attack at 3 p.m., and apparently a very big one is
+expected, and we are waiting for its commencement. I have explored the
+bar which is about a mile long, and 300 yards wide, and have studied
+its flora. There is a large lily with a bunch of sweet-smelling
+flowers, not unlike the Madonna lily, but the flower is more notched
+and less of a funnel. It has enormous bulbs, some of which I scraped
+out of pure sand at <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_166" id="Page_166">[166]</a></span>a depth of 2 feet. Other bulbous plants are
+common, and huge downy reeds.</p>
+
+<p>It is now 2 p.m. I am sitting in a juniper bush in the middle of the
+bar, scribbling, all the country in a scorching haze, the shells from
+the ships screeching over our heads, searching all the ridges and
+hollows in front of us. The Turks' guns have been silent for the last
+hour, no doubt in anticipation of giving us something warm; our
+bearers are off and have just passed in twos and threes across the
+north side of the lake, which at this period of the year is dry,
+except in the middle. On our side all is ready to give the Turk a good
+hiding, but every time at Helles we were just as prepared and the
+result always a practical failure. Now for the battle, and little
+chance of concluding my notes to-day.</p>
+
+<p>6.50 p.m.&mdash;Ever since the appointed hour a very big fight has been in
+progress. To me the most exciting part was the advance of the 11th
+Division from the south side of Lala Baba, over a mile of absolutely
+unprotected country, where our men could not fire a shot in return to
+the perfect hail of shrapnel to which they were subjected, shells
+coming in fours and fives at a time right in their midst. There was
+the breadth of the lake between us, but with our glasses we had a good
+view of the whole proceedings. The number bowled over seemed small,
+considering that the last half-mile had to be crossed at the double,
+in a dense cloud of smoke from bursting shells. Whenever the cloud
+cleared off we saw distinctly that many dead and wounded lay about the
+field.</p>
+
+<p>What I admired most was the plucky way the bearers did their work, all
+round the north and east side of the lake, while all the time they
+were subjected to fire, and towards the end of the day, when the Turk,
+apparently desperate, sent shell after shell among the bearers and
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_167" id="Page_167">[167]</a></span>ambulance wagons, at a time when there were no other troops near.</p>
+
+<p>We have tried to dig ourselves into the banks of soft sea sand for the
+night, but the constant stream of fine sand fills up our excavations
+as fast as we dig. Four ships still keep firing&mdash;"Lord Nelson,"
+"Swiftsure," "Agamemnon" (?) and "Euryalus"&mdash;and every shot brings
+down more sand.</p>
+
+<p>Being off the direct track from the battlefield we have missed the
+wounded we expected. In spite of our tramping about all night in the
+dark we feel very fresh, and disappointed at having nothing to do,
+although in good spirits over our victory&mdash;for such we take it to be.</p>
+
+<p>This is the first occasion on which we can find fault with the Turks'
+method of fighting, but to-day they have fired on all and
+sundry&mdash;bearers, ambulance wagons, Red Cross flags, and the C.C.S.</p>
+
+<br />
+
+<p><i>August 23rd.</i>&mdash;I ended my notes two days ago by remarking that we
+were all in good spirits over what seemed to us to be a victory. Soon
+after that some of us had to change our tune. Two officers were
+ordered up to Chocolate Hill, so Agassiz and I went across the north
+side of the Salt Lake which we found dry and caked hard. Towards the
+far end, as we neared the terrible hill, bullets were flying in
+hundreds&mdash;one struck the ground practically under my left foot,
+another passed between Agassiz and myself when we certainly were not a
+foot apart. A few more hundred yards, at the double, took us to that
+absolute inferno, Hill 53. (The hills were named according to their
+height, 53 meaning 53 metres high.) We got to the top through dead and
+dying men lined out everywhere. We at once looked up the A.D.M.S. who,
+along with the heads of the 29th Division, was in a deep and strongly
+protected dug-out. Now came the terrible and most unexpected
+news&mdash;the <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_168" id="Page_168">[168]</a></span>Staff were in a state of hysterics&mdash;Hill 72, which is
+separated from Hill 53 by a small dip, had been fought for all day and
+captured at immense cost, and was now about to be given up, it was
+impossible for us to hold it. The 11th Division had sent word that
+they were at a certain point which was their objective, but they were
+actually some distance behind that, and never did reach that point.
+But this piece of information, which the line had been eagerly waiting
+for, now allowed our centre to advance, thinking they had the 11th
+Division protecting their flank. They soon got too far forward and
+were at once enfiladed. This was the beginning of what was a
+catastrophe and which will cost us thousands of lives to rectify. "We
+are to give up Hill 72," said the A.D.M.S., "and if the Turks make a
+night attack, as they always do after an engagement, we'll be pushed
+off this Hill (53) into the valley, and it is hard to say where it
+will end. In that case we want every stretcher-bearer we can lay our
+hands on to work with might and main to get the wounded back from the
+trenches, or they will fall into the hands of the Turks." This sounded
+terrible, but we had to face it, so we sent back for all our men who
+could be spared, and many regimental men had to help to carry the
+wounded back, which was a most difficult piece of work.</p>
+
+<p>In making communication trenches along which the wounded have to be
+carried from the firing trench, the carrying of stretchers is never
+considered. Traverses must be made certainly, and the narrower the
+trenches the better while fighting, but they should be made wide
+enough to let stretchers along, and the corners of the traverses
+should be rounded. As it was the stretchers could only be carried
+along the straight parts with the stretcher traverses "kicked in," and
+even then the backs of all the men's hands were peeled to the bone.
+Being impossible to get round the corners the stretchers had to <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_169" id="Page_169">[169]</a></span>be
+raised above the top of the trench, and as a rule the bearers soon
+tired of doing this at every few yards, and got right over the
+parapets and carried in the open.</p>
+
+<p>We had a terrible night, and next morning as soon as the day began to
+break, although we were on the opposite side of the Hill from the
+enemy, they knew the range so thoroughly that they dropped their
+shells at the exact angle of the Hill, which was but a gentle slope,
+and raked it from top to bottom time after time.</p>
+
+<p>Those of us who escaped were lucky, but it was a bit trying to one's
+nerves. The Turks had made great preparations for this battle, which
+of course had to come off, and they fired as much ammunition as we
+did, and everything was to their advantage. Their snipers, often armed
+with machine-guns, played the very devil with our men. By good luck
+the Turks had had enough and did not attack at night, and we were glad
+when daylight came, although with it came again the terrible, raking
+fire.</p>
+
+<p>Through the day our troops deliberately and slowly evacuated part of
+Hill 72, but most of it we unexpectedly managed to hold, and are
+likely now to stick to. Had we thoroughly defeated the Turks, as we
+should have done had there been no bungling, the end of this part of
+the campaign might have been in sight, but now we are held up, and how
+we are to get out of the fix will sadly baffle our Staff.</p>
+
+<p>The men of the 89th F.A. behaved with admirable pluck, and worked
+hard, and up to evening we had eight men more or less badly
+wounded&mdash;one at least fatally, poor Adams. The 21st and 22nd were
+spent practically without food, and hardly a drop of water was to be
+had, and all suffered badly from thirst&mdash;more bungling.</p>
+
+<p>In the afternoon of the second day it was rumoured that the whole of
+our Division was to be withdrawn to the reserve lines, and that our
+86th Brigade, to which <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_170" id="Page_170">[170]</a></span>we had been again attached, were to march off
+as soon as it was dark, and we were to follow and take up our position
+behind the Infantry. Good news indeed! The G.O.C. in C. had done a
+wise thing in bringing two Brigades of the 29th Division round from
+Helles to stiffen Kitchener's Army. Our Royal Fusiliers were in
+reserve all the time, and although they never fired a shot were in
+such a position that they were badly exposed to shell fire, and were
+within view of snipers, and lost no fewer than 150 men.</p>
+
+<p>In the dark we set off over the N.W. corner of the lake making for a
+certain point at the foot of a ridge. It was difficult to strike the
+exact spot, the night being dark, but we got wonderfully near it, and
+after spending a bitterly cold and cheerless night at the back of a
+low stone wall, across which bullets whistled all night we rectified
+our position before the sun rose. As we came across the lake three
+more of our men were hit, bullets flying about for the first mile or
+so. To-day, after reaching our destination, and while in a shelter, a
+bullet hit another in the thigh, bringing our casualty list for this
+fight up to sixteen. All are agreed that it has been a very bloody
+affair, and the difficulty of seeing a way out of our present position
+has made all despondent, and a number of those in high positions are
+being torn to shreds. Our men are not grumbling, and look as if they
+could go through it again, but it was a very trying two days and
+nights.</p>
+
+<p>Fires broke out in the thick scrub almost at the very start of the
+battle, and after a few hours many acres were ablaze, and as it was
+largely from such places the men of both sides were firing many
+wounded were burned to death.</p>
+
+<br />
+
+<p><i>August 24th.</i>&mdash;Last night we got orders to move as we were certain to
+be shelled, lying as we were behind the <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_171" id="Page_171">[171]</a></span>Infantry of our Brigade. We
+accordingly moved after dark to a gully, which is really a dry
+watercourse entering the middle of the north side of the Salt Lake.
+Agassiz and I, followed at a short distance by a few men, had no
+difficulty in striking the desired spot, but the others, following in
+small lots, got lost, only one lot reaching its destination that
+night. Others lay behind bushes till daylight, while Stephen and his
+men returned for the night to their starting-point. It showed the
+difficulty of moving about in the dark in a strange country. The 86th
+Brigade, which left Chocolate Hill the same time as ourselves got lost
+and wandered about for six hours. Our new site is no safer than the
+last, we are beside a well where men congregate from the various
+battalions encamped near us, and this was shelled furiously on two
+occasions yesterday.</p>
+
+<br />
+
+<p><i>August 25th.</i>&mdash;Four calendar months since we landed on Gallipoli. And
+not much progress made yet.</p>
+
+<p>The Royal Fusiliers, who had watched our men at work in the "Battle of
+Chocolate Hill," are giving them great praise for their daring. Pirie,
+who was waiting for bearers for his wounded, on hearing that some men
+coming towards him belonged to the 89th F.A. replied, "Thank God, now
+we are all right". Several&mdash;two at least&mdash;high-placed officers also
+took note of them and promised that some would be mentioned in the
+next despatch.</p>
+
+<p>Seeing some big black Arum lilies&mdash;known as the "Dead Turk" from its
+evil smell&mdash;with flowers about 2 feet long, I dug up two enormous
+bulbs this morning, one fully 6 inches in diameter. These, with other
+bulbs, I will send home. (They were not an acceptable gift, they were
+allowed to die owing to their horrible smell.) These were growing
+beside a well which was shelled a couple of hours ago, but I sneaked
+out in safety <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_172" id="Page_172">[172]</a></span>when this had finished. I heard this evening that I had
+been "mentioned" in Sir Ian Hamilton's first despatch. Two other
+medical men of our Division are also mentioned&mdash;Col. Yarr, our
+A.D.M.S. at Helles, and Major Lindsay of the 87th F.A.</p>
+
+<br />
+
+<p><i>August 26th.</i>&mdash;Pottered about in the morning after seeing some
+batches of sick sent in by the Regimental M.O.'s, then walked to our
+base on Suvla Bay Beach. Fiddes and McKenzie, who joined our Ambulance
+two days ago, walked out with me. They dilated to Agassiz and myself
+about a great discovery they had made, namely, that excellent rissoles
+could be made of bully beef and ground biscuits. On their departure we
+decided to have rissoles for supper, so Agassiz prepared a frying pan
+and a tin of bully, while I with a pick-shaft ground up a couple of
+our flinty biscuits. We had them done to a turn, and felt much better
+for a decent feed. We then smoked and watched big, threatening clouds
+scurrying over the moon, and away in the S.W. constant flashes of
+lightning. The weather is changing, and the rainy season is not far
+off. Then what on earth is to come of us? We'll be washed out of the
+gullies, to be shot down in the open.</p>
+
+<br />
+
+<p><i>August 27th.</i>&mdash;Agassiz and I returned to the base at 7.30 p.m. and
+were relieved by Fiddes and McKenzie. Plenty of firing by both sides,
+but nothing worth noting.</p>
+
+<br />
+
+<p><i>August 28th.</i>&mdash;A day at the Beach&mdash;a weary place and I wish I was
+back in The Gully. Here we are encamped at the top of Suvla Bay, at
+the edge of a wide stretch of soft sand, which is dotted all over with
+men and their shallow dug-outs in the sand. We are protected by a
+number of Red Cross flags, several Ambulances and the C.C.S. These
+have never been shelled by the Turks, <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_173" id="Page_173">[173]</a></span>and one feels absolutely safe,
+but I miss the healthy excitement of our little Gully. As I watched
+the bearers and wagons being shelled during the last fight it struck
+me at the time that all the shrapnel might be coming from a single
+battery, and I now think there can be no doubt about this. It must
+have been a battery of four or five guns in command of a beastly
+German.</p>
+
+<br />
+
+<p><i>August 29th.</i>&mdash;Sunday. Nothing doing&mdash;except that the usual artillery
+duel goes on, and a Taube crossed over us. These we occasionally fire
+at but never hit.</p>
+
+<br />
+
+<p><i>August 30th.</i>&mdash;Feeling bored to death I took a pleasure walk out to
+our dressing station in The Gully, where Stephen and Thomson are at
+present on duty. After dark I returned alone, trudging first down The
+Gully almost to the Salt Lake, then cutting off to the right towards
+our base. It is very different from the great Gully at Helles (The
+Gully), being but a watercourse, averaging 8 to 10 yards in width and
+most of it not over 6 feet deep. It has huge clumps of rushes and
+lofty, graceful reeds which give it a tropical appearance, and in a
+few places are pools of dirty, green water that has not dried up since
+the last rainy season, and in these water tortoises and big green
+frogs live in hundreds. To-night it was rather weird as I came along,
+with the bull frogs croaking, and several other nocturnal animals
+making loud cries, down past the "Turk's grave," where a pile of dead
+had been collected in The Gully and a little earth thrown over them,
+and now the odour is so strong that one has to pass at the double,
+holding one's breath. The very earth over them looks wet and greasy as
+I noticed to-day. The whole Gully is full of dug-outs from end to end.
+These had been made on the first days of the landing and are now
+untenanted. Lying about unheeded is equipment of all sorts, which had
+belonged to our dead and wounded.</p>
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_174" id="Page_174">[174]</a></span>A Taube dropped two bombs at our ships to-day, but missed as usual. And
+our not firing at the marauder showed that we had not much faith in our
+own shooting. The warships and a monitor were busy towards evening
+battering some unseen object away beyond the mountains&mdash;perhaps the
+forts of "The Narrows".</p>
+
+<p>We have two Welsh Ambulances beside us. The men move very smartly and
+are evidently well drilled. They are great psalm singers, and always at
+it.</p>
+
+<br />
+
+<p><i>August 31st.</i>&mdash;The Australians over at Anzac seem very busy to-day.
+So also are the Turks whose shells are falling thick on land and sea,
+and our ships are firing at some target beyond Sari Bair (Hill 972).</p>
+
+<p>We had a curious plague of midges last night: they attacked the lamp
+and table in our mess in thousands, and made things so unpleasant that
+we had to hurry from the table. These have never bothered us before,
+and I doubt if I ever saw a midge on Gallipoli before.</p>
+
+<br />
+
+<p><i>September 1st.</i>&mdash;Agassiz and I came out to the dressing station as it
+was getting dark last night.</p>
+
+<p>Two new officers and twenty men joined us yesterday&mdash;Captains Wilson
+and Tawse.</p>
+
+<p>Wiseley, M.O. to the Lancs., passed through our station this forenoon,
+badly wounded in the head by a sniper. It looks as if it was all up
+with him. (He died before he reached the C.C.S.) Tawse followed from
+our base to take his place. Pirie of the Royals looked us up, and told
+us he was down for "mention" in the next despatch. We have all
+admired, and often spoken about, the good work and earnest devotion of
+Pirie, and are delighted these are to be recognised, even in this
+small way. We were talking about the huge bungle of the landing at
+Suvla. It seems agreed had it not been that two Territorial Battalions
+turned tail when faced by a <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_175" id="Page_175">[175]</a></span>handful of Turks things here would have
+been totally different, and the ridges which are not yet ours should
+have been taken and held the first day. A distinguished General is
+said to have remarked: "Had there been more sweat on the part of the
+men there would have been less blood". We have one excellent General
+here now who pokes his nose into everything, says what he thinks,
+whether polite or otherwise, and swears at large. He says that without
+a good backing of swears people will never believe you are in earnest.
+Only men of blood and iron are of any use at the present moment for
+filling our high places.</p>
+
+<p>Pirie was telling us that they had two Australian snipers attached to
+the Royals, and one of their own men who had done a good deal of
+jungle shooting was an excellent sniper. One night he was out and had
+crawled to within 30 yards of the Turks' trenches trying to get as
+much information as possible, when lo, and behold! he found by his
+watch it was 5.30 and broad daylight. He had fallen asleep. However,
+by careful crawling he succeeded in gaining his own lines in safety.
+It is always by night these men work, and the Australian snipers get
+two days off every week to go to the base for a rest. This time is
+usually spent in their going somewhere else to snipe. Fighting to the
+Australians is great sport and nothing else.</p>
+
+<p>In the afternoon an East Kent officer paid us a visit. He tells us
+that rumours of peace with Turkey are again afloat. We have heard this
+sort of stuff before and don't believe it.</p>
+
+<br />
+
+<p><i>September 2nd.</i>&mdash;Agassiz and I had attended the sick of our Brigade
+during the day, and spent a quiet time about the dressing station,
+gathering enough brambles to make an excellent dish for supper, when
+suddenly at 7.30 the scene changed. First two cannon shots, the
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_176" id="Page_176">[176]</a></span>well-known signal for a Turkish attack, a short pause then a general
+cannonade from the Turks which was fast and furious. I do not suppose
+anyone could have guessed they had so many guns in position, but for
+half an hour&mdash;twenty-three minutes to be exact&mdash;they simply deluged
+with shrapnel our trenches on the hill on our extreme left (Hizlar
+Dagh), and rifle fire from both sides was equally furious. The part of
+The Gully we occupy as a dressing station runs north and south, and I
+could not have believed it could possibly have been enfiladed, but
+bullets, after the first few minutes, got diverted our way, and came
+right along our position in a most alarming way. All lay low at once,
+except our servant, Wallace, who had just removed our supper things
+and was sitting on the edge of a low trench leading into our dug-out
+when he called out, "Oh!" I turned round and said, "What's up?" "I am
+struck," he said, and fell into my arms. We laid him down on the floor
+of the dug-out, and in a few minutes he breathed his last. So ended
+the days of an excellent fellow. Formerly a ship's steward he had seen
+the world, and was a splendid servant and much liked by the whole
+Ambulance. This only added to the alarm that had seized us all, which
+was due to the very insufficient protection we had on the side the
+bullets were coming from. Agassiz and I lay hard up against the north
+side of our dug-out&mdash;little more than a few dry lumps of clay&mdash;while
+Wallace's body was stretched alongside us. As I have said, this attack
+ended in twenty-three minutes, but at 8.30 there was a second and
+similar one. We had all made up our minds that the Turks were to break
+through and would be down on us, and all had secretly decided what
+they were to do, and how much of their equipment they would take in
+case we were forced to retreat. All this fighting was but a very short
+way to our left.</p>
+
+<p>This morning we sent Wallace's body back to our <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_177" id="Page_177">[177]</a></span>base, where it lay
+till the return of C Section at 7.30 p.m., as we wished to be present
+at the last rites, and we could only turn out in a body after dark.
+The moon was not due for hours, but in the dark, with only the stars
+for light, and a brilliant planet in the east, we listened to Padre
+Campion's short service. He, being an Episcopal clergyman, had to
+accommodate himself to us Presbyterians, and he recited "Abide with
+me," then read the piece, "I am the Resurrection," and ended with "The
+Lord's Prayer". Then back again to camp, supper, and general
+conversation.</p>
+
+<p>Rumours reach us that the Germans are still being pressed back about
+Warsaw, that the Austrians have been defeated in Galicia, and the
+Turks in the Caucasus.</p>
+
+<p>The Australians at Anzac are making steady, though slow, progress,
+which appears to be the only point where we can press on at all. The
+Marquis of Tullibardine arrived here to-day with a body of Scottish
+Horse&mdash;unmounted of course. Padre Campion says he was at Eton with
+this brilliant soldier.</p>
+
+<br />
+
+<p><i>September 4th.</i>&mdash;A very moderate S.W. breeze is blowing to-day, and
+our pontoon pier of about thirty boats has gone all to pieces and lies
+on the sand. Its sole use was to get patients away from the C.C.S. to
+the hospital ships. This shows us the difficulties we will have to
+face in winter with our patients and stores&mdash;if we are to be here,
+which heaven forbid! Padre Dennis Jones has just told me that the
+betting is that the war in Turkey will be over in a fortnight. He also
+says he was in the trenches last night when word was passed round to
+prepare to meet a big Turkish attack after dark. This did not come
+off, last night was quiet except for an occasional spurt of rifle
+fire.</p>
+
+<br />
+
+<p><i>September 5th.</i>&mdash;Sir Ian Hamilton is reported to have said that the
+war will be over in ten days.</p>
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_178" id="Page_178">[178]</a></span>This morning we have been notified that we go to Imbros, probably for
+a week, on the night of the 8/9th. This does not seem to give pleasure
+to many. It means a night spent in crossing, and being tired all next
+day when we will have to work hard to provide shelter, then returning
+before we get really settled down. If this order takes effect we will
+besides miss the "grand finale" which will be held among the forts of
+"The Narrows" (!!!)</p>
+
+<p>There was much artillery fire by both sides yesterday, and this
+morning they have been very busy&mdash;they even managed to send two shells
+after a Taube, these bursting many hundred yards behind their
+objective. But it let the Taube see that we were not asleep at 7.30
+a.m.</p>
+
+<p>My friend Pirie, M.O. to the Royals, passed through this in the
+afternoon, having been wounded in the back while he was holding his
+Sick Parade&mdash;only a "couchy wound," such as the Irish pray to the
+Virgin Mary to send them at the beginning of a fight, so that they
+might escape something worse. Pirie walked in with his usual smile,
+and pleaded with us, before we knew there was anything wrong, "not to
+make him laugh as it was sore". (To everyone's sorrow, Pirie was
+afterwards killed in France.)</p>
+
+<br />
+
+<p><i>September 7th.</i>&mdash;It was the duty of Agassiz and myself to take over
+the dressing station last night, and there we now are. After the
+experience we had last time when we did not feel over comfortable
+after dark and the bullets began to fly, we were glad to occupy the
+same dug-out during the night, for the sake of company. It is a most
+unpleasant feeling to find you are fired at when alone. I have noticed
+this especially when out a walk just as it is getting dark. You ask
+yourself how long you may have to lie, if you get wounded, before
+anyone <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_179" id="Page_179">[179]</a></span>comes your way. But even in daylight if shells are dropping
+about they are doubly terrifying if you are alone.</p>
+
+<p>This Gully has been a most uncomfortable place all along, its banks
+afford little protection from rifle fire; they are too low for
+cross-fire, and a few days ago we found it could be enfiladed. At
+ordinary times we have only occasional bullets during the day, but as
+soon as the shades of night begin to fall they come in a constant
+stream, and we are only safe when we retire to the depths of our
+dug-outs&mdash;if our shallow pits are worthy of the name.</p>
+
+<p>We keep wondering what sort of a holiday we are to have in Imbros. Are
+there to be plagues of flies and dust as in Lemnos? However, it will
+break the monotony which is getting very oppressive, and some of ours
+keep up a constant grumble at everybody and everything.</p>
+
+<p>The nights are now very cold, but the heat by day seems about as
+intense as ever.</p>
+
+<br />
+
+<p><i>September 9th.</i>&mdash;We had orders yesterday to embark at Little West
+Beach, at the north point of Suvla Bay. We were there at 7.30 p.m. and
+were to embark at 8. It was a weary trudge, for we were heavily laden,
+along the very edge of the bay to take advantage of the narrow strip
+of firm sand that gets washed by the "tideless Mediterranean". Our
+four Battalions were present, and after some delay over our baggage,
+all which was finally got on board, the great lumbering barge, which
+had 400 men and all the regimental baggage on board, refused to budge.
+She was fast on the rocks where the water was very shallow. At last
+she moved, going out a few yards then returning and taking all the
+Dublins and so many Royals on board. Then she again stuck fast. It was
+now getting late; the ship this barge was taking us out to was booked
+to sail at 3.30 a.m., and this time had <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_180" id="Page_180">[180]</a></span>to be kept regardless of our
+convenience. As she was still aground at that hour the order was given
+to disembark. All this time we had been lying shivering on the dust
+and stones, waiting for our turn, and now, with our spirits at zero,
+we marched back to our base, reaching it at 4.45 as light was showing
+in the east, so that we got back none too soon. The long wait we had
+put in, with a cold wind blowing, had chilled us all thoroughly. All
+had some brandy on our return, we got to bed at 5.30, and I for one
+slept like a top and rose refreshed at 8.30, as also did Agassiz. He
+and I felt so famished that we ground up some ration biscuits and made
+porridge, which we enjoyed. None of the others got off their
+stretchers before mid-day, when they did not know whether to order
+breakfast or dinner. It ended in high tea.</p>
+
+<p>A wagon with six mules passed behind us this afternoon, and drew a hot
+shrapnel fire on all the Ambulances on the Beach. We had one man
+wounded, the 1st Welsh one killed (Capt. Clark) and three wounded, and
+the 3rd Welsh four wounded.</p>
+
+<p>We again have orders to embark at 7.30.</p>
+
+<br />
+
+<p><i>September 10th.</i>&mdash;The hour for embarking was afterwards changed to
+8.30. Owing to the shelling we had just been subjected to this pleased
+us, as we could march down in the dark at this later hour. We got on
+board without any adventures and were taken out by two tow boats to
+our old friend, the "Abbassieh". The sea was choppy and our boat
+bumped unmercifully against the ship's side and ladder. We had supper
+on board, tea, bread and butter with cheese making a right royal
+feast, these articles never tasting half so good in all our lives
+before. Never till then did I fully appreciate how much we had roughed
+it since we came to Suvla Bay. Our bread has usually been vile, and
+often was not to be had <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_181" id="Page_181">[181]</a></span>at all, and everything has been unusually
+filthy and smelly. This was often due to our being unable to spare a
+drop of water to wash out our cooking utensils.</p>
+
+<p>No doubt what has really taken it out of us most is the constant
+danger we are in from bullets and shells, and especially the former at
+our Advanced Dressing Station in The Gully (Azmac Dere). After supper
+and a glass of beer we went to bed, and found genuine spring
+mattresses, a tremendous luxury. The very ground at Suvla seems to be
+harder than at Helles, and I often get up in the morning feeling stiff
+and sore. However, I much prefer living on chunks of anything out at
+the dressing station, and sleeping on a few rushes spread on the
+bottom of a shallow hole, to the comforts and safety of our base in
+the sandbank of Suvla Bay.</p>
+
+<p>When the anchor was raised, with the usual amount of rattle, it roused
+one of our men who was asleep on deck; he sprang to his feet and
+dashed over the ship's rail, and really never woke up till he found
+himself in the water. Cries of "man overboard" were raised, and with
+much scurrying the ladder was let down, and being a strong swimmer he
+was got on board none the worse for his early bath. He was sent down
+to the engine room to dry.</p>
+
+<p>We landed at Imbros about 9 a.m.</p>
+
+<p>Imbros is a busy place, and has a big natural harbour facing the
+north, dotted over with warships and transports, and a considerable
+number of monitors each armed with one or two huge guns, all 14-inch I
+believe.</p>
+
+<p>Our camp is in a dusty spot, and the wind makes it disagreeable and
+ruffles our tempers. There are about a dozen canteens, run by Greeks
+whose prices I am glad to see are fixed for all articles. I bought two
+kilos (4&frac12; lbs.) of grapes and a few tomatoes, intending them for
+our mess, but I could not resist the grapes, I had an overpowering
+longing for fruit, and ate most of them, <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_182" id="Page_182">[182]</a></span>skins, stones and all, on my
+way back. I have tried to take up a bet to eat 2 lbs. against every
+lb. eaten by anyone in the mess.</p>
+
+<p>The hills and valleys I have not yet visited, but these look inviting.
+We are encamped on an extensive dead level between the sea and the
+hills.</p>
+
+<br />
+
+<p><i>September 11th.</i>&mdash;I had a walk with Stephen last night, just before
+dark, to a hill about a mile off. From the top we were able to get a
+good idea of the beauties of Imbros. Except for the stretch where we
+are encamped, the whole island is one mass of rough, volcanic
+mountains, with narrow, fertile flats, carefully cultivated and
+bearing healthy, looking fig, olive, and other trees. A large herd of
+goats, wending their way home down a narrow track between rugged
+hills, away down below us, all with their bells tinkling, made a fine
+picture of a peaceful evening scene. As we sat and smoked beside a
+towering pinnacle of volcanic rock a raven went sailing past us, with
+his croak, croak. I remember Professor McGillivray, in his "Natural
+History of Deeside," describes what was perhaps a not altogether
+dissimilar scene among the Cairngorms, and addressing a raven on a
+rock beside him calls him "poor fellow".</p>
+
+<br />
+
+<p><i>September 12th.</i>&mdash;Did nothing in particular to-day. We had church
+parade in the afternoon, Padre Campion officiating, and a mail
+consisting almost entirely of parcels, every second one smashed up
+till it could not be delivered. Stephen and I have arranged to go to
+Panagheia to-morrow, and we walked out to a spot at the foot of the
+hills to order ponies, donkeys, or whatever they had, for our trip.
+When there an old Greek came riding in on a donkey with two panniers
+full of grapes, to which he asked us to help ourselves, they cost him
+nothing and he would make us welcome to as many as we liked at the
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_183" id="Page_183">[183]</a></span>same price. I ate a pound at least and still felt hungry. He said when
+this island was Turkish the taxes were very heavy, then the Greeks
+came along and they became worse, but he had been a sailor and a good
+deal in England, so he always swore to the tax collector that he was
+an Englishman and exempt from all taxes, so he has never paid a penny.
+We got more grapes from him, by purchase this time, big, luscious ones
+at 6d per kilo. We ate at our hardest while the Greek looked out big
+bunches that could be tied together, and for these he wanted, in Greek
+fashion, to charge an extra 3d. "Damn you for a greedy devil," says
+Stephen, we dived into his pannier and each had another big bunch,
+paid him, and returned to camp where we had a really good
+dinner&mdash;roast chicken stuffed with oatmeal and onions, beans, stewed
+pears, Vermouth, and three half bottles of champagne (from the Medical
+Comforts pannier!), then port and nuts (the former from ditto), and
+ended with cigars and Egyptian cigarettes. We had not dined so well
+since we left Alexandria.</p>
+
+<p>I believe to-day is the first day since we left England on March 18
+that we have not seen the sun. As we were leaving the pony depot we
+fell in with Atlee of the Munsters who had been at Panagheia, and he
+says a pony is no use except for a bit of "swank," you have to walk
+practically the whole way beside your animal.</p>
+
+<p>Thomson went into hospital to-day. He has been ailing for some weeks,
+and looks thin and far from well.</p>
+
+<br />
+
+<p><i>September 13th.</i>&mdash;A red letter day. Last night we had a few showers,
+and in the morning as the sky was overcast we at first decided not to
+go to Panagheia, but as the blue sky began to break through by 9 we
+set off and were mounted on our shelties by 10. These we picked up at
+the edge of the mountains, beyond the camping ground. A dozen or two
+of animals&mdash;ponies, <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_184" id="Page_184">[184]</a></span>donkeys, and mules&mdash;were ready saddled, the owner
+of each pushing his way forward when he saw a likely customer coming
+along, eager to display the good points of his animal. I got astride a
+pack saddle, a wonderful structure of substantial sticks and raw hide,
+with a big, comfortable cushion on the top, for stirrups a piece of
+rope, and bridle the same, without bit, the rope being merely twisted
+and knotted round the lower jaw.</p>
+
+<p>We at once dipped into a deep valley, clothed on all sides in thick
+shrubbery, with plenty of trees in the lowest part, along which there
+was a tiny stream with occasional beautiful rocky pools. The trees
+here and all along were principally olives, figs, mulberry, and a few
+walnuts. The road was the merest track, littered with stones, and
+wound up hill and down dale. At first it was so bad that I thought it
+must surely lead soon to a better path, but little did I think what we
+were in for; we were soon among huge boulders, and nothing but
+boulders, up and down shelving rock, often 2 feet higher than the
+path, slithering over stretches of hard, bare rock, and all the time
+without a single stumble on the part of any one of our mounts. There
+were four of us&mdash;Stephen, Agassiz, Padre Campion, and myself&mdash;each
+with a guide dressed in blue material, and all sorts of head gear, and
+with the usual fold upon fold of cloth round the waist, shoes of raw
+hide with the hair outside, held on by twists of hide from the ankle
+to the knee, in proper brigand style.</p>
+
+<p>The scenery soon became simply glorious, and my three companions, who
+all knew Switzerland, said it was exactly like that country, except
+for the absence of chalets. The hills rose on all sides, some to a
+height of 5000 feet, rough as possible, all volcanic of course, some
+looking as if they had belched out flames and smoke not so very long
+ago. One reminded me of Ben Sleoch as it rises out of Loch Maree, the
+same mass of rock atop, but <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_185" id="Page_185">[185]</a></span>here more rugged. Each mountain top and
+side was studded with enormous needle-like pinnacles and rough warty
+masses. It is strange how fertile these volcanic earths are, these
+high mountains were clothed with trees below, and had thick shrubbery
+almost to the top&mdash;mostly hollyoak, I fancy. The colouring of the
+rocks is very fine, the colours being warm reds, browns, purples, and
+yellows in one mingled mass.</p>
+
+<p>By 11.30 we had crossed the highest part of our path, and a wide
+valley came in sight a mile or two off, great masses of olive trees,
+with a large village away ahead on a hillside, and after a little time
+our destination hove in sight, round the shoulder of a mountain on our
+right, nestling among trees of deep green colour. These turned out to
+be mostly mulberry which has a very luscious and cool looking leaf; no
+fruit unfortunately, its season was over. We passed along the
+picturesque streets of Panagheia, with their projecting windows and
+vine entwined balconies, to a place proudly labelled "Hotel Britannic,
+J. Christie, proprietor, a British subject". The Hotel London we had
+been warned to pass by, as the catering was not so good, and strange
+to say, when we returned to camp and the orders of the day were being
+read at supper, it was there announced that this hotel was out of
+bounds for the time being, the proprietor being of suspected
+nationality.</p>
+
+<p>Stephen was at his best, and was the life of the party and of everyone
+we came across, and greatly amused our guides. One of the guides had
+his little son with him who was named Georgo by Stephen, who told the
+little chap that his own name was Stephanos. He mounted him behind his
+saddle, and when lifting him down at the first halt, he said, "You've
+done damnedo wello, Georgo". Georgo showed by a broad grin that he
+felt flattered.</p>
+
+<p>Lunch was ordered in the fine hotel of J. Christie, <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_186" id="Page_186">[186]</a></span>which was
+upstairs over a cobbler's shop, and consisted of one very small room
+which we filled, with a larger one off it, and behind was the kitchen,
+only half of which was floored, and through the great gaping part you
+looked down to the back of the cobbler's premises, a place full of
+empty bottles and the abode of J. Christie's poultry. That was the
+whole establishment, but they could cook. J. Christie, being an
+Italian and not a Britisher, was an excellent <i>chef</i>, and soon
+prepared for us first-rate soup, then boiled partridge which was
+likely a chicken from the hole I have mentioned. Then came the dish of
+the day&mdash;honey omelettes, which were brought in one at a time,
+glorious creations over which we poured delicious drained honey. They
+were so good that Stephen gave the order that they were to go on
+turning them out till he told them to stop. Each had two big ones, and
+after each you felt hungrier than ever. The wine of the country we of
+course also had, one called Morea not unlike champagne. Then cheese
+and Turkish coffee, after which we set off to view the village. We
+landed at the school when it chanced to be play time, but we went
+through the rooms followed by all the scholars, fine bright boys and
+girls, and Stephen with a piece of chalk showed them some new method
+of multiplication, which was far more complicated than the old way we
+all know. In a hall they had two large pictures, one of Venezelos, who
+they declared was good, the other of Gunariz who was bad. One little
+chap was the son of the local doctor and spoke French well. He said
+his father was a graduate of Paris University.</p>
+
+<p>It was altogether a most enjoyable day, the padre saying it was the
+day of his life. He was a good fellow the padre, and nothing delighted
+him more, he remarked, than to hear Stephen saying "damn," he put so
+much expression into the word.</p>
+
+<p>We commenced the return journey at 4.45 when the <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_187" id="Page_187">[187]</a></span>colouring of the
+mountains was perfect, and the padre always insisted on dismounting to
+take a sketch of some particularly fine scene. He got ahead of us one
+time when we came upon him seated on a big stone in a rough
+watercourse, surrounded with oleanders and sketching a peep of a grand
+mountain between two nearer ridges.</p>
+
+<p>When we returned we found Sir Ian Hamilton had inspected our
+Ambulance, and made himself pleasant all round.</p>
+
+<br />
+
+<p><i>September 14th.</i>&mdash;A cold wind blew all day&mdash;from the north of course.
+Saw the sun only occasionally.</p>
+
+<p>I took the Lancashire Fusiliers Sick Parade this morning, when 215
+presented themselves as sick&mdash;every fourth man. I expect the order of
+the day had included a route march. There is nothing Tommy hates more
+than a route march.</p>
+
+<br />
+
+<p><i>September 15th.</i>&mdash;The nights get still colder, and this forenoon was
+like an October day at home, but later it was bright and warm without
+a breath of wind. Our airmen made the most of the calm spell and took
+out the only airship we have here and circled about for at least two
+hours, with a fast monoplane scouting in case of reprisals. The sun is
+at present sinking in the west and the evening colouring among the
+mountains makes one long for everlasting peace, there is too much
+discord between such scenes and our errand out here.</p>
+
+<br />
+
+<p><i>September 16th.</i>&mdash;Just as I got out of bed at 7 am some one called
+out that a Taube was dropping bombs. It dropped four a short way from
+us. It was at a great height and got a good peppering from our ships
+in the harbour. In about fifteen minutes it returned, or it may have
+been another aeroplane, and let loose five or six bombs at the G.O.C.
+in C.'s H.Q. where, I afterwards <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_188" id="Page_188">[188]</a></span>heard, five men were wounded. It was
+heading straight over us, but the fire again got too hot for it and it
+made off to the south, but it was most daring and persistent and put
+in a third appearance, when one of our monoplanes, a very fast
+machine, went up and we expected some fun. After ascending in large
+spirals they got on the same level when the Taube turned round and
+faced our machine, both now at a very great height, and both evidently
+firing at each other, when suddenly our machine dived down at a
+tremendous speed. We of course thought the airman or his plane had
+been disabled. We heard in the evening that his gun jammed, and being
+helpless he wisely cleared out.</p>
+
+<p>Stephen and I were to take the whole Ambulance to Panagheia, and I
+went early to the Lancs. to get their Sick Parade over. Stephen
+promised to assist and was to be up early too, but he turned up last
+for breakfast, and I had inspected two companies before he arrived.</p>
+
+<p>Nothing eventful happened on our 6 or 7 mile march across the
+mountains. Big, threatening thunderclouds, with rain on the high peaks
+before us, rather detracted from our enjoyment, and the Greeks we met
+pointed to the clouds and with a descending motion of their hands
+prophesied rain. However, it never did rain and the afternoon was
+perfect. The Greeks followed us with pony loads of grapes (Staphila,
+they call them), pomegranates, and figs, and we fared well. A pony in
+front of us tumbled down a steep incline and we straightway wished to
+buy its load which was scattered everywhere. I picked up a lot of figs
+which were dead ripe and delicious. The black grapes of these parts
+would be difficult to beat, and I must have eaten 3 lbs. of these on
+our way.</p>
+
+<p>After halting the men beyond the village, and having lunch to which
+they were allowed beer, a luxury which few of them had tasted for many
+months, Stephen and I <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_189" id="Page_189">[189]</a></span>went to a small village half a mile further on.
+Many go from Panagheia to Castro, a fishing village, but our little
+place was off the beaten track and quite unspoiled. We entered a
+primitive caf&eacute; where we had a cup of good coffee, served as usual in a
+very tiny cup with a big tumbler of water. Two Greek policemen were
+sipping their coffee and playing cards, and we managed to enter into
+conversation with them and some other loafers. Many of the old women
+were spinning about their doors, and we saw some of their work. Their
+wool (goat's) when carded is very fine and fluffy, but the material
+when woven is hard and looks as if it would wear for ever.</p>
+
+<p>Next we sat down in front of what we thought was a school and made a
+sketch of it. It turned out to be the church of Sainte Varvara. The
+school is alongside, and the dominie had eyed us and came over and
+took us through the church. We thought he was a verger, and Stephen
+wished to purchase every holy relic in it. Then we tipped him a few
+coppers, and tapers were accordingly lit and planted in a basin of
+sand. All the Greek churches we have seen are very ornate and tawdry,
+with a multitude of pictures and tall candlesticks. The pulpit towered
+till it almost touched the low ceiling. The centre of the churches is
+always vacant, and round this space there is always a row of
+high-backed seats. I fancy the difference between the Greek and Roman
+churches is not great. Both give much prominence to the Virgin and
+Child, but I am told that one of the differences is that the former
+does not regard the Virgin as a Saint. A number of saints were
+pictured here, including Sainte Varvara, to whom the building is
+dedicated.</p>
+
+<p>We next looked into the school, a tumble down place, but clean and
+tidy, and with about forty bright, neatly dressed children. Stephen
+was delighted at the sight <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_190" id="Page_190">[190]</a></span>and beamed on them all, and yelled and
+laughed, gave a little chap a sum of multiplication on the blackboard
+which he did correctly, then he had to show him his new and more
+complicated way of getting the answer. This new method is very
+peculiar, but the two answers were identical, to the astonishment of
+the dominie, who was apparently able to follow the steps. "Now," says
+Stephen, "I want all the children to say 'Venezelos good' and to give
+him a cheer." This was done most heartily. "Now, say Gunariz bad."
+This time, I think, they did not understand what was wanted of them;
+however, with a little persuasion from Stephen and the dominie they
+got through it in a mild way. There was something refreshing and
+homelike in our visit to the kiddies. They all jumped smartly to their
+feet as we were leaving. The dominie accompanied us up the street,
+where we admired the trees laden with clusters of beautiful
+red-cheeked pomegranates. I had never seen this fruit growing before,
+but here every garden was full of it.</p>
+
+<p>We next stopped to watch a woman spinning inside a doorway, with an
+instrument like a fiddle bow&mdash;either that or she was carding the wool
+with it, this being in fluffy billows about her on the floor. She
+asked us to enter&mdash;all by signs of course. We had a look round her
+kitchen which was very clean, the fireplace and articles about being
+mostly not unlike what one could see at home. In a corner was a broad,
+low divan on which she threw some cushions, on which we sat with our
+legs tucked under us, which we supposed was the correct fashion, and
+what was expected of us. She next got us two small glasses of brandy,
+a saucer with a few small biscuits and two tumblers of water, and
+placed all neatly on a small table with a cover. The brandy was strong
+and scented, and not much to my liking; however, I drank it and felt
+grateful to this good soul for her hospitality and showing <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_191" id="Page_191">[191]</a></span>us a
+little Grecian home life. At one side of the room there was a part
+shut off by a curtain which we concluded was a box-bed, but Stephen
+had a look in and found it full of shelves with blankets and articles
+of clothing. "But where do the devils sleep?" Stephen kept on saying,
+and by resting his head on his hands and snoring he tried to get the
+woman to understand that he was curious as to this point. Her
+demeanour at once changed, her temper was up, and we cleared off down
+the street.</p>
+
+<br />
+
+<p><i>September 20th.</i>&mdash;There has been nothing to take note of during the
+last few days. The Lancs. Fusiliers have occupied a good deal of my
+time, their Sick Parades varying from 215 to fifty-seven. We have had
+a few visits from Taubes, mostly after dark, one dropping two bombs
+yesterday, and the night before we had six. The hangar seems to be
+their objective. Two others we heard approaching last night but they
+never came over us, they could see we were on the alert by the amount
+of our fire, and some red rockets went off high in the air.</p>
+
+<p>To-day should end our holiday to Imbros, but as it blows a gale we
+have been notified that this has been postponed. In the afternoon
+Agassiz and I had a delightful walk up a valley that was new to us. It
+was a mass of huge rocks and boulders, with an attempt at a stream
+which would be a raging torrent in winter. We came on a curious
+geological formation, which we thought could be nothing but fossilised
+trees, but how a tree came to be in the middle of a lava rock was a
+puzzle. We soon found many others and saw that, however, this shape
+came about, trees were not the foundation. Each consisted of a large
+number of concentric circles exactly like the rings in a tree stump,
+some fully 3 feet in diameter.</p>
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_192" id="Page_192">[192]</a></span>On our way back we had a good view of Achi Baba&mdash;of unpleasant memory.</p>
+
+<p>We had two padres to tea, Beardmore being one of them. They told us
+how Turkish snipers were paid&mdash;20 piastres for a lieutenant, 40 for a
+captain, 80 for a lieutenant-colonel, but if a Staff officer was shot
+the sniper got shot himself&mdash;not very flattering to our Staff.</p>
+
+<p>If you meet a Greek on a fine day his usual greeting sounds like
+"kalumaera". It was only to-day that I discovered this was the modern
+pronunciation of kale hemera, and on greeting a man in the ancient
+form he stood up and wondered what I meant, then said, "No, no". He
+explained that all aspirates are dropped in modern Greek. They use the
+word "su" for water, but they also understand the ancient word hudor.
+Many of the accents also seem to have changed.</p>
+
+<br />
+
+<p><i>September 22nd.</i>&mdash;We reached our old camp at Suvla about 9 p.m.
+yesterday, after a pleasant crossing, and a good meal of tea and
+coffee, ham and eggs before disembarking. We watched the usual Turkish
+"evening hate" from our place of safety on board, the shells bursting
+in places we could recognise. One fell in the sea not far from us as
+we marched from the Beach in the dark. To-day we had a large number of
+shells just round us.</p>
+
+<p>I had an order early this morning to join the Lancs. Fusiliers, and
+after breakfast set off in search of their lines. I was directed to
+various places where the North, South, and Royal Lancashire Regiments
+lay, but it cost me a whole hour to find our Fusiliers. They are in
+reserve, with the supports and firing lines just in front of them, all
+on the steep slope of Hizlar Dagh. During Sick Parade we had to keep
+ducking from shells, the Turks evidently having discovered that the
+86th Brigade was once more among them. As I was passing through the
+Dublin lines on my return to our base two shells fell just beyond
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_193" id="Page_193">[193]</a></span>them when de Boer shouted to me to take shelter under a projecting
+rock where all their officers had retired for safety, but before I got
+in another shell landed almost in the centre of their line, among some
+very thick scrub, which had prevented pieces from flying far. As I
+passed this spot when things had got a bit quieter I asked one of the
+men if none of them were hit. "No," said Paddy, "but we smelt the
+pouther."</p>
+
+<br />
+
+<p><i>September 23rd.</i>&mdash;As it was getting dark last night the A.D.M.S.
+ordered me to join the Lancashire Fusiliers at once, and to remain
+with them, they having no Regimental M.O. I hurriedly put everything
+necessary into my pack, and with Conroy, as servant, set off to the
+slopes of Hizlar Dagh. I reached my post in half an hour, and was
+assigned as my quarters a scraping in the earth not a foot deep. Here
+I spent a most wretched night, an icy cold wind blowing down the
+depression in the hill where the Battalion is encamped. I simply
+shivered and shook till the sun rose at 6 o'clock, when I felt too
+cold to wash and shave, but so did every one. I breakfasted with
+Lt-Col. Pearson and his Adjutant, Captain Johnson (killed three months
+afterwards), and at 10 held Sick Parade. The Turks can fire straight
+along our hollow, and General de Lisle made a wise proposal yesterday
+to run a long series of terraces crossways, each with a back about 7
+feet high and a trench 7 feet wide in front. If this is continued to
+the foot there should then be room for 5000 troops. The Turks have not
+yet found us out, although they gave us a few shells yesterday,
+otherwise they could have made it too hot for us to continue
+operations. All have been busy to-day digging, picking, and quarrying
+stones, and already we have fairly safe trenches for one company. The
+Lancs., who have a large number of miners in their ranks, have been
+selected to do this, <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_194" id="Page_194">[194]</a></span>job, otherwise they would have taken up a
+position half a mile further back as was first intended.</p>
+
+<p>In the afternoon I strolled down to our Advanced Dressing Station
+which is only half a mile off, at the foot of the hill. Stephen had
+walked out as far as this with me last night, and to-day I find the
+place in charge of Sergt.-Major Shaw. Agassiz had paid them a flying
+visit very early this morning on his way to the C.C.S., he too being
+sick. All our original officers are now away or at present ailing
+except Q.-M. Dickie and myself, and it looks as if he and I were to be
+left alone in a few days.</p>
+
+<p><i>Later.</i>&mdash;Had a note from Stephen saying Fiddes has gone off sick
+along with Agassiz, and that his own temperature is 101&mdash;this looks
+bright.</p>
+
+<br />
+
+<p><i>September 25th.</i>&mdash;After writing the above two days ago, and about 10
+p.m. when I had retired to bed, the Adjutant announced to me that
+another M.O. had been found and that I was to be relieved. This had
+been arranged owing to the shortage of officers in our Ambulance. I
+therefore left the Lancs. yesterday morning, Touhy, an Irishman,
+taking my place. I was enjoying myself thoroughly with the Lancs., and
+regretted this change as we were going into the front line in a day or
+two. Colonel Pearson is very popular with every man in his Battalion
+and is a most charming man, and I regretted leaving him.</p>
+
+<p>Stephen went off sick to-day. Hoskin joined us yesterday, being
+detached from hospital work at Imbros. He is a good fellow, and eager
+for work and still more for excitement.</p>
+
+<p>This morning I went up to our Advanced Dressing Station at the foot of
+the hill. It has now to be run without a permanent medical man. I saw
+the sick and wounded who had come in; took the Sick Parade of the
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_195" id="Page_195">[195]</a></span>London R.E.'s who are at present without an M.O.; returned and had our
+own Sick Parade; attended the sick in our hospital; saw several relays
+of Royal, Dublin, and Munster Fusiliers; returned to the dressing
+station at 6 p.m. and saw some fresh cases of sick and wounded;
+besides other duties, and altogether had an unusually busy day.
+Something of this sort will now go on daily until the D.M.S. sends us
+more officers.</p>
+
+<p>There was fighting all along the line last night, especially about
+Anzac where we hear the Australians advanced half a mile.</p>
+
+<p>The R.C. Padre who is attached to the Munsters, and has messed with us
+for the last week or so, leaves us to-morrow to our general regret. He
+is the most amusing man I have met in the army. Now that the hardiest
+of us, although we are still carrying on, are far from fit, and our
+spirits none of the best, we will miss him sorely.</p>
+
+<br />
+
+<p><i>September 27th.</i>&mdash;I have had a very busy day especially at the
+dressing station. A messenger came from there a few minutes after
+midnight, and I had to go up to see some Munsters who had been wounded
+two hours before in a scrap with the Turks. As I tramped back alone in
+the dark (this is entirely against orders) the frequent ping of
+bullets was not too comforting, and as I neared our base several
+shells came about, at no great distance, when I found myself pushing
+my fingers inside my shirt to make sure that I had my identity disc
+round my neck, a habit I have got into when alone and in a hot corner.
+When I returned in the evening I found still another officer had been
+attached to us&mdash;Stott. The padre told us many amusing stones at
+dinner. He said he knew one of the Dewar family who always began his
+speeches with the remark that he was not a speaker but a "doer," and
+ended by saying, "I must now do as the lady of Coventry should have
+done, and make for my 'close'".</p>
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_196" id="Page_196">[196]</a></span>The Regimental M.O.'s are too lenient&mdash;that is my experience at any
+rate&mdash;and send too many away to the base hospitals, and to-day Hoskin
+and I returned ten of their cases to their lines, which we have the
+power to do. Probably 150 a day are leaving Suvla alone on sick leave,
+many with mere trifles, and a large number through sheer funk&mdash;I
+approve of getting rid of these, they are worse than useless, they
+cause panic very often. Last night we had two cases of acute insanity
+from this cause, both boys of nineteen, and to-day I sent off one of
+seventeen with the same trouble.</p>
+
+<br />
+
+<p><i>September 28th.</i>&mdash;Last night about 7 a furious attack was made by the
+Turks which lasted half an hour. A gun behind Sari Bair, which has
+bothered us before, threw about twenty shells round our base, their
+objective being either the road in front of us, or the ships behind.
+Pieces were flying about in all directions. This was followed by a
+quiet night, only one shell going over us and out to sea about
+midnight.</p>
+
+<p>8.15 p.m.&mdash;I have come out to our dressing station for the night, and
+am in a newly made dug-out, which has been deepened and heightened by
+myself since I arrived here three hours ago. Its back towards the
+enemy is 7 feet high, dug into a bank, with a high parapet of earth
+and a stone lined face. (It is never advisable to build with stone, a
+shell landing among stones can do a great deal of damage. In this case
+I could not do otherwise, sand bags were very scarce by this time, and
+it was with great difficulty we got any from the R.E.'s for the
+protection of our patients. A little after this date these stones of
+mine were sent flying.) It is of course open to the heavens where the
+stars are unusually bright to-night. It promises to be a warm night,
+the wind being S.W., very unlike what we have had of late when the
+winds were from the north and keen by night. Just <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_197" id="Page_197">[197]</a></span>as it was getting
+dark&mdash;before 7&mdash;I watched an aeroplane, evidently in difficulties from
+its low flight and with its engine knocking badly. It descended on a
+wide dusty road behind our base, when I expected the Turks to open
+fire on it, as they once did on a similar occasion at Helles, but they
+have left it in peace.</p>
+
+<p>General Percival, our Brigadier, paid us a visit here a couple of
+hours ago, and I tried to get the date of our next stunt from him but
+failed. I admired his caution&mdash;if he knew. He tells me a special
+telegram came from Kitchener to-day announcing the capture of 23,000
+Germans in France, and forty guns, and more coming in all the time.</p>
+
+<p>One can do little here after dark&mdash;and so to bed. Between mother earth
+and myself is a ground sheet, near my feet my pick and spade, handy if
+I should feel cold and wish to do some digging during the night, as I
+may do when the moon rises about ten; beside me a miserable candle
+lamp and my revolver, and after getting into my heavy overcoat, with
+my pack for a pillow, hard though it is with mess-tin, jug and other
+such like material inside, and a blanket over my feet, I hope to get a
+few hours' sleep.</p>
+
+<br />
+
+<p><i>October 1st.</i>&mdash;During the last few days I have been very busy at our
+dressing station preparing for the big attack which we know is near
+and to be on a big scale. We are told that next time we must push
+through and seize the Turkish lines of communication. We did some
+heavy work, and as I had been the Engineer of the alterations and
+earth works I felt responsible and was more on the spot than I would
+have been otherwise. I thoroughly enjoyed it all the same, and all the
+while did my full share of navvy work. We had large numbers of sick
+and wounded to see to at the same time, Hoskin and I seeing about 100
+a day between us. I was roused one <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_198" id="Page_198">[198]</a></span>night to see a case of snake bite,
+the first I had seen or heard of out here&mdash;and I had my doubts about
+this case, although the man declared he had none.</p>
+
+<p>We had orders the other day to change our base to a site well up the
+side of Hizlar Dagh, well back towards Divisional H.Q. where we should
+be fairly safe from gun fire, although in full view of the Turk, but
+we now have faith in his respect of the Red Cross. The winter rains
+are probably not far distant now, and here there should be no danger
+of being washed away. I am there now, our men having pitched two tents
+yesterday as an experiment to see if the Turks would leave them alone.
+Stott and I came up to it last night after dark. Everything is very
+simple&mdash;so much so that we had to forage to get some food. In my pack
+I luckily had a tin of caf&eacute;-au-lait and one of us had a mug so we
+stirred up a spoonful in cold water and both pronounced it remarkably
+good&mdash;as everything is when you are almost dying of hunger and thirst.
+Stott, a famous raconteur, contributed to our amusement with
+drawing-room stories till 11 o'clock when both fell asleep.</p>
+
+<p>This morning I wandered out of our tent about 6.30 to find a very
+thick mist, the first time we had seen a trace of this. The tents were
+soaked and the ropes as tight as fiddle strings.</p>
+
+<p>We had been here about ten minutes last night when a rifle shot went
+off behind some bushes beside us, followed by howls from some one in
+agony. A soldier lay on his back with his rifle beside him, his left
+foot merely held on by his puttee. We learned that at the end of the
+war he had to undergo some years of penal servitude for some offence,
+and his comrades, I see, are convinced that this was an intentionally
+inflicted wound. I have never before seen a man shoot off more than a
+finger or toe, carrying off a foot shows that the man has plenty of
+pluck of a sort.</p>
+
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_199" id="Page_199">[199]</a></span><i>October 2nd.</i>&mdash;A terrifically hot day.</p>
+
+<p>Everything seems to be upset to-day. We have been slaving and
+preparing for a big stunt, and now it is said that no such thing is in
+contemplation. In my opinion this change of plan is due to the
+position Bulgaria has definitely taken, or seems certainly about to
+take, in the present troublous times.</p>
+
+<p>For some strange reason she has taken the side of Germany and Turkey.
+We must reserve our strength, according to a statement made by Sir
+Edward Grey in the House of Commons, as we have promised to assist
+Servia with troops should this eventuality come about. We half expect
+some of us will be withdrawn from here and landed in Greece or
+wherever it is most suitable for a march on the Bulgars. Many of us
+would go right gladly, the monotony of living all these months on a
+small patch of ground gets more irksome as time goes on.</p>
+
+<p>I am now at the dressing station, having come out for twenty-four
+hours' duty. We have a collecting station, where we keep a few
+stretcher squads, half a mile in front of this, and this is to be
+withdrawn to a site near our old station in Azmak Dere, but slightly
+further forward, between the Green Pool (a filthy hole full of frogs
+and tortoises) and the end of a communication trench. I had to inspect
+the situation this evening, and marked off the boundaries, and
+to-morrow our men start to dig themselves in. The position is very
+exposed and I reported that I did not like it. Three artillery
+officers who passed said they were to plant a battery a few yards in
+front of us, and they thought the place anything but safe. However,
+the spot was chosen by General de Lisle and there is no getting away
+from it.</p>
+
+<br />
+
+<p><i>October 3rd.</i>&mdash;Dressing station. I was up to-day at 6.30 and at once
+set to work with pick and spade, not stopping till breakfast was
+announced at 8, when Morice, <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_200" id="Page_200">[200]</a></span>the cook, brought me three huge slices
+of bread, two chunks of very fat bacon, and a mug of black dixie tea
+that had boiled for a full hour, all on such a lavish scale that at
+ordinary times they would have taken away my appetite; but not so
+to-day, I devoured the lot and never enjoyed a breakfast more in all
+my life. I next had a large Sick Parade drawn from twelve units, and
+returned to their duties several who were on their way to the C.C.S.
+with very trifling ailments. This will put up the backs of the
+Regimental M.O.'s, but in such serious times, with our numbers getting
+more depleted every day, manners must not be considered. I mentioned
+this subject to the A.D.M.S. to-day, and he backs me up and is to see
+what can be done to check this wastage.</p>
+
+<p>Padre Mayne held a short service under the tarpaulin-covered space we
+reserve for patients, his congregation being twelve poor beggars on
+stretchers waiting to be sent down, and about twice that number of
+sick walking cases. The wounded tried to cheer up and suppress their
+groans, but these occasionally got the better of them. Then I returned
+to my spade and worked till 12.30.</p>
+
+<p>I returned to our new base for lunch and am now sitting on the edge of
+a dug-out in the setting sun, which has annoyed us all day. It is a
+most glorious evening, not a breath of wind, and deep down below me
+the Aegean glistens without a ripple; all is at peace, except the big
+guns, and they are very busy, the ships having fired incessantly for
+the last two or three hours at the Sari Bair ridge. The Anzac guns are
+also very active. But the Turks are at present lying low and not
+making a single reply.</p>
+
+<p>I was explaining the position of our collecting station to the
+A.D.M.S. to-day, telling him about the proposed battery in front of
+us, and the preparations to build a bridge over the gully just beside
+us. He had not heard <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_201" id="Page_201">[201]</a></span>of either of these, and he now thinks our site
+will have to be given up for one further back. To-morrow the C.O. and
+I go over to inspect the ground on this side and report.</p>
+
+<p>Our magnificent dressing station, over which I have taken no end of
+trouble, is to be given over to the 88th F.A. Their Colonel jokingly
+thanked me for all we have done preparing for him&mdash;we give it up with
+regret.</p>
+
+<br />
+
+<p><i>October 4th.</i>&mdash;The day opened with a violent bombardment about Anzac
+and the adjoining end of Sari Bair, this spreading gradually along the
+ridge to our right centre. The C.O. and I should have started for the
+centre of the line after breakfast but this journey had to be
+postponed till eleven, when there was again quietness, and before
+lunch we surveyed the ground already occupied by our men in digging,
+and other probable sites behind that in case we should have to retire
+further back. The position we do not consider good, but we can find
+nothing more suitable, and we examined the ground all the way back to
+Hill 10. The work must therefore go on as arranged. We passed Azmak
+Dere, the warm spot we held so long, and Col. Fraser had a look at it
+for the first time.</p>
+
+<p>Col. Riley, D.D.M.S., to-day says we are to retain our present
+dressing station, and being Divisional and not Brigade troops, it does
+not matter which Brigade we serve. Still we hope in our present
+position to be able to attend the sick and wounded of our 86th
+Brigade, and are willing to take all others who come our way. The 86th
+have moved from our extreme left&mdash;where we are&mdash;to our right centre,
+hence the re-arrangement of Ambulances.</p>
+
+<br />
+
+<p><i>October 8th.</i>&mdash;Daily writing of these notes gets monotonous as there
+is nothing much doing. Artillery duels <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_202" id="Page_202">[202]</a></span>are constant, and during the
+last few days the naval guns have fired more than usual. Occasionally
+a Taube flies over us and drops bombs, but such things are now not
+worth noting.</p>
+
+<p>Four new officers joined us yesterday&mdash;Captain McLean, Lieutenants
+Russell, Campbell, and Hodgkinson, and to-day Lieutenant Fyfe, so that
+we now have ten medical men in our unit, or one over strength. Forty
+medicos landed at Suvla yesterday, fifteen at Anzac, and fifteen at
+Helles, and more are landing to-day. More than enough surely, but all
+units must be very short.</p>
+
+<p>The Turks used poison gas to-day for the first time. Tomlinson of the
+Lancs., who told me his experience, says it made him feel sick and his
+eyes smarted, but his respiration was not affected. One or two men
+were overcome by it but none fatally. Curiously the evening before all
+our naval and field guns were bombarding Jeffson's Post, the front
+line of the Turks on Hizlar Dagh, and on climbing to the top of the
+hill behind our camp to see what was doing the smell of chlorine was
+well marked, although I was nearly a mile from the above place. The
+shells were bursting well over the Turks who had to fly into the open
+where our machine-guns got them. (The smell of chlorine probably came
+from chloride of lime somewhere near, this being much used as a
+disinfectant.)</p>
+
+<br />
+
+<p><i>October 11th.</i>&mdash;The statement that the Turks used gas the other day
+now turns out to be false, it was ordinary lydite the Lancs. mistook
+for one of the new fangled German devices. My apologies to the Turks.</p>
+
+<p>Yesterday we had a visit from General Sir Julian Byng, our Army Corps
+Commander (formerly in the 8th Army, we are now in the 9th). He
+roughly inspected our camp, and the C.O. being in undress and unshaved
+I had to take the party round. Sir Julian was complimenting the Turks
+on their straight fighting.</p>
+
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_203" id="Page_203">[203]</a></span><i>October 13th.</i>&mdash;A day of intense cold after a still colder night.
+Last night while we were at dinner a terrific rain came on suddenly,
+and when I got over to my tent it was to find my bed soaked through,
+as was almost everything I possessed.</p>
+
+<p>To-day we had a lecture on the hillside by Sir Victor Horsley on
+surgical wounds in warfare, mainly of the head. A very good lecture it
+was.</p>
+
+<p>This afternoon one of our aeroplanes came down in the Salt Lake. It
+was well shelled and must be useless for the present. The two aviators
+were seen leaving it amidst a storm of shrapnel, one evidently getting
+hit, he was seen applying something white round his leg.</p>
+
+<p>This is one of the great routes for the migration of birds. Yesterday
+and several times to-day I saw flocks of geese flying over our heads
+and steering south, likely on their way to the Nile and great African
+lakes. During last night they kept up a constant cackle as they flew
+over us.</p>
+
+<br />
+
+<p><i>October 14th.</i>&mdash;Geese in large flocks are crossing to-day, mostly in
+V formation of twenty-five to thirty. A good many are in two V's and
+some of the largest flocks must number about 500. Many thousands must
+have crossed before 11 a.m. when they suddenly came to an end.</p>
+
+<p>A shrapnel shell struck the back of my dug-out at the dressing station
+two nights ago, blowing all the walls down. Two of our new officers
+were in it at the time, one being rather badly hit on the head by a
+flying stone. He is besides badly shaken and has had to go to a
+hospital ship. The other was blown right into the trench in front, got
+well shaken up and had a hand cut, but he looks on it all as a bit of
+a joke.</p>
+
+<br />
+
+<p><i>October 15th.</i>&mdash;I have been off colour for some little <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_204" id="Page_204">[204]</a></span>time, and I
+question if I'll be able to carry on much longer. Of the ten officers
+we had the other day only three are quite fit, and most of them landed
+but a few days ago.</p>
+
+<br />
+
+<p><i>October 16th.</i>&mdash;This morning, about 4 o'clock, the orthodox hour for
+attacking being one hour before dawn, a furious gunfire opened on Sari
+Bair, which I got out of bed to watch. Many shells were bursting
+simultaneously all along the ridge and down this side of the hill. It
+is hard to say whether the Turks or the Australians were the
+assailants, but I noticed in the forenoon the Turks were shelling a
+spot near the bottom of a gully which crosses Sari Bair, and which a
+few days ago was in their own hands. All forenoon a most interesting
+shelling went on in these hills and foot hills, but after watching it
+carefully I cannot satisfy myself that there is any material change of
+position. The Turks and ourselves have fired many thousand shells
+to-day, and the Turks have kept the end of Sari Bair held by the
+Australians enveloped in a continuous smoke.</p>
+
+<p>About three days ago the Turks had placed a new gun of large calibre
+in the line of Hizlar Dagh, and its huge shells come screeching over
+our heads on their way to Little West Beach at all hours of the day
+and night. Its first day's bag I hear was forty-one, and its second
+eighteen. This is the busiest landing place we have, men in large
+numbers embarking and disembarking all night long.</p>
+
+<p>A Turkish aeroplane crossed over our camp about 10.30 a.m. flying so
+low that, when I heard it in my tent, I said to myself only one of our
+own machines could fly at that height. It must actually have gone
+right over an anti-aircraft gun on the top of Hizlar Dagh, almost
+immediately behind us, and before this fired a shot it was allowed to
+go nearly a mile. Then it opened fire and shells went after it in
+quick succession, but every shot <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_205" id="Page_205">[205]</a></span>burst, as is almost invariably the
+case, hundreds of yards behind it. The machine glided gaily along past
+the point of the bay, straight over the British lines to Sari Bair,
+rifle shots being fired in a regular fusillade. It turned, perhaps
+three miles from here, went to its right, came straight over the
+warships in the bay towards us, all the time flying at the same low
+elevation. It then went to the east right over our centre lines where
+all our infantry opened on it, but it never veered from its straight
+course. I was watching all this with an officer of the London
+Territorial Fusiliers, and asked if he thought there could have been
+20,000 rounds fired, and after thinking a little he said there must
+have been twice that number. At least fifty shells also went after it.
+I hope the aviator got a V.C. or its equivalent on his return to his
+own lines. Our shell fire was atrocious; I felt so thoroughly ashamed
+of it that I hoped the Turks were not watching the puffs of smoke as
+the shells burst a good quarter of a mile behind their mark. When the
+machine came within range again on its return journey the
+anti-aircraft gun opened fire on it again and did no better than at
+first, but at the very end there was a distinct improvement. I can't
+think how all these shots at such a short range could have missed a
+vital spot. The man's sailing over us a second time was the coolest
+act I have ever witnessed, and I would have been sorry to see him
+drop.</p>
+
+<p>As McLean was coming in from the dressing station after dark last
+night two bodies of troops passed each other, a sergeant of one
+shouted to a ditto of the other, "Are you the West Ridings?" "No," was
+the reply, "we are only the bloody Monmouths walking."</p>
+
+<p>Lt-Col. Fraser, our C.O., who has been ailing for some time, left for
+hospital to-day. This leaves me as C.O. of the Ambulance, Dickie and I
+being the only officers remaining of the original ten.</p>
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_206" id="Page_206">[206]</a></span>Up to the present time our losses are six killed (including one
+officer), two died of disease, and either twenty-four or twenty-five
+wounded (including two officers). (This is an under-estimate.)
+Sickness has also been excessive, and we cannot have more than a third
+of our original men. We have had four drafts, mostly Englishmen.</p>
+
+<br />
+
+<p><i>October 19th.</i>&mdash;Walked to our new dressing station this forenoon and
+examined "well thirty," this being by order of the S.C. of the
+Engineers of our Brigade. I was presented with a bottle of water thick
+with blue mud. Being intensely thirsty I adopted the only test
+available and drank it off, and promised to report if it had any bad
+effects.</p>
+
+<p>In the evening another draft of thirty men reached us, this time from
+Swansea. Every man is turning up his nose at the thought of a Welsh
+detachment.</p>
+
+<p>Had a long interview on many subjects with the A.D.M.S. (Lt-Col. J.G.
+Bell).</p>
+
+<p>A large flock of geese crossed this morning, but I have seen none for
+the last day or two.</p>
+
+<br />
+
+<p><i>October 21st.</i>&mdash;Preparations were made to meet a Turkish attack
+yesterday, which was some great feast or fast day with them; however,
+it did not come off. Dickie thinks such exertion on either a feast or
+fast day would have been a mistake. Then at night when there was a
+full moon we half expected this attack, and an Engineer officer at
+present at H.Q., who called to see me yesterday, said he was always to
+keep his boots on at night after this, as he said he had no faith in
+the troops we now have in our front line being able to check any sort
+of attack.</p>
+
+<p>Another of our heroes, Nightingale of the Munsters, left for home
+yesterday in bad health, but greatly against <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_207" id="Page_207">[207]</a></span>his will. He pleaded to
+be allowed to go back to the trenches, but we were partly influenced
+by a letter from his C.O., who requested that we should give him a
+rest as he had been on the peninsula since the landing. Almost without
+exception those who get a chance to go home go with the greatest
+pleasure, and it is refreshing to come across one who is really not
+suffering from "cold feet". All are more or less ill I admit.</p>
+
+<br />
+
+<p><i>October 24th.</i>&mdash;A particularly cold, wet and rough day. According to
+an article which appeared in the "Westminster Gazette," and was
+reprinted in our local "War Office Telegram," there is always a cold
+rough snap from October 20 to October 25. The first date was correct,
+and I trust the latter, which is to-morrow, will be as accurate, for
+we are miserable. Geese are crossing in very large numbers to-day.</p>
+
+<p>The thirty Welshmen who were attached to us were exchanged for an
+equal number of the 4/1 Highland F.A. from Aberdeen. Our men had taken
+to the Welshmen and were sorry to part with them, especially as they
+were doing excellent work.</p>
+
+<br />
+
+<p><i>October 25th.</i>&mdash;The above weather forecast was wonderfully accurate,
+the cold snap ran from the 19th to 24th. Yesterday opened rough, wet
+and cold, but later in the day the wind fell to an absolute calm and
+the temperature rose. To-day is ideal, not a breath of wind, a few
+fleecy clouds, and delightfully warm. Geese are flying south in
+thousands. Where do they all come from?&mdash;the lakes of Norway and
+Sweden, Finland and Northern Russia, or where? Their destination is no
+doubt that delectable country for the winter, Africa. Yesterday the
+A.D.M.S. thought I required a change and recommended me to go there
+also, but I refused absolutely. I prefer the hardships of Suvla and it
+may be the <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_208" id="Page_208">[208]</a></span>Balkans, to a life of ease and comfort in the hospitals of
+Alexandria. Had things not looked so bad here I might have accepted
+such an offer, but now that the outlook is as bad as could be, and the
+danger to ourselves gradually thickens, it is out of the question.
+Mackensen is said to be in Servia and pushing south rapidly. He has an
+army of 216,000, while the Servians can oppose them with only 80,000
+or 90,000. French and British troops have been rushed north from
+Salonika, and we are in contact with the Bulgars, if not the
+Austro-Germans. All here expect to be ordered to the Balkans any day;
+at Suvla we are now being wasted, all we can do is to hold up the
+Turks which is not good enough.</p>
+
+<br />
+
+<p><i>October 26th.</i>&mdash;We hear to-day that the "Marquette" which brought us
+from Avonmouth to Alexandria was torpedoed two days ago, on her way to
+Salonika. About 1000 troops were on board, and 600 are said to have
+been lost, including thirty nurses. The "Marquette" sent out the
+S.O.S. signal, but the submarine came to the surface and signalled,
+"No assistance is required".</p>
+
+<br />
+
+<p><i>October 28th.</i>&mdash;Nothing much doing except artillery fire. According
+to evidence given by the Turkish prisoners our artillery fire does
+little harm, they are so well dug in, one Battalion putting its daily
+casualties at six. Yesterday about mid-day every Turkish gun opened
+fire on our trenches from the extreme right to the extreme left and
+along Anzac, and all at the self same moment. We wondered what it
+meant and whether it was preliminary to a wild assault all along our
+lines, which was to drive us into the sea; one would have expected
+something extraordinary to follow, but in less than fifteen minutes it
+was all over. No doubt they caught many of our men in the open,
+sitting smoking on their parapets and such like, and 100 or 200 may
+have <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_209" id="Page_209">[209]</a></span>been knocked out. We are continually being caught napping, and
+one shell often lands in the middle of an unsuspecting group and plays
+terrible havoc.</p>
+
+<p>I see in G.R.O. (General Routine Orders) that General Sir C.C. Munro
+takes over command of the Mediterranean Expeditionary Force from
+yesterday's date.</p>
+
+<br />
+
+<p><i>November 2nd.</i>&mdash;The weather on the whole gets colder and more
+bracing, sometimes too much so, but by day it is occasionally
+uncomfortably warm. The Turks and ourselves keep shelling each other
+as of old.</p>
+
+<p>I am now feeling so very much off colour that I know I ought to go
+home, but I am unable to tear myself away from Suvla in case I should
+miss the chance of going to the Balkans. Still, I am afraid I will be
+left behind if our Ambulance was to go. During the summer I had two
+months of dysentery. Since then I have never felt quite fit although I
+have carried on the whole time, and for the last three weeks I have
+had an attack of jaundice, of which there has been a very widespread
+epidemic. (This epidemic was afterwards proved to be Paratyphoid.)</p>
+
+<br />
+
+<p><i>November 7th.</i>&mdash;For some days the weather has been perfect, bright
+and warm as midsummer, and the nights cool without being cold, but
+with dews heavy enough to drench the tents.</p>
+
+<p>To-day we had the most deliberate shelling the Turks ever gave the Red
+Cross. So far they have shown us more or less respect, in fact no one
+could find fault hitherto; when shells came among us, there was always
+some excuse for it. To-day I think they must have been retaliating for
+some mischief our guns had unintentionally done to their Crescent. The
+88th F.A. is encamped alongside us, and six big high explosive shells
+fell among <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_210" id="Page_210">[210]</a></span>the two of us, costing each of us a tent, but strange to
+say no other casualty occurred. All, including about sixty sick, made
+for our two big trenches which we made some time ago in case anything
+of this sort should happen.</p>
+
+<br />
+
+<p><i>November 8th.</i>&mdash;A Medical Board was summoned for this morning for the
+examination of a well-known rascal, and being one of its members I had
+an opportunity of a talk with the President, our A.D.M.S., Colonel
+Bell. I represented to him that I had long felt I would be compelled
+to leave the peninsula, although much against my will, but after three
+months' illness my strength had got so undermined that I could stand
+it no longer. I took no care of myself, otherwise I might have felt
+better now, but since I landed on April 25, I have not been a day off
+duty. As Colonel Bell remarked, I should have left Suvla long ago. I
+am now writing on a hospital ship, trying to feel that I have done my
+bit.</p>
+
+<p>Dickie, who also goes on sick leave, and I decided to go forthwith, so
+we packed up all our belongings. We boarded a lighter at the C.C.S.
+and came out to the hospital ship "Rewa". The evening as we came out
+was beautifully still, with a little haze hanging about the foot
+hills, chilly, and we were glad to put on our overcoats. I felt
+depressed at being forced to leave, and cowardly when I thought of
+those left behind; still on gazing around I felt astonished I had been
+able "to stick it" so long. The monotony lately has been very trying;
+living on a small piece of ground with the enemy in front and the sea
+behind, and no progress being made, could have been nothing else.</p>
+
+<br />
+
+<p><i>November 9th.</i>&mdash;Went to bed early last night and had a. talk with
+Major Turner of the 53rd C.C.S. who was in bed alongside. Talking
+about our being shelled on <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_211" id="Page_211">[211]</a></span>Sunday he said his hospital was twice
+shelled, getting three shells each time, and they were informed, with
+apologies, by the Turks that they were retaliating. On one occasion
+one of our naval shells landed in the middle of a Turkish Ambulance.
+This confirms my theory that our shelling was an act of retaliation
+for something or other. Although the door and port-holes were open
+last night I was greatly oppressed by the closeness of the atmosphere,
+due to my revelling in the open air for many months.</p>
+
+<br />
+
+<p><i>November 10th.</i>&mdash;We lay at anchor outside the boom of Suvla Bay till
+mid-day to-day, when we had got on board nearly 500 sick and wounded,
+and we set sail for Lemnos. Our boat is so coated with barnacles that
+her speed is reduced from 18 to 12 knots. Two monitors were firing at
+Achi Baba as we came opposite it. Each had two guns and the four were
+fired together. We passed close to one which gave a magnificent roar,
+the like of which I am not likely to hear again for many a day.</p>
+
+<p>The sick officers occupy one table in the saloon, the Staff eating at
+a separate table. The latter a well-fed, happy lot, the others yellow
+and jaundiced, and looking very weary.</p>
+
+<br />
+
+<p><i>November 11th.</i>&mdash;We reached Lemnos yesterday at 6 p.m. and anchored
+in the outer harbour with four other hospital ships and many
+transports. Our boat has orders to proceed to Alexandria and we are
+again on the move, leaving at 9 a.m. to-day.</p>
+
+<br />
+
+<p><i>November 13th.</i>&mdash;We reached Alexandria at 11 a.m. taking fifty hours
+from Lemnos. On the pier at which we drew up stood a train refulgent
+in stars and crescents. This was soon filled, and passed off, into the
+unknown&mdash;likely Cairo.</p>
+
+<p>Next, how was I to get a wire off? Quite easy, said <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_212" id="Page_212">[212]</a></span>some one. You see
+that lady along there with the green umbrella, that is Lady C&mdash;&mdash; who
+meets all boats and looks after such things. Lady C. soon gets off a
+bale on which she has been sitting, and stalks slowly down our way,
+gets a bundle of what turns out to be telegram forms and awaits the
+hoisting of the gangway, a great lumbering affair which it takes an
+army of multi-coloured Egyptians to shove along on its wheels. Then
+they swing it round, amidst great shouting in chorus, and nearly catch
+her ladyship's shins in so doing, but she is wide awake, jumps back,
+digs the hand that is not holding the green umbrella into her waist,
+her head jerks a little, and I can imagine she is consigning all these
+Egyptians to a certain place. She comes on board where all are very
+deferential, and she is asked to lunch with us but declines.</p>
+
+<br />
+
+<p><i>November 14th.</i>&mdash;Ras-el-Tin Military Hospital. Towards evening
+several officers were brought to this hospital yesterday. We enjoyed
+our ride through the streets, all gay with the brilliant colours of
+the East. At last we entered a big gateway and landed in an exquisite
+garden. At the distant end of this is a tall lighthouse, the hospital
+being at the very point of a long promontory on the east side of the
+harbour entrance. The garden is full of palms and flowers of the most
+brilliant hues.</p>
+
+<p>A medical fellow came round and gave me an overhaul this morning. He
+tells me my heart is dilated&mdash;hence my severe breathlessness. I was
+told I must go to England, but need not expect to get away for a
+fortnight or so. The hospital is very airy but uncomfortably warm.</p>
+
+<br />
+
+<p><i>November 18th.</i>&mdash;I am already feeling much better. I have a wonderful
+appetite and am thoroughly enjoying the good things set before me. My
+weight is now 10 <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_213" id="Page_213">[213]</a></span>stones 1 lb., and I must have gained at least 2 or 3
+lbs. since I left the peninsula. I am still over 2 stones under my
+usual weight. I took a walk half-way up the promontory to the
+Khedivial Palace where I hoped to walk through the gardens. I had seen
+in the papers that the Sultan was up the Nile, but the two Egyptian
+N.C.O.'s at the gate refused to admit me, one saying, "de Sultan is in
+Alexandria". "Nonsense," I said, "he is up the Nile." "No, no, no,"
+said the black, "de Sultan is here," pointing over his shoulder to the
+palace.</p>
+
+<br />
+
+<p><i>November 19th.</i>&mdash;At mid-day I was ordered to pack up as I was to
+start for home. At the docks I was put on board the "Rewa" where the
+officers and nurses greeted me as an old friend. I learned that our
+destination was back to Lemnos, where I would be trans-shipped to the
+"Aquitania" which is booked to sail on the 22nd.</p>
+
+<p>We sailed in the afternoon. The sea is rough, spray splashing all over
+the ship, the windows of the music room have to be kept shut, and it
+is hot and stifling&mdash;and I melt.</p>
+
+<br />
+
+<p><i>November 21st.</i>&mdash;We reached Lemnos to-day after a run of forty-five
+hours from Egypt, a distance of 580 miles. The object of the "Rewa's"
+trip to Alexandria was to get drydocked and have her hull scraped. We
+could have done the trip in a few hours less than we actually took,
+but all last night and to-day we have had a furious gale in our teeth,
+which made us drop 4&frac12; knots per hour. The decks have been swept by
+the waves all day, and the awnings blown down more than once. We now
+lie in the outer harbour, while the four great funnels of our next
+boat can be seen towering over the hills that form the south side of
+the inner harbour. The cold is intense.</p>
+
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_214" id="Page_214">[214]</a></span><i>November 22nd.</i>&mdash;We spent the night at anchor outside the boom. They
+commenced to raise the anchor at daylight, but were stopped by signal,
+so that now at 10 a.m. we lie here waiting orders. The cold to-day is
+terrific. The wind is probably stronger than ever and goes whistling
+through the rigging. Our latest orders are to lie here till the gale
+moderates.</p>
+
+<p>3 p.m.&mdash;During the forenoon the "Olympic" passed close to us as she
+entered the harbour, and is now anchored near the "Aquitania".</p>
+
+<br />
+
+<p><i>November 23rd.</i>&mdash;We raised anchor about 7 and moved straight out to
+sea for 2 or 3 miles when we thought we were to go home on the "Rewa,"
+which had been spoken about as possible, but it turned out we had only
+gone out to bury a man who died last night. We turned and were soon
+man[oe]uvring to get alongside the "Aquitania," but after very nearly
+giving her a bad bump we had to sheer off, and we have again anchored
+and wait for that tantalising wind to moderate.</p>
+
+<p>In the afternoon we made another attempt to get on board the
+"Aquitania" and again failed.</p>
+
+<br />
+
+<p><i>November 24th.</i>&mdash;After two hours fiddling about we managed to attach
+our fore and aft hawsers to the "Aquitania," and after breakfast we
+went on board our new home. This magnificent boat had 2300 patients
+last night and expects 2000 more to complete her load. She has a crew
+of 1000, thirty-six medical men and a large number of nurses. The
+"Aquitania" was at first a troopship and mounted four 6-inch guns, and
+has carried 7000 troops at a time, besides her crew. The distance from
+Lemnos to Southampton is 3080 miles, and with her proper coal, a
+mixture of Welsh and Newcastle, she has covered that distance in 4
+days 18 hours. But for coal she has to rely mainly on the inferior
+stuff she picks up at Naples.</p>
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_215" id="Page_215">[215]</a></span>The fittings in the wheel house are most ingenious. For example,
+should fire break out the captain has only to open a cupboard which
+tells him where it is, and by touching a button he can flood any one
+of the six watertight compartments. A fan works automatically in this
+cupboard every five minutes, and if there is smoke in any compartment
+it is sucked up its corresponding tube. There are thirty-eight
+electric clocks on the ship, and as the time has to be changed
+continually as we go east or west, by moving the hands of a clock in
+the wheelhouse the hands of the thirty-eight move in unison.</p>
+
+<p>We hear Greece has been presented with an ultimatum demanding her to
+come into the war on our side, otherwise to demobilise within two
+days. Another story says she has already joined the other side, and
+that our fleets have been engaged.</p>
+
+<br />
+
+<p><i>November 26th.</i>&mdash;The Germans are at present accusing us of carrying
+troops and ammunition on our hospital ships, an excuse given out to
+the world for sinking the first good prize of the sort they come
+across. Of the sixty-four hospital ships we are said to possess the
+"Aquitania" would make the most desirable capture, and our most
+dangerous spot is the Aegean, from behind any of whose numerous
+islands a submarine lying in wait may dart out.</p>
+
+<p>We are now approaching Sicily on our way to Naples. We cannot go
+through the Straits of Messina after dark, and our quickest and
+cheapest way is to anchor for the night, but the danger of attack
+prevents this and we have to go right round the island. We are doing
+about 20 knots against a stiff head wind. When pushed beyond this the
+consumption of coal is out of all proportion to the increase of speed,
+and being in no hurry they prefer to stick to what is called her
+economical speed.</p>
+
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_216" id="Page_216">[216]</a></span><i>November 27th.</i>&mdash;I have been talking to an officer in the
+smoking-room who, like myself, was waiting for the library to open. He
+wished to hand in "The Life of Oliver Goldsmith," by Washington
+Irving. He says he is descended through his mother from Goldsmith, and
+he had taken out this book to find where Irving put his birthplace.
+"At Pallas," as he expected, "they all do so; even Johnson, who wrote
+his epitaph, made the same mistake." Goldsmith's father was rector of
+Pallas, and his wife had gone home to her parents at Elphin, in
+Roscommon, and it was here this great writer was born.</p>
+
+<p>Naples Harbour. We arrived at this historic place at 6.15 p.m. We
+began to get in among the islands of the Bay between 4 and 5, but
+daylight soon began to fade and we did not get a good view of our
+surroundings. The first land we approached was Capri on our left, an
+island famed for its wines. On the other side was a small island,
+little more than a huge volcanic rock, with the gleaming white houses
+of a small town half-way to the summit. We could see Naples away at
+the top of the Bay, large houses all the way up the high rugged hills
+on which the town is built in the shape of a horseshoe. Behind the
+houses on the sea front rises mighty Vesuvius, her highest peak
+covered with snow, and belching out volumes of smoke which roll down
+the side of the hill and stretch out to sea in one big dense cloud.
+The whole town is most brilliantly lit, the glare of street lamps
+being a relief after Gallipoli.</p>
+
+<p>We had some mild amusement to-day. These submarines are still a terror
+to those in charge of the ship. All the invalid Tommies are in hospital
+dress, trousers and jacket of light grey, and a brilliant red cotton
+handkerchief round the neck. All officers who wished to go on deck were
+ordered to wear this dress on account of the German publication that we
+carried troops, and if <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_217" id="Page_217">[217]</a></span>spies saw a lot of officers in uniform&mdash;and
+we'll have spies among the coal-heavers&mdash;there might be some faint
+reason for their pretended suspicions. After tea we donned our new
+garb, and about twenty of us collected on the wheelhouse deck. Out came
+a sailor who shouted, "No one but officers allowed here, away you go".
+Then in a few minutes out came another, "Now you privates, clear out of
+this; this is only meant for officers". The disguise was apparently
+complete, and the two poor sailors were the only ones who did not enjoy
+the joke. Our service caps were also forbidden, and we had all sorts of
+headgear. I had a long scarf wipped round my head in turban fashion and
+was said to be the worst looking ruffian of the lot.</p>
+
+<p>It was bitterly cold on deck, and about 2 p.m. we had had a shower of
+hail. The hills beyond Naples are covered with snow.</p>
+
+<br />
+
+<p><i>November 28th.</i>&mdash;On looking over the rail on my way to breakfast I
+found we were coaling at the hardest on both sides of the ship,
+barefooted coal-heavers, all at the gallop, carrying their baskets of
+coal from the barges and tilting them into shoots down among the lower
+decks. Bum boats, not unlike those of Malta, swarmed about the
+harbour, loaded with merchandise, such as oranges, tobacco, picture
+post cards, and beautifully finished models of mandolines and guitars,
+the vendors yelling at the pitch of their voices. Their transactions
+were carried on away down on E. deck, and even at that low level a
+bamboo rod twice the length of a fishing rod, with a bag at the end,
+had to be hoisted to reach their customers. You bawled out your order,
+put your money in the bag, and your goods appeared in a minute or two.</p>
+
+<p>Another of our leviathans came in this morning to coal, the
+"Mauretania," a Cunarder like ourselves. She is a big boat but is
+dwarfed by the "Aquitania". I notice her bridge is on the 7th storey,
+ours is on the 9th.</p>
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_218" id="Page_218">[218]</a></span>The air is sharp but it is bright and sunny. Vesuvius and the
+magnificent city of Naples stand out clear in all their glory, and
+away to the north one gets a good view of the lofty Apennines, all
+with their peaks covered with snow, and over these the wind blows icy
+cold.</p>
+
+<p>6 p.m.&mdash;We were allowed to tramp the boat deck in our hospital garb
+until mid-day when the O.C. the ship took it into his head to have us
+removed below. Now that it is dark we are allowed up again, and one is
+tempted, in spite of the cold, to remain there and admire the city
+which is a beautiful sight even at night. Vesuvius is in one of her
+quiet moods and gives out no glow from her crater. On the top of the
+hill behind the city is the Castle which reminds one of Edinburgh, and
+to the left of it towers Bartalini's hotel with its numerous storeys,
+a place where, an officer tells me, "you can get a hell of a good
+lunch, but you have to pay for it". There are trees everywhere among
+the houses. Many with tall, branchless stems and a spreading top,
+evidently of the fir family. Lombardy poplars and tall dark cypresses
+are everywhere.</p>
+
+<p>Between us and this old Castle, at the water's edge, stands a lofty
+stronghold, black and forbidding, and I believe many atrocities were
+perpetrated here in the days of Garibaldi. Its high castellated
+battlements look as if they had a history.</p>
+
+<p>We finished coaling about 3 p.m. and expected to get off at once, but
+no, the ship had snapped one of her cables and we could not sail until
+the 20 ton anchor and 50 fathoms of chain were fished up, and
+apparently this had not been done before dark, and we must now lie
+here till to-morrow. The harbour has a rocky bottom, and if an anchor
+catches behind a rock such an accident is apt to occur from a sudden
+jerk, and this is the second time it has happened to our boat in this
+self-same place.</p>
+
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_219" id="Page_219">[219]</a></span><i>November 29th.</i>&mdash;Our whistle began its terrific row at 4.30 this
+morning. Its blasts are most unpleasant and seem to affect the stomach
+more than the ears. We began to circle round the "Mauretania" about 8,
+and by 8.30 we had cleared the breakwaters and were going down the
+Bay, the morning gloriously fine, almost a dead calm, and the houses
+and rocks sparkling in the sun. The whole forms a magnificent picture.
+"See Naples and die." We sailed close in to Ischia and we could see
+the terraces where the vines grow, beginning at the top of the
+perpendicular rocks and ascending the hill-sides like a giant's
+staircase. We pass a big liner flying the French flag, and she dips
+her stern flag as a salute.</p>
+
+<p>At 8.15 p.m.&mdash;We passed Sardinia, but all that was visible was the
+revolving light of the lighthouse on the south point. There is now a
+strong gale, and we pitch and roll a good deal. But the wind is soft
+and warm, blowing from the African desert instead of the snowclad
+Apennines.</p>
+
+<br />
+
+<p><i>November 30th.</i>&mdash;A beautiful day and warm.</p>
+
+<p>I have been having a talk with one of our two captains of the ship. He
+tells me we have the most powerful wireless installation afloat,
+except on the big battleships. In Lemnos we can easily pick up the
+Poldhu messages, although our receiving distance is given as 2000
+miles only. We can send out messages to a distance of 500 miles, but
+the only one allowed just now is the S.O.S. Between Lemnos and Sicily
+we received a message saying that submarines were operating all round
+Sicily, and the Consul of Naples warned the captain of another
+dangerous spot which we are at the present moment approaching. This
+boat was once fired at by a torpedo as she was entering Lemnos, and at
+the time was steaming slowly to let the "Mauretania" pass <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_220" id="Page_220">[220]</a></span>outwards,
+when another torpedo was fired at that ship, which also missed.</p>
+
+<p>Our numbers on board are 3873 invalids, and the crew and all other
+staffs at least 1400, or a total of 5273. We have 106 boats, each
+capable of holding from fifty-six to sixty-nine, so that all could be
+accommodated in these&mdash;if we had time which is never the case in an
+emergency.</p>
+
+<p>Noon.&mdash;Our wireless news for the day has just been posted up. There is
+nothing much in it except the news that "Sicily is literally besieged
+by German submarines". Germany says she has accomplished her immediate
+object in the Balkans, whatever that is, but I understood this was to
+join hands with Turkey which she has not yet done. Austria is said, on
+the authority of "The Tribune," to be asking for a separate peace, and
+at home, considering the reliability of this paper, they think there
+may be some truth in this.</p>
+
+<br />
+
+<p><i>December 1st.</i>&mdash;The steward when he brought me tea at 6.30 this
+morning, said "Gib." was in sight. On looking out I could see rocks
+but not "the rock". But it soon appeared and I got hurriedly into my
+clothes and quickly swallowed breakfast and was on deck with my
+glasses. Here was the rock close at hand, a brilliant morning, the sun
+lighting up the side we were nearing, a big mushroom-shaped cloud
+floating on and obscuring the summit. This side is bare and black with
+its acres of concrete rain catchments, the only means of water supply.
+Last time I saw it it disappointed me, but now we headed straight
+round its projecting south point towards the harbour and had a
+glorious view of the razor-backed hill, the point bristling with guns,
+walls, and forts, and all along the west side buildings in white and
+ochre, with red roofs, all lit up in bright sunshine; plenty of trees
+about, palms and others, and green grass which is always <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_221" id="Page_221">[221]</a></span>a surprise
+to me after the barren peninsula. At the northern point of what is
+quite a large bay lies the harbour full of shipping, its one entrance
+guarded by a most powerful boom. The view all round is not much behind
+Naples&mdash;the rock with its large and beautiful buildings; across the
+bridge, connecting the rock with the mainland, the Spanish town; to
+the left the snow-white town of Algeciras, famed for its bull fights.
+Behind all the great towering, rugged mountains of Spain.</p>
+
+<p>We lost two hours here waiting for orders, but by 10 we had turned our
+head for the Atlantic, and were soon going full steam ahead. The 970
+miles from Naples we covered in forty-eight hours, at economical
+speed. Our speed and size dwarf everything we come up against.</p>
+
+<p>Before sunset we passed a small tramp steamer which halted, as we also
+did, and for long signals were carried on between the two of us. The
+passengers were unable to read these, but they must have been very
+important when a ship like the "Aquitania" came to a dead halt.</p>
+
+<p>At Gib. we had been told that a rumour had reached England, and
+appeared in the "Daily Mail," that the "Aquitania" had been torpedoed.</p>
+
+<br />
+
+<p><i>December 2nd.</i>&mdash;The air is soft and balmy, a few drops of rain have
+fallen, but the lower clouds fly fast as if a breeze was brewing.</p>
+
+<p>6 p.m.&mdash;We have had a stormy afternoon, a driving rain and a 50-mile
+gale as reckoned by the captain. As I came along a passage a cupboard
+door flew open and scores of dishes fell out with a crash. In the
+wards bottles and tables are flying all over the place. As I was
+steadying myself on deck the ship's whistle gave a blast that seemed
+unending. There was a rush from below to the boat deck, but as there
+was a thick haze we decided it was only a fog signal. "Fog signal,"
+said the captain, "I call it a d&mdash;&mdash;d fool's signal. This boy,"
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_222" id="Page_222">[222]</a></span>pointing to a very guilty looking little chap, "placed his back
+against the whistle lever, and the d&mdash;&mdash;d fool never noticed he was
+raising hell."</p>
+
+<br />
+
+<p><i>December 3rd.</i>&mdash;All last night the rolling had been particularly bad,
+so much so that the ship is pronounced to be much too top-heavy. I had
+slept straight on till 5 and did not feel a particularly heavy roll at
+2 a.m., which every one is talking about, and which had tumbled a lot
+of people out of bed. One old sailor says he got a terrible fright, he
+thought the ship would be unable to right herself from her great
+weight, and he fled on deck expecting the worst.</p>
+
+<p>4.45 p.m.&mdash;A revolving light can be seen through the mist but must be
+many miles off. At 3 we had all been warned off the deck as a message
+had been received that we were again in a danger zone. We are now near
+our haven, and if that light is from the Needles another hour should
+take us there.</p>
+
+<p><i>Later.</i>&mdash;We anchored off the Solent as it was getting dark. In time a
+pinnace came alongside, presumably a pilot came on board, so we up
+anchor and are now moored inside the outer boom.</p>
+
+<br />
+
+<p><i>December 4th.</i>&mdash;As soon as it was daylight we began to move, and went
+slowly up the Solent in a drizzle and thick mist; ships no end at
+anchor all the way; past Netley Hospital facing great mud-flats; New
+Forest stretching away to the left; Cowes in thick haze. When nearing
+Southampton four tugs came alongside, two were attached to the bow,
+the other two on guard crept along with us. At last the docks
+appeared, we were hauled round by our tugs and went in stern first.
+The four tugs then arranged themselves along our starboard side, got
+their noses up against the "Aquitania's" ribs and butted her up
+against the quay wall.</p>
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_223" id="Page_223">[223]</a></span>7 p.m.&mdash;I expected to get off hours ago. The Military Landing Officer
+says the best he can do for me is to send me to Glasgow. I know what
+Glasgow is like in a drizzle at this time of the year&mdash;"coals in the
+earth and coals in the air," as some one says. It has rained all day,
+is foggy and altogether British, unlike anything I have seen for a
+long time. I can understand how our colonials come home and curse our
+leaden skies.</p>
+
+<br />
+
+<p><i>December 5th.</i>&mdash;Sunday. We left the "Aquitania" at 10 last night,
+many hundreds being left on the boat for discharge next day. They had
+poured out of the ship by two big gangways the whole day long,
+straight into the private station of the Cunard Line. In half an hour
+we were all in our cots, round came an orderly asking what we would
+have to drink, tea, cocoa, or oxo? I asked if that was his full list.
+"Yes," he said. "No, thank you, I am going to sleep."</p>
+
+<p>We reached Yorkhill Hospital, Glasgow, this forenoon, and found the
+town in 2 inches of snow&mdash;real white snow too.</p>
+
+<br />
+
+<p><i>December 7th.</i>&mdash;Was examined by a Medical Board at 4.30 p.m. and just
+managed to catch the 5 o'clock train for Aberdeen. Am now in Perth
+where we have been kept standing for some time. The three men forming
+my Board said I had a well-marked heart murmur, and all three solemnly
+shook hands with me. Evidently their impression was that I was going
+home to die. They do not know how much I have improved since I left
+Gallipoli. I feel myself that I'll soon be at the Front again.</p>
+
+<p>(Feeling ill and almost useless I had intended to ask for sick leave
+from the A.D.M.S. a fortnight before I actually left.) On going to
+H.Q. for this purpose I met Col. Bell who said he had intended to look
+me up to let <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_224" id="Page_224">[224]</a></span>me know the result of a conference the previous evening,
+when it was announced we were to evacuate the peninsula. This was a
+strict secret, but I had to be told about it so that we might begin at
+once to get rid of as much of our equipment as we could spare. After
+such an announcement I felt it would be cowardly to miss what all
+considered would be a terrible experience, and the object of my errand
+was not mentioned. Such an eventuality was often discussed; we felt
+that our remaining there for the winter would be a mistake, and no one
+ventured to put our losses at less than 50 per cent. of all our forces
+should it be attempted.</p>
+
+<p>The preparations for the evacuation had been carried out with the
+utmost efficiency, so much so that our losses were perfectly
+marvellous&mdash;six casualties at Suvla, Anzac, and Helles combined.
+(Suvla and Anzac were evacuated on December 10, 1915, and Helles on
+January 8, 1916.)</p>
+
+<br />
+
+<h4>1916.</h4>
+
+<p><i>March 2nd.</i>&mdash;On February 21, I received a long telegram from the War
+Office, ordering me to hold myself in readiness to embark for the
+Mediterranean at an early date to join an overseas unit. This order
+pleased me, as my last Medical Board threatened to put me down for a
+home job, which I told them would not be at all to my liking, and I
+was glad to find they had carried out my wishes and allowed me to go
+in for General Service once more.</p>
+
+<p>Then on February 28 I had the order to report myself 10 the Military
+Embarkation Officer at Devonport by noon on March 1. After a tiresome
+journey of twenty-two hours I reached the docks and was directed on
+board the Anchor Liner "Transylvania". Three medical men were down for
+duty to the troops on board, <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_225" id="Page_225">[225]</a></span>these numbering over 3000, with Lt.-Col.
+Humphreys as P.M.O.</p>
+
+<p>We have some heavy work allotted to us; the order to inoculate all the
+troops against cholera, which means two injections for each man, is a
+big job in itself. Many have never been inoculated against enteric and
+these have also to be seen to.</p>
+
+<p>The "Transylvania" is a big boat of 15,000 tons. We lie in the bay
+although all has been in readiness for twenty-four hours, and we
+believe the delay is due to the fact that there have been several
+casualties in the Channel, within the last few days, from mines that
+have floated down from the Dover end, and we are likely to lie here
+till the Channel is swept.</p>
+
+<p>My first thought about our ship was that she was such a big target
+that a torpedo could hardly miss her, and as yesterday was the date
+the German threat to sink every armed ship at sight came into force,
+our danger is no doubt great. (She was afterwards torpedoed in the
+Mediterranean with the loss of 402 lives.) All are ordered to put on
+our life belts, and even as we lie here many are going about with
+these cumbrous things on, but most are content to carry them under
+their arms.</p>
+
+<p>A meeting was held yesterday, and crews of two N.C.O.'s and thirteen
+men were chosen to man each of our fifty-five boats in case we should
+get holed, while the rest of us have to scramble into the nearest boat
+that has not its full complement.</p>
+
+<br />
+
+<p><i>March 3rd.</i>&mdash;We still lie in Plymouth Bay. Rumour says two German
+cruisers have broken through our cordon and are somewhere on the
+prowl. This is the latest reason I have heard for our still lying
+here.</p>
+
+<p>A corporal shot himself this morning, the result of a letter from his
+sweetheart who dreamt that she saw him badly wounded, with his head
+swathed in bandages. <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_226" id="Page_226">[226]</a></span>Stupid fellow, superstition should have told him
+that this meant a wedding. He made a clumsy job of it, and a big mess
+in the Orderly Room where it happened.</p>
+
+<p>2 p.m.&mdash;At noon we cast off and in less than an hour had sailed
+through the tortuous waterway and were out in the open sea. We have
+two destroyers ahead and one astern. All are happy at the thought of
+being on the move, lying in the bay was getting irksome. All have now
+taken to their life belts. As a precaution against a surprise we have
+a submarine guard of 200 men on duty at a time. These parade the top
+deck with their rifles.</p>
+
+<br />
+
+<p><i>March 4th.</i>&mdash;Our escort left us last night at 7. Few are thinking of
+submarines as is proved by two out of every three appearing for
+breakfast without their preservers, or war babies as they are often
+called.</p>
+
+<br />
+
+<p><i>March 5th.</i>&mdash;Yesterday afternoon while I was busy inoculating down in
+D. deck six short blasts were given by the whistle, denoting danger,
+when all had to rush to their allotted posts at the boats with life
+preservers on. I guessed it was only practice, which is invariably
+carried out the second day a troopship is at sea, and as I had only
+four more injections to give, and these four men had not heard the
+signal, I finished these, detaining my orderly who got as white as a
+ghost. All must have got into their places quickly, all were in
+perfect order when I reached the Orderly Room, the post of all
+officers not in command of boats. An officer tells me that on his last
+voyage an important and very stout Colonel was in his bath when the
+alarm sounded. He obeyed the order to fly absolutely at once, getting
+into his life belt and taking up his station without another stitch
+on.</p>
+
+<p>To-day I was in my cabin when I heard a terrific roar. Thinking a
+torpedo might have hit us I put my <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_227" id="Page_227">[227]</a></span>head through the port-hole and saw
+several getting into their belts, so I made for the deck to find our
+big gun was practising on a barrel that had been dropped astern. Such
+practice is usually carried out several times on a trip.</p>
+
+<br />
+
+<p><i>March 6th.</i>&mdash;We are nearing Gib., and as the danger gets worse here
+our zig-zagging has increased. It rains hard, with a fairly thick fog,
+and is altogether disagreeable. The M.O. for the crew had to be locked
+up to-day and has a military guard placed over him. He had been
+threatening all about him with a big amputating knife.</p>
+
+<p>6.30 p.m.&mdash;Just passing "The Rock". It is dark and a brilliant
+searchlight has been fixed on us. Once more in the Mediterranean, and
+I expect I have a long, trying summer to spend somewhere in its
+neighbourhood.</p>
+
+<br />
+
+<p><i>March 7th.</i>&mdash;Another dirty, wet day.</p>
+
+<br />
+
+<p><i>March 8th.</i>&mdash;It still rains and we have a violent gale, and as we
+zig-zag this at times catches us full on the port side and the ship
+rolls badly. She creaks from stem to stern.</p>
+
+<p>We are nearing Malta and are warned to look out for submarines which
+are more active here than anywhere. Each of our fifty-five boats is to
+have its crew of fifteen posted on deck to-night, and many of the
+officers say they are to sleep in their clothes.</p>
+
+<br />
+
+<p><i>March 9th.</i>&mdash;The sea has been very rough ever since we entered the
+Mediterranean, and to-day has been the worst. We were opposite Gozo at
+noon, then skirted the north of Malta but made no halt. Now we zig-zag
+so much that we have no idea whether we are bound for Salonika or
+Egypt.</p>
+
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_228" id="Page_228">[228]</a></span><i>March 10th.</i>&mdash;On the whole we now go south so that Alexandria is
+likely to be our destination.</p>
+
+<br />
+
+<p><i>March 12th.</i>&mdash;When I woke this morning I found we were lying outside
+Alexandria. We soon afterwards entered the harbour.</p>
+
+<p>Hinde (one of our M.O.'s) and I were ordered to report our arrival to
+the A.D.M.S., Arsenal Buildings, and getting into a "garry," with our
+baggage mountains high, and a dirty native on the top of all, we left
+the docks. Cabby did not know the Arsenal and we took this native
+because, after infinite jabbering, he declared he knew it. But instead
+of taking us about a mile along the quay he landed us in Place Mahomet
+Ali, miles off. He was a beast this guide, ready to swear he knew
+everything, a filthy, thick-lipped pimp who offered his good services
+again when night came. "Sir will have a fine evening to-day," he
+began, then detailed all the beauties he was to show us, in spite of
+our violently swearing at him and his ancestors for centuries back.
+After inquiring at half a dozen places we found the office of the
+A.D.M.S., and a man, springing forward to assist us out of the garry,
+hoped I felt quite fit again. This was Dorian, one of our Ambulance,
+who had been sent here sick, and was acting as orderly to the A.D.M.S.
+Here we were ordered to report at the Officers' Rest Camp at Mustapha,
+five miles off.</p>
+
+<p>We wandered about for a time, asked for the Post Office which was
+closed by this time, being Sunday, then we asked for the telegraph
+office and were directed everywhere but to the right place. Question
+an Egyptian he will direct you anywhere, ask him for some place that
+has no existence on the face of the earth and he will show you the way
+with absolute confidence.</p>
+
+<p>We got out to Mustapha about 6 and reported ourselves at the office of
+the adjutant of the camp. All <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_229" id="Page_229">[229]</a></span>details as they arrive go to Mustapha
+or Sidi-Bishr. About 200 of us dined together and had a good dinner,
+most of us washing it down with the beautifully clear water of the
+Nile.</p>
+
+<p>Mustapha is a typical African camp, planted on sea-sand, but not so
+barren as my camp of twelve months ago at Mex. Here we have a good
+many date palms and other trees, and wherever a little irrigation is
+done there is a profusion of flowers.</p>
+
+<br />
+
+<p><i>March 13th.</i>&mdash;I am directed to report to the O.C. "Camp 2," to whose
+company I am accordingly attached while here. My duty is to hang about
+his lines and take an interest in what the men are doing up to noon.
+This is a mere formality so that the authorities might know where to
+find us should we be wanted. To-day I came straight away and went to a
+mosque near by, where I was refused admittance unless I removed my
+boots, which I did not care to do, although I was assured the floor
+was most clean. It is usual to supply visitors with slippers big
+enough to go over their outdoor boots, but none are kept here. I
+wished to borrow a pair from a row on the door step, the owners of
+which were inside at their devotions.</p>
+
+<p>A flock of about 300 cranes flew over us an hour ago, all bound for
+the north, reversing the course I watched them taking last autumn at
+Suvla. The morning is intensely warm, and I sit in my tent minus my
+tunic and with shirt sleeves rolled up. A few days ago I left 6 inches
+of snow in Aberdeenshire&mdash;and almost as much in Devonshire.</p>
+
+<p>When I landed yesterday I heard that my old Division the 29th, had
+already started for France, and that the remainder sailed one of these
+days. Those still in Egypt are said to be at Suez, and I must see what
+I <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_230" id="Page_230">[230]</a></span>can do to join them. I am told that once you are cooped up here you
+may be forgotten for months.</p>
+
+<br />
+
+<p><i>March 14th.</i>&mdash;I reported myself at my company office at 9, inspected
+the kits of a few men, and since then have wandered about like a lost
+soul, hot and gasping for breath in the furious heat and glare. There
+is a big house beyond us called Pasteur Villa, tumble down and
+uninhabited, with a large disordered garden of several acres, with an
+abundance of palms, cacti, etc., with high walls on which lizards
+sport, chasing each other up and down. The bigger ones are nearly a
+foot in length, with big ugly heads which they twist about in all
+directions while their bodies are kept fixed. They keep a guarded eye
+on you and allow you to get within a reasonable distance, but if you
+go an inch beyond that they are off like greased lightning. They are
+equally at home on the face of the smooth wall with their heads
+upwards or downwards, have well-spread out legs and long sharp claws,
+and whether going up or down are always at the gallop.</p>
+
+<p>There is a most persistent rumour that the 29th Division sails for
+Marseilles this week. When strolling about after dinner in the cool of
+the evening I stumbled across an office of the 29th just beside our
+camp. Here I was told that although they had heard this rumour they
+personally believed that it would likely be another week or so before
+they left. Anything rather than be stranded here for several weeks
+doing nothing. Several remarked that I would be a lucky beggar not to
+have to go to France. I hear most of the troops now in Egypt are
+likely to go there, as though Turkey was not expected to give us much
+more trouble.</p>
+
+<br />
+
+<p><i>March 15th.</i>&mdash;One of my old Ambulance men, Davidson, recognised me on
+parade this morning and watched <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_231" id="Page_231">[231]</a></span>for an opportunity to speak to me. He
+is on his way home and left his unit only twelve days ago. He says the
+Ambulance expected to start for France two days after he left. Lt-Col.
+Bell, our A.D.M.S., on Gallipoli, is now in command, and as he is a
+most able and genial officer I must do my best to join my old unit at
+Suez should it be still there. (Col. Bell took over command of the
+89th F.A. a week or two before this date, and was with us till the end
+of the great Somme push of July. He was a most capable C.O., strict
+but much respected by the men, and under him the Ambulance attained a
+high degree of smartness and discipline such as it had never reached
+before.)</p>
+
+<br />
+
+<p><i>March 16th.</i>&mdash;I have spent the afternoon with Hinde at the Nuzha
+Gardens, the Kew of Alexandria. On getting beyond the town we came to
+a broad, well-made road, bordered on both sides with orange trees, and
+extending behind these the eternal palm and fig trees. This passed
+Lake Hadra with its swampy edges full of long reeds and rushes, its
+waters a dirty green, beloved by noisy frogs, with an abundance of
+bird life, among which we saw two king fishers, and several times big
+lizards darted across the road and mounted trees like squirrels.</p>
+
+<p>The Gardens are particularly fine, the plants mostly tropical. I
+noticed here that the new date crop is already well advanced. Our home
+bedding plants, such as geranium, verbena, nemesia, were all in full
+bloom and the soil and climate seemed to suit them. There was a large
+rose garden, but the flowers were nearly over for the season, and the
+blooms were but poor specimens, nor was their method of culture
+conducive to the growth of prize flowers; the plants were mostly 3 to
+5 feet high, thick stemmed, old and branchy.</p>
+
+<br />
+
+<p><i>March 17th.</i>&mdash;Still hearing rumours that the 29th <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_232" id="Page_232">[232]</a></span>goes to France one
+of these days. I thought it was about time I was stirring up the
+authorities, so I called at the adjutant's office at the Base Depot.
+He was out, and on asking if there was any one else I could see, an
+orderly said, "Of course there is the Colonel," in a tone of voice
+that denoted that he would be a bold man who tackled him. However, I
+dared to face him and found him a most charming man, but he could do
+nothing for me directly, but advised me to go to the H.Q. of the 3rd
+Echelon, Hotel Metropole, Alexandria, and ask for Captain B&mdash;&mdash;. On
+such an introduction I was received there with open arms, a 'phone
+message was sent out to my depot, and I was assured everything would
+be cut and dry before I could cover the four miles tram ride back to
+camp. This I found carried out to the letter, and I am now on the
+point of starting for Port Said to join my old Ambulance.</p>
+
+<p>Hinde and I spent the afternoon visiting Pompey's Pillar and the
+catacombs. At the latter we had to go down and down a long spiral
+staircase which ended at two fine pillars, all cut from the solid
+rock. Most of the larger rooms were family vaults of kings and others,
+mostly of the Roman period. All the sarcophagi and recesses had been
+rifled and the mummies taken to museums, but some still contained
+large quantities of bones. One good specimen of a skull bone I slipped
+into my pocket to find on my return to camp that it was reduced to
+what resembled coarse oatmeal.</p>
+
+<br />
+
+<p><i>March 18th.</i>&mdash;Last night all men belonging to the 29th Division&mdash;and
+there is a large number here on their way back to their units after
+sick leave&mdash;were ordered to fall in at 6.30 p.m., and from then till
+10.30 they were kept at their post. This long delay was merely for the
+purpose of preventing their wandering away and getting too much drink
+before their departure. We were booked to <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_233" id="Page_233">[233]</a></span>start soon after midnight.
+We had a heavy train with about 600 on board, mostly in cattle trucks.</p>
+
+<p>I could see little of the country till dawn when we were passing
+through a most fertile, well-watered region; date palms in thousands;
+native villages of mud houses, the whole usually surrounded by low mud
+walls; hundreds of water wheels driven by oxen, the water drawn from a
+canal we were skirting.</p>
+
+<p>We cut across, striking Suez Canal at Kantara. The last 20 miles or so
+was by an absolutely straight single track, through a sand desert,
+without a trace of animal life, and with only scattered clumps of
+fibrous vegetation. On looking forward one could see the sand flying
+like snow drift in front of a gentle breeze. This must continually
+block the line. The only surfacemen I saw were old fellows in dug-outs
+about a mile apart, each with a plentiful supply of great water jars.
+As we neared the Canal vegetation got rather more plentiful, with
+bushes resembling clumps of whin in the distance. Then houses, camps,
+and khaki, strings of camels led by natives in long white robes. We
+had struck the Canal; tramp steamers were passing through, and numbers
+of native boats were moored to the edges. Along the Canal were armed
+men, field guns studded about, and on the other side bigger guns in
+emplacements. The railway from Kantara to Port Said runs along the
+west bank, and within a few yards of the water's edge, and along this
+bank trees and shrubs form one continuous thicket.</p>
+
+<p>We had much shunting on reaching Port Said before we got the train
+alongside the docks, amidst the awful shrieking of our most unmusical
+engine whistle. The Egyptian is notorious for his love of this
+fiendish noise, one blast is never sufficient at any time, but he
+gives shriek after shriek till you feel inclined to kick him off his
+engine.</p>
+
+<p>We boarded one of the old Gallipoli lighters which <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_234" id="Page_234">[234]</a></span>were specially
+built for the landing, and were delivered three months after that
+event. This took us out to the "Lake Manitoba," an old tub that could
+barely do ten knots. As we drew up to the ship some one away aloft
+shouted, "Three cheers for Captain Davidson," which call was heartily
+replied to, and on looking up I found a lot of our men leaning over
+the rail and waving their helmets. I felt at home again on recognising
+this as Sergeant Stewart's voice and seeing "kent faces". On ascending
+the gangway, McLean and Russell gave me a warm reception. These are
+the only two officers remaining of the nine I left behind at Suvla in
+November last. Colonel Bell was soon found when I got another hearty
+handshake. He had heard of my arrival at Alexandria some days ago,
+through Colonel Humphreys, P.M.O. of the "Transylvania," who, being
+home on ordinary leave, had gone straight to Suez, and he said he had
+been wondering how he was to get a hold of me. Our new officers are
+mostly Scotch. The N.C.O.'s and many of the men I have had a talk
+with, and I am proud to find they are pleased to have me back among
+them, and I am just as glad to see them; the dangers we have come
+through together will always be a link between us. Sergeant Gilbert
+said the men had given me a ringing cheer at Suez when they heard I
+was in "Alex.". The men are looking extremely well, totally different
+from what they were when I left them. They are fat and bronzed, and
+say they feel very fit. They have had next to nothing to do since the
+evacuation in December, since when they have been stationed at Lemnos,
+Alexandria, and Suez.</p>
+
+<br />
+
+<p><i>March 19th.</i>&mdash;We still lie at Port Said. At first the delay was said
+to be due to our waiting to have a big gun mounted at our stern, but
+this operation was finished in the morning, and now at 2 p.m. there is
+no sign of our <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_235" id="Page_235">[235]</a></span>moving. We have at least a dozen ladies and children
+on board, the impedimenta of officers returning from India.</p>
+
+<br />
+
+<p><i>March 20th.</i>&mdash;We left last night after dark. The precautions against
+attack are very slack on this boat. There is of course a man in the
+crow's nest, but the submarine guard practically does not exist, the
+men pile their arms and wander about as they like. They are certainly
+particular about showing light after dark; by 6 p.m. all port-holes
+are closed, and every cabin has its iron deadlight down. After 7
+o'clock dinner all the electric lights in the whole ship are switched
+off, which is quite unnecessary; on the "Transylvania" we got absolute
+darkness without such drastic measures. You have to go to bed in the
+dark, no candles being allowed, the only lights being an oily lamp in
+the smoking-room, and one in each long passage.</p>
+
+<p>We have had a stiff gale most of the day, with waves washing over our
+foredeck. Although we pitch badly I was never in a ship that rolled so
+little.</p>
+
+<br />
+
+<p><i>March 21st.</i>&mdash;A beautiful day with the sea like a mill pond. In the
+morning a destroyer was seen astern, convoying a large transport. They
+forged along till they came abreast of us where the ship remained, the
+destroyer going some distance ahead and keeping there for the
+afternoon. Towards evening we had five other ships in sight.</p>
+
+<br />
+
+<p><i>March 23rd.</i>&mdash;The M.O. of the ship has just told me as a great secret
+that the "Minneapolis" was torpedoed two hours ago, at a spot we
+crossed yesterday about 10 p.m. He also says we have had a bad reverse
+in France&mdash;another absolute secret, and I had to promise not to
+breathe a word before my informant would tell me the news.</p>
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_236" id="Page_236">[236]</a></span><i>Later.</i>&mdash;The above news could not be kept secret long, all knew it by
+afternoon, even the ladies from whom we wished to hide it.</p>
+
+<br />
+
+<p><i>March 24th.</i>&mdash;As we approached Malta yesterday afternoon a big
+steamer coming from there wheeled round and returned to port; a
+destroyer dashed out and passed us at full speed, while we received
+orders not to enter Valetta as had been previously intended, but to go
+ahead at full speed. All this, we discovered by evening, was due to
+another transport, name as yet unknown, being torpedoed 60 miles east
+of Malta. We had crossed the spot very shortly before and must have
+had a narrow escape.</p>
+
+<p>A great tug-of-war has been in progress for the last two afternoons.
+Our unit, which is the largest on board, had four teams, two of them
+managing to reach the semifinal rounds when their opponents knocked
+them out, but only after a severe effort.</p>
+
+<p>We hear this morning that a third trooper was "plugged" somewhere in
+the course we have covered. If we are bound for Marseilles, which it
+is taken for granted is our destination, we are not taking the direct
+route. I am Orderly Officer for the day and having to inspect the
+men's breakfast I was up early&mdash;even earlier than was needful, but I
+was flooded out of bed as soon as scrubbing the decks commenced; half
+a bucket of water came through my port-hole during a roll of the ship.
+On looking out I could see land on our port side, which turned out to
+be Cape Bon. At noon we are skirting close in to the African coast.
+Either we intend to go through Gib., or we will go straight north to
+Marseilles, well to the west of Sardinia. Being now a long way west of
+Malta we feel that our chances of being torpedoed are perhaps less,
+but the neighbourhood of the Balearic Islands is considered anything
+but safe.</p>
+
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_237" id="Page_237">[237]</a></span><i>March 25th.</i>&mdash;6.30 p.m. Darkness is coming down and the captain says
+that if we are not attacked within the next half-hour he will consider
+us practically safe. The danger of a night attack is almost
+negligible.</p>
+
+<p>The weather gets much colder as we go north. We are about opposite the
+north of Corsica, and a cold wind bears down on us from the Continent.
+Two small birds have accompanied us the whole day, resting in the
+rigging at times, but spending much time on the wing. I cannot make
+out what they are, some say chaffinches, but that is certainly a
+mistake, they are too small. A lark fell on deck in the forenoon
+utterly exhausted, lying for some time on its breast with wings spread
+out. It disappeared among the lifeboats and has not been seen since. A
+whale, or probably two, was seen spouting a few hundred yards distant.
+Some said they saw their backs, but I could not say I was fortunate
+enough to see more than the jets of water which were repeated several
+times. Porpoises have been plentiful all the way from Egypt.</p>
+
+<br />
+
+<p><i>March 26th.</i>&mdash;Marseilles harbour. I woke at 2 and thought we had
+reached our journey's end, but I could feel that the screw was still
+revolving, though slowly. Evidently we were killing time, there is no
+chance now-a-days of entering a harbour during the hours of darkness.
+By 6 we were steaming slowly into the fine Bay of Marseilles, high
+rugged rocks on both sides, in front of us the town with its
+surrounding girdle of limestone mountains.</p>
+
+<p>("The Incomparable 29th" was a name well earned by this famous
+Division. The Gallipoli landing could only have been made by
+well-seasoned troops. Many and many a time I have heard the Anzacs wax
+eloquent over their doings. As fighters no troops in the world can
+surpass, or perhaps equal, the Anzacs, but they always <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_238" id="Page_238">[238]</a></span>declared they
+could never have done what the 29th did. The red triangle, the badge
+of the Division, they had a great love and respect for, and, although
+not over-fond of saluting, no officer with this on his arm was ever
+allowed to pass without a most deferential salute.</p>
+
+<p>The casualties of the Division on the peninsula exceeded 600 per
+cent., having been practically wiped out time after time. I afterwards
+served with them in France and Belgium till early in 1917, when I went
+to the Base and remained there till I was demobilised in June, 1919.)</p>
+
+<br />
+<br />
+<br />
+<br />
+<hr />
+<br />
+<br />
+<br />
+<br />
+
+<h4>ABERDEEN: THE UNIVERSITY PRESS</h4>
+
+<br />
+<br />
+<br />
+<br />
+<hr />
+<br />
+
+<div class="tr">
+<p class="cen"><a name="TN" id="TN"></a>Typographical errors corrected in text:</p>
+<br />
+Page &nbsp;&nbsp;36: &nbsp;Andenia replaced with Andania<br />
+Page &nbsp;&nbsp;36: &nbsp;Manihou replaced with Manitou (twice)<br />
+Page &nbsp;&nbsp;43: &nbsp;causalty replaced with casualty<br />
+Page &nbsp;&nbsp;44: &nbsp;o'oclock replaced with o'clock<br />
+Page 115: &nbsp;court martial replaced with court-martial<br />
+Page 136: &nbsp;'order s' replaced with 'orders'<br />
+Page 153: &nbsp;court martial replaced with court-martial<br />
+</div>
+
+<br />
+<hr />
+<br />
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+<pre>
+
+
+
+
+
+End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of The Incomparable 29th and the "River
+Clyde", by George Davidson
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+</body>
+</html>
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+The Project Gutenberg EBook of The Incomparable 29th and the "River Clyde", by
+George Davidson
+
+This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with
+almost no restrictions whatsoever.  You may copy it, give it away or
+re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included
+with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org
+
+
+Title: The Incomparable 29th and the "River Clyde"
+
+Author: George Davidson
+
+Release Date: May 5, 2008 [EBook #25342]
+
+Language: English
+
+Character set encoding: ASCII
+
+*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE INCOMPARABLE 29TH ***
+
+
+
+
+Produced by Jeannie Howse, David Clarke and the Online
+Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net (This
+file was produced from images generously made available
+by The Internet Archive/Canadian Libraries)
+
+
+
+
+
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+    +-----------------------------------------------------------+
+    | Transcriber's Note:                                       |
+    |                                                           |
+    | Inconsistent hyphenation in the original document has     |
+    | been preserved. This document has unusual spelling that   |
+    | has been preserved.                                       |
+    |                                                           |
+    | Obvious typographical errors have been corrected. For     |
+    | a complete list, please see the end of this document.     |
+    |                                                           |
+    +-----------------------------------------------------------+
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+
+
+
+[Illustration: POINT OF GALLIPOLI]
+
+
+
+
+THE INCOMPARABLE 29TH
+AND THE "RIVER CLYDE"
+
+
+
+BY
+GEORGE DAVIDSON, M.A., M.D.
+MAJOR, R.A.M.C.
+
+
+
+ABERDEEN
+JAMES GORDON BISSET
+85 BROAD STREET
+
+
+
+
+Dedicated
+TO THE
+STRETCHER-BEARERS OF THE
+89TH FIELD AMBULANCE
+IN WARM ADMIRATION OF THEIR CONSTANT ZEAL AND PLUCK
+AND IN REMEMBRANCE OF THE MANY EXCITING TIMES
+WE HAD TOGETHER
+
+
+
+
+PREFACE.
+
+
+I had not the slightest intention of ever publishing these notes in
+book form while jotting them down for the sole purpose of giving my
+wife some connected idea of how we at the Front were spending our
+time. I found, to my surprise, that keeping a diary was a great
+pleasure, and I rarely missed the opportunity of taking notes at odd
+times--and often in odd places.
+
+Several of my friends read the parts as I sent them home, and it is on
+the valued advice of one in particular that I now offer these scraps
+to the public. I make practically no change on the original, but in a
+few places, for the sake of sequence, or more fulness, I have made
+additions. These are always in brackets.
+
+Some of the remarks in the original might safely be published fifty
+years hence, but at present the war is too recent for these to see the
+light of print.
+
+                                                 GEORGE DAVIDSON,
+                                                    R.A.M.C.
+
+  TORPHINS, ABERDEENSHIRE,
+    _June, 1919._
+
+
+
+
+DIARY.
+
+
+_March 16th, 1915._--After serving for five months as a lieutenant in
+what was at first known as the 1st Highland Field Ambulance, and
+afterwards, as the 89th Field Ambulance, I left Coventry, our last
+station, to do my little bit in the great European War, our
+destination being unknown. We had heard well-founded rumours that we
+were going to the Dardanelles, or somewhere in the Levant, and our
+being deprived of our horses and receiving mules instead, and helmets
+(presumably cork) being ordered for the officers, all pointed to our
+being sent to a warmer climate than France or Belgium, where the war
+is raging on the west side of the great drama.
+
+Leaving Coventry at 1.50 p.m. we reached Avonmouth about 5, to find
+that our boat was not in. The men were put up in a cold, draughty shed
+for the night, where they had little sleep, while the officers took
+train to Bristol, nine miles off, where we dined excellently at the
+Royal Hotel, but, there being no vacant rooms, we went to the St.
+Vincent's Rocks Hotel, overlooking the Clifton Suspension Bridge and
+the great gorge of the Avon.
+
+
+_March 17th._--Returned to Avonmouth and wandered about inspecting the
+huge transports lying in the docks, and H.M.S. "Cornwall," just
+returned for repairs from the fight at Falkland Islands. She had
+received three shell holes in her hull, one under the water line, and
+a large number of perforations in one of her funnels.
+
+We then got on board our boat, the "Marquette," of the Red Star Line,
+built by Alexander Stephen & Sons, Glasgow, of over 8000 tons, and
+said to be a good sailer. We lunched with the captain, a Scotchman of
+course, hailing from Montrose. At 5.30 we got the men on board, and
+all spent the night in our new quarters.
+
+
+_March 18th._--After getting numerous details on board during last
+night and to-day, amounting to about 1300 men, 60 officers, about 700
+horses and mules; besides 20 tons of explosives and 50 tons of barbed
+wire, and wagons by the hundred, we set sail at 10 p.m. under sealed
+orders. No lights were allowed owing to the danger from submarines
+which had been busy within the last few days in the Bristol Channel
+and about the Scilly Islands. As escort we had two torpedo-boat
+destroyers, one on each side and slightly ahead. These left us after
+twelve hours, when we were in less danger, and 100 miles west of the
+usual course, sailing W.S.W. into the Atlantic.
+
+
+_March 19th._--Beautiful day with slight breeze, but biting cold at
+first; ship pitching and rolling moderately, a few officers a little
+sick early, and about 80 per cent of the men, the latter suffering
+badly from the close atmosphere in their deck, in which their hammocks
+are slung as close as sardines in a tin and all port holes closed. The
+electric light had been shut off so that no one might be able to show
+a light.
+
+Dr. K----, the ship's ancient doctor, is a curious customer, full of
+stories and quaint remarks. Captain Findlay is very communicative but
+will not reveal any private orders. He is directed to steer for the
+Mediterranean by a certain course. About 5 p.m. to-day he altered his
+course from W.S.W. to S. At 5 an order was issued to have the iron
+shutters put over the port holes, otherwise no lights to be allowed.
+
+Very little shipping has been seen to-day, although several ships of a
+small size have passed at a long distance on our port side. One of the
+reasons for choosing this course was to avoid ships that might carry a
+wireless installation and signal our movements to the enemy.
+
+The captain, when swearing at the head steward about some
+forgetfulness, gave what he considered proof of the superiority of the
+memory of the lower animals over the human in a little story. He had
+carried Barnum and Bailey's menagerie once from America and
+occasionally fed a young elephant, Ruth by name, after President
+Cleveland's daughter, she taking apples from his pocket. After three
+years he came across her again, and calling her by name, she came up
+and put her trunk into the same pocket as of old. On the trip over he
+carried 1200 animals, only two dying, one being the giraffe which fell
+down a hatchway and broke his neck in two places--somehow a very
+fitting death for a giraffe.
+
+Saw several porpoises playing and jumping beside the boat. A wireless
+message to the captain tells of the appearance of a German submarine
+at Dover last night.
+
+Towards 6.30 two very large steamers crossed our bows, coming out of
+the west, while we went slowly to avoid them. One carried no lights
+and was probably carrying troops from Canada.
+
+Had an amusing talk on the boat deck with the old doctor. He was
+telling us about three padres who left our boat just before we
+started, preferring to go by another as they did not like travelling
+with so many animals. There being no parson for the coming Sundays
+they requested him to hold the services, but he replied that there was
+no use asking him, he could not pray worth a damn. He explained that a
+ship rang eight bells at 12, four at 8, and one for each half-hour
+after these, as one bell at 4.30, two at 5, three at 5.30, and so on.
+
+Beautiful night, stars clear, and sea very smooth for the Atlantic and
+the Bay of Biscay, where we now are. The equinoctial gales usually
+begin on March 20 (to-morrow), so the captain says. We have averaged
+12-1/2 knots since we left Avonmouth. A small bucketfull of water is
+taken from the sea every two hours, and its temperature taken to see
+if we are near ice.
+
+
+_March 20th._--Weather to-day typical of the Bay of Biscay, half a
+gale all day, and blowing furiously at 7 o'clock, bottles, glasses,
+etc., flying off the dinner-table. Sea-sickness very rife, almost
+every one suffering more or less. Saw only two passing ships to-day.
+The captain prophesies warmer weather to-morrow if the wind remains in
+the east as at present. It will then be off the land, we being
+opposite Finisterre about 8 a.m. to-morrow.
+
+The orders to the captain are to remain sixty miles off land while
+skirting Spain and Portugal. By wireless we hear the Allies still gain
+ground in Flanders, and of a railway collision in Lancashire.
+
+
+_March 21st._--Sunday.--Good news by wireless of the progress of the
+war. Wind changed to S.E., showery in the morning, and pleasantly
+warm. Church parade at 10. "Old Hundred" by the congregation, led by
+Serg. Gibb, the Lord's Prayer by Serg. Gaskin--as much of it as he
+could remember--a chapter of Matthew by Capt. Stephen followed by some
+words of advice, when the attempts of the audience to look solemn were
+all in vain--then off to the deck with "The Innocents Abroad".
+
+During the day the weather has been very variable, occasionally very
+heavy rain showers, but very mild; strong gale all day right in our
+teeth which must retard our progress. At dinner--7 p.m.--the captain
+said we were not quite opposite Lisbon, but nearly. With a few
+exceptions all have found their sea legs.
+
+
+_March 22nd._--Being Orderly Officer I was up at 6.45 and inspected
+our unit's breakfast at 7.15, expecting a repetition of the grousing
+about their food which has gone on since we came on board, but to-day
+all are satisfied for the first time. They began with porridge which
+looked palatable, though sloppy for a Scotchman's taste, and was said
+to be without salt, which would certainly be the case were the cook an
+Englishman. Then each had a cup of coffee which looked fair enough and
+smelt good to a hungry man like myself, with two thick slices of bread
+with salt butter and jam. I feel as fit as a fiddle, and believe the
+equinoctial gales at their worst would be none too much for me. The
+feeling that I am to sink to the bottom of the ocean when the boat
+pitches has entirely gone.
+
+Stephen and I are wondering what our folks at home are doing, and if
+they are always looking for letters from us by the next post. If so
+they will be disappointed for many days yet. A good many of our horses
+are sick, and two died yesterday and were thrown overboard. The poor
+brutes have very cramped quarters.
+
+The sea was fairly rough during daylight and the ship rolled so badly
+that at lunch and dinner "fiddles" had to be put along the tables to
+keep the dishes in their places. In the evening the wind fell to a
+very gentle, balmy breeze, when a number of us spent some time on the
+boat deck watching the phosphorescence of the jelly fish, which we saw
+in many hundreds.
+
+
+_March 23rd._--Got up early and on going on deck at 7.30 found we were
+making straight for the sun. Most glorious morning, sun bright, sea,
+except for the eternal swell, perfectly calm. We had changed our
+course and were heading 8 degrees S. of E., making for the Straits of
+Gibraltar. At 8 the captain, wishing to be sure of his longitude,
+began bawling out to some unseen person, "Mark 23, 22; mark 23, 19,
+add another 1; mark 23, 25". He explained that he took the reading
+three times then struck an average.
+
+In time land hove in sight, faint at first, but gradually the rocky
+coast of Spain, north of Cape Trafalgar, became distinct, then this
+cape itself came out of the mist as white as snow--so white that the
+purser said he believed it actually was snow. Then higher hills beyond
+appeared with others of a similar nature on the African coast. All
+looked forbidding and barren. Swallows were flitting about, and would
+have meant summer at home, but I fancy they are here all winter. The
+heat of the sun was intense, and I observed that his altitude seemed
+as high as I was accustomed to see him in midsummer.
+
+The captain soon pointed out "The Rock," and after passing the white
+town of Tarifa on the Spanish main it got clearer and clearer, but to
+our disgust our boat kept towards the south side of the Straits, and
+all were disappointed we were not to have a chance to post letters
+here as we expected. Tangier in the outer part of the Straits was
+invisible from mist. The Rock was not quite as impressive as I
+expected, nor could I with certainty make out more than one gun
+position, although I saw several black spots where guns may have
+frowned at us.
+
+A gunboat came after us and made us turn about in a circle till she
+was satisfied of our identity, the ship's number being invisible
+through the mist to those on shore. Ceuta with its snow-white houses
+lay on the south coast almost opposite Gibraltar. Some large buildings
+could be plainly seen, and between the town and the sea, on the
+north-east side the fortified hill held by the Spaniards since they
+lost Gibraltar.
+
+Later I found we sailed directly east, our next halt being as yet
+unknown. All roll has entirely departed from our ship, which almost
+seems unnatural after the tossing we have had. What struck me most
+to-day was the rocky nature of both sides of the Straits--we might
+have been among the rugged mountains of Ross-shire. Apes Head seemed
+to be made of rugged and split masses of limestone. The rocks with
+their bright colours were a great relief to our eyes which had rested
+on nothing but water for five days.
+
+
+_March 24th._--A quiet uneventful day; colder than yesterday in the
+Atlantic. I find that all along we have sailed with only two lights
+showing, both faint, one on either end of the bridge, red to port and
+green to starboard. In the last twenty-four hours we covered 286
+miles, and going east fast, the clock being now advanced twenty-three
+minutes daily. We left Avonmouth with 1500 tons of coal on board, and
+we use sixty-five tons daily. We carry a poultry yard and get fresh
+eggs for breakfast, one some one had to-day was so fresh that
+according to the date written on it it was laid to-morrow (25/3/15).
+We have a lot of Irishmen on board which explains this Irishism. We
+had a concert in the evening, got up by Col. O'Hagan, the O.C. the
+West Lancashire Field Ambulance, when we had many amusing songs and
+tales. The sea was as smooth as a duck-pond all day. Towards night the
+wind rose, strong enough to cause a big pitch had we been still in the
+Atlantic, but here it is hardly noticeable. The south-east corner of
+Spain was seen in the morning and a peep of Africa got in the
+afternoon.
+
+
+_March 25th._--Just returned from the engine room, having made up to
+the chief engineer, who took me over the machinery and stokehole. The
+three cylinders develop 4500 horse-power. The largest is 96 inches in
+diameter.
+
+All day we have been in sight of the African coast, the Atlas
+Mountains making one continuous range. They reminded me strongly of
+Ross-shire, the whole outline being rough and rugged. Mount Atlas,
+which we did not see, is 14,740 feet high. About 9 a.m. we were said
+to be near the town of Algiers. Great snowfields were visible on most
+of the highest mountains. These were very picturesque with the sun
+shining on the snow. We have seen little shipping, one large oil boat
+passed west. All are taking the lack of news philosophically, nothing,
+as far as I can make out, being heard to-day. Code messages from
+battleships speaking to each other are received but are unreadable.
+
+Helmets were issued to the officers to-day, but the wind is too cold
+to make these necessary.
+
+As Sanitary Officer for the day I had to go over the whole of the
+horse decks with the Military Officer of the ship, Lt.-Col. Hingston,
+R.E. The alleys between the horse lines, all of which had to be
+traversed, must be nearly half a mile in length, all the heads of the
+horses projecting in double lines into the narrow passages, which
+makes tramping along these dark ways anything but pleasant. The close
+stench is very sickening, and I was glad when our journey came to an
+end. We have lost four horses so far. The mules are hardier and have
+stood the voyage well. They are besides accustomed to the sea, all
+having come lately from the Argentine.
+
+
+_March 26th._--An ideal day and the sun delightfully warm. We had the
+African coast in sight the whole time till early afternoon. Passed
+Cape Blanco, which in the distance might have been part of Deeside,
+hills with stretches of verdure which looked like forest with brown
+spaces between which were probably sand.
+
+Helmets were issued to the men to-day. These with their broad brims
+look very serviceable against the sun. One man coming on a friend who
+had just donned his, yelled: "Hello, man, come oot o' that till I see
+yer feet".
+
+At the present speed we should reach Malta at 6 a.m. to-morrow where
+surely we'll be able to post letters, but they have a long way to go
+to reach home. At 5 o'clock we were opposite Pantellaria, an Italian
+penal settlement, and about 140 miles from Malta. On the north coast
+of the island the settlement is visible, big white houses at different
+levels on its rocky face. There are very steep rocks on the east side
+rising straight out of the sea.
+
+
+_March 27th._--My first peep at the East--although it is perhaps not
+the East proper. I rose at 5.30 to find Malta right ahead, and Valetta
+only a mile or two distant. The sight was gorgeous, the rocky land all
+tints of yellow, and the houses of divers colours, flat-roofed, domed,
+and altogether Oriental.
+
+Two warships, which turned out to be the "Prince of Wales" and the
+"Paris," were steaming rapidly from the north-east, and we were
+ordered to lie to till they entered the harbour, then to follow. The
+scene on entering this harbour baffles description, with its cliffs,
+forts, and frowning guns and numerous warships. There were signs of
+war preparations everywhere. The entrance to the harbour was guarded
+by booms, only a small opening being left where they were folded back.
+A short way inside came another row of booms. Then came a French
+warship on our port side, coaling at its hardest, from which came
+shouts to our decks crowded with troops of "where are you going"? The
+reply had to be "We don't know". Immediately to starboard we had
+another French ship which turned out to be the largest in the harbour.
+All her crew and band were drawn up on deck, and the latter struck up
+"God save the King". We at once stood at attention, all in silence,
+but when the strains ended every man hurrahed at the pitch of his
+voice. The band then gave us "It's a long way to Tipperary".
+
+On going a little farther we were moored to a buoy in the middle of
+the waterway, with all sorts of shipping round us, mostly French
+warships, there being at least a dozen of that nationality, the only
+British men-of-war being the two we saw enter. The transparency and
+greenness of the water are remarkable. The whole harbour is dotted
+over with "bum boats" which are said to be peculiar to Malta, and have
+high boards at their stem and stern, and are worked by one or two men
+standing upright. Most sell fruits and odds and ends to those on
+board, while others convey passengers to and from the land. The houses
+about the harbour are largely forts or connected with the army and
+navy. They rise tier upon tier to the top of the surrounding rocks
+which may be about 150 feet high.
+
+After lunch permission was given to the officers and N.C.O.'s to go
+ashore. There was great excitement of course, and all asked for leave
+forthwith. Being "Officer of the day," whose duties applied to the
+whole ship, I decided not to remind the C.O.--Col. Hingston--of this,
+but our C.O. mentioning at lunch that I need not look for leave I
+could not sneak off as I had intended, and was to be permitted only if
+I found a substitute, which, of course, I failed to do. Every one has
+gone to stretch his legs on land except the "Captain of the day" and
+myself. Still I hope to get a short turn ashore before we sail at 6
+p.m. which is announced as the hour of our departure--and our
+destination? we wish we knew.
+
+8.30 p.m.--Fiddes very kindly returned early to relieve me and I
+spent two very enjoyable hours in Valetta, wandering about its narrow
+and stair-like streets. There were goats everywhere, many being milked
+on the doorsteps as I passed. I bought some pieces of Maltese lace,
+which is pretty much of one pattern, generally a Maltese cross
+surrounded by flowers. The inhabitants are plainly of Italian descent,
+but if you ask if that is their nationality, they always deny it and
+say they are Maltese. The shops are totally different from anything I
+have ever seen, and except in the best streets, have no windows,
+merely a huge, gaping doorway. The weather was very close and many of
+the inhabitants and the children generally, were bare legged and well
+bronzed. The women's dress was very peculiar, all being in jet black
+with a strange lopsided head-dress. The edge has a stiff hoop and
+projects well in front of the face.
+
+The plants were all tropical--palms, cacti of many sorts, and masses
+of a deep purple flower that covered large expanses of wall. All trees
+were in full leaf, but they would be mostly evergreen. Worthy looking
+padres in their shovel hats were plentiful, also monks in dark brown
+cloaks, rope girdles and sandal shoon, and usually bareheaded,
+although a few wore a tiny cap, little bigger than the top of an egg,
+which it resembled in shape.
+
+I was much interested on discovering the reason why all the women in
+Malta wear black, which seems to be commenced about the age of eleven
+or twelve. Napoleon and his army had exercised great liberties with
+their sex during a visit, and in consequence it was decreed by the
+Pope that all women in Malta should go into mourning for the period of
+a hundred years. This time is up but they seem to know that their mode
+of dress is very becoming, and it looks as if the decree was to hold
+good for all time.
+
+It is impossible to go round the stair-like streets, which abound in
+Malta, with a milk cart, hence you find all over the town a man or
+boy with about half a dozen goats, shouting something or other, when
+the women appear at their doors with jugs into which the men milk the
+quantity required, as they sit on the doorstep. This is all very
+quaint and picturesque, especially when combined with the bright
+clothing of the men and children, the bright projecting upper windows,
+and the altogether foreign and tropical appearance of the whole town
+and island.
+
+All the officers thoroughly enjoyed what was a new experience to most
+of us, all returning to the boat laden with parcels, and being
+unusually lively at dinner, and the wine flowing more freely than
+usual among a body of men who rarely drink anything but water--and
+very flat and unpleasant water it is too.
+
+We left Malta at 6 p.m. _en route_ for Alexandria, as I am told by the
+captain, who says it is no longer a secret. This is evidently to be
+the place of concentration of the 29th Division. Another transport,
+the "Kingstonia," left half an hour before us, amidst great cheering
+from the warships and us. We too had a right royal send-off from all
+the warships we passed, their decks being packed with cheering
+multitudes, and our French friends of the morning played the National
+Anthem again in the usual silence. We half expected it this time, but
+its coming so unexpectedly in the morning made it most impressive.
+Eleven powerful searchlights were playing at the entrance of this
+important harbour--a harbour which must be one of Britain's greatest
+assets. When thrown on us even a mile off the light was absolutely
+dazzling.
+
+
+_March 28th._--Churning all day through a sea of ultra-marine hue,
+with a brilliant sun overhead and a fair breeze behind. We are now a
+long way east of the longitude of Greenwich, the clock at noon
+yesterday being seventy minutes before G.M.T. This means a daily loss
+of sleep and consequently much swearing. At one time in the Atlantic
+we were between fifty and sixty minutes behind G.M.T.
+
+There was a great fuss last night over the supposed discovery of six
+cases of measles in our unit. This morning a Medical Board sat and
+pronounced all the cases to be merely erythematous rashes following
+vaccination four days ago, and consequently the quarantine instituted
+last night has been relaxed, but only in a modified form, so as to let
+the guilty party down gently. As a result of all this unnecessary fuss
+the two field ambulances on board were nearly split into two camps.
+
+
+_March 29th._--Another quiet day and a calm sea.
+
+Three interpreters joined our boat at Malta, they leaving home two
+days after us by a P. & O. boat. These men have a thorough knowledge
+of Turkish, Greek, and French.
+
+The heat of the sun has been intense to-day, and a number of us were
+glad to don our helmets. These are not altogether a success, they are
+too heavy.
+
+We had a short lecture on "Turkey" by one of the interpreters, when he
+spoke about the roads, which seem to be few, woods still fewer, water
+supply and some other points likely to be of practical interest to us
+shortly. Rains usually cease in the end of March, and, except for an
+occasional shower, the heat of summer lasts till the middle of
+September, the temperature being just under 100 deg. F.
+
+
+_March 30th._--Lying in the harbour of Alexandria, where we arrived
+about 3 p.m. The day has been perfect, the temperature moderate till
+we came near land when the sun simply scorched us. At sea there is
+always a breeze, but as we now lie at anchor in the middle of the
+harbour the air is absolutely still and oppressive. We seemed to
+describe the letter "S" as we approached from the sea, this course
+being likely due to sand bars. To one who has never been in the East
+before the sight of this town with its huge commercial buildings, its
+great palm trees which are visible not far from the water's edge, and
+a harbour full of great liners, and looking big enough to hold all the
+shipping of the world, is a great education. Three ships have entered
+since we came in, one being the "Kingstonia," one of our divisional
+transports, another full of French troops. We were, of course,
+surrounded by boats trying to do a little honest trade with us, but
+our men were strictly forbidden to purchase anything from them owing
+to the risk of infection.
+
+These boats were manned principally by Arabs in their peculiar dresses
+of brilliant hue and many wore the fez. All were burned as dark as an
+old penny. Owing to our being supposed to have had measles on board,
+although it was proved to every one's satisfaction that there was no
+reason for this suspicion, we had to enter with the yellow flag flying
+at the foremast. We had visits from official boats, one with the
+police flag, very likely expecting to hear that we had cholera or
+smallpox among us. At any rate the objectionable flag was soon hauled
+down and we half expected to get permission to land, but so far no
+orders have come from shore.
+
+The deep blue of the Mediterranean has been left behind for a time,
+which may be very short, and certainly cannot be long, and we now
+float on the light green waters of the Nile. The bugle has just
+sounded "the officer's mess," a sound that is welcome to me; the heat
+has not yet taken away my appetite.
+
+
+_March 31st._--We were towed to the wharfside at 3 p.m. Then the
+unloading of our great sea monster began, men trooped on shore,
+followed by the horses which, unused to daylight in the miserable
+dens they had just left, looked terrified and floundered down the
+gangways. It took hours for this procession of animals to end, the
+exit from Noah's ark must have been a poor show in comparison.
+
+Our men set off for their camp at Mex, three miles away, about 6 p.m.,
+I being left with a fatigue party of twenty-seven men to finish the
+packing of our stores on railway trucks, and see them despatched in
+time to arrive at Mex before the men, so that on their arrival they
+could set to and pitch their tents on the piece of land allotted to
+them, and which is said to be composed of equal parts of sand and
+lice! I feel that I have scored in having one night's relief from this
+plague--but we are in the land of plagues, the home of the Pharaohs.
+
+About 8 p.m. I set off on a visit to Alexandria, and from the docks
+passed up a street lined on both sides with our animals tied to picket
+ropes for the night, and at the top of the street came on a grove of
+many acres of towering palm trees. After a mile or a mile and a half,
+seeing no newspaper shops, nor anything resembling a British shop, I
+asked an Egyptian where a "journal" was to be had. We could not
+understand each other, even signs were of no use, so I tried again and
+the next man understood me, and directed my black Soudanese friend,
+who had attached himself to me as my guide, where to go, but from the
+deviations he took into narrow and remarkably gay by-streets, he
+plainly thought that this newspaper hunt was a ruse for seeing
+Alexandria by night. All this was very interesting all the same. I
+rubbed shoulders with many an Egyptian "nut" who made no pretence
+about his errand to this questionable part of the town. The many
+streets I passed through, and I must have penetrated about three miles
+into the town, seemed very familiar to me, they were so very like
+pictures one sees of this part. The cafes were crowded with Egyptian
+revellers, and occasionally I saw groups of our Tommies enjoying a
+drink among them. The former were all in their brilliant robes, and as
+they stood or squatted about, smoking their long pipes, they formed a
+most interesting picture. Their big pipes even blocked the pavement at
+times, the men squatted on their haunches with their pipes a couple of
+feet in front and a passer-by had to be careful not to upset and smash
+them. A fine picture was made by two old fellows squatting on a rug in
+the open window of a small shop, smoking and drinking coffee, and
+looking as if they could curse to fourteen generations any customer
+bold enough to disturb them in their innocent enjoyment of doing
+nothing. One of our officers who knows this town and its inhabitants,
+says if you curse a man he will only laugh in your face, but when you
+begin cursing to all eternity his brothers and sisters, father and
+mother, he begins to wax wroth, and by the time you reach the tenth to
+the fourteenth generation he dances about with fury and gnashes his
+teeth.
+
+
+_April 1st._--Up early and breakfast at 6.30. By this time the engines
+were rattling and new ropes creaking, while stores of all kind were
+being landed. Some acres of quay and side streets were covered with
+these, the horses and mules having been mostly landed yesterday. Then
+began the scramble for wagon poles, crossbars, etc., any unit finding
+itself short just seized the first it came across. We lost odds and
+ends and followed the recognised custom, known as "skirmishing," and
+in the end were only short of our full complement by a crossbar and a
+bicycle. I had a very busy day up to 3 o'clock when we started for Mex
+camp. We marched out, reaching this at 4.45 after a very warm tramp,
+tempered by a gentle breeze off the Mediterranean. The country through
+which we passed was barren in the extreme, honey-combed all the way
+from quarrying the soil, which is full of salt and soda with a white
+chalky base. There are everywhere deep holes full of salt water with
+salt-loving plants about them, practically the only vegetation to be
+seen; between these there is a mass of hummocks, and pinnacles, with
+occasional sheep that look like goats, feeding on I do not know what,
+unless it be a tuft-headed small grass which is found sparsely on the
+higher grounds. In front of our tents are larger mounds on which four
+camels are nibbling at this grass, these being kept by some Bedouins
+for giving milk. Seeing some dark-skinned rascals having a ride on
+them I went up to them and was offered a mount for a penny; then the
+urchin, who had an early training in fleecing, thought he might double
+his charge and held up two fingers to designate the amount and marched
+off his camel till I consented. The brute nearly broke first my neck
+and then my back, but I greatly enjoyed my short ride.
+
+Immediately after this an Inniskilling Fusilier raced Thomson and
+myself over these terrible salt pits to the sea edge where an
+unconscious man was lying, having been dragged out of the water after
+disappearing like a stone, although said to be a strong swimmer.
+
+
+_April 2nd._--A day of great heat, were it not for an occasional air
+from the Mediterranean. The whole of our camp is covered with ordinary
+soft sea-sand, and it gets very hot and very glaring. Immediately
+behind the more or less level ground on which the 29th Field Ambulance
+is encamped the pure white, chalky higher ground commences, peopled by
+camels, goats, and sheep. The last two are so much alike it is
+difficult to say which of the families they belong to.
+
+About 6 p.m. I set out for Alexandria with four of our officers. After
+a little shopping and haircutting we had an excellent dinner at the
+Grand Restaurant du Nil, all considering some fried mullet to be the
+finest fish we had ever tasted. With a fairly liberal supply of wine
+the dinner for the five of us cost only about 17s. Then to the Moulin
+Rouge, which I should say is the counterpart of its better-known
+namesake in Paris. The newness of the whole show made it amusing.
+
+
+_April 3rd._--Apparently it never rains here after summer has
+commenced. I have been studying the ornithology of these bare chalk
+mounds, and find the birds are practically the same as our commonest
+ones at home--swallows, stonechats--which have been very busy
+to-day--our two water wagtails, and the wretched little sparrow. I
+thought the flamingo was to be found along the coast but have never
+seen a specimen on this inhospitable shore. I have also seen a bird
+not unlike a thrush, and a few small things apparently of the linnet
+family. Creepy animals are only too plentiful, the most objectionable
+at present is the common housefly which is a perfect plague. They are
+everywhere and are specially fond of the rope suspending my lantern.
+Unfortunately the place that is second favourite is one's nose.
+Locusts are said to be in greater abundance in Lower Egypt than was
+ever known before. Here I have seen but a few dozen, and at first I
+took them for small dragonflies. They have the same beautiful wings,
+but their style of flight is quite different, the locust alighting
+every few yards to have a look at you. Ants, great and small, are
+everywhere in the morning, but when the sand gets too hot most of them
+disappear. One big ant has a huge head, a fairly broad tail piece and
+small body. Lizards are very common on the chalk mounds, and yesterday
+I watched four huge specimens basking in the sun half-way down an old
+lime kiln.
+
+
+_April 4th._--Easter Sunday. We had a service suitable for the day
+from a Presbyterian Chaplain on the hillside, when there were 700 to
+800 present from different units. During the sermon we all lay on the
+sand, while overhead a lark carolled forth in notes more mild than are
+uttered by our British lark, but the habits of the two are similar,
+but ours soars highest.
+
+We have improved our field mess, stores having been got privately
+among us. By this means we had a very good one o'clock dinner,
+followed by a snooze by some of us, while others slept straight on
+till tea-time. I set out alone for a walk into a part I had not
+visited before, namely, along the seashore west of Mex Camp, to
+Dakeilah village. I passed an old fort with three very old cast-iron
+guns of 9-inch bore, lying uselessly on their sides, one labelled
+"loaded--dangerous". Beyond that the sand is a great depth, and the
+natives seemed to have it divided into allotments, each piece dug into
+a deep, wide trench from 6 to 12 feet deep, and along the bottom they
+have a row of tomatoes. These grow luxuriantly, apparently in pure
+sand, but there is probably a liberal supply of manure below. Figs,
+dates, and grapes seem to be the chief fruits grown.
+
+I passed in a corner shaded by tall palm trees a large well which
+formed a perfect picture--children frisked about, while women drew
+water, and all about were their big water jars. Just beyond that my
+walk took me through a native cemetery, all the tombs exactly alike, a
+big base about five feet long and nearly three high, and a five foot
+column on each end. These were the more recent ones, the old graves
+were merely rough hillocks of stones and clay, as the modern ones will
+be some day.
+
+I was much astonished to-day at the large number of botanical
+specimens I came across. For such a sterile part it is most
+remarkable. I should say 200 species could be picked up in a
+forenoon's walk.
+
+On returning we all had a talk with a very intelligent Arab boy of
+about twelve summers, and got a number of words and a few phrases
+from him. All the native children are very pretty, they have good
+features, splendid eyes and teeth, and look as sharp as needles. If
+you dare speak to one it at once gives him an opening to demand
+backsheesh. I omitted to mention that the only Moslem minaret I have
+seen so far was in Dakeilah. These may be plentiful in Alexandria, but
+I have never been there in daylight.
+
+The following are some of the words taught us by the young Arab, but I
+found it impossible to find a satisfactory spelling for most of
+them:--
+
+  Gatusheira        Thank you.
+  Daphtar           A book.
+  Chaima            A tent.
+  Muphta            A key.
+  Sigara            A cigar.
+  Salama lecho      Good morning.
+  Dasoyak           Good-bye.
+  Homar             A donkey.
+  Asioa             Yes.
+  La                No.
+
+The following Arabic words and phrases are from a piece of paper I
+picked up in Cox's Bank, Alexandria:--
+
+  1. Wahed.       6. Setta.        11. Hidashar.
+  2. Etneen.      7. Saba'a.       12. Etnashar.
+  3. Talata.      8. Tamanya.      13. Talatashar.
+  4. Arba'a.      9. Tessa.        20. Ashrin.
+  5. Khamsa.     10. Ashara.      100. Miya.
+
+    Naharak said        Good morning.
+    Sa'a kam            What time.
+    Sa'a waked          One o'clock.
+    Maragsh Arabi       I don't speak Arabic.
+    Kam tamanu          What does it cost?
+
+
+_April 5th._--This has been a day of exceptional heat, and curiously
+is the religious day of the Moslems called Shem-el-nessim, which in
+Arabic means "breathing the cool breeze". To-day all their shops are
+shut, and the whole day is spent in the country. What is celebrated is
+the first of the hot simoon winds which last fifty days, and
+apparently the day for their commencement is most accurately gauged.
+We were all only too glad to carry out the written instructions we
+received some days ago, to keep under cover and try to sleep from noon
+to three o'clock, and if you cannot sleep yourself you must keep quiet
+and allow others to sleep. No bugle calls are allowed between these
+hours. All round us there has been haze through which the sun could
+not penetrate, but if he had the result would have been truly
+terrible. The dust has also been worse than usual and everything in my
+tent is grey. This is another of the plagues of Egypt. However, if
+rumour is true, we will soon depart from here for more active service.
+
+After dark to-night we went out in search of men supposed to be
+wounded, six of our bearers acting as these and starting fifteen
+minutes before the stretcher bearers. The night was very dark and the
+pure white ground looked absolutely even, and some narrow escapes were
+made, several finding just in time that they were on the edge of a
+precipice. We had planned a few signals, but the principal lesson we
+were taught was that these were too few in number, and owing to this
+whole stretcher squads got lost.
+
+We are still finding and having visits from new animals. To-day I had
+a dragon fly brought to me. I find I had seen several of these before
+but had mistaken them for locusts. The latter have much heavier
+bodies, but very similar wings. We have just had a visit from a huge
+beetle which we heard battering the tent, then it gradually got
+nearer, next hitting the tent pole and falling on the small table on
+which my candle flickers, the glare of which had attracted him. Kellas
+caught a moth and kept it for me. It was nothing much to look at, but
+it is the very first I have seen here. He also describes another moth
+he saw to-day as fluttering in front of a flower without alighting on
+it, but hovering and thrusting its proboscis into a long-tubed flower.
+I once saw a similar moth at Torphins (this had been the Humming bird
+moth which I have seen hundreds of since then).
+
+When different units get together in a camp the amount of thieving,
+technically called skirmishing, is beyond belief to anyone
+unaccustomed to camp life. At present we have two mules that do not
+belong to us. One wandered into our camp and a man who claimed it as
+belonging to his unit was told he had to prove his statement before he
+would be allowed to remove it, which he failed to do. To-day another
+was brought in tied to the tail-board of a wagon. It was seen
+wandering near the road between this and Alexandria, and the men in
+the wagon commandeered him at once, and here he will remain. I am a
+fairly good skirmisher myself, and when a wagon pole, for which I was
+responsible when unloading at the docks, did not turn up, I had two in
+its place in no time. We afterwards found that neither of them would
+fit any of our wagons. The cook has been handicapped in his work by
+having no table, but to-day he has one about 12 feet long which he
+tells me he got "over the road" last night when it was dark. Agassiz,
+our transport officer, requests us to look out for a picket rope; he
+would like it two inches thick and about 100 feet long. Rather a big
+order but should not be beyond our combined efforts.
+
+
+_April 6th._--Two Infantry Brigades, our Ambulance (89th) and the West
+Lancashire Ambulance (87th) were inspected by General Sir Ian
+Hamilton. Like ourselves he is an Aberdonian, being a member of the
+Hamilton family of Skene House. We had a very dusty day, all returning
+to camp quite grey.
+
+In the afternoon I visited Alexandria with Stephen and Thomson and had
+tea at the Hotel Majestic in the Square of Mahomet Ali, the finest
+part of the town, then we flattened our noses against shop windows and
+bought a few odds and ends for home. The shops along the street to the
+left of the Bourse (Rue Sheref Pasha) were good and interesting,
+especially one that sold only Egyptian goods--Tawa's--where we made
+most of our purchases.
+
+Then I chanced to come across Fiddes and Morris driving down this
+street when they hailed me and announced that they had just come from
+the Excelsior Hotel, the headquarters of the 29th Division, with the
+news that our bearers had to set off for the front before morning, and
+that I was one of the three officers who were to accompany them. We
+finished our shopping, and I went to Cook's office and wrote two post
+cards, then drove out to Mex, we all meeting round the mess table to
+hear the latest orders.
+
+
+_April 7th._--Hung about all day in expectation of the promise from
+H.Q. that they would 'phone to us when it was decided at what hour we
+were to start. No message came during the day, then after 9 p.m. an
+officer came in from our Brigade H.Q., saying they were wondering at
+the boat "why the devil we were not on board". After a little 'phoning
+we discovered we had been overlooked, and we were ordered to march at
+once as our boat was to sail at 7 a.m. to-morrow. It was now past 10
+p.m. and the men had to be roused from their tents and the mules
+yoked. We fell in, 124 men and 3 officers, and amidst loud cheers and
+handshakes we set off and reached the docks about 1.30. We were only
+allowed light equipment, the men their kitbags, waterbottles,
+haversacks, and coats rolled in bandolier fashion (i.e. full marching
+order) while the officers were supposed not to exceed the regulation
+35 lbs. of baggage. Most of our equipment we left to come on with the
+tent subdivision and transport which are expected to sail on the 10th,
+in our old ship the "Marquette". Thus ended the first four miles of
+our journey, on this the last stage, while to-morrow we sail north,
+presumably for Gallipoli, but some say Smyrna, to join in what will be
+a most bloody affair--so we have been warned by Lord Kitchener who, in
+an address to our Infantry Battalions, has said that the work before
+us will be hard in the extreme, and that he had reserved our Infantry
+as the finest Battalions in the Army for this arduous job, and told
+them that they must be prepared to face great hardships and great
+sacrifices. In the 86th Brigade, to which our Ambulance is attached,
+we have four veteran Battalions, 2nd Royal Fusiliers, 1st Lancashire
+Fusiliers, 1st Royal Dublin Fusiliers, and the 1st Munster Fusiliers.
+This Brigade was described by Sir Ian Hamilton as the flower of the
+British Army. All have served nine or ten years in India and all have
+smelt powder.
+
+
+_April 8th._--At 10.45 a.m. the Cunard liner, the "Ausonia" (better
+known at present as B4) cast off, and with the help of two tugs we
+were soon out on the open sea. She had sailed from Avonmouth on March
+16, the night on which we were booked to sail, and in the Bristol
+Channel some suspicious craft suddenly appeared. She at once altered
+her course and the two attendant torpedo boats gave chase to what was
+taken to be a German submarine. We had been told that the reason for
+our not sailing on the same date was that our boat was not in, but our
+captain afterwards told us he had been lying to for a whole week, but
+the presence of this submarine was the real reason.
+
+The forces for the present expedition against Turkey have concentrated
+in Alexandria, and are at present over 100,000 strong, mostly British
+but also largely French. To-day the pioneers of this huge force have
+set sail, and as far as I can gather our boat was the second to go
+out. We are doing 14 knots and in two or three days should reach our
+journey's end. The day is beautiful and the Mediterranean its deepest
+blue.
+
+I have been having a talk with the captain of the "Ausonia". He has
+only 64 tons of water on board, while he should have had ten times
+that amount. There are no pipes laid to the docks and the whole of the
+shipping has to depend on six water lighters which carry 60 tons each.
+At present these are totally unable to supply the huge number of
+transports in Alexandria. The half of these are flying two flags
+beside each other to denote a shortage of water. In both the ground is
+red, the upper with red diagonal stripes while the lower has a yellow
+cross.
+
+I find the cooking on the Cunard line very superior to what it was on
+the Red Star. Here it is as good as in a first-class hotel.
+
+
+_April 9th._--At 10 a.m. we were opposite rocky land to port. Some say
+this is the island of Rhodes, others Abydos, but not having a map of
+the southern part of the Archipelago I am unable to give an opinion.
+About 11.30 we had land to starboard which a naval man assured me "was
+Rhodes right enough". He pointed to a camel-backed hill and said, "If
+there is a lighthouse opposite the middle of that, then I have no
+doubt about it". It was there sure enough when examined through a
+field glass.
+
+A short time after leaving Alexandria I found by the compass we were
+steering 20 deg. to 25 deg. W. of N. while all this forenoon we have gone due
+N. I have been out on the deck watching an engineer unit preparing
+posts for barbed wire. At present they have poles 12 feet long; both
+ends are being pointed and a pencil mark is drawn round the middle of
+the pole. They can thus quickly make two pointed posts by means of a
+saw, but they expect to find the long poles useful before that
+happens. They will lash their shovels and other tools to these, and
+two men can carry them on their shoulders.
+
+After lunch I had a conversation with my new friend, the captain of
+the "Ausonia". He tells me the island on our port side was neither
+Rhodes nor Abydos. The most interesting piece of news I got out of him
+was that our destination was Lemnos, but that he expected that it was
+merely as a rendezvous for the whole force, and was only 48 miles from
+Sedd-el-Bahr, on the south point of Gallipoli. His view is that we
+will land a short way north of that. He is against its being so far
+north as the Gulf of Saros and the narrow neck of land there. He
+thinks the preparations against our landing there would be too
+complete by now. He is in distress over his shortage of water as none
+is to be had in the small islands. This shortage of water got me into
+trouble with the O.C. the troops on board at general parade this
+morning. Many of the men had not shaved for two days, and some looked
+untidy and unwashed, but all put this down to their being denied water
+to slake their thirst, which must come before washing and shaving but
+the order was "see that it does not happen again". I advised one
+particularly hirsute chap to lower his shaving brush into the sea
+to-morrow at the end of a string.
+
+It is a remarkable thing, noted and spoken about by us all, how seldom
+the thought of home enters our minds. I merely note this as a curious
+fact. There is no excitement about the "bloody errand"--as some one
+called it this morning--we are on, so that that is not the cause.
+Perhaps it is just as well for us that we have worried so little.
+There is far too much pity lavished on us when we go forth to war.
+
+The officers are in a state of wild excitement to-night. Wishing to
+have a game of baccarat some of them asked Whyte and myself to join
+them, which we did willingly, feeling that it was possibly our last
+night in civilisation. I did not understand the game but ended 7s. to
+the good.
+
+
+_April 10th._--Reached Lemnos about noon. We passed numerous islands
+in the Archipelago, many small, and none showed signs of life except
+for an occasional lighthouse, but all the larger ones are inhabited,
+and grow currants, figs, and grapes in abundance.
+
+Lemnos has a huge roadstead, open to the south, and at present
+protected at the two southern points by big guns and searchlights. A
+long arm forming the inner harbour extends to the right, and here a
+large number of ships is lying, eight battleships being among the
+number. We and another transport are anchored in the middle of the
+roadstead, awaiting the arrival of the other members of the
+expedition. It is said that over 100,000 will arrive from Egypt. The
+greatest warship afloat, and one that figured largely in the
+bombardment of the Dardanelles two months ago, the "Queen Elizabeth,"
+lies a short way off on our starboard. The whole is shut in by steep
+hills, rough and rugged, some of which must be over 1000 feet high.
+The land between these and the water looks well cultivated, the
+brilliant green of young crops being a relief to our eyes after our
+long voyage. We have seen nothing but sea, rocks, chalk and sand since
+March 18. I see no chance of getting ashore, but nothing would delight
+me more than a scramble to the top of the highest peak away to the
+west.
+
+I was asking a Royal Naval Officer on board if our occupying Lemnos
+involved any breach of neutrality, belonging, as it does, to Greece.
+Although Greek, it has been leased by Turkey for years, and we have in
+reality seized it from the latter.
+
+In the afternoon we entered the inner harbour and cast anchor in the
+middle of a number of transports. This inner harbour is more or less
+circular and is about three miles long and two wide.
+
+
+_April 11th._--Several transports have arrived since we entered
+yesterday. When I looked through my port-hole at 6 o'clock this
+morning the surrounding country looked very fresh, and free from all
+haze, and the bright green of the crops and grass on the hill-sides
+would have done credit to old Ireland.
+
+After lunch I met Lt.-Col. Rooth of the Dublins, who gave me some
+authentic information concerning the proposed military landing on
+Gallipoli. The covering party for the whole expedition is to be our
+86th Brigade. The Munsters are in the S.S.T. "Caledonia," (B ii) lying
+alongside our ship. The Lancashires are there also. All these, along
+with our stretcher bearers, land together from cutters, and the date
+fixed is in all probability Wednesday, April 14, or the following day
+at latest. A very warm reception from the enemy on shore is expected,
+as I gather from the way the Dublin officers talk. It is also said
+that we will have to make a dash for it under the cover of night.
+
+Practically due north from where we lie we can see the top of a
+snow-clad mountain which must be several thousand feet in height. Is
+this in Imbros? (Samothrace.)
+
+A German Taube was seen over us to-day flying very high. Two
+hydroplanes went up from our fleet and scouted round us for several
+miles for over an hour. Some say another was seen very early in the
+morning.
+
+
+_April 12th._--Orders were issued yesterday that we were to practice
+disembarking to-day in preparation for the landing on Gallipoli. The
+different units had to line up in the stations allotted to them, ours
+luckily being on the saloon deck where we will get use of the
+accommodation ladder instead of the rope ladder as first proposed.
+Except for our rations, which had not been issued, we had on our full
+marching order loads--revolver, water-bottle, ammunition, haversack,
+field glasses, map case, Burberry and ground sheet. When we land we
+will have about 5 lbs. of rations in addition.
+
+Several of the officers on our ship visited the "Queen Elizabeth"
+yesterday and returned with very alarming reports, this boat having
+many times taken part in bombarding the Dardanelles Forts has a good
+idea of what awaits us. They say the whole of Gallipoli swarms with
+Turks, and the whole coast is covered with trenches and barbed wire
+entanglements 6 feet high. They talk as if it meant absolute
+annihilation of our small covering force of about 5000. The whole
+remainder of the Expeditionary Force, I presume, will lie out at sea
+till the coast is clear--should we succeed in clearing it, but it is
+very evident every man I have spoken to has practically no hope of
+ever returning. They expect our landing cutters to be well peppered
+with shot and shell, and in our practice to-day we had to appear with
+the straps of all our equipment outside our shoulder straps, and the
+ends of our belts free, ready to whip open and get rid of it at a
+moment's notice. I noticed that all our officers were unusually quiet
+and serious last night, while they discussed the situation no doubt. I
+went to bed at my usual hour and slept like a top.
+
+The "Queen Elizabeth" went round to the Dardanelles to-day with the
+C.O.'s of the regiments which are to take part in the covering
+operations, looking for suitable places to disembark. We saw her
+return to harbour about 6 p.m., and we hear she was fired on.
+
+Whyte, Morris, and I anxiously watched a four-masted transport enter
+the harbour this evening thinking it was possibly the "Marquette,"
+but it proved to be A5, so that we have no chance of hearing from home
+before to-morrow. We want our mail before we set off again, as the
+next time will be for a long and indefinite period. All the transports
+are named "B," "A," or "C"--British, Australian, or Colonial. Ours the
+"Ausonia" is B4--no fewer than ninety transports lay in the harbour of
+Alexandria ready to carry our troops to Lemnos.
+
+
+_April 13th._--I have just returned from a trip ashore, the O.C. the
+troops granting me leave on request to do so with twenty-four of our
+men. We had three-quarters of an hour on land and had time to climb to
+the top of a small hill. What struck me most on the more level ground
+was the amount and stickiness of the mud, which was almost equal to
+our horse lines at Bedford. Every spot was covered with flowers,
+mostly of the vetch family. The corn crops were absolutely choked with
+a large, spiked, dark purple vetch, with a sprinkling of the common
+poppy (_Papaver Dubium_), and the ordinary charlock of the corn fields
+at home, and another species of this same family. I found two mallows,
+two or three thistles, one with a head like our Melancholy thistle,
+but the commonest was one with white lines on the leaf. There were
+numerous other flowers, so numerous that I thought this explained why
+so much of the honey used in Britain came from Greece and these
+islands. At the top of the hill we met a few shepherds tending sheep
+and cattle, many of the sheep wearing bells which kept up a constant
+tinkling. The men were very picturesque in their moccasin shoes,
+sheepskin waistcoats and heavy coats with hoods. On the way from shore
+with fourteen men at the six oars it was very nearly too much for us
+to reach our boat, the wind having risen suddenly. It must have taken
+us an hour to row about half a mile.
+
+Orders have come to us to-day about our landing. We are warned to
+keep our equipment dry as we will be waist-deep in water on leaving
+the tow boats. Rumour had it yesterday that Thursday night had been
+definitely fixed, but this afternoon it is said that the landing is
+likely to take place to-morrow. The thought of this, in spite of the
+warm reception promised, does not frighten one in the very least: I
+can honestly say that it never once entered my head when on shore
+to-day. When it comes to the pinch one can face the inevitable with
+perfect coolness.
+
+The following I have copied from the directory of the 29th Division,
+there being two alterations since it was published:--
+
+                  86th Infantry Brigade.
+
+  Commander           Brig.-General S.W. Hare.
+  Brig.-Major         Capt. T.H.C. Frankland, R. Dub. Fus.
+  Staff. Capt.        Capt. H.M. Farmer, Lanc. Fus.
+  2 Royal Fus.        Lt.-Col. H.C.B. Newenham.
+  Adjt.               T.D. Shafto.
+  1 Lanc. Fus.        Lt.-Col. H.V.S. Ormond.
+  Adjt.               Capt. C. Bromley.
+  1 Munster Fus.      Lt.-Col. H.E. Tizard.
+  Adjt.               Capt. H.S. Wilson.
+  1 W. Fus.           Lt.-Col. Rooth.
+  Adjt.               Major C.T.W. Grimshaw, D.S.O.
+
+The commander of the Division is General Hunter-Weston, R.E.
+
+The great harbour of Lemnos is gradually filling; we had about thirty
+troopships in the inner harbour, and before lunch seven were lying in
+the outer. It was a magnificent sight from the top of the hill I have
+mentioned.
+
+
+_April 14th._--Wednesday. Had a very slow day on board, feeling that I
+was badly in need of some hard physical exercise. No attack to be made
+to-day, that is evident, and I doubt if we are ready for it
+to-morrow. Orders are out for the usual drill to-morrow which now
+always consists of boating, landing, and climbing rope ladders
+swinging about in mid-air.
+
+After dinner I had a long talk with one of the ship's officers who had
+been in the navy for years, and is now attached to this boat to look
+after things naval. "The charge ashore" of the covering party he
+considers a vast mistake, and his idea is that the authorities have
+just discovered this too, and are reconsidering its advisability. A
+few machine-guns could wipe us all out before we get ashore. We are to
+be covered by the navy, but what is the use of big guns against
+individuals planted everywhere in trenches. However it is not for us
+"to reason why". My informant had been talking yesterday to the
+Brigade Major, and on asking him if we were still going to Gallipoli
+he said, "Oh, I think so".
+
+
+_April 15th._--Prepared this morning to go ashore with full equipment
+and lifebelt, but in the end no boat was available for the R.A.M.C.
+Just after breakfast I met a naval man on the stair leading down to
+the saloon, looking for the O.C. the troops, Col. Rooth, and he sent
+him a message through me, introducing himself as the commander of our
+covering ship. Looking over the rail I found H.M.S. "Cornwallis"
+painted on his steam-launch.
+
+6.15 p.m. Just returned from a five mile sail in a rowing boat, Morris
+and I being determined to find the "Marquette" if she was among the
+ships out in the offing, being anxious to get our letters, but she was
+not there. We sorrowfully wheeled about and returned, encircling the
+"Queen Elizabeth" with her eight 15-inch guns, then along to examine
+the German ship "Acane Herksman," which struck one of their own mines
+off Smyrna. A huge hole 7 or 8 feet wide had been blown in her bow
+which must have flooded her in a minute or so, but I forget how she
+was kept afloat. She was brought round here as a prize with her stern
+heavily loaded with sandbags which tilted her bow completely out of
+the water.
+
+Our row was a most enjoyable one, and the men rowed with a will, all
+expecting to get their home mail. The country round the bay was very
+beautiful with its green cultivated fields near the water, and
+complete circle of rugged hills, and the distant snowclad mountains
+away to the far North. All returned hungry, and while enjoying a cup
+of tea at a table of Engineer officers, we heard what is evidently the
+latest proposal about the invasion of Gallipoli. Instead of landing us
+from troopships we all go on battleships, which seems to us to be an
+improvement. We are also likely to land at three if not four different
+points at the same time. This new plan will likely take a few more
+days to develop, so that we may expect a few days' grace yet. We have
+very exact maps of Gallipoli on a large scale, with full accounts of
+all the possible landing places and the interior, with soundings round
+the whole peninsula, the nature and the amount of water to be expected
+at various points, etc.
+
+
+_April 16th._--Beautiful day; nothing stirring, even no fresh rumours
+afloat. Had a long sail to-day again with Whyte and twenty-five men in
+search of the "Marquette". Believing that the "Marquette's" new name
+was "B. 8," I boarded "B. 9," which has been here for a day or two,
+hoping the captain might be able to tell me something of her
+movements, but he thinks she has not left Alexandria. This is a
+terrible disappointment to us all, and as her load is mainly
+horse-flesh it is likely true. Horses would suffer badly lying in the
+harbour where the ventilation would be very bad and would mean death
+to many of them. I think I omitted to state that we lost nineteen
+horses between Avonmouth and Alexandria, this high death-rate being
+due to the want of proper ventilation.
+
+Whyte and I next went over a Hospital ship, the "Soudan"--which we saw
+in Malta, but was lying here on our arrival. She has four lady nurses,
+two of whom we saw. One can hardly imagine petticoats out here. We
+both agreed that the sight of them did us a lot of good.
+
+
+_April 17th._--Had breakfast at six, paraded at seven and stood on
+deck till 10.45 waiting our turn to cross to a collier that is to be
+used in the Gallipoli attack. The intention is to run her ashore at
+full speed, ploughing into the sands, when her load of 2000 men are to
+get overboard as best they can on to floating gangways. By a long
+circuitous route we all got into our places, and were packed close on
+the various decks which have had large square openings cut through the
+iron plates of the sides of the ship, and from these and the upper
+deck we have to decamp as quickly as possible.
+
+But there is now a rumour that the 89th Ambulance may not have the
+honour of participating in this dash. Whyte and I are greatly upset by
+this rumour which we hope to goodness is nothing but a mistake on
+Morris's part.
+
+Went out in the afternoon looking for the "Marquette," but she has not
+yet arrived. With some officers of the West Riding Engineers, Whyte
+and I visited the "Queen Elizabeth," the most powerful ship afloat,
+and went over her lower front turret, climbing by an iron ladder to
+the top, lowering ourselves through a manhole and clattering down on
+the floor behind the breeches of the guns. The muzzles of these guns
+look enormous, but I was completely thunderstruck when I saw the two
+great breeches side by side. They reminded me of two big engine
+boilers. They must be about 6 feet in diameter and are probably not
+less. The officer who took us round had a breech block swung back, and
+we were allowed to examine everything freely.
+
+
+_April 18th._--Started once more on the hunt for the "Marquette" (now
+B. 13) and found her at last out in the offing waiting for medical
+leave and orders to enter the harbour. Until she was medically
+examined we were not allowed on board, and had to yell to our friends
+on the upper deck and had a large mail bag lowered for the Ambulance.
+My letters had been looked out by Stephen, and these were lowered in
+his helmet at the end of a 2-inch rope.
+
+We enjoyed the sail over an absolutely smooth sea, and being Sunday we
+could hear and see that service was being conducted on several
+warships and troopers. That warlike tune "Onward! Christian Soldiers"
+was well played by a band on an Australian troopship, all singers and
+non-singers on our boat joining in. "Queen Elizabeth" is familiarly
+and affectionately known as "Lizzie" by all and sundry.
+
+
+_April 19th._--To-day is warmer than we have felt it since we left
+Mex. I have been observing all along how few birds are to be seen
+here. I saw a few small ones the day I was on shore, but I have never
+seen any of these flying over the bay or about the ships. The harbour
+gets very filthy, and highly "smelly". All refuse is dumped overboard,
+and pipes are continually discharging their filth from openings at
+various levels all round each ship. Food of all kinds, especially
+whole loaves and buns float about everywhere, enough to feed thousands
+of gulls, if they would only come along and scavenge. To-day I counted
+over thirty gulls in one flock, but I would not have believed before
+that there were so many about the whole bay.
+
+We had a call in the afternoon from our friends of the "Marquette"
+with another mail bag. I had one letter and an Aberdeen "Evening
+Express". Whyte and I returned with them and all had a very jovial
+dinner together. The latest news from H.Q. on the Cunarder "Andania"
+is that we are not to lose our post of honour after all. It was after
+nine when we started for our own ship and had a pleasant and noisy
+trip. We were challenged by "Lizzie" under whose stern we passed, with
+"boat ahoy," and we had to explain who we were. Not one of the ships
+is showing any light.
+
+Our "Marquette" friends told us of a narrow escape they had had. On
+their way from Alexandria they were immediately preceded by the
+"Manitou" (B. 12), which had three torpedoes fired at her by a Turkish
+torpedo boat, but at such close range that the torpedoes as they dived
+into the sea from the deck, went so deep that they passed under the
+ship. The "Manitou" is a sister ship of the "Marquette". Making sure
+that their end had come there was a panic, and as a boat was being
+lowered past the upper deck so many crowded on board that the davits
+broke and the whole mass crashed down on another boat already in the
+water, killing about forty.
+
+
+_April 20th._--In the afternoon I visited the village of Mudros on the
+south side of the harbour. There are several camps near this, and I
+first visited the French Foreign Legion where there were troops from
+many parts--Zouaves, Turcos, etc. I walked through the village which
+was very interesting. The money-making Greek is taking advantage of
+there being so many men about, and almost every house contains
+something for sale, with numerous newly erected wooden shops near the
+French quarters. Alcohol is cheap, a bottle of wine costing
+sevenpence. There were fig trees in every garden, and dried figs for
+sale, strung on string, which looked dry and filthy. Honey was much
+in evidence, this part of the world producing enormous quantities of
+this. The principal article of merchandise was Turkish delight. When
+examining various articles at a stall, I chanced to open a box of this
+and said "Turkish Delight!" "No, no, no," said the man, "Graeke
+Delight!" The name "Turkish" will not do at present.
+
+An old fellow, clean shaved except for an enormous moustache, took us
+over his windmill, and it was strange to see the great wooden wheels
+and wooden teeth all dry and creaking, no oil being used.
+
+The wind had risen and it cost us an hour and a half's hard pulling to
+cover less than a mile. A big gathering of men at the stern of our
+ship watched our perplexity and began to sing "Pull for the shore,
+sailor," which was replied to by volleys of oaths and threats of
+vengeance. By this time my hands were badly blistered, and we had
+smashed an oar so that our tempers were none of the best.
+
+
+_April 21st._--Marching orders were received this morning. They run as
+follows: "The object is to capture and dominate Kilid Bahr. The Royal
+Naval Division is to make a feint attack on Bulair. The Australians
+are to land at Kapa Teke. The 29th Division is to land at Helles
+Burnu. The French are to land at Kum Kale on the Asiatic side.
+
+"The 29th Division are to attack Kilid Bahr:--
+
+"A. A force to land at Eski Hissarlik.
+
+"B. A force west of Krithia.
+
+"C. A force on the rest of the south of the peninsula.
+
+"1. The first line of defence to be '114, '138, '141.
+
+"2. The second through the "e" of Old Castle to join hands with Y.
+Beach.
+
+"3. From Eski Hissarlik to East of Krithia to '472.
+
+"4. To capture Achi Baba and line running south of it.
+
+"5. To occupy a line running East of Achi Baba to the sea; and west of
+it to sea by 472.
+
+"The covering force is the 86th Brigade, the South Wales Borderers,
+1st King's Own Scottish Borderers, 2nd Hampshires less two companies,
+Plymouth Royal Naval Division, West Riding Engineers, 1st Section
+Royal London Engineers, and a tent-subdivision of the 87th Field
+Ambulance, and a part of a tent-subdivision of the 88th Field
+Ambulance, and three bearer-subdivisions of the 89th Field Ambulance.
+
+"A hot meal is to be taken before leaving the ship.
+
+"There will be a signal station at W. Beach, Divisional Head-quarters
+on the 'Euryalus'.
+
+"No water to be drunk till tested owing to the risk of its being
+poisoned."
+
+So ran the orders from our G.O.C. in C.--General Sir IAN HAMILTON.
+
+On going on deck before breakfast I found everything had been arranged
+for our departure this afternoon at four o'clock, and since then all
+has been hurry and bustle. But from early morning till about 3 p.m. it
+rained and the wind blew, and the whole world was in haze, and as it
+had been arranged that Gallipoli was to be well bombarded by our ships
+to-day before the army attempted a landing all had to be postponed for
+another twenty-four hours.
+
+
+_April 22nd._--To-day we gave the men their Iodine ampules for use
+with their first field dressings, and distributed General
+Hunter-Weston's address congratulating our Brigade on the honour done
+us on receiving the chief post of danger in the coming attack, which
+will likely be at daybreak on Saturday, April 24. Before the Turkish
+trenches can be reached by our men it is expected that they will have
+to get through a wire entanglement 25 feet wide and 6 feet high.
+According to the present plans we are to be preceded by the Royal
+Munster Fusiliers.
+
+There is great activity in Lemnos Harbour this morning, especially
+among the torpedo boats which have been flitting about at their
+hardest. No boats have been allowed to leave our ship for two days,
+the order being that this can only be done if to save life. Water,
+which we were much in need of, was brought on board last night, and we
+are ready to start off--and have been since yesterday at 4 p.m. the
+appointed hour. But it would be contrary to all my experience if we
+got away at the fixed time.
+
+Fiddes arrived from the "Marquette" at lunch time and brought my
+service cap, helmets having been recalled a week ago.
+
+Lord Kitchener sent us the other day an account of the fighting at
+Busorah, preparing us for what was before us. The Turks had fought
+desperately, were well trained, and well led, and could only be turned
+out of their trenches at the point of the bayonet.
+
+General Sir Ian Hamilton, Commander-in-Chief of the Mediterranean
+Force, sends us his address:--
+
+
+                                     "FORCE ORDER (SPECIAL),
+                                     "GENERAL HEAD-QUARTERS,
+                                     "_April 21, 1915._
+
+  "Soldiers of France and of the King!
+
+  "Before us lies an adventure unprecedented in modern war. Together
+  with our comrades of the fleet we are about to force a landing
+  upon an open beach in face of positions which have been vaunted by
+  our enemies as impregnable. The landing will be made good, by the
+  help of God and the Navy, the positions will be stormed, and the
+  war brought one step nearer to a glorious close.
+
+  "'Remember,' said Lord Kitchener, when bidding adieu to your
+  commander, 'Remember, once you set foot on the Gallipoli
+  Peninsula, you must fight the thing through to a finish'.
+
+  "The whole world will be watching our progress. Let us prove
+  ourselves worthy of the great feat of arms entrusted to us.
+
+                        "(Signed)  IAN HAMILTON, _General_."
+
+
+_April 23rd._--Spent most of the forenoon on the "Caledonia" (B. iii),
+which is lashed to our port side. Agassiz and Thomson arrived there
+yesterday with nineteen men, forming one tent-subdivision, and go with
+us.
+
+A different atmosphere pervades our ship to-day, a feeling of strain
+and anxiety is more or less on every mind, not that it would be
+apparent to an outsider except in a case or two. Bad news has leaked
+in all the time from the navy and our airmen, all the time this
+getting worse, such as the account that Gallipoli swarms with
+well-armed Turks, wire entanglements of great breadth and height
+everywhere, and, of course, trenches. We have plans of their trenches
+and gun emplacements, but these can only be roughly correct. Then
+yesterday the airmen made another reconnaissance, and they say they
+have found a great increase of guns. We may be outnumbered ten or
+twelve to one, and our having to face their well-defended positions in
+open boats is not altogether comforting, and naturally all feel a bit
+anxious. General Hare, our Brigadier, spoke to me on the "Caledonia,"
+and I thought he looked worried, and is thinner than when I saw him
+last at Coventry. Col. Rooth of the Dublins does not look over happy.
+He came down to lunch, had a look at the table, and went up to deck
+with a cigarette, and at the present moment he stands near where I am
+writing with both hands in his pockets, peering straight down the side
+of the ship into the waters. Those of us with less responsibility are
+certainly less troubled; all are prepared for great sacrifices, and
+every one is ready to play his part in what will certainly be a great
+tragedy.
+
+The particular part of the coast on which I land with the 89th Field
+Ambulance is a short way west of Sedd-el-Bahr, landing in the collier
+"River Clyde," on which there will be a force of 2100. I have already
+spoken about this boat. From what is going on I will be surprised if
+we do not leave Lemnos to-night.
+
+8.30 p.m. Off! We set sail from Lemnos at 4.57, two boats of the A.
+class going out before us, but these two anchored outside while we led
+straight on. On coming on deck after dinner we found three warships on
+our starboard side, said to be the "Swiftsure," "Dublin," and
+"Euryalus," all in line, no lights on them or us. Our port-holes are
+covered first with cardboard and the iron shutters are down over it.
+The sharer of my cabin (Lt. G.A. Balfour, a relative of the statesman)
+and I wonder if we should sleep on deck, the atmosphere here will be
+uncomfortably close. The evening as we started was perfect, warm and
+absolutely calm. Now the moon looks watery and has a big halo, and
+wind is prophesied by the ship's officers. We drag three large barges
+alongside which prevent our going at much speed, and it is expected
+that we will reach Tenedos about 3 a.m.
+
+
+_April 24th._--Saturday. Reached Tenedos and cast anchor at 9.30 a.m.
+We had been delayed by the wind rising and the waves dashed over our
+lighters till they were nearly swamped. On our east we have the coast
+of Asia with several high hills near the coast.
+
+All the transports--not many yet arrived but B. s. i., ii., and iii.
+form a little group--torpedo boats and destroyers, mine-sweepers, tugs
+and other small fry lie in a bay, and as if for defence, and no doubt
+that is their purpose, eight big battleships are drawn up in line
+facing the open sea. The famous "Horse of Troy," the "River Clyde,"
+lies near, and the thought of spending the coming night on her lowest
+deck is not attractive. She is painted khaki on one side I see, but
+only in patches, the idea evidently is to make her resemble a
+sandstone rock--all very ingenious no doubt, but she will make a good
+target in spite of her paint.
+
+I said yesterday that all the officers looked anxious, but in the
+evening all were their old selves exactly, and baccarat went on as
+usual among the younger officers who sang all their usual songs and
+yelled and laughed till midnight. I was in bed by ten and slept even
+better than usual, and it was with an effort I got up at 8 o'clock.
+The fact that I was in a new part and in the midst of a big fleet did
+not even seem to interest me very much. Nor does the thought of
+to-morrow disturb any one, and, as far as I can judge, it is not very
+often in one's mind.
+
+We lie on the north side of Tenedos, near the foot of Mount St. Elias.
+Several of us were guessing the height of this hill, and none put it
+at over 250 feet although its actual height is 625 feet.
+
+At 3 p.m. came a naval message ordering us all to be ready for
+transfer to our respective boats at 3.45--all hurry and bustle. I have
+loaded up and am at present guarding a pile of coats, water-bottles,
+etc., belonging to our men who have hurried off to the galley to get
+their last meal for the day. The sea has been rough all day but is now
+calmer, and there is every prospect of fine weather for to-morrow's
+murderous work. Away to the east the Asiatic coast is beautifully lit
+up by the setting sun, also the yellow rocks that stretch to Kum Kale
+on the south of the entrance to the Dardanelles, while the hills on
+Gallipoli are visible but in haze. From my present post I look over
+the Plain of Troy to the high mountains beyond. To-morrow it is to be
+Troy Field and the wooden horse of Troy all over again.
+
+10.30 p.m.--Arrived on coal boat at 6.30. Place in stern fitted up for
+officers' supper; two lime barrels and a few rough boards form table:
+whisky: tinned meat: biscuits: 2200 of us on board: all happy and fit.
+We start in two hours: only 12 or 13 miles to go: then anchor 1-1/2
+miles from land and wait for daylight and bombardment; then at proper
+moment rush in: said that coast is to be battered with 150,000 shells.
+Supper finished some time ago and am writing this in the mess I have
+just mentioned. Some sleeping or pretending; others smoking; I doing
+latter and sitting on board after trying to snooze with head on a big
+box and less high one in small of back; but too uncomfortable for
+anything, so whipped out my "bookie" and scribbled; light bad, only an
+oily lamp with glass smoked black, and nearly 20 feet distant. Queer
+scene altogether.
+
+
+_April 25th._--Sunday is just ten minutes old, and the ship's screw
+has started--we are off!
+
+_Later._--Still Sunday the 25th--5.15 p.m.
+
+Hell with the lid off! Yes, I know what hell is, nor do I believe
+anyone in the world knows better. To-day I have seen shells plunging
+through the ship's hold in which I was, carrying off heads and legs,
+but my pulse has not once given an extra beat. "My word, sir," said a
+tar coming up to me, "you have a nerve." Tars have no lack of nerve as
+I have seen to-day, and I felt vastly proud of the compliment. Three
+of our Generals are reported on the casualty list, and Col.
+Smith-Carrington shot through the head on the bridge of our ship.
+
+The bombardment commenced at 4.50 a.m. and was expected to carry on
+for an hour or a little over, but after twelve hours of the most
+terrific cannonade ever experienced in this world it has not yet come
+to an end. Now at 5.30 an occasional shot comes from a battleship.
+The constant roar has made my head ache, and I am dead tired, having
+worked hard all day, and I must give an account of this another day.
+
+
+_April 26th._--The battle of Sedd-el-Bahr still rages, and with a fury
+but little less than yesterday. Yesterday was a very hard day, after
+attending wounded almost continuously up to 8.30 p.m. I volunteered to
+go ashore to see the wounded on the beach. The dead and dying were
+here in hundreds. Before I got back to the ship at 4 this morning I
+had a very hot time of it, and cannot understand why I am not a dead
+man. We were told yesterday that a counter-attack was to be made and
+that the Turks intended to blow the ship to pieces with cannon, which
+they were to bring up in the night. When the attack did come I gave up
+all hopes of anything but slaughter, as the men we had on land were
+insufficient in number to meet a large force.
+
+About fifty men were leaving the ship when this started, and at the
+sound of the firing all fell flat on their faces, and if any one dared
+to move he was at once fired at. Some one on a barge next the small
+boat in which I had taken shelter asked if he could crawl into our
+boat, but I dared him or anyone else to move as such movement would
+only draw fire on every one of us. Not a man stirred, but lay on his
+face from midnight to 4 o'clock. It was not till the end of the attack
+that I learned these men had an officer with them. As I lay in the
+boat I shouted to them that an assault on us was likely, and ordered
+them to load and fix bayonets, and to see that all had plenty of
+ammunition. Extra bandoliers of cartridges were passed up from the
+rear, each pushing these along with a clatter. All this with the red
+cross on my arm! And with loaded revolver in hand I was prepared to
+die game.
+
+The wounds I saw yesterday were in every part of the body, and most
+were severe, and the death-rate in proportion to wounded will be very
+high, many having four or five wounds.
+
+Snipers are giving an extraordinary amount of trouble, the ground
+yielding itself to numerous hiding places overlooking our beach, about
+the rocks on our left as well as the immense old fort. The end of the
+fort nearest us is now but a jumble of huge stones and is an excellent
+place for snipers. A number of jackdaws and three huge storks had
+their dwelling here and have now to live pretty much in the heavens,
+circling over their old home in an excited condition.
+
+It is now but 11.30 a.m. and I have been having a rest preparatory to
+the advance we are to make this afternoon. I have not had a wink of
+sleep since the 24th.
+
+We join up with the French this afternoon. How the guns still thunder!
+The "Queen Elizabeth" with her 15-inch guns thundering over our heads
+as we rushed in past her at close quarters seemed to make our boat of
+6600 tons sink some way in the water at every broadside. I was
+surprised to find that the heavy gunfire gave me no trouble, although
+like most of the others I began with cotton wool in my ears, but half
+an hour of this was enough, it interfered with sounds it was necessary
+to hear.
+
+Here I am writing in the midst of one of the greatest battles in
+history. Any bombardment this world has ever known was a mere
+bagatelle to this.
+
+To-day we had a naval funeral of General Napier and Colonel
+Smith-Carrington. The former was killed on a barge attached to us, and
+the other on the bridge. No one is to be present but the Catholic
+padre. A number of men are to be buried at the same time. The orders I
+received stated that all bodies had to be got rid of before we
+advanced. A pinnace from a warship was signalled for and all were
+taken out to sea.
+
+Our advance from the shore began to-day about noon, our men lining out
+along the sands and the banks above, and gradually getting forward by
+short rushes. Barbed wire had also to be cut. But the advance through
+the village was the most difficult, as the remains of houses and
+garden walls contained snipers. I almost shiver to look back on a mad
+thing I did to-day--mad because it was done out of mere curiosity. I
+was asked to go to "Old Fort" beyond the village, near the outermost
+capture for to-day to see Colonel Doughty-Wylie and Major Grimshaw who
+were reported badly wounded. Both were dead, and as I was about to
+return I was next asked if I would go to a garden at the top of the
+village to see some wounded men. Afterwards I went right through the
+village alone, with only my revolver in my hand, and from the houses
+sniping was still going on. I had been assured that it was supposed to
+be safe. I peered into a number of wrecked houses--every house had
+been blown to bits--and I had not long returned when sniping commenced
+from a prominent corner house I had just passed. The only living
+things I saw in the village were two cats and a dog. I was very sorry
+for a cat that had cuddled close to the face of a dead Turk in the
+street, one leg embracing the top of his head. I went up to stroke and
+sympathise with it for the loss of what I took to be its master, when
+I found that the upper part of the man's head had been blown away, and
+the cat was enjoying a meal of human brains. The dog followed till I
+came upon three Dublin Fusiliers, who wished to shoot it straight away
+when I pleaded for it, but one of them had a shot at it when my back
+was turned and the poor brute went off howling. I had done my best,
+when going along the fosse of the "Old Fort," to save a badly wounded
+Turk from three of another battalion who were standing over him and
+discussing the advisability of putting an end to him, but I am afraid
+my interference was in vain here also.
+
+Away beyond the heights we have taken to-day the country is very
+pretty with plenty of trees and vegetation. Here I saw dead and
+wounded Turks in abundance, especially at some of their own wire
+entanglements, several wounded being stretched out on the wires. Their
+wire is very barbarous and has long, closely set spikes, and the
+position must have been anything but comfortable.
+
+Another counter-attack--the third--has just been made, and one of our
+battleships has joined in.
+
+The Dublins, whose officers I have associated most with, have only
+three of these left out of twenty-seven. I came across two of these
+to-day--Padre Finn, R.C. Chaplain, whom I knew well and greatly
+respected, I found at the edge of the sea, with his clothes thrown
+open exhibiting a wound in the chest. And in the village, all huddled
+up among long weeds and nettles I found a lieutenant who sat at my
+table on the "Ausonia"--Bernard. In both cases death must have been
+instantaneous.
+
+Here comes a fourth attack. Our boys are to have a night of it.
+
+To-day only about eighteen shells were fired at the "River Clyde" all
+from the Asiatic side, only one hitting. We were putting wounded on
+board at the time and most of the shots were directed against these
+operations.
+
+I have had no sleep since I left Tenedos, but to-night I feel very
+fresh, although the day has been long and busy.
+
+All who know are quite satisfied with to-day's progress, and the hope
+that the worst is over cheers one. To-morrow we will have to move on,
+we must keep the Turks on the run. Some of the prisoners taken to-day
+are German.
+
+(Being unable in my letters to my wife to give a full account of all
+that was doing, my diary was meant to fill in gaps, and as I had sent
+home a fairly full account of the landing much is omitted here, and I
+will give a more extended description as seen by myself. About this
+time in particular my diary had to be written at odd moments, and it
+was rare that I could go far without being disturbed, and writing a
+few sentences half a dozen times a day, or even oftener, often ended
+in a jumble.)
+
+Of the five British landings the one at Sedd-el-Bahr (V. Beach) was
+the most difficult and disastrous.
+
+On the 24th of April we were still lying at Tenedos, and in the
+afternoon were transferred to the "River Clyde". We learned the
+previous day that we were to land from this old coal boat that had
+been rendered so peculiar with her great, gaping holes, and khaki
+splashes on her starboard side. She had been an object of curiosity to
+us in Lemnos harbour, no one having any idea of her purpose.
+
+Before dark all the men were served with tea and food, which we were
+told was to be their last solid meal. Soon after this the men retired
+to rest in a hold near the stern which had been allotted to the West
+Riding Engineers and ourselves. The officers took up their quarters in
+the stern deck house, where we had cocoa, tinned meat, etc., after
+which we too tried to make ourselves as comfortable as possible in the
+most uncomfortable of all quarters, most shutting their eyes and
+pretending to be asleep.
+
+Our nerves were now fully strung, we knew we were on the very eve of
+the landing, which we were assured was to be rendered easy by the
+Navy, which had promised that their bombardment was to be so terrific
+that nothing the size of a cockroach would be left alive on the
+peninsula. We soon learned to our cost how difficult it was to
+substantiate this assertion.
+
+From Tenedos we were but a small party of ships. In the pitchy
+darkness we had fallen in with the bigger fleet coming direct from
+Lemnos, and as we crept along, every ship in total darkness, we could
+just make out other ships alongside us. One with big hull and unusual
+length of guns was immediately on our port. At close quarters there
+was no mistaking this for anything but a dummy warship.
+
+After a time the searchlight on the point of the peninsula could be
+seen sweeping its rays in long, regular flashes across the sea. By
+this time those ships that had furthest to go were ahead of us to the
+right and left. Just as the inky darkness was beginning to be
+dispelled there was a change in these lazy flashes. We were detected.
+At once they changed their long, comprehensive sweeps into sharp jerks
+from one ship to another as each hove into the rays. The searchlight
+soon went out, while hurried messages were no doubt being flashed over
+the wires to Constantinople and many points in our immediate
+neighbourhood, announcing our long-expected arrival.
+
+Soon the guns began to roar, the first I heard being to our left up
+the Gulf of Saros, but in a few minutes all the ships had joined in
+the chorus, from what was afterwards known as Anzac all round the
+point and some way up the Dardanelles. A grand roar such as the world
+had never heard. The peninsula was quickly one dense cloud of
+poisonous-looking yellow-black smoke, through which flashes of
+bursting shells were to be seen everywhere. It was truly a magnificent
+sight, and the roar of the guns stirred one's blood like some martial
+skirl from the bagpipes. The feeling one had was a longing for them to
+hurry up and do their work, and let us get at the Turk at close
+quarters.
+
+Our old ship crept slowly in through the ring of warships, took a
+circular turn just as we were passing through the line--apparently we
+were in too great a hurry--then we straightened our course and passed
+close past our covering ship, "Queen Elizabeth," the finest ship in
+the whole Navy, and which had been detailed to look after us. How her
+guns roared as she poured out broadside, as we passed by her port
+side, straight in on full steam for the strip of sand under the
+village and fort of Sedd-el-Bahr.
+
+Unable from our hold to see properly what was doing, I had spent most
+of the time on deck, and when about 200 yards from land I darted down
+below to warn the men to lie down in case we struck rock, when the
+impact would have been violent. I held on to a stanchion. We were fast
+in the sand before I was really aware that the ship was aground--there
+to lie for four years, to be shot at constantly whilst we occupied
+Gallipoli, but in spite of all her buffeting to serve many uses, and
+finally to become an object of veneration, "as holy as Westminster
+Abbey" some one says of her in "The Sphere". For the 2100 of us on
+board there was to be no retreat whatever happened. We had crossed the
+Rubicon and burned our boats.
+
+On board we had the 1st Munster Fusiliers, two companies of the 1st
+Dublin Fusiliers, one company of Hants, 100 marines, a few of the
+Signal Company, the West Riding Engineers, and 124 stretcher-bearers
+of the 89th Field Ambulance.
+
+We had been dragging along huge barges on either side, enough to form
+a couple of gangways, had they only behaved as was intended. When the
+ship struck, the momentum these had on should have been enough to keep
+them on their way till they grounded ahead of us, drawing but very
+little water as they did; but somehow or other this part was a
+failure, they grounded too soon, then broke away from each other. The
+men had then to get ashore in open boats manned by the marines we had
+on board. This was at once pushed on, boat after boat left the ship's
+side for the beach, perhaps 30 yards off, terrific machine-gunfire
+sweeping each boat.
+
+The first few loads escaped with comparatively few casualties, but
+soon the fire was so hot and accurate that practically not a man got
+to the shelter of the 10 to 12-foot high sandbank beyond the narrow
+strip of sand. About 300 yards to our left was a high projecting rock,
+a continuation of the high ground that closed in that side of the long
+slope of V. Beach, and from here came that infernal shower of bullets
+that was causing such terrible havoc. From the "Clyde" one could
+easily tell where the bullets were coming from by their sputter in the
+water.
+
+A constant stream of shells was being kept up all the time on this
+rock from the ships. The whole rim of V. Beach, as it stretched
+backwards for 500 or 600 yards, was searched time after time by high
+explosives, each shell bursting with accurate precision 5 or 6 feet
+under the crest. But the mischief was not coming from this crest, it
+was from that infernal rock alone, but in spite of all their efforts
+our guns could not silence this machine-gunfire.
+
+It was an extraordinary sight to watch our men go off, boat after
+boat, push off for a few yards, spring from the seats to dash into the
+water which was now less than waist deep. It was just on this point
+that the enemy fire was concentrated. Those who got into the water,
+rifle in hand and heavy pack on back, generally made a dive forward
+riddled through and through, if there was still life in them to drown
+in a few seconds. Many were being hit before they had time to spring
+from the boats, their hands were thrown up in the air, or else they
+heaved helplessly over stone dead. All this I watched from the holes
+in the side of the ship, but when not otherwise occupied, from the
+deck where I could see on all sides.
+
+But soon we of the Field Ambulance had other work to do. Many of the
+boats had all their rowers killed and never returned, others were able
+to push back, generally with most of their marines laid out, but with
+sufficient left to man a boat. Back they came to our starboard hole,
+and the wounded were lifted up to us and attended to. Repeatedly the
+whole of our floor was covered with wounded and dead men; a pinnace
+would arrive from a ship and relieve us of our wounded, but we filled
+up again almost at once.
+
+Along the water's edge there was now a mass of dead men, on the sand a
+mixture of dead and weltering wounded, while a fair number had reached
+the sandbank just beyond, where, under an enfilading fire from the
+rock, they scraped themselves into the recesses. Boats from the other
+ships were being towed in in threes by pinnaces, till close to the
+beach when the pinnaces wheeled about, and for the last short distance
+they had to trust to their oars. Those landing to our right and left
+as they came in from the other ships were faring no better than those
+from the "Clyde". One boat half-way to the rock, and which had been
+left stranded, had three men caught in the festooned rope that runs
+round the gunwale. Into this they had dived, probably as the boat
+heeled over to that side and the rope had floated outwards, and there
+they swung for the rest of the day, two not moving a muscle and
+evidently dead, but for long I could see the other poor fellow stretch
+out his arms time after time, but before evening he too was still.
+
+They still kept splashing on between the boats and the sand, dived
+forward and fell dead at once, or were drowned, till at last it was
+seen that it was useless to continue such slaughter to no purpose, and
+the landing at this point had to be given up for the time being.
+
+After the hellish morning we had had, the afternoon thus became
+comparatively quiet. Those who were still unwounded made for the ruins
+of the round tower of the fort, slightly to our right. Round this pile
+of stones they peered, looking for the Turk, who was always found,
+but here there were but few shots exchanged, as the Turks advanced our
+men made a rush backwards, or to the sands below, in time to prowl
+forward once more to have another look, and make the same rush back.
+
+Then came night with its full moon. An attempt was made to land more
+men about 8 o'clock. These were fired on and again we had to desist.
+
+About 8.30 an officer on shore made a dash for our ship, and on
+describing the terrible condition and suffering of the wounded who had
+been in the sandbank for about fourteen hours, I decided to go to
+their assistance. We had previously been officially warned that it
+would be impossible for any of the Ambulance to land before morning,
+but heedless of this I set off alone over the barges and splashed
+through the remaining few yards of water. Here most of those still
+alive were wounded more or less severely, and I set to work on them,
+removing many useless and harmful tourniquets for one thing, and
+worked my way to the left towards the high rocks where the snipers
+still were. All the wounded on this side I attended to, an officer
+accompanying me all the time. I then went to the other side, and after
+seeing to all in the sand my companion left me, and I next went to a
+long, low rock which projected into the water for about 20 yards a
+short way to the right of the "Clyde". Here the dead and wounded were
+heaped together two and three deep, and it was among these I had my
+hardest work. All had to be disentangled single-handed from their
+uncomfortable positions, some lying with head and shoulders in the
+tideless water, with broken legs in some cases dangling on a higher
+level.
+
+At the very point of this rock, which had been a favourite spot for
+the boats to steer to, there was a solid mass of dead and wounded
+mixed up together. The whole of these I saw to, although by this time
+there was little I could do except lift and pull them into more
+comfortable positions, but I was able to do something for every one of
+them. My last piece of work was to look after six men who were
+groaning in a boat stranded close to the point of the rock. Three lay
+on each side with their legs inwards; a plank ran the whole length of
+the middle of the boat, and along this as it rested on their legs, men
+had been running during the landing. Getting on this plank some of
+them howled in agony and beseeched me to get off. I then got into the
+water and as I could do nothing more for them, my dressings being
+finished some time before, I gave each a dose of morphia by the mouth.
+
+I had just finished and was standing waist-deep in the water when the
+Turkish counter-attack commenced with a volley from the distant end of
+the fort, not over 300 yards off. The only person the Turk could see
+was myself, the sandbank protecting the others from view, and at least
+seven or eight bullets spluttered round me in the water. I had been
+well warned that this counter-attack would take place at any moment,
+but I never gave it a single thought. It was in anticipation of this
+that the others clung to the shelter of the sandbank and I was left to
+work alone. I immediately splashed for a small boat that formed the
+end of one of the gangways, and into this I hauled myself. On looking
+at my watch I found it was just midnight, and that I had thus been at
+work for three and a half hours.
+
+Midnight had evidently been chosen by the Turk as the hour at which to
+attack, and also by us to make another attempt to land men. At this
+moment a body of our men were coming along the gangway, the first of
+them being close to this boat which was on a slightly lower level than
+the barges that formed the bulk of the gangway. The five foremost
+threw themselves into my boat and we lay stretched across the seats,
+the men on the barges lying down at once where they were. Here none
+of us had any protection, and it was a miracle any one of us escaped,
+the fire from machine-guns and rifles was so terrific. Each bullet as
+it struck the "Clyde" drove sparks, while the old ship was ringing
+like a great bell. Two of our six were hit, the man stretched
+alongside me fatally. A seventh man in the water hauled himself in
+beside us, and as he was getting over the gunwale shouted, "Oh! I am
+hit". Hit or not hit we could not pay the slightest attention to each
+other now, all we could do was to lie low.
+
+All this time I was expecting a rush for the "Clyde" by the Turks, and
+the boat I was in would be the first part of the gangway they would
+reach, and I could not help wondering what it would be like to get a
+bayonet through my stomach, but the feeling that this would certainly
+happen was not half so terrible as I should have expected. I had my
+revolver in my hand all the time, and it was a comfort to think that I
+would almost certainly account for two or three Turks before I
+experienced this new sensation.
+
+The fire was kept up for about four hours, mainly on the side of the
+ship. As soon as there was a lull an officer in my boat shouted out.
+"This won't do, we must now land, follow me." He got up and splashed
+ashore, but the men, thinking he had been too hasty, preferred to wait
+a little longer after the Turks had ceased fire, but soon they began
+to move and dash singly for the land. I wished to get on the ship, and
+not half liking to get into an upright position either, I crept
+through and over those still on the barges, amidst much cursing from
+my paining the wounded, who must have been numerous.
+
+I had had a strenuous and exciting day and night, and I must say I
+felt it a relief when I hopped through the nearest hole in the
+"Clyde". It was now 4 o'clock, and I shivered with cold. I had been
+soaked over the head, and lying four hours in the open boat in a cold
+night it was impossible to keep warm. A big, black cloud had floated
+up over the moon, and we had a fairly sharp but short shower of rain.
+By this time the moon was nearing the horizon, and it was when another
+cloud came over her face that I succeeded in reaching the ship.
+
+I found they had had a fairly trying time here too, although the
+ship's plates were thick enough to resist bullets. The noise of
+100,000 bullets showering on the sides of the "Clyde" had caused a
+deafening din, and many had the wind up badly, not knowing what was
+going on outside.
+
+The behaviour of the "River Clyde" had been a great puzzle to the
+Turks. She was not long aground when the guns on Kum Kale, across the
+Dardanelles, opened on us, and this fire was kept up the whole day--on
+us and us only as far as I could make out. It took them some time to
+get our range, and for a considerable time we were not hit, all the
+shells being shorts or overs. At last they got us, the first shell
+that hit going through our hold at an angle of 45 degrees, coming
+through the deck over our heads, and going out at the junction of the
+floor and side wall. In its course it struck a man on the head, this
+being splashed all through the hold. Another man squatting on the
+floor was hit about the middle of both thighs, one leg being
+completely severed, while the other hung by a tiny shred of skin only.
+He fell back with a howl with both stumps in the air.
+
+In five minutes a second shell entered our hold, wounding two or three
+where we were, mostly by the buckling of the floor plates, then
+passing down below to the lowest hold where many men were sheltering
+under the water line. Here six or seven were laid out.
+
+After this we had many narrow escapes, but I believe only two other
+shells actually struck the ship that day. By good luck none exploded
+in their passage through, otherwise the casualty list would have been
+very heavy. Many had been hit and killed on deck by machine-gun
+bullets, and many bullets had found their way through the small
+openings cut for working the twelve machine-guns that were placed
+there.
+
+(I have the kind permission of the author, a scholarly and
+much-respected member of our Corps, to insert the following poem which
+appeared in "The British Weekly" and one of the Aberdeen papers.)
+
+
+THE FACE OF DEATH.
+
+(_Dedicated to Lieutenant George Davidson._)
+
+    We shall not be the men we were before,
+      No, never while we draw this mortal breath:
+    For we have probed existence to the core,
+      And looked upon the very Face of Death.
+
+    Upon our famous collier, "River Clyde,"
+      We sat as men who wait the summons dread.
+    Brave soldiers fell, defenceless, at our side,
+      We, too, might soon be numbered with the dead.
+
+    With fateful frequency the shells did burst
+      Around and near the members of our Corps:
+    Within our hearts we asked, "Who'll be the first
+      To converse with his comrades never more?"
+
+    O never, never from our memory's page
+      Shall be erased these moments of despair:
+    An hour seemed an interminable age,
+      But, in His mercy, God our lives did spare.
+
+    We care not what the worldly wise may say,
+      We owe deliverance to the God of Heaven,
+    Whose Power Omnipotent the worlds obey,
+      'Gainst whose decrees mankind in vain hath striven.
+
+    Had He but chosen that our hour had come,
+      No scheming had availed our lives to save:
+    'Twas not the hour to call our spirits home,
+      The Lord must take, as 'twas the Lord that gave.
+
+    And not in vain were we to death brought nigh,
+      For He whose presence came our hearts so near
+    Hath taught us we can ne'er His Will defy,
+      But evermore should live in reverent Fear.
+
+    And men have scaled the sacred slopes of Prayer
+      Who ne'er before aspired to heights above:
+    And find the Universe divinely fair
+      Because 'tis governed by a Heart of Love.
+
+    GEORGE STEPHEN.
+
+    89TH FIELD AMBULANCE, R.A.M.C.,
+    GALLIPOLI, _24th May, 1915_.
+
+(The following is taken from my diary and dated August 3, 1916, just
+after we had landed in the Ypres salient to which the remains of our
+Division went after being wiped out in the great Somme fight the
+previous month:--
+
+"I have to-day received a copy of the Aberdeen 'Free Press,' dated
+July 28, where there is an article on Gallipoli by one of our
+transport men, G. Burnett, who is now a lieutenant in the Scottish
+Horse. It runs: 'It is scarcely fair to single out officers and men
+who did gallant service that first week, but I feel that I ought to
+mention the names of Lieutenant George Davidson, and Private Gavin
+Greig. Lieutenant (now Captain) Davidson gained the D.S.O. while Greig
+was promoted sergeant shortly afterwards. We were told that Lieutenant
+Davidson led a bayonet charge, but he certainly did go into
+Sedd-el-Bahr, revolver in hand, to look for curios when there was yet
+great danger from snipers. And he used to go up towards the Turkish
+trenches, gathering flowers which he would show us on his return.
+Every man of us would have followed him anywhere. I recollect going
+out to help the bearers to take in some wounded, when the party of
+which I formed a member fell in with Lieutenant Davidson. "Oh," he
+said, "would you men like to look for wounded on the hill-side?"
+"Yes," we answered. "Well, follow me," and we did until an officer
+forbade us to go any further.'"
+
+The D.S.O. never materialized. I am assured a Cairo paper announced
+that it did, and I was often congratulated on the honour. But, as
+Artemus Ward would say, "Please, Mr. Printer, put a few asterisks
+here".)
+
+
+_April 28th._--Yesterday was spent dodging shells, with a short
+advance in the evening, and I had not time to write up my diary. At
+the present moment I am out reconnoitring alone, my post being the top
+of the high cliff west of our landing place, where the snipers gave us
+so much trouble, and I sit on the slope of the two gun battery which
+has its big Krupp guns dismantled, the result of the naval battering a
+few weeks ago.
+
+A great advance on Krithia has begun, the various combatant units
+having already moved off, or are busily preparing. Those already over
+the ridges near the south point of the peninsula are having the
+attentions of the Krithia guns, a constant stream of shells coming
+from there. Many are also landing about our beach where the enemy
+knows large bodies of troops are still landing. All our sea monsters
+are busy off the whole point of Gallipoli, so far up the Dardanelles,
+and round the west coast. The air vibrates, and the roaring echoes all
+round never cease. And over all is a brilliant, scorching sun, the air
+otherwise a dead calm, and not a ripple on the Aegean. In spite of
+this calm a terrific day is in progress for the Turk and us, but we
+hope to make a great advance before night towards the capture of the
+forts at the Narrows. All round where I sit the ground is ploughed up
+with great holes, some beside this battery the largest of any, big
+enough to completely hide a horse and cart. Pieces of shell of several
+hundredweight lie about. The precision of our gunfire has to be seen
+otherwise one could not believe how accurately they can hit a small
+object miles off. The very birds have got accustomed to the din, and
+on the face of the rocks where I sit is a pair of exquisite
+birds--probably jays--flitting about as though nothing unusual was
+going on. The variety of birds is not great, but all are new to me and
+have interested me greatly, so also have the flowers, which are very
+fine. I was specially taken with a big light purple rock rose, nearly
+three inches across, and in great abundance.
+
+From this place of vantage I have watched our beach for some time, but
+as our services are not likely to be much needed here I must return to
+our Ambulance which lies to the east of the rock, and we must follow
+our Brigade (86) shortly.... Back and seated here again. The van of
+the Munsters arrived at this spot before I left, and dodged and ducked
+at every shell. On Sunday and Monday they had 286 casualties,
+including most of their officers. They still stream past just behind
+me, with the Lancs. and others. The Lancs. had suffered very badly at
+W. Beach, while the Dublins lost 550, with twenty officers out of
+twenty-three. Four Dublin officers sat at my table on the "Ausonia
+"--two are dead, the other two wounded.
+
+
+_April 29th._--I had no time to finish my account of the day's doings
+yesterday. It was too soon for our Ambulance to go out so I spent part
+of the forenoon at the General's Observation Hill with General Reeks,
+who was afterwards joined by General Hunter-Weston. By way of excuse
+for being there I was waiting to see how our attack on the Turks was
+getting on to see when I could get off with my bearers. The A.D.M.S.
+Colonel Yarr, was also present. By 5 a.m. the attack had stretched
+right across the peninsula, the French on our extreme right, next the
+Hants and Lancs., with Munsters and Dublins on the left. A furious
+cannonade went on for many hours, we advancing slowly till we were
+near the foot of Achi Baba, when the Hants ran short of ammunition and
+had to retreat, the French of course retiring also. Things were really
+looking bad for a time, and rumours of defeat were soon afloat.
+Ammunition at last coming up, we could get on, but during the retreat
+which had to be carried out over an open piece of ground, the want of
+shelter was the cause of very heavy casualties.
+
+By 1 p.m. wounded began to pour past our camp from the 88th Brigade,
+and, although it was not our Brigade, I went up to their front with
+all the bearers, Morris remaining behind. We were able to do a lot of
+work, collecting the wounded beside a water supply, nearly two miles
+from where we started. After a time I left the men where they had
+plenty of work, and went forward by myself for some distance, past the
+"Five Towers," meeting scores of walking cases and assisting where I
+could. Shells, especially from the Asiatic side, were numerous, three
+big ones bursting quite near me. After a time I ordered the men to
+load their stretchers and had some trouble with a General who insisted
+on our remaining, but about this time we were to go out to our own
+Brigade, and I marched them off all fully loaded. Things were not
+looking too well and the General wished to get the wounded collected
+as quickly as possible. But we had to go, we had been ordered to a
+point further to the left "about 4 o'clock".
+
+The A.D.M.S. had seen Morris and suggested that I should not go out
+again, so I remained behind and formed a Divisional Collecting Station
+for all cases that passed the lighthouse. Morris now went out with his
+men, mine remaining to assist me. We soon had several hundreds through
+our hands, largely stretcher cases which we arranged in rows in front
+of the ruins of the lighthouse, till we had more than we could do
+with, and soon had to forward most of our cases to W. Beach. At
+midnight we still retained about thirty-five cases, and all had to be
+nursed and protected from the bitterly cold wind and rain as best we
+could. The men willingly parted with their own coats and ground
+sheets, and some even their tunics. We all spent a most miserable
+night, and I never all my life felt the cold so acutely. But by
+morning, in spite of this, most of the wounded had recovered from the
+initial shock and were much brighter, and we had them forwarded to the
+88th H.Q.
+
+The chief reason for our not retaining over night a much larger number
+was that most hopeless accounts of the battle were being received from
+the wounded, that all our line was in retreat and that before morning
+we would be forced back to the sea, if not to our boats. I called for
+volunteers, at the suggestion of Major Bell, to go out and assist, and
+a number went off at once with their stretchers and did yeoman
+service, some not returning till 3 a.m. The Turks had been mutilating
+the wounded--at least so it was said--and we were anxious none should
+again fall into their hands.
+
+Through the night firing was heard a very short distance off, but this
+was only from a few snipers who had somehow got through our lines.
+
+By daylight the weather got warmer, and except for naval firing the
+29th was a day of rest. Whyte had been detached from the
+stretcher-bearers before the landing and was in the tent-subdivision
+that landed at W. Beach. He wished to have a little more excitement
+and he and I exchanged places, I now joining Thomson at W. Beach.
+Thomson, Whyte, and their nineteen men had done much work at the
+landing and had a very hot time. After four days and nights of hard
+work, although I could not say I was tired, I felt that a rest might
+be advisable, but the thought of leaving the bearers, even for a day
+or two, was depressing.
+
+
+_April 30th._--A slack day in a way, although I have been on my feet
+since early morning. A great number of shells have landed near our
+camp at W. Beach at various times to-day, coming from Krithia or Achi
+Baba. It is strange how many shells may land in the midst of closely
+packed men and horses and little or no damage be done--but there are
+exceptions.
+
+In the afternoon a hostile aeroplane flew over us--not the first
+time--which dropped three bombs at an anchored balloon we have
+floating just off the coast. It missed and received a fierce cannonade
+from a number of warships but escaped, apparently untouched, and was
+able to report to the Turks that our landing places would make a
+splendid target, and the firing, which had been fitful before, now
+became continuous for a time. One man only was hit. About 12 yards
+from the opening of my dugout one plunged into the ground with a
+terrific crash. Thomson and I reconnoitred for a mile or so to the
+north to view a spot to which we had been ordered to shift our camp,
+probably to-morrow.
+
+Last night, not being altogether in the open, I expected a comfortable
+night, but it was intensely cold, as the nights here always are, the
+very hot days making the cold noticeable. By day the sun is always
+scorching hot, and I am absolutely nut-brown and my nose painfully
+burned.
+
+On all sides I still hear of fresh casualties. The battalions I have
+been connected with have been nearly wiped out--the Munsters and half
+the Dublins at V. Beach, the Lancs. and the other half of the Dublins
+at W. Beach, and the Royals at X. Beach. Our total casualties are put
+at over 4000. We must have reinforcements before we can do much more,
+and within the next two days 20,000 are expected from Egypt.
+
+Last night when some one shot a dog at Sedd-el-Bahr the French thought
+the Turks were on them and they opened fire on their own men, several
+being killed and wounded.
+
+
+_May 1st._--More or less idle all day, all resting before the proposed
+attack on Achi Baba. In the afternoon we had a visit from an enemy
+aeroplane again, which dropped a bomb 40 yards from my "funk hole,"
+and 4 yards from what had been taken for a pile of ammunition boxes
+but was really provisions--only damage, a big hole and a vile smell.
+
+
+_May 2nd._--Very fierce fighting all last night and the whole of
+to-day on the south slopes and ridges of Achi Baba, the Turks first
+charging and repulsing the French, Munsters, and Lancs. The firing
+from the sea, the French 75's and our 60-pounders was incessant,
+especially during the night. The Turks were finally driven back, but
+Krithia and the hills are still in their hands. I spent most of the
+night watching the progress of events, while the bearers, to whom I am
+unfortunately not attached to-day, were out at 1 a.m. Our casualties
+are not excessive considering the nature of the fight, while the Turks
+are said to have lost thousands from our artillery fire. Getting
+impatient at being out of it I succeeded in getting eight of the
+tent-subdivision out as bearers at 1 p.m. and I visited a good deal of
+the battlefield, as far as our reserve, where I found the Indians
+waiting for night duty and a likely attack from the Turks, or, as is
+half expected, we may offer a vigorous offensive.
+
+Yesterday V. and W. Beaches had a hot attack by shell fire from the
+Asiatic, Krithia, and Achi Baba guns, about fifty shells landing in W.
+where our Ambulance has now formed its base. The damage done was
+slight. Two shells in quick succession exploded exactly over the heads
+of Thomson and myself when we were crossing the beach, both times
+something hitting me about the shoulders. These shrapnel shells are
+doing little harm, I had likely been hit by pieces of the material (a
+resin) in which the bullets are embedded. The smell was the worst of
+them.
+
+Most of our transport came ashore to-day for the first time, and we
+are now eager to have our mails which are on board the "Marquette,"
+but I doubt if anyone will take the trouble to send them over to us.
+
+At 8 p.m. Thomson, myself, and fifty-six bearers set off to bring in
+wounded from a point 3 miles north of our Beach, and very nearly in a
+line with the Turkish and our firing lines. It was moderately dark
+when we started, but such a large body of men might have been visible
+to the enemy at some distance, and we spread out into a long line. All
+went well, but at several points to which we were directed as our
+destination we were always told the wounded were further on, and we
+began to think we were never to find them. We were getting very near
+the Turks' lines, and Thomson and I had various deliberations about
+the advisability of going further, but I was always determined to go
+on. At last we got a guide, but his idea of the whereabouts of the
+wounded was most hazy; all he knew was that they were collected in a
+nullah somewhere not far off. We came on a nullah at last and walked
+along its high steep banks, calling if anyone was at the bottom, in a
+voice not too loud owing to our proximity to the Turks. Just as we
+found them the fighting on our immediate right became very violent,
+the artillery and rifle fire being a perfect roar. Star shells were
+thrown over us, and we hid in the nullah while we were loading the
+stretchers and raising them to the top of the bank. Each stretcher
+squad made off at its hardest as soon as its patient was passed up.
+Thomson and I saw them all off, then had to cross an open piece of
+ground where three bullets were fired among our feet evidently by a
+sniper who was no distance away. This made us hurry still more, then
+the nullah had to be crossed to the south side. I stood in the middle
+of it, half-way to the knees in water and assisted ten stretchers
+across. Things all the time got hotter and hotter, the various
+batteries all belching forth at their hardest, star shells and rockets
+got still more numerous, and a searchlight from the Dardanelles side
+of Achi Baba swept the whole valley as far as our camp on W. Beach. It
+was a terrifying night and I was very happy to get all the men landed
+in camp at 10.15 safe and sound. Most of them enjoyed the little bit
+of sport, but Thomson overheard one of them remarking that although
+Lieut. Davidson didn't seem to know what fear was he had no business
+to bring them there. The bearers were under me and I was responsible,
+and I admit the charge was just; we had gone too far at such a time.
+
+
+_May 3rd._--Only occasional firing to-day. I went out with Kellas and
+Agassiz to show them the way to a point fixed on as a dressing
+station. After much wandering about admiring the flora of Gallipoli
+with Kellas we chose a spot which is unfortunately near one of our
+batteries. An officer there told us they intended to give the Turk a
+hot night and this will draw the enemy's fire about our new station,
+and as this is the first night ashore of these two officers I hope
+they will enjoy it. They arrived from the "Marquette" this morning
+along with Lt.-Col. Th. Fraser.
+
+We had our usual visit from an enemy aeroplane this morning. Repeated
+shots went after it but away it flew towards the Narrows. The Asiatic
+guns have given us no trouble for two days. Commander Samson is said
+to have reported that two of these are disabled.
+
+
+_May 4th._--As far as the weather goes every day has been perfect
+since we came to Gallipoli--maximum of sun absolutely, and cloudless
+sky by night always, except on two occasions.
+
+We still wait for reinforcements which, however, are arriving, many
+French troops landing at V. Beach. Our men are due from Egypt to-day.
+Last night the artillery and rifle fire was again constant, especially
+on our right, where the French lines were again driven in by the
+Turks, but during the day they are said to have recovered their lost
+position.
+
+Two aeroplanes passed over us to-day, one firing three bombs, the
+other two--no damage. Our aeroplanes were also active, circling time
+after time round Achi Baba at a height of perhaps 5000 feet. From 110
+to 120 shots were fired at one of ours, all missing. An aeroplane came
+down just behind our camp for orders. We had no aerodrome nearer than
+Tenedos before. Here we have prepared a landing place, which is
+beautifully level, but being exposed to gunfire we cannot retain our
+machines over night, all have to return to Tenedos.
+
+We have had notice this afternoon that our Brigade, the famous 86th,
+no longer exists as a Brigade. After its wonderful feats of bravery we
+have heard this with the greatest sadness, but some of the battalions
+being reduced to a fourth or a fifth of their original strength, and
+the officers killed and wounded in a still greater proportion, there
+was no help but to amalgamate with the other two Brigades of our
+Division--87th and 88th. The Company of Hants who were with us on the
+"River Clyde" did well. No unit in the whole Division receives greater
+praise for its work than the Royal Scots (Queen's Own Edinburgh).
+
+According to the original programme the French were to land on the
+Asiatic side and advance up that side of the Dardanelles, but this
+they either failed to do or we had enough work for all on this side,
+and the right wing of the advance was assigned to them, and this they
+still hold. From the point of Gallipoli to the top of Achi Baba is a
+distance of 5 miles, and before we take that it is expected that
+several thousand of our men will bite the dust.
+
+The troublesome gun somewhere near Kum Kale has been more successful
+to-day I hear, her bag being three men and nine horses on V. Beach.
+Well do I know the whizz and thud of her shells--sounds all their own.
+This gun is mounted either on rails behind rising ground, where she
+can move sideways after firing a few rounds, or is on a disappearing
+platform.
+
+
+_May 5th._--The attack on Achi Baba was to have commenced to-day at 10
+o'clock, but the first cannon roar was not heard till 11, when all
+belched forth at the same minute. There seemed to be batteries
+everywhere, the French 75's being specially noticeable all day, along
+with some other field guns of theirs which had a peculiarly sharp
+bark.
+
+The Ambulance was unable to do anything till afternoon, when we got in
+touch with the Regimental Aid Post of the Lancs. and with the Drake
+and Plymouth Battalions, whose wounded we were responsible for. With
+us all went well, although some stretcher squads I was with had a
+narrow escape, two shrapnel shells bursting immediately over our heads
+and kicking up a dust all round us.
+
+Our transport men, who had nothing to do with carrying the wounded--by
+hand at any rate--requested me to get them some excitement, and "the
+hotter the better," and their deputy gave me a list of those eager for
+this. I took them up the lines as far as we were allowed, and it was
+with difficulty I kept them from going still further when they heard
+that out in the open there were wounded who could not be reached by
+the Regimental bearers on account of shrapnel. When we reached our
+own front line we found there was a small party of men along a water
+course still further out. Mainly for a "lark" we determined to go out
+to these to see if they had any wounded. The water course was dry
+except for green, stagnant pools, and coming on a deep and very filthy
+one I decided to mount the bank and make a rush for it. All made
+similar rushes, one at a time, and all of us were fired at at short
+range. We reached the small outpost of about a dozen men lying on
+their stomachs and got roundly sworn at, the small hole they were in
+could not hold us all and we had to show ourselves, which brought a
+torrent of bullets about the ears of all of us. It was a very
+enjoyable and exciting little outing. These men would have gone all
+the way to the Turkish lines with pleasure.
+
+Those in authority are well pleased with the progress made, the left
+wing being pushed well forward. The weather during the day was bright,
+but windy, and with horses and wagons at the gallop the dust was very
+troublesome, the whole scene being often blurred. Towards evening the
+cold was intense. What wind we have had here has always been from the
+north, and at night it might be blowing over snow.
+
+
+_May 6th._--A furious attack was commenced by us at 11 p.m. on the
+Turkish right, while the French attacked their left. Judging by the
+increase of the Turks heavy fire they must have brought up more heavy
+guns. Rumours about Krithia being captured floated in, but I could
+never believe this, our pouring a constant stream of shells into the
+village proves that it was not in our hands. The truth seems to be
+that the Royal Scots pushed into it, and, while following the
+retreating Turks into a wood on the left, had one or more machine-guns
+turned on to them which mowed down over 200, while the remainder had
+to retreat.
+
+One of our men got wounded to-day by a shrapnel bullet which followed
+round the bend of one of his ribs.
+
+I paid a visit this afternoon to our old ship, the "River Clyde," and
+during the ten minutes I was there three shells were fired at her.
+During my short absence from W. Beach for this purpose three had
+landed there, presumably fired at two of our aeroplanes which had
+alighted behind us. Only one of the shells did any damage and it
+smashed a limbered wagon to matchwood. All came from Asia.
+
+
+_May 8th._--My goodness, such a rattle. Since Sunday, April 25, I
+doubt if I have heard its equal.
+
+Krithia is not yet ours in spite of the awful loss of life its
+attempted capture has cost us. Batteries, right and left, in front and
+behind all commenced a simultaneous roar at 5.30 p.m. A fairly hot
+fire had gone on since 10 a.m., but 5.30 had been fixed for a more
+furious cannonade, timed no doubt with an infantry attack on Krithia.
+The whole of that part and the whole face of Achi Baba reek, with
+denser clouds, every here and there. The roar is simply grand, and one
+cannot help glorying in the tremendous power of man's devilment. I
+wish they could make twice as much noise.
+
+
+_May 9th._--I had to stop the above account of the day's doings
+suddenly and go out with the stretcher-bearers when we had a terrible
+time--hard work up to 1 a.m. and most of the time to the music of
+bullets about our ears. And amidst all the din and roar of battle a
+nightingale sang the whole day and still more sweetly all through the
+next night, perched in a clump of trees we had repeatedly to pass on
+the way to the Regimental Aid Posts of the Lancs. and Plymouth and
+Drake Battalions--such a contrast of sounds!
+
+_Later._--It is now 7.30 p.m. and the sun has gone down in a red glow
+behind the rugged mountains of Imbros as viewed from the entrance of
+my dugout. It has been a glorious day, uncomfortably warm, but calm
+and without dust, which has been disagreeable for a day or two. I have
+just had a bathe in the Aegean, which I was much in need of, this
+being the first time I have taken off my clothes since I left Lemnos.
+Walking along the beach I picked up a photograph of a chubby baby, the
+darling of some one no doubt. He will miss this link with home.
+
+The Turks have had little stomach for fighting to-day. Sniping has
+gone on, of course, and occasionally a regular fusillade, but to us
+the day on the whole has been peaceful. From 5 a.m. we have been very
+busy among the Australian wounded, these being the principal sufferers
+in yesterday's fight, owing, it is said, to their charging with the
+bayonet at an inopportune moment. Many of their senior officers passed
+through our hands, and their men, fine, big fellows, in large numbers.
+
+Thomson and I were in charge of our dressing station at the "Five
+Towers" from 9 a.m. yesterday till noon to-day, and were busy the
+whole time, except from about 1 to 5 a.m. to-day, when we lowered
+ourselves into a trench and tried to sleep.
+
+Last night I started to go as far out as possible with five stretcher
+squads, but in the dark it is difficult to move, nearly every spot is
+taken up by men, horses, and transport, and you are continually
+challenged by sentries. After showing our men across a brook with a
+dark lantern, some others crossing with stretchers asked for a light,
+and as soon as I threw a flash on the water a bullet whistled past me
+from a sniper who must have penetrated our front line. I heard the
+whistle of many a bullet at close quarters yesterday, and to-day big
+shells have fallen on all the four sides of our dressing station,
+coming from Achi Baba.
+
+Yesterday when the battle raged at its worst a telegram was handed to
+me, and read: "Good luck and fondest love--Mabel," and the date was
+April 2 (March 16 it should have been). This had followed me all the
+way from Avonmouth where it failed to find me as I was leaving for
+this expedition.
+
+The amount of horrors Thomson and I came through yesterday and this
+morning was most sickening and depressing to both of us. The
+Australian Aid Post was a perfect shambles, about an acre of stretcher
+cases, horrible wounds, and all the surroundings soaked with blood.
+But such brave fellows!
+
+
+_May 10th._--We were very busy last night erecting tents for wounded,
+being the overflow from the casualty clearing station, which, along
+with the hospital ships, is absolutely full. We had sixty-seven to
+find shelter for and succeeded. Two died during the night, and
+nineteen more in other parts of the camp. Thomson and I were still on
+duty and we were busy changing dressings, setting fractures, etc., up
+to 2 p.m. to-day, when an order came to evacuate completely to a
+hospital ship which had arrived. Welcome news! This gave us an
+afternoon's rest which we much needed. I spent the time making
+"couples" for our dugout, which was arched over before with two
+stretchers interlocking at a slope.
+
+The chief topic of conversation to-day is the brilliant dash of the
+Australians on the 8th, in their bayonet charge over 300 yards of
+ground without cover. The Turks with five machine-guns mowed them
+down, but they dashed on. Their casualties were about 2000. We were
+all eager to assist them, their own Ambulances being unable to cope
+with the work.
+
+
+_May 11th._--What we know as "Helles" is the point of the peninsula as
+far north as Achi Baba. It is five miles long, and varies from two to
+four in width. The whole valley is saucer shaped, with a more or less
+complete high edge, except at a small part on the Dardanelles side,
+where the land shelves to the sea at Morto Bay, this low lying part
+being moist and fertile, with fairly heavy timber and huge downy
+topped reeds 12 feet high. Across this valley there has once been an
+aqueduct--perhaps centuries ago--the "Five Towers" being the remains
+of the structure. While Achi Baba remains in the hands of the enemy
+there is not a safe inch in what we occupy, the whole being within
+easy gunfire.
+
+Thomson and I are at present at the Five Towers Dressing Station for
+twenty-four hours' duty. From the amount of heavy gun ammunition that
+is being hurried past us we expect a heavy bombardment this afternoon,
+with a repetition of the trying work we had when last on duty.
+
+A Frenchman has just come into our station with half a loaf under his
+arm. Great excitement! We were all willing to purchase it at any
+price, but he handed it over to one of our men who had been hobnobbing
+with him in the morning. All are deadly sick of army biscuits, the
+only form of bread we have, hard as the nether millstone and
+tasteless. The only decent food we have is McConnachie's ration of
+meat and vegetables, which is excellent cold or hot, or as soup.
+
+7.30 p.m.--Had a weary day--little doing. Thomson in very low spirits,
+thinking everything is going wrong. News we get from a padre is that
+in France everything goes badly. Pirie, M.O. to the Lancs, has just
+looked us up and reports no progress here. We are certainly making
+little speed, and it is now announced, whether correctly or not, that
+Achi Baba is to be besieged into submission by starvation if
+necessary, owing to the great loss of life a direct attack would
+entail. In the afternoon I went out with a few bearers to the Lancs.
+Aid Post to find they had gone into reserve for forty-eight hours, a
+rest they much needed. Shells were coming fast and furious round us, a
+battery we had to pass being the object of attack. Two big shells fell
+very near our dressing station this afternoon, a pile of stores being
+taken for ammunition boxes, the first shell landing among these with
+terrible crash, and destroying a lot of jam. Rather a hot bombardment
+of Krithia goes on to-night, while a number of Tommies are enjoying a
+game of football close to our camp.
+
+
+_May 12th._--At 8 p.m. yesterday a message reached us that the 29th
+Division had been withdrawn to give them a much-needed rest of
+forty-eight hours. We accordingly packed up and returned to our camp
+at W. Beach, and lucky for us we did, as it rained heavily during the
+night, and we had shelter against showers in our dugouts. On the whole
+very little fighting went on to-day till 6 p.m. when our big guns all
+along the line bombarded Krithia and the face of Achi Baba.
+
+When studying our camp fires this morning before daylight I concluded
+that we really had made but little progress since April 28, and a
+Lancs. officer I saw this afternoon agrees with this conclusion. Still
+we are said now to have about 100,000 men here, while I cannot believe
+the enemy has anything like that number, but while they are on the
+defensive, with their well-planned trenches and the best positions,
+and possessing, as they do, a large number of machine-guns, the cost
+in life entailed by an open attack would be very costly to us.
+
+Three shells giving out coal-black smoke, and bursting with a terrific
+crash, were fired at our beach to-day, but, as far as I know, without
+damage. They all burst high in the air and with an unusual sound. (The
+first of the "Black Marias" or "Jack Johnsons" although we had been
+accustomed to other forms of high explosive shells.)
+
+The following "special order" from General Sir Ian Hamilton of
+to-day's date came this afternoon: "For the first time for eighteen
+days it has been found possible to withdraw the 29th Division from the
+fire fight. During the whole of that period of unprecedented strain
+the Division has held ground or gained it, against the bullets and
+bayonets of the constantly renewed forces of the foe. During the whole
+of that long period they have been illuminating the pages of military
+history with their blood. The losses have been terrible, but mingling
+with the deep sorrow for fellow-comrades arises a feeling of pride in
+the invincible spirit which has enabled the survivors to triumph where
+ordinary troops must inevitably have failed. I tender to Major-General
+Hunter-Weston and to his Division, at the same time my profoundest
+sympathy and my warmest congratulations on their achievement."
+
+                        "(Signed)  IAN HAMILTON, _General_."
+
+
+_May 13th._--Resting all day--but already have had enough of the
+prescribed forty-eight hours' rest. It was besides rendered
+uncomfortable by a very hot shelling in the afternoon. It is said the
+Turks have placed a new disappearing gun in position, which is doing
+this, and is firing high explosives with jet black smoke. They have
+our range to an inch from Achi Baba. At least twenty-four shells were
+fired at our Beach with a very creditable bag--three men killed, two
+mortally wounded, twelve severely wounded, and about fifteen horses
+and mules killed. I saw the remains of some poor brutes that had been
+standing in a group when a shell fell among them. There was really
+nothing left but a large red patch. Numerous pieces of shrapnel fell
+among our tents. A piece whistled between Thomson and myself on our
+way to attend a wounded officer near the lighthouse.
+
+Later in the day I heard the Turk had got a larger mixed bag than I
+have stated. I now hear as a fact that sixty-four horses and mules
+were killed on our Beach.
+
+H.M.S. "Goliath" was sunk by a torpedo at the mouth of the Dardanelles
+at 2 a.m. to-day; 200 are said to have been saved which means a
+death-roll of 500 or 600.
+
+We hear that one, if not three, German submarines have passed Malta.
+The big fleet lying off the coast has always been brilliantly lit, but
+to-night all are in absolute darkness, except the hospital ships which
+are still showing their long rows of green lights.
+
+
+_May 14th._--The shelling we got yesterday has made us all think, and
+we all set to to-day and dug ourselves in deeper, the wagons going to
+Sedd-el-Bahr and bringing beams and boards from the ruins, and with
+these we are to make roofs strong enough to resist splinters. By 3
+p.m. some of us had nearly finished and were getting disappointed that
+our funk holes were not being put to the test. By 4 o'clock we got
+more than we wanted, then before 5 one of our aeroplanes came to grief
+immediately behind us. Then commenced a terrible cannonade on this new
+target, and one big shot alighting just inside the entrance of one of
+our operating tents it was blown into tiny shreds, and ten stretchers
+were riven into matchwood. Strange to say, although this was in the
+middle of our camp not a soul was injured. The excitement was of
+course great, every little bit of shell and every tatter of the tent
+were carefully gathered to be kept as souvenirs. Three men and a
+number of horses had been killed in the afternoon's work. Many of the
+shells to-day were bigger than usual and some think the "Goeben" is
+the culprit. She could easily fire from the Dardanelles over the east
+ridge of Achi Baba.
+
+
+_May 15th._--A quiet day in camp: little firing by either side; three
+"Black Marias" reached us--no damage; a Taube fired three bombs--still
+no harm. Rumour says one of our flying machines reports the Black
+Maria gun was silenced by our fire, and her ammunition blown up this
+afternoon. Her last shot was at 1 p.m. and it looks as if this might
+be true.
+
+By evening rain clouds appeared in the north and I have been preparing
+my dugout for a wet night.
+
+
+_May 16th._--We have just returned from church parade which was held
+at 9.30, amidst a continuous rattle of rifles to the front, the
+booming of howitzers on the right and left, while just behind us lay
+the "Swiftsure," which had evidently got word in the middle of the
+service to open fire on some particular spot. Her guns roared till the
+concussion made the leaves of our hymn books flutter. While writing a
+Jack Johnson fell very near me (so close that in my original diary my
+pen made a big dash across the page). How helpless one feels! Now
+comes another in the very middle of W. Beach--a very big fellow
+too--and still another. We are to have a day of it. Eight of these
+brutes now in a few minutes.
+
+The C.O. has gone to a meeting at H.Q.; all the other officers are
+wisely at the edge of the sea under cliffs, while I am in my dugout
+too lazy to join them--but I may be forced to go yet, it is folly to
+sit here in the line of fire.
+
+Major Ward of the 88th Field Ambulance, which is alongside us, has
+just taken a photograph of a bursting-shell at 70 yards, which he
+joyfully declares is "absolutely it". He got well battered with flying
+dirt.... The shelling got too hot for my continuing my notes and I was
+forced to close for a short time.
+
+Here we are shut up in the very point of Gallipoli, 100,000 of us,
+and nearly as many horses and mules, every inch within easy range of
+the enemy's guns, and for three days now he has peppered us more
+furiously than at first. For three weeks and a day we have had an
+almost continuous roar of cannon, sometimes many hundred shots per
+minute, at other times with a lull of a few minutes. To-day and last
+night the howitzers have been unusually busy, and I believe an attempt
+is to be made this coming night to straighten our lines. The horns of
+the line, especially the left, which is held by the Gurkhas, is too
+far forward for the centre. This centre is directly opposite Achi
+Baba, and is exposed to the whole opposing line, and has less help
+from the fleet than the flanks. It is held by the flower of our
+troops, and these will make any sacrifice to do what is expected of
+them. May we soon have a little more breathing space than this fouled
+little piece of the peninsula affords us.
+
+
+_May 17th._--Three different spells of Black Marias to-day. One killed
+three men and wounded nine. We have several others wounded and a
+number of horses and mules killed. Altogether not a very pleasant day.
+
+In the afternoon Thomson and I went to Sedd-el-Bahr and photographed
+the "River Clyde," Major Frankland's grave, the whole of V. Beach,
+etc., and brought back shell cases of the French 75's and 65's. Before
+this, while helping Pirie to build his dugout, Kellas shouted to me to
+look up, and I beheld what I at first took to be a huge flock of enemy
+aeroplanes, and expected a shower of bombs, but they turned out to be
+cranes--fifty-five of them in solid formation. They were an
+interesting and beautiful sight. They hovered over us for a
+considerable time, and two of our men stupidly fired several shots at
+them which got us into trouble with the powers that be. They had never
+taken into consideration the danger from dropping bullets where there
+was such a congestion of humanity.
+
+The day has been fiery hot as usual, with the usual glorious sunset
+behind the mountains of Imbros. Yesterday Stephen and I studied the
+Plain of Troy, the monument of Ajax, and the town of Troy itself--the
+old and the new--all of which are visible from the rising ground
+behind Sedd-el-Bahr.
+
+
+_May 18th._--Black Marias paid their visit earlier than usual, three
+bidding us good morning at 6 o'clock. All got into our clothes at
+once, so that now at 7 p.m. we have had a long day. Curiously these
+"coal boxes" have not been seen since, and they never trouble us after
+this time of night.
+
+About an hour ago I was watching one of our ships shelling a gully I
+once visited on a memorable night, and got into a shallow trench and
+watched from there. I was out in the middle of the valley where I
+could easily be seen from Achi Baba and a shell came singing straight
+at me. All the time shells had been passing high over my head but my
+ear at once detected the change of flight and that a low one was
+certainly coming my way. I had just time to throw myself flat in the
+trench, which was about eighteen inches deep when the shell burst in a
+straight line for me. I raised myself intending to bolt when I heard
+the song of another at its heels. I again fell flat, but as soon as it
+burst still nearer than the last I sprang and was just on my feet when
+a third burst three or four yards to my right. The concussion and
+shower of earth and stones sent me flying, and I peeled the palms of
+both hands and sprained my right wrist. Then I made a sprint for my
+funk hole at record speed, arriving quite out of breath after covering
+about three-quarters of a mile. I felt that turning a big gun on a
+solitary individual was not playing the game. I was wearing a
+waterproof cover to my cap which had got bleached almost white, and I
+may have been taken for some "big pot," as I sat on the edge of the
+trench with this unusual head dress, peering through my glasses.
+
+
+_May 19th._--Am feeling very tired, the result of my bad tumble, and
+my wrist feels stiff and tender. No doubt my behaviour made the Turk
+think I was a superior officer and worth a shell or two. With my
+glasses I had examined very carefully the whole length of the lines,
+then stepped into a half-filled-in trench and sat on the edge for some
+time, watching operations at the gully I have mentioned. The second
+shell was so near that I felt certain the third would have me. A
+fourth shell followed and burst, but by this time I had picked myself
+up and was at full gallop, and paid no heed to its whereabouts. The
+whole four were fired in five or six seconds. (I got the fright of my
+life; I felt that they were determined to have me, but the fright was
+entirely due to the fact that I was alone. Never before or afterwards
+did shells, however near, cause me the slightest discomfort.)
+
+A camp story has it that a mule had to be shot the other day because
+its cry was so confoundedly like the sound of an approaching shell and
+caused needless alarm. This is presumably only a story, but it is
+extraordinary how often one fancies one hears the song of a shell. One
+day just before tea we were treated to a Jack Johnson, and during our
+meal in the tent those of us who had not made off to our funk holes
+ducked at every sound under the table, or behind a biscuit tin or any
+other flimsy object utterly useless to give cover. Each time we raised
+our heads we had a good laugh at our stupidity.
+
+Those in the firing line are pitying us at the base to which nearly
+all the shells are directed. Padre Hardie (afterwards V.C., D.S.O.,
+M.C.) told me he had a major to tea the other day when the Jack
+Johnsons started, and he bolted in the middle of tea, saying he could
+not stand the life here, and made off to the firing line which he
+thought much safer.
+
+I asked a man to-day if he kept a diary. "No," he said, "there's
+naething to say, I dee naething bit sleep, jink shells, and rin to the
+Beach." It is amusing to see the "Beach Subdivision" move off when the
+shells start, all pretending they are off for a quiet stroll, and
+saunter away with their hands in their pockets.
+
+
+_May 20th._--Still in reserve and absolutely idle. I was up early,
+being requested by an officer of the 88th Field Ambulance to view his
+tent which one of our water-carts had backed into and upset a number
+of boxes of breakables, which he was terrified to look into,
+especially one which contained several bottles of whisky. This gave me
+a long day, and as a heavy cannonade was in progress it gave me an
+opportunity of watching it. We have had no heavy shells at W. Beach
+(now known as Lancashire Landing in honour of the brilliant work by
+that battalion on April 25) so far, but we must not brag, they may
+give us a visit to-day yet. Shrapnel we have had--but we do not care
+twopence for shrapnel.
+
+6.40.--We have had no shells since I wrote the above, for which we are
+thankful. When examining the situation before breakfast I felt that
+the whole valley up to Achi Baba was to be ours before night. Advances
+all along the line have been made, some units having gained about 700
+yards, the French also taking a trench which they afterwards lost.
+This is the usual way with the French, they have repeatedly broken our
+line across the peninsula.
+
+The Turks have to-day used their heavy guns much more freely than on
+any previous day, and doubtless have inflicted considerable damage on
+our troops, but the range they have been firing at pointed to their
+having removed their guns further back, which points to their
+expecting to lose Achi Baba, which they have certainly held with the
+utmost fortitude. I am attributing the peace we have had to-day at
+Lancashire Landing to this fortunate event, if my conjecture is right.
+
+I visited the "River Clyde" to-day to find she has a number of new
+holes punched through her, those on the water line having completely
+flooded her. Her stern now rests on the bottom, and the lowest hold is
+full of water. All this time only one shell has actually burst inside
+the ship, and it entered a cabin on the starboard side, blew all the
+fittings to pieces, chunks flying through everything, some entering
+the engine room where they perforated and carried away pipes, and blew
+the roof of the cabin off. An officer showed me the effects of the
+rifle and machine-gun bombardment on the night on which I spent four
+hours in a boat and watched the thousands of bullets striking fire
+over my head. Many had actually perforated the steel plates,
+9/16th-inch thick, and there were deep dints innumerable. We had
+twelve machine-guns on board that memorable day, the one in the bow
+being managed by the son of the Earl of Leicester. This gun was said
+to have done brilliant work. A large pile of empty cartridges still
+lies where the gun was posted, and I carried away a few of these as
+the only memento I possess of April 25, barring the memory of a
+hellish day and night.
+
+To-day we felt that we were probably beyond the reach of the enemy's
+big guns, and a load is apparently off every one's mind. Many sang
+late into the night, and various hilarious games were indulged in, the
+one giving most fun being a bull fight, where one man held the end of
+a string about three yards long and tied to a peg, and carried a jug
+with a stone as a rattle, the other with a similar string having as a
+weapon a small bag stuffed with hay. Both were blindfolded, and the
+man with the bag let fly at the spot he thought the sound came from,
+the hit being usually many yards wide of the bull.
+
+The casualties among the Turks up to May 8 are said to number 40,000.
+Since then the Australians have accounted for another 7000. To the
+present date the total is probably not less than 60,000. We ought to
+be well enough pleased with our work.
+
+
+_May 21st._--Had a walk round Tekke Burnu, the S.W. point of
+Gallipoli, where we have two 5-inch field guns. An officer to whom I
+spoke said he was the first to locate the whereabouts of the gun that
+threw the Jack Johnsons. We had all guessed from their whistle that
+they came from the right ridge of Achi Baba. Two of the shells fired
+at this battery failed to explode, and this man had the holes
+carefully exposed for their whole depth, and two poles placed in these
+pointed exactly to the same spot. Each of these shells had penetrated
+to a depth of 8 feet in very hard clay.
+
+
+_May 22nd._--About 1 p.m. there seemed to be a strange stir among our
+transports. I noticed no fewer than six make off in a body towards
+Lemnos, while Thomson remarked that a destroyer had been going
+backwards and forwards among the shipping off the point of the
+peninsula. We did not guess the reason of this till all at once I
+noticed a warship fire a shot towards Imbros. This was followed by
+others, and the splashes showed they were firing at something in the
+sea, no doubt an enemy submarine--which proved to be the case. About
+six shots in all were fired. Three destroyers were flying about in all
+directions, absolutely at full speed. Two turned and made for the spot
+where the submarine had been seen. It is a beautiful sight to see
+these boats turn in their own length when at full speed. From the
+rocks at Tekke Burnu I watched for two hours the manoeuvres of these
+and four warships. An anxious night will be spent by our naval
+brethren. Several other transports have disappeared and gone to the
+safe anchorage of Lemnos. A large four-funnelled French steamer had
+just arrived with troops who had no time to disembark, and she has
+turned tail and gone after the others.
+
+
+_May 23rd._--1.15 p.m. Am sitting near the top of "The Gully". This
+runs north and south on the west side of the peninsula. I am at a spot
+slightly north of Krithia, and in the very middle of our firing line.
+All the tops of The Gully, on both sides and along its ramifications,
+are lined with our men and all are blazing away at the hardest, while
+the Turks bullets keep up a constant whizz over our heads. The
+Worcesters have just gone into the trenches to relieve some other
+unit. One of the Hants men I have been sitting beside and talking to
+was in our hold on the "River Clyde" when we landed exactly four weeks
+ago. He tells me how gloomy his battalion was over the death of their
+C.O. that day--Colonel Smith-Carrington, "a grand fellow, the best man
+that ever lived," as he put it.
+
+Wearying to death after twelve days of idleness I set off after church
+parade to visit the Hants Dressing Station where I knew Pirie was
+placed. I went along the Krithia road till I came to The Gully I once
+reached late one evening, when Thomson and I were sniped at. Here I
+chanced to meet my old cabin companion, Balfour, who directed me to
+the very top of The Gully where I came across a battery which again
+directed me further to the left. Here three bullets flew past me, a
+gunner saying these stray bullets were doing a great deal of damage.
+Balfour also told me that they had lost two men yesterday from the
+same cause.
+
+At last I reached The Gully which is several miles long--over
+three--and averages 100 yards in width at the top. All the slopes are
+one solid mass of shrubbery--laurel, juniper, dwarf conifers, holly
+oak, and brilliant flowers innumerable. I brought back a bunch of
+Cytisus whose individual flowers might have been our broom (_C.
+Scoparius_).
+
+A road has been made the whole length of The Gully, and the whole way
+is occupied by our troops, especially Indians, many of whom were
+engaged in their ablutions as I passed. The sides of The Gully would
+average 100 feet in height, many parts being higher. The sides slope
+steeply in parts, in many places are quite perpendicular or
+over-hanging, the walls being the usual hard, marly clay, while I
+noticed broad layers of conglomerate and sandstone also occur. I was
+charmed with the whole place, and when describing it at the mess I was
+thought to be romancing. The heat in the depths of The Gully was very
+intense and without a breath of wind.
+
+
+_May 24th._--A little rain fell in the morning, and it was more or
+less cloudy during the day. We watched a fierce thunderstorm, which
+came round the south side of Imbros, up its east side, then it turned
+west towards Samothrace. Much shelling to-day, but mostly short and
+some way from our camp. I hear of no damage.
+
+
+_May 25th._--Had another walk to-day to the top of The Gully with
+Kellas, Agassiz, and Thomson. Plenty of shells over our heads.
+Twenty-six shells were fired this morning at several aeroplanes that
+had landed on our aerodrome. Two were more or less damaged, one with a
+hole through its petrol tank.
+
+As we were returning from The Gully and were ascending the high bank
+of Gully Beach I saw something was wrong out at sea, three or four
+ships being apparently huddled together in one mass. Through my
+glasses I saw the stern of a ship in the air, preparing for its final
+plunge to the bottom of the sea. In three minutes or so she had
+entirely gone. Strange to say what we had been watching was the last
+of the "Triumph" which had been torpedoed by the submarine that caused
+the excitement the other day. She is said to have sunk in twenty
+minutes. We have not yet heard how many perished in this most
+regrettable disaster, but if it is true that her magazine blew up, as
+we hear, the loss will likely be heavy. H.M.S. "Triumph" did much
+useful work out here. This is the second warship we have lost since we
+arrived in Gallipoli.
+
+
+_May 26th._--Yesterday we opened a dressing station one and a half
+miles up the Krithia road. It was the duty of Fiddes and Whyte to be
+posted there for twenty-four hours, beginning at 3 p.m., but the
+latter having been kicked by a horse yesterday I offered to take his
+place. I am there now sitting on the edge of a deep funk hole which I
+have strewn with a thick layer of thyme, meaning to have a pleasant
+night between "lavender sheets," but I am told by Stephen and Thomson
+that there is no sleep to be had out here owing to the terrible din
+that goes on. At present--7.30--there is a violent interchange of
+shells going on, the enemy's mostly flying high over our heads on the
+way to our Beach. The aerodrome beside it has been very furiously
+attacked during the last two days with considerable damage.
+
+Beside us is the grave of a Turk who smells as all Turks do. Our men,
+I fancy, think they do not deserve much burial. This reminds me of a
+Turk on the top of whose grave I lunched with Pirie up in the firing
+line last Sunday. A man the day before was digging a funk hole, and
+coming on something soft he plunged his spade into it. The smell was
+so terrific that he threw his spade and bolted, and the Turk had to be
+covered up by sand thrown from a distance of several yards. Then the
+night before one of our men, when it was getting dark, saw a
+suspicious object slipping down the side of The Gully, as he thought,
+so he proceeded to stalk it through the dense shrubs that clothe all
+the slopes of The Gully, and, on getting close enough to get a view of
+it through the bushes he recognised the Turkish uniform and sprang on
+the man like a tiger driving his bayonet clean through him. The Turk
+had been dead for nearly a month, and his assailant, like the other
+man, had to make a hasty retreat.
+
+We are to have a very lively night, that is evident. The Turks usually
+cease firing their big guns by this time of night, but their shells
+are still flying thick. The British guns are at present quiet, but the
+French 75's are barking furiously. It is a delight to hear their
+sharp, clean bark. The enemy's machine-guns have also been very active
+this afternoon, the crack, crack, crack, of the Turkish one being
+easily distinguishable from the noise made by ours. The day of our
+landing taught me this.
+
+
+_May 27th._--I must have slept three or four hours last night, but not
+soundly. There was constant rifle fire beside us with one big
+fusillade before midnight. But what annoyed me was the smell of the
+thyme and other sweet-smelling herbs I had made a bed of, covering all
+over with a new rubber ground sheet which was very odoriferous. The
+mixture of odours was not pleasant. I had trampled the plants with my
+boots to produce as strong a smell as possible, and succeeded so well
+that it actually made my eyes smart all night. I rose early and was
+over near Gully Beach about 6 o'clock. Since then shells have been
+flying on our four sides and high in the air, and I hear of
+considerable damage.
+
+We are much upset by the news which reached us at 7.45 that at 7
+another of our ships had been torpedoed, lying just off our Beach in
+full view of all there. It is rumoured that it is the "Majestic," but
+her name we are not yet sure of. The men who brought this news out to
+us say they saw the men on board line up before she went down, and
+dive into the sea. Terrible news!
+
+
+_May 28th._--Back at W. Beach. What we heard yesterday about the
+"Majestic" was only too true. She lies in front of our camp, about 300
+yards from the edge of the cliff, a considerable part of her still
+above water. There is much discussion as to what part of her it is
+that is visible, but it appears to me to be the keel, certainly the
+ram is there. The killed and drowned are between fifty and sixty.
+Several I have spoken to distinctly saw the wake of the torpedo for
+many hundred yards. The "Majestic" was lying in the midst of other
+shipping--only supply boats of no great size, besides trawlers and
+destroyers, but a gap must have been left and through this the torpedo
+had found its way. The Admiral and Ashmead-Bartlett were both on
+board. The latter was on the "Triumph" when she went down two days
+before.
+
+The "Majestic" was able to fire five shots at the submarine when she
+rose to find her bearings, which she did about a mile off, but whether
+struck or not she managed to discharge her deadly bolt, which went
+home right amidships, and in about eight to ten minutes the "Majestic"
+turned over and sank. Her torpedo nets were out, and as many were
+scrambling up the side of the hull, as she turned over, the nets on
+the starboard side swept right over, and must have accounted for many
+deaths.
+
+It is said that the form of torpedo used is most efficient at ranges
+of 3000 yards or more, this long distance being necessary to get up
+full momentum. One of the camp sanitary men, who tells me the story,
+was on the beach as the men swam ashore, and one sailor was no sooner
+on his feet than he said: "It was time the damned b---- was down; she
+was twenty-five years old; any of you chaps got a clay pipe, I am
+dying for a clay pipe"--all said in one breath. The "Majestic" is said
+to have been built in 1902 and was an old boat, but her armament was
+quite serviceable.
+
+An enemy aeroplane crossed over our heads at 7.15 this morning, and
+dropped a bomb, presumably at our C.C.S. and just missed it. Three men
+were standing near; all were knocked over, one dying soon after.
+
+
+_May 29th._--This forenoon I walked out to White House Farm, which is
+about 3 or 3-1/2 miles up the centre of the valley, and is within a
+few hundred yards of our firing trenches. It was rumoured in the
+evening that these front trenches had been taken by the Turks. At the
+White House there is the finest specimen of a fig tree I have yet
+seen, being large and spreading, and growing in a piece of good turf
+beside a well. In that part the whole ground is strewn with bullets.
+
+
+_May 30th._--I have not been out of camp to-day. The men in our
+dressing station came in at 3 a.m. with a long tale of the fury of the
+shelling out there, many casualties occurring round it. Evidently
+there is no better place to be had, but the part devoted to the
+wounded runs in such a way that it can be directly enfiladed by gun
+and rifle fire from Achi Baba. Another trench at right angles to this
+could easily be broadened and deepened to hold all the wounded and a
+whole tent-subdivision.
+
+Three shots were fired from our battery on Tekke Burnu about 6.30 p.m.
+and at once all the destroyers darted out to sea. Evidently a
+submarine had been sighted. It is now getting dark, and the sea is
+covered with our mosquito craft darting about in all directions.
+
+We employ several hundred Greeks, mostly road making. They receive
+2s. 6d. a day and their food. All those working at the Beach struck
+work to-day, demanding higher wages, and retired to their shelter
+holes in the cliff. A company of Dublin Fusiliers was called out, and
+fixing bayonets they kicked the mutineers out of their holes, and all
+were driven into a corner at the foot of the rocks, the open side shut
+in by a line of bayonets, and there they are to be kept, without food
+and water till they come to their senses. The Greek nation has always
+been greedy, always unreliable, and the most notorious liars on the
+face of the earth.
+
+
+_May 31st._--This has been a very quiet day, the Turks and ourselves
+having fired comparatively few shots. Although there has been no hard
+fighting lately, really little more than sniping, we still have a
+casualty list of some size. Those leaving for treatment on the boats
+or at the base hospitals of Malta and Alexandria have a daily average
+of about 125. This includes sickness as well as wounds.
+
+
+_June 1st._--There was much noise last night after all, there being
+much gun and rifle fire, especially on our centre, but with few
+casualties, as far as I can learn.
+
+It has been known for two days that the Turks are to make a determined
+attack on us to-night, for which we are no doubt fully prepared. Since
+5 this evening both sides have been very liberal with their shells.
+Krithia and its neighbourhood, as well as the right ridge of Achi
+Baba, has been reeking from the discharge of our and the French
+shells.
+
+It is said that the Turks and Gurkha trenches are so near each other
+at the top of The Gully that the two are connected by a tunnel through
+which they hobnob, and that the Turks have asked the help of the
+Indians to murder their German officers, then they would hand over
+the Dardanelles to us without further trouble. A mere story of course,
+although one firmly believes that it is these savage officers who are
+forcing the Turks to fight, under threats that they will shoot them if
+they refuse to go forward.
+
+A few shrapnel shells were fired half an hour ago at the top of our
+Beach, in resentment of our Ambulance men gathering on the sky line to
+watch the shells bursting on Achi Baba. This made them beat a hasty
+retreat. But on the whole the day has been very quiet.
+
+
+_June 2nd._--It appeared in "Orders" to-day that we held an advanced
+dressing station 100 yards on this side of White Farm, and as no one
+understood what this referred to, the C.O. after consulting with the
+A.D.M.S. (Col. Yarr), who could throw no light on the subject, asked
+me to go out and investigate the ground to see if such a station might
+be established there. As a big engagement is anticipated within
+forty-eight hours such a place would be useful. I started at 2.30 with
+Kellas and Agassiz who were going out to our present dressing station,
+but on reaching that they proposed to go along with me, as they had
+never been in that part of the country. All went well on the way out,
+only an occasional stray bullet being heard. On reaching "Y Battery,"
+about 100 yards from White Farm a gunner joined us and took us quickly
+over the remaining short distance, where stray bullets are apt to be
+too plentiful. But worse, a sniper several hundred yards off had the
+exact range. He took us into a vineyard behind the farm, and pointed
+out to us all our advanced trenches, warning us not to shake the vines
+as that might attract fire, and on no account to show ourselves. We
+returned to this man's battery, and as soon as I started off with
+Agassiz the sniper had a shot at us, his bullet landing in a tuft of
+grass a few feet to our right. I thought it was some animal and
+proceeded to stir it out of the grass, but Agassiz declared it was a
+shot. In a second or two another kicked up a dust beside us, which
+settled the question. We scattered at once, but three other shots came
+after us before we got out of sight behind some small trees. From
+these we watched Kellas sauntering along, hoping he would also have to
+take to his heels, but the sniper left him alone.
+
+I had next to visit the 88th Brigade H.Q. where I explained to General
+Doran that the spot mentioned for our dressing station was much too
+dangerous. He agreed at once, and said even where he was, on the side
+of rising ground with its back to the enemy, was unsafe, and that one
+of his sergeants had just been shot through the knee lying in his
+dugout.
+
+
+_June 4th._--To all appearances this is to be a great day. At 11 a.m.
+to the minute about 150 field guns and howitzers opened on the Turkish
+trenches, and now at 11.20 all is one great roar. Eight aeroplanes are
+circling about, two big battleships with seven destroyers appeared out
+of the haze, coming from Imbros. These are on the constant move, for
+submarines will be about for certain, and we must not give them more
+fixed targets, they have already had too many. Pandemonium will reign
+in a few minutes. We have waited long for this, and all are overjoyed.
+
+I have been round the C.C.S. and Ordnance Stores collecting all the
+stretchers I can lay my hands on. Apparently we do not expect the
+Turks to be the only sufferers to-day.
+
+12.10.--Achi Baba and the whole Gallipoli point reek as they have not
+reeked since April 25. The battleships keep moving and belching out
+their deadly hail, encircled always by the destroyers, while an
+aeroplane hovers, at a low height, over and around them, peering into
+the depths of the Aegean in case a submarine should come sneaking up.
+The French guns are very busy.
+
+6.30 p.m.--Dressing St. Krithia Road. I came out here about two hours
+ago, with six squads of stretcher-bearers. We cannot advance yet,
+things are too hot, rifle fire being still a constant rattle,
+especially on our left. When I arrived the French were very active on
+our right, but judging from their comparative quietness now I think
+they may have seized at least part of a great gully which had been
+immediately in front of them all this time, and which has contained
+one or more Turkish batteries. These have annoyed the French for
+long--and us. The front of the hill is now fairly quiet, but we are
+firing huge shells into Krithia and that end of Achi Baba. We know
+from the wounded, who have been coming in for some hours in a steady
+stream, that our line is greatly advanced, some of our battalions
+having taken as many as five trenches.
+
+About 8.15 I set off with thirteen stretcher squads to the dressing
+station of the 88th Field Ambulance, which we found two miles up The
+Gully. It was getting dark when we started, and was pitch dark, there
+being no moon, when we reached that point. The order we had got was to
+send up thirteen stretchers at once, and we interpreted this to mean
+the full complement of bearers as well, but these were not required.
+The great battle was still raging, and bullets were flying across The
+Gully in thousands. During the day there had been numerous casualties
+from these in the depths of The Gully. On the way back the whole place
+was packed tight with wagons of every description, and pack animals
+taking up ammunition and stores for next day, and it was often with
+the greatest difficulty we got through the blocks. Having to cross a
+level piece of ground from Gully Beach to our station, and this being
+swept by bullets, which were passing among us, we had many narrow
+escapes, but no one was hit. At our station, which was now in the line
+of fire for stray shot, we heard bullets pass all night long. A
+bullet went "phut" into the ground at my feet as I lay on a stretcher.
+I merely drew up my feet and tried to sleep, but being saturated with
+perspiration and generally uncomfortable I never even felt drowsy.
+Then about 3 in the morning a more resounding shot landed in the same
+spot as the last--both certainly within 2 feet of me. I now got up and
+sat till 6 in a corner more protected from the N.E. which appeared to
+be the direction of the bullets.
+
+On the way to The Gully I had walked with a sergeant of the
+Worcester's as guide. He tells me the French did not do well to-day,
+having as usual advanced and retired, thus leaving our Naval Division,
+on our extreme right, exposed. The Turks opened fire on them and the
+K.O.S.B.'s and mowed them down with their machine-guns. At H.Q. they
+are reported to have used very strong language about this. My guide
+also tells me of the bravery displayed by the Sikhs and Gurkhas, also
+by the Territorials who are drafted through the Regulars, many of them
+mere boys, but they are said to have shown great pluck.
+
+
+_June 5th._--I believe according to programme we should have started a
+big gun bombardment at 11 a.m. to-day, but we have only had occasional
+shots--so far at any rate, and it is now 5.45, too late to do much
+before night comes on.
+
+I mentioned yesterday that we had 150 field guns and howitzers, but I
+find the numbers were 180 French and 150 British guns. An aeroplane
+crossed us at 7 p.m. flying at a great height. No bombs were dropped.
+
+"Asiatic Annie," as a famous gun across the Dardanelles is called, has
+thrown a number of ugly shells this way to-day, but all were short of
+W. Beach.
+
+The "Majestic" is sinking gradually, her ram, which must have been 15
+feet out of the water, is now nearly submerged.
+
+
+_June 6th._--Sunday--6.40 a.m.--The day by preference for a big fight.
+Last night--about 8--the Turks appear to have made a feint attack on
+the French, this going on for hours, the rifle fire very heavy. Then
+in the small hours of this morning they had concentrated on our
+left--the other end of the line--where they were in great force. My
+informants are three wounded from the Essex Regiment who have walked
+in to hospital. They say the Turks were ten to our one, and they came
+on with great dash, fighting being very fierce at a distance of only
+20 yards. Then they got mixed up with the Essex and Royals, who must
+have been badly cut up and were the last to retire. The Turks used a
+large quantity of hand grenades. These are very deadly, and have been
+making ghastly wounds as we know. We too use these freely, all the
+empty 1 lb. tins of the camp having been collected for some time back,
+and charged with gun-cotton. For missiles they have chopped up Turkish
+barbed wire into inch lengths.
+
+The howitzer fire was terrific between 4 and 5 when I woke up and came
+to the top of the ridge to see what was doing. Plainly something
+unusually desperate was on the move. "Asiatic Annie" was also busy and
+several shells came this way, one falling in the C.C.S. where no harm
+was done. Luckily it had chosen a clear spot in front of the store
+tent to pitch into. I had gone down to examine this when the wounded
+men I have referred to arrived. They say that all the trenches we took
+two days ago, after so much hard fighting, are lost. Now at 7.15
+firing has become much more desultory, and judging from where our
+shells are bursting the distance we have been driven back is not
+serious--and so to breakfast.
+
+10 a.m.--Firing is too hot for us to collect in groups, therefore,
+there is to be no church parade this morning. The walking wounded
+still come straggling in, singly or in groups, all greatly depressed
+at having such bad news to relate. Another constant stream flows from
+the C.C.S. to the little cemetery at the top of the Beach, each unit
+of this stream consisting of two bearers carrying a dead comrade on a
+stretcher. The cemetery may be small but it already contains many
+graves, and inside its barbed wire fence there is still room for many
+of our gallant men, who fondly fancy that the shell or bullet that
+could lay them low is not yet cast. This very comforting feeling I
+hope we all possess--more or less. One of the graves has a cross of
+great taste and is over a "Driver Page," a New Zealand Artillery man,
+and after the inscription is the word "Ake--Ake".
+
+No one knows the extent of our casualties, but they must be heavy. The
+Indian contingent alone is said to have lost 1000 yesterday. The
+Royals, Essex, and K.O.S.B.'s are said to have suffered most in the
+morning's attack.
+
+_Later._--I heard in the evening that yesterday's casualties amounted
+to at least 1800, but some think that an under-estimate.
+
+We hear to-night that General Wolley-Dod has been appointed to command
+our 86th Brigade. He is said to be a very able soldier.
+
+In the afternoon there was an occasional interchange of shots, but on
+the whole it was quiet till 8 p.m., the hour darkness sets in, when
+the usual fusillade began. The Turks are nearly always responsible for
+this, and our men rarely reply.
+
+
+_June 7th._--I notice in yesterday's Routine Orders issued by General
+de Lisle, commanding the 29th Division, that the old Etonians are to
+have a dinner at Lancashire Landing, and those attending are requested
+to bring knife, fork, plate, and cup--their mugs in short. This
+request seems quite natural out here. Then follows a notice that some
+unit has lost a bay horse and two mules, finder to return them to
+such and such a place. This again is a curiosity, horses and mules are
+always straying. The correct way to do if you lose a horse is to seize
+the first stray one you come across, and swear you brought him out
+from England.
+
+Last night about 10.30 the Turks disturbed our peace by firing fifty
+or sixty shells about our Beach, some being very near our camp, near
+enough to bespatter our tents and dugouts with lumps of earth. One of
+the men of the 88th Field Ambulance, just in front of us, got wounded.
+They began again with heavier shells--Jack Johnsons--about 5 a.m.
+to-day, seven falling near us, and as we lay underground we could feel
+the earth shake with every detonation. Last night was the first time
+they ever gave us such a visit. They are chary of using their big guns
+after dark in case they should give away their positions.
+
+2.15 p.m.--I spent sometime on a ridge overlooking the sea and watched
+the Turks shelling the ships close by. Their firing from Kum Kale was
+wild, but there was one ship they were determined to have, shell after
+shell falling near and throwing up splashes mast high. At last she was
+hit and a loud report was followed by dense smoke from her fore part.
+Flames quickly followed, and several minesweepers and destroyers soon
+came to her aid, and unloaded part of her cargo. She was finally
+anchored close inshore to await events. By 2 o'clock the flames seemed
+to be pretty well under control.
+
+While watching this a young officer came up and spoke to me. He had
+arrived with us on the "River Clyde" and since then has had very
+trying experiences. He said his birthday was to-morrow, and I should
+say it might be his twenty-first. He is in the Anson Battalion, and
+had come through the Antwerp retreat. His battalion left England 1000
+strong with thirty-three officers. They are now 198 men, while he is
+the only officer remaining. He thinks we must beat a retreat from
+Gallipoli one of these days, to take it would mean too great a
+withdrawal of troops from France, but, as he says, a retreat means a
+greater loss of honour than Britain can bear. He told me about the
+Collingwood Battalion which left England on May 9, and went into the
+fight fresh and at full strength. They lost twenty-three officers and
+nearly six hundred men. In spite of all opinions and rumours we must
+bring this campaign to a victorious end, be the cost what it may.
+
+
+_June 8th._--A day of wind, one big cloud of dust, and swarms of
+flies. These last have become a terrible curse lately, and as time
+goes on they will get no less.
+
+About a week ago Col. Yarr proposed that I should join him at
+Head-quarters, and this morning I was ordered to present myself at
+Corps H.Q. at 3 p.m. I had given the necessary undertaking to divulge
+no secrets, and as the hour approached I rigged myself out in my best
+boots and tunic, and had chosen a smart orderly to look after
+me--Melrose, from Kincardine O'Neil. Then the A.D.M.S. appeared, to
+say that their staff was broken up, most of them having gone to Gully
+Beach, and as there were only twelve all told remaining there was no
+excuse for my joining just yet. They have interesting personalities at
+H.Q. and I feel disappointed. Sir Ian Hamilton, for example, dined
+there last night.
+
+
+_June 9th._--We had a visit from Pirie, M.O. to the Lancs. He is
+terribly depressed over the fight of the 6th when they lost 450 men.
+They were held up by barbed wire in a charge and were shot down. I
+have heard of three battalions that were left with only one officer
+after that fight.
+
+We are now erecting at the "two-gun fort" two naval guns of 4.7
+calibre to reply to our Asiatic friends. It is supposed there are
+three guns on the other side of the Dardanelles of 6-inch calibre.
+These were carefully watched last night, and it was observed that the
+flashes always came from different points, as if they were placed on
+rails and were run sideways. This has long been suspected. These
+"Asiatic Annies" have accounted for 120 Frenchmen within the last few
+days.
+
+Stephen and Thomson are out at the dressing station to-night. I have
+been watching Jack Johnsons bursting in their neighbourhood.
+
+We received four motor ambulances to-day to reinforce our mule-drawn
+wagons.
+
+
+_June 10th._--The dust storm continues, and some one has been
+comforting enough to say that these storms often last for twenty-one
+days. They are about as bad as the flies.
+
+
+_June 11th._--Wind stronger than ever but the dust has been largely
+blown into the sea. Towards evening it fell somewhat. The sea has been
+too rough to get patients away from the C.C.S. to the hospital ships,
+and we have had to relieve it by taking fifty walking cases into our
+tents. All are very cheery, and I fancy most are looking forward to a
+short holiday after their recent experiences. Some have not yet been
+in a fight, some of the naval men who landed two days ago were only on
+their way to the trenches when they were wounded by shrapnel, which
+was showered on them plentifully from several points.
+
+Stephen and Thomson had such a hot time at the dressing station that
+they were forced to return to the Beach. There were eighty-eight
+shells in their vicinity within an hour. About 2 p.m. when I went out
+the Krithia road with several squads of bearers in answer to an urgent
+but vain message, we were held up half a mile on this side of the
+dressing station by a perfect tornado of shrapnel just in front of us.
+I heard afterwards that the road in that part was entirely ploughed
+up.
+
+
+_June 12th._--A quiet day but full of rumours. Late last night we had
+five Jack Johnsons with their terrific crashes, and in the distance
+rifle fire went on all night. About 5 a.m. to-day a number of shells
+landed among the shipping off our Beach. Due north about the same
+time, at the distance of a good many miles, what sounded like repeated
+broadsides from warships. Probably the Australians are having a big
+fight. Then at 7 a.m. ten or twelve rifle shots on the aerodrome
+behind us took me up in a hurry, this being unusual. I half thought
+they might be shooting a spy, but found some one had been blazing away
+at some huge bird, either a vulture or an eagle. I watched its large
+dark form as it flew towards X. Beach. Shrapnel and Jack Johnsons were
+flying about in other parts during the day, but none near us.
+
+Now for rumours--(1) the 29th Division is to be withdrawn for certain,
+having done its bit out here. This is an old rumour which we still
+doubt. I for one would be sorry were we withdrawn before seeing this
+part of the campaign through. (2) The Russians are landing an army
+north of Constantinople. (3) The Italians have landed at Rhodes, and
+are to make a descent on Smyrna--the last two cheer us up.
+
+Kellas and Agassiz had a quieter time at the dressing station than
+yesterday's two. The latter returned about 8 and said "Arthur" was too
+busy playing with a spider and he left him behind.
+
+
+_June 13th._--Had a walk with the C.O. to the top of The Gully to find
+a site for a new dressing station. We breakfasted at 7 as we wished to
+cross the exposed piece of ground between this and Gully Beach. For
+sometime back this has been a favourite mark for the Turkish guns, and
+we thought the morning the most likely time to be allowed to pass
+unnoticed. We were in the foot of The Gully before 8 o'clock. The
+whole valley between this and Achi Baba was so quiet in the brilliant
+sunshine that we remarked that it might have been a Sunday at home.
+Near the top of The Gully we found Taylor of the 87th Field Ambulance
+at breakfast and had a cup of tea with him. He came along with us to
+find a suitable place, and one was fixed on, but I do not like it. In
+my opinion it will be terribly exposed to a dropping fire, the
+surroundings are not high enough to give much protection. The ground
+is also much soiled--I preferred a small side gully but the C.O.
+thought it unfeasible.
+
+We called on Major Ward of the 88th F.A. who was also in the
+neighbourhood. After much labour he has got an ideal spot, very safe,
+and plainly made by a man of artistic tastes. He is as happy as a lark
+up there with his camera, and is studying the birds and their nests.
+
+Col. O'Hagan and Major Bell were next called on at Gully Beach, and we
+reached our camp about 1 o'clock.
+
+We hear that Gen. de Lisle estimates that the European war will be
+ended by September--absolutely without fail.
+
+
+_June 14th._--I marched a number of our men up The Gully to work at
+our new dressing station. I had a look at the place chosen but liked
+it worse than ever, and proceeded to tear down the sides of the little
+gully I preferred. By night we had converted it into a most romantic
+and safe retreat for the wounded and ourselves. The dry bed of a
+stream, for about 100 yards, we levelled down into a beautiful path,
+with several twists and high towering walls, and in the extreme end we
+levelled the floor of a water-worn amphitheatre making room for about
+twenty stretcher cases. A little water drips over the centre of the 40
+feet high overhanging wall, which in wet weather would be a raging
+torrent. (This was afterwards known, and figured in our maps, as
+Aberdeen Gully. It was most suitable for our work, very safe, and much
+admired by every one.)
+
+
+_June 15th._--Been working all day in our Gully, and am now prepared
+for the night, and am sitting in my new dugout, which is merely an
+excavation on a slope with a projecting cliff overhead. At the present
+moment a long string of Gurkhas are filing up a twisting and high path
+on the north side of our little gully, on their way to the trenches
+for the night. We have watched all sorts on this path, but mostly
+Sikhs and Gurkhas on their way to the firing line, and Indian water
+carriers with their great skin bags which look as if they would hold
+about six gallons. Much water has gone up in tanks, slung on mules.
+
+One of our big guns is immediately above us on the top of the cliff,
+and is making a terrific din, with long rolling echoes. All our guns
+have been very busy to-day and the Turks still more so, and I am
+afraid from their long range, which I observed in the morning, these
+have got new guns with very high explosive shells. It is now 7.45 and
+they may soon stop, as it is dark by 8, but for the last few nights
+they have fired at all hours.
+
+
+_June 16th._--Still at our new place, and all of us busy with pick and
+spade all day. Had a good night's sleep in spite of a continuous rifle
+fire very near us. We had a visit in the afternoon from the C.O.,
+Agassiz, and Dickie. With the two last I walked over to Y. Beach, and
+at the Artillery Observation Post there, under the guidance of the
+officer in charge, we had a capital view of all our trenches on the
+left flank, including one that has been a bone of contention for some
+time, and was the cause of an attack by the Turks last night. This
+trench was formerly Turkish, but half of it is now in our possession
+and between us is a pile of sandbags. Over this barrier each takes it
+into his head to throw a few bombs at his enemy. We are trying to
+rectify our position by cutting a new sap. The whole of the Turkish
+trenches from Achi Baba to the sea are visible from Y. Beach O.P. For
+a long way in front of where we were the distance between the two of
+us is not many yards, and in one part the trenches look as if they
+were mixed up in an extraordinary way.
+
+I spent the evening making a table for our new quarters, and retired
+to bed about 9 in the midst of big gun, machine and rifle fire, all
+very near.
+
+
+_June 17th._--Aberdeen Gully. We opened our new station to-day and
+relieved the 87th F.A. We had but a few patients. Agassiz visited us
+in the afternoon with Fiddes and Dickie. The first and I walked over
+to the O.P. at Y. Beach. On the way back along the sunk mule track we
+had to pass a string of mule water carriers. Each Indian leads three
+mules in Indian file. One brute took it into his head to rub the sharp
+edge of his tank into my ribs, and with his feet well to the side he
+stood up and jammed me as hard as he could against the wall of the
+trench. Agassiz, as transport officer, had to dilate on the amount of
+intelligence he has noticed in the Indian mules, while I could only
+use strong language over the wickedness of this particular brute.
+
+We had a number of visitors to-day from neighbouring units--M.O.'s and
+others. Padres Creighton and Komlosy and Major Lindsay dined with us.
+
+
+_June 18th._--The centenary of Waterloo. I hear the French are to make
+an attack to-day. I hope they will be more successful than they were
+this day one hundred years ago. This morning we have been annoyed by
+the Turks' shrapnel, the whole of the gully being peppered, and also
+by defective shells from our own battery above our heads. Several
+since we came up here have burst almost as soon as they left the gun.
+
+After breakfast I walked to Y. Beach, and for the first time
+scrambled down to the foot. "The Dardanelles Driveller," whose one and
+only copy was most amusing, said about this spot, "Why call it a
+Beach, it is only a bloody cliff"? It was here the K.O.S.B.'s and
+S.W.B.'s landed on April 25 and met with no opposition at the landing,
+and had proceeded nearly two miles inland, when they were attacked by
+the Turks in overwhelming force, and lost a large number in their
+retreat to the Beach and then to their boats. This was afterwards
+retaken by the Gurkhas, who pushed through from W. Beach, and the high
+cliff on the north side is now known as Gurkha Bluff. The Indian
+Brigade have their H.Q. here, and this morning there were about 2000
+Gurkhas and Sikhs about. I was toiling up the "bloody cliff" when some
+Gurkhas passed me, thinking nothing of the steep ascent; while I
+straightened my knees slowly at each step, I noticed they brought
+their legs straight with a jerk.
+
+This day two years ago I was lying in bed in Brussels, reading
+Baedeker, when I discovered it was the 98th anniversary of Waterloo. I
+had given up all intention of visiting the battlefield, being pressed
+for time, but after such a discovery I felt compelled to pay it a
+visit. I was thankful I went, it proved one of the most enjoyable days
+I ever spent. At that time Holland and Belgium hated each other, but
+were outwardly kept friendly by their common enemy, Germany, of which
+they were very suspicious. What has now happened has surprised neither
+of these two States.
+
+7 p.m.--Returned a few minutes ago from my favourite Observation Post
+at Y. Beach--Major Ward dragged me over to....
+
+11 p.m.--The preliminary big gun bombardment was to commence at 7, and
+I had just made a start with my diary when the din began, and I had to
+stop short. We are in the very middle of four batteries--two mountain
+(Ross and Cromarty), one 64-pounder, and a fourth of four 6-inch
+howitzers. All blazed forth at once, and all drew fire. As far as we
+could make out this was the hottest corner of the whole front. Shells
+in hundreds burst about our ears, chunks of shell and four nose caps
+came into Aberdeen Gully. The noise of our guns and the bursting of
+Turkish shells was the worst I have heard since the day of our
+landing. Stones and earth we had flying about in plenty. In the midst
+of it all Captain Rowland, R.E., shouted from the mule track, asking
+if a M.O. would go and see Major Archibald in the front trench. I set
+off with two bearers and a stretcher, and found him in a side trench
+close to Gully Beach. He was mortally wounded. I dressed him and left
+him where he lay, in charge of an orderly. We now hurried back to the
+mule track, the whole length of which we had to traverse. It had been
+repeatedly and most thoroughly shelled from end to end during the day,
+and we expected the Turk to sweep along it again at any minute. We had
+just cleared it when this actually happened, and howls behind us took
+us back to find that some Indians had been caught in the fire. A Sikh
+had a leg almost entirely blown off. Though suffering badly he was
+most plucky.
+
+From that time onwards we had a steady flow of wounded, which still
+goes on, but those now coming in are being dressed by the Regimental
+M.O.'s before they are carried in by our bearers.
+
+As far as I can gather from the wounded the Turks made an attack on
+our extreme left at the very hour appointed for the attack by the
+French and us. They came on four deep protected by their artillery
+which blew in two of our front trenches, which were held by the
+S.W.B.'s and Inniskillings. These had to retreat, as many as possible
+through their communication trenches, but many had to get over the
+parapets and rush back over the open. There were 500 Turks in this
+part alone, and our men say only two ever returned, our men forming up
+and charging quickly retook what they had lost. We have had several
+K.O.S.B.'s from the centre where there was also an attack. These were
+more successful from the beginning, and within fifteen minutes had
+taken the Turks' first line.
+
+
+_June 19th._--The above was not the end of last night's work. A little
+after midnight we were requested to send a M.O. and as many nursing
+orderlies as possible to the Inniskillings Aid Post, where they were
+said to be overwhelmed with work. This was at the very top of The
+Gully, three-quarters of a mile beyond our station. I jumped at the
+opportunity of a little excitement, and set off with five orderlies.
+We found the road dotted with dead mules and horses, but could not
+find the M.O. for some time. At last he was roused out of his hole
+half asleep. He said he had never sent for help, that they were quite
+able to cope with the work, his men being at the time occupied with
+cases, which seemed to be coming in fast. What cases he had we took
+back with us, an Inniskilling who had a bad wound in the foot from a
+grenade I helped back with his arm round my neck.
+
+The guide who came for us deserted us half-way to the Aid Post, and on
+returning I found him minus his equipment making himself comfortable
+for the night in our gully. I ordered him off to the firing line
+knowing that this was a favourite dodge to escape for a time. After
+half an hour I found him in our cook house, when I took his number and
+name to report him to his C.O. The man was in a state of funk, and
+declared that the Turks would certainly break through before morning.
+Believing that there might be some reason for his alarm I made sure
+before starting that my loaded revolver was at my belt, in case of our
+having to beat a retreat.
+
+By 3 a.m. I was able to lie down for a short time, but another furious
+attack by the Turks commenced at 4.15. Later in the day I was relieved
+by Fiddes, and about 11 o'clock set off with Agassiz who had ridden
+out from our base. On reaching Gully Beach we took the high road for
+home, but opposite X. Beach the explosions of high explosive shells on
+the road in front of us were too terrifying, and we descended to the
+under-cliff road.
+
+W. Beach had had the worst bombardment it had so far experienced
+during the morning, hundreds of shells falling. Many horses and three
+men were killed. At Corps H.Q. and V. Beach the same went on, and no
+doubt with similar results.
+
+
+_June 21st._--The A.D.M.S. Col. Yarr, called at 9 a.m. and asked me to
+relieve him for the day, and I am now in his dugout at H.Q. of the 8th
+Army Corps, perhaps the hottest place to shell fire on the whole
+peninsula. I found six aeroplanes drawn up waiting for messages, and
+before 10.30 we had twenty-nine shells all within a few yards of us.
+Only very few exploded luckily, but the others buried themselves at
+least six feet in the earth. H.Q. is a network of deep dugouts with
+communication trenches, but a direct hit will pierce any one of them.
+Already two have been struck since I arrived, and the wings carried
+off a French biplane. They had 200 shells here yesterday, one of the
+orderlies being killed and another has been showing me how his tunic
+was riddled by pieces of a shell that exploded. The aeroplanes are
+really the target aimed at. Two have just ascended, but as long as it
+is daylight they will come and go. We usually get less fire when a few
+of our planes are up, when the Turks' guns lie low not to give away
+their positions.
+
+Corps H.Q. is on the east side of the aerodrome, while our camp at W.
+Beach is on the other. When I entered the mess for lunch the only
+person there was an officer in a half faint, seated in a corner
+glaring at a shell on the floor. This had come through the roof that
+very minute and was luckily a "dud". The roof is made of heavy beams,
+thick iron plates from the "River Clyde," sandbags and earth, but this
+shell entered at the edge of the iron which did not project far enough
+over the wall. The place had just been excavated and completed and was
+used to-day for the first time. General Hunter-Weston and his staff
+were present at lunch, also Compton Mackenzie, author and war
+correspondent.
+
+The French have been very busy all day. The Turks are only a little
+less active from their having fewer guns--fifty-two on Achi Baba said
+to be, and they must have six very big guns on the Asiatic side, and
+these have been throwing huge shells into our lines, across Morto Bay,
+all morning. Occasionally there is a burst of rifle fire which would
+show that the French are making an attempt to regain two trenches I
+hear they lost yesterday or the day before. It is said that to-day's
+attack is to be entirely French. We are giving no help at present, but
+for an hour in the early morning we bombarded, likely with the view to
+distract the Turks' attention from the French front.
+
+10.15 p.m.--The French are said to have been very successful in their
+attack at 4.30, when they captured two Turkish trenches. The story
+about their losing two trenches is said, at H.Q., to be incorrect.
+About 8 o'clock a counter-attack was made, the result of which is not
+yet known.
+
+
+_June 22nd._--The fight between the French and the Turks raged without
+the slightest intermission for seventeen hours, in which time the
+former must have fired at least 60,000 shells. I hear the French had
+taken either two or three trenches in the early morning, and during
+the day had repulsed several counter-attacks. Just before dark I
+observed the continuous bursting of French shells on the S.E. corner
+of Achi Baba, as if the Turks were forced back out of Kereves Dere,
+which has so long been a natural protection to them.
+
+I have been asked to-day for a report of the case of ---- No. --, who
+is to be court-martialled for spreading alarmist reports of the fight
+the other day. The double charge of leaving the firing line without
+permission and spreading alarmist reports is a serious one.
+
+The last time Agassiz and I were at the Y. Beach O.P. we had peeps at
+the Turks' trenches from four different points, and at each a bullet
+flew past us, showing that their snipers keep their eyes open. Major
+W---- and I were fired at the other day when out in the open, and we
+had to take to our heels to find cover.
+
+To-day the 5th Battalion Royal Scots have received the highest praise
+from General Hunter-Weston for their brilliant work. They have three
+times retaken trenches from the Turks that had been lost by our
+Regulars. This is the only Territorial Battalion in the whole of our
+Division, and was looked on by the others as our one weak point. Their
+Lt-Col. (Wilson) received the D.S.O. from His Majesty by cable the day
+after he was recommended.
+
+_Later._--The French captured five lines of trenches, a large concrete
+redoubt, and possibly a battery, but there is some doubt about this
+last. All are greatly satisfied at the result, although the cost to
+the French was very heavy. A great number of Turks are said to have
+been slaughtered and a large number taken prisoners, but so far I have
+heard no exact figures.
+
+_Still Later._--The French casualties are placed at 3000 and they are
+said to have taken that number of prisoners, but as a man said to me,
+"Where are they then, they must have buried them?" General
+Hunter-Weston, I was told, "is as proud as a dog with two tails over
+the French success".
+
+A Taube visited us early and one of our biplanes gave chase and is
+said to have winged it, as it was seen to descend behind Achi Baba,
+while our airmen dropped bombs on it. I watched the chase as the two
+circled about. While the chase was in progress a second Taube
+appeared, and the coast being clear it flew round us and dropped a
+couple of bombs.
+
+Yesterday I passed in The Gully what remained of the Dublin
+Fusiliers--less than a company. They were parading in their gas
+respirators, their M.O. lecturing them, and saying that if a rifle is
+a soldier's best friend, his respirator should come next. We are all
+provided with these.
+
+A strange occurrence happened the other day at W. Beach, when I was up
+The Gully. A figure appeared over the sky line in petticoats, as it
+was thought. Our men began yelling "A wuman, a wuman," and all tore
+out to see what they had not seen for months. Lieut. Thomson and
+Corporal Morrice were the most excited. These two have not yet got
+over their disappointment on discovering this was an Egyptian--and a
+male one--in a long coat.
+
+
+_June 24th._--Whyte left us to-day on sick leave. There is a proposal
+that the rest of us should get short leave--four days to Lemnos.
+
+I have just had a visit from a couple of Senegalese--French troops.
+They were going through our camp, grinning as only a nigger can, our
+men making fun of them. One carried off a tin of jam in great glee.
+They stopped at my dugout and I could not get rid of them till I gave
+each a chunk of Turkish delight, which pleased them immensely. I had
+to get rid of two sailors the same way yesterday, giving each a
+Turkish nose cap. Every Turkish curio is valued in the Navy, extensive
+barter being carried on between them and men ashore, whisky and all
+sorts of goods being received by us.
+
+10 p.m.--I have been watching a big green frog which came jumping
+through our tents at a great speed, as if bound on business. He went
+straight to the cook's tent and crept under the flap. Plainly he had
+been there before. Flies are everywhere by the million, but he knew
+where they were particularly plentiful. Half an hour ago I saw a
+brilliant speck of light on a piece of heath, which I thought was too
+bright to be the reflection of the moon from some bright object. I
+found it came from an insect nearly one inch long, jointed like a
+lobster, the glow coming from the last two joints on the under side.
+Even when held close to the flame of a candle the apple-green glow was
+still very bright.
+
+
+_June 25th._--Walked to Aberdeen Gully, but nothing worth noting
+to-day.
+
+
+_June 26th._--Like yesterday an uneventful day--unless a visit from a
+Taube is worth noting, and a thunderstorm over in Imbros. The sky has
+been more or less cloudy, which is certainly unusual, while yesterday
+in The Gully the heat was perhaps more trying than I ever felt it.
+
+All preparations are ready for a very big day on Monday (28th) when
+the Turks on our left are all to be blown sky high; such a bombardment
+as Flanders has never seen the like of. So says General de Lisle who
+has been in France from the beginning of the war until the other day,
+when he became our Divisional-General.
+
+
+_June 27th._--I went to Aberdeen Gully to-day with Kellas, Agassiz,
+and Morris. We wondered if we could extend our accommodation for
+wounded in anticipation of to-morrow's fight. We did nothing in that
+direction, but Kellas getting a message to attend a meeting at Brigade
+H.Q. as we went up The Gully, he brought up word that General de Lisle
+wished us to open another dressing station, as far as I could make
+out, in the slight dip immediately in front of our first firing line
+to which we are expected to creep out, and dig ourselves in, and wait
+for to-morrow's advance. I know the ground, and saw his sketch of the
+site, and pronounced it impossible. We next went to Y. Beach and along
+a small gully beside Gurkha Bluff, till we were stopped by our front
+trenches, and could find no possible way of opening another station.
+We next visited the A.D.M.S., Major Bell, who had not heard of this
+suggestion.
+
+The bombardment by the naval and field guns commences at 9 to-morrow,
+and as Thomson and I, who are at present in reserve at W. Beach, are
+both anxious to take part in what is likely to be one of our biggest
+fights, we have permission to be out in Aberdeen Gully before it
+starts. I have just been ordering breakfast for 6.45 to-morrow, the
+cook remarking sarcastically to a bystander, "Widna five be a better
+oor": "I dinna think ye shud gang to bed, min," was the reply.
+
+We had seven aeroplanes up at one time this evening, viewing the land
+and the movements of the Turks, preparing for to-morrow's row.
+
+
+_June 28th._--After an early breakfast Thomson and I set off for
+Aberdeen Gully, and as our three mule ambulance wagons were going up
+for the day we had a ride in a four-in-hand to Gully Beach. All the
+way out we watched the Turks' shells falling right along The Gully,
+all the batteries, which are numerous there, getting their attentions,
+while we sat and wondered what we were to do. At the foot of the steep
+descent into Gully Beach Major Bell shouted to me from a high terrace
+in which he lives, and advised us not to risk taking the wagons and
+mules further, especially as mules were getting scarce and are very
+valuable, so, after consulting with Col. O'Hagan, he suggested parking
+them where they were. Col. O'Hagan, thinking this gave him the power
+to do with our wagons as he liked, dared our men to do anything
+without consulting him, otherwise he would put them under arrest--a
+threat not much to the liking of Serg. Philip.
+
+We now decided to give The Gully as wide a berth as possible and took
+the track by the foot of the rocks to Y. Beach, about 2-1/4 miles
+further on. The attack was to commence at 9 a.m. and we had
+three-quarters of an hour to do this, climb the long, steep ascent at
+Y. Beach, and cross by the sunk mule track to Aberdeen Gully. The guns
+had been unusually active for the last two days, and to-day from
+daybreak the heavy howitzers had been throwing shells among the Turks
+to knock in their trenches, and these and many others were dropping
+their shells a short way to our left as we crossed the mule track. The
+heat by this time was intense, and I was absolutely soaked by the time
+I reached the top of the cliff, scrambling through the Gurkha and Sikh
+dugouts by the nearest cut possible, not much to their relish I
+thought. Many of the Gurkhas were handling their knives, and one or
+two sharpening them on stones. These knives of theirs are not so
+sacred as some say they are, although I was once warned sharply not to
+touch one I was to pick up beside its owner. I have often seen them
+chopping wood and meat with these, hence the necessity for their
+requiring sharpening this morning. Poor Gurkhas! later in the day some
+of our men mistook them for Turks and mowed down seventy of them with
+their machine-guns. In every battle we have had some such mistake, and
+the Dublins in the afternoon had the same experience as the Gurkhas.
+
+We were not many minutes in Aberdeen Gully when the Turks shrapnelled
+the mule track very thoroughly, as they did in our last battle, and
+wounded came in thick from here. Of course the Turks, by means of
+spies, who are said to be numerous, knew the exact minute of the
+attack, and were fully prepared to give us a hot time. The mule track
+is merely an old trench widened and deepened, and when there is
+fighting many troops pass along this, and the Turks guessed they could
+get a rich harvest here.
+
+From 9 to 11 every gun on the peninsula fired as fast as it could be
+loaded--between 300 and 400 guns. We were in the thick of it, between
+the two artillery lines, and the shells of both passed directly over
+our heads. Orders to the artillery were that ammunition was not to be
+spared.
+
+At 11 the infantry assault on the first Turkish trench was to be made,
+and the guns were then to lift and be trained on the third. All along
+the first line seemed to fall easily, and many of our men rushed to
+the second, some even taking a third, while a Scotch battalion even
+took five. This sort of thing usually proves disastrous, as most of
+our own big guns are out of sight of their objective, and fire
+entirely by range, and in this case the guns were trained on the third
+trench while this battalion rushed through to the fifth, with
+calamitous results. This battalion--either Royal Scots, Scotch
+Fusiliers, or K.O.S.B.'s I forget which--had lost all its officers,
+but, with no one to lead them, they dashed on, greatly to the
+admiration of all onlookers. Two Munster officers had finally to go
+forward and recall them. Pushing forward at this rate, even apart from
+the chance of running into your own artillery fire, generally ends
+disastrously; if too much progress is made we can rarely retain our
+position.
+
+The Turks were entirely demoralised by the heavy bombardment and
+cleared out of their trenches, some of our men, as they came to us
+wounded, complaining that they ran so fast that they could not get
+near them. Many got down on their knees and surrendered, still
+shouting their war cry, "Allah, Allah".
+
+Large bodies of prisoners, all motley crews, passed us during the day,
+and we had a good many wounded Turks to attend to. I dressed one I was
+much interested in--a short, swarthy chap of middle age, who was
+brought in by some Fusiliers. This man had jumped on the parapet of
+his trench, where he coolly stood upright and shot five Fusiliers dead
+before they managed to bowl him over, but a shattered left arm left
+him helpless. He walked in with about sixty other prisoners, with a
+bullet through his upper jaw and tongue, which had come out at the
+back of his neck; another shattered completely his left arm, the
+splintered humerus being at a very sharp angle, and a third through
+his thigh. He had lost much blood from the divided brachial artery,
+and was very thirsty, and soon drained the fill of a feeding cup of
+water, in spite of the state of his mouth. He soon wanted more "su"
+(Turkish for "water") and was given a bowlful, but he would have
+nothing to do with the bowl, he stuck his finger to its side to show
+that he wanted the one with the spout. Evidently he was surprised I
+did not cut his throat, and all the time I was dressing him he patted
+me with his sound hand.
+
+All the guns were trained on a small patch to begin with, a
+troublesome part known as the "boomerang," a redoubt with sixteen
+machine-guns. This was blown to smithereens.
+
+The whole fight was on our extreme left, with a front of not much over
+half a mile. This must have been very thoroughly ploughed up, and a
+large number of Turks blown to pieces. One woman was found among the
+dead, but it is believed that many of them had their wives with them.
+Many of their underground dwellings were so elaborate that they had
+evidently made up their minds that they were to spend the coming
+winter here.
+
+Our casualties, although light compared with the Turks, must be heavy.
+Over 300 passed through our station before dark, but at that time
+perhaps the bigger half was still to come. Those lying between
+trenches have usually to lie where they fall till dark. Our losses
+would likely be 3000 to 4000.
+
+The Asiatic guns, finding they could take little active part in the
+proceedings, although they fired occasionally on the French, amused
+themselves by firing at W. Beach and the battery on Tekke Burnu, and
+with forty-two shots managed to kill two men and wound eight. One of
+our men, Corporal Dunn, got badly hit while in Aberdeen Gully by a
+two-pound shell cap. It was due to the premature bursting of one of
+our own shells. (Corporal Dunn died a day or two afterwards.) So far
+the wounds received by our Ambulance have been slight.
+
+Padre Creighton had a peculiar experience at 1 a.m. to-day, while
+asleep in his "crow's nest". He has taken up his quarters with us in
+Aberdeen Gully, and has a dugout about 15 feet above the path that
+winds the length of our Gully. This is almost sheer up and is reached
+by steps cut in the rock and sandbags. It was formed by levelling a
+natural recess, and had a galvanised iron roof. Sheer up from this
+again the rock rises another 70 or 80 feet to the mule track above. A
+packhorse with two heavy tanks lost its footing on its way up and fell
+crashing down on Creighton's place, carrying away the roof and a
+number of sandbags, and dropping one of the boxes in the middle of his
+bed. The padre escaped untouched. Kellas, sleeping further down the
+path, rushed out and found himself face to face with the runaway
+steed, which, still more strange to say, was also unhurt. The padre in
+the bright moonlight was standing in his pyjamas on the top of his
+steps, scratching his head, and wondering what it all meant.
+
+The heat all through the day had been most trying, and as I trudged
+down The Gully by myself, Thomson remaining behind, in the sweltering
+heat, the whole way packed tight with ammunition and other wagons,
+through a dust that filled The Gully to the very brim, I felt dead
+tired after a hard day's work and the long tramp of yesterday, when we
+looked in vain for a site for a new advanced dressing station. The
+road seemed without end. As I neared "home" and came over the slight
+rise at our cemetery the moon rose through a slight haze over the
+classic Mount Ida, as a great blood-red ball, while on my other side,
+out in the Gulf of Saros, a dense cloud hung over Imbros, which every
+few seconds was lit up by a flash of lightning. I had little food all
+day, and was too tired to eat, but after a big drink of lime juice I
+retired to bed and slept the sleep of the just--of the tired at any
+rate.
+
+And so ended a day in which we had had a good specimen of a modern
+battle, where both sides had shown equal and indomitable pluck.
+
+
+_June 29th._--Spent the day resting and washing clothes. When I can I
+have a washing day twice a week.
+
+Many wounded passed through Aberdeen Gully after I left last night,
+the total up to some hour this morning being 566, which meant a lot of
+hard work.
+
+After I left, Ashmead-Bartlett was passing, and recognising Padre
+Creighton he went over our Gully, and greatly admired the place for
+its suitability and picturesqueness, and is to give a description of
+it in one of his early articles to the home papers--so he says. He
+told our fellows the following story of a friend of his, who had been
+through the landing of April 25. He wrote home saying that shells flew
+thick about his ears, torpedoes chased him about, and mines floated
+all round; still he was not in the least afraid, he just thought of
+what his padre told them the previous Sunday, when he exhorted them
+when in danger to look upwards. He looked upwards, and behold! here
+was a bloody aeroplane dropping bombs.
+
+Early in the afternoon we had a goodly number of shells. Yesterday,
+when I was up The Gully, a large piece of shell flew through our mess
+tent, where the servants were sitting, and landed in a jam pot on the
+table, splashing an orderly all over; he, mistaking jam for his own
+blood, did not know whether he was really alive or dead.
+
+
+_June 30th._--We had seven large shells during the night, all landing
+on our side of W. Beach. Two traction engines have been fitted up
+lately down on the shore, and one of these was smashed, and a
+tool-house beside it blown pretty well to pieces. There was also some
+fighting about our left and centre, but I have not heard the result.
+The Turks have now a plentiful supply of ammunition, and all yesterday
+afternoon and this morning have poured a constant stream of high
+explosives into the French side of Kereves Dere.
+
+Soon after 8 p.m. lightning flashed thick about Imbros, which had an
+inky black cloud hanging overhead. The storm moved to the east, till
+it came over Achi Baba, and by this time the flashes were almost
+constant and the thunder loud. It was one of the grandest
+thunderstorms I ever saw, and what made it more impressive was the din
+and flashing of all our guns, the searchlight from Chanak, which
+always plays over the Dardanelles and us, and then we had a severe
+shelling from Asia all to ourselves. We just wanted a good rattling
+earthquake to complete this fearsome picture of hell where both man
+and the gods warred.
+
+The Turks have started a new form of frightfulness. They shell us
+every now and then from Asia, and from there last night they dropped
+into W. Beach a huge shell that detonates with a terrible crash, and
+every twenty minutes or so they treated us to one of these, and made
+the whole night hideous, and sleep impossible.
+
+This afternoon a French battleship stationed herself off the entrance
+to the Dardanelles, and fired about fifty rounds from her biggest guns
+at a point on a hill about a mile beyond Kum Kale. As the Turkish guns
+are believed to be in tunnels they were firing practically at right
+angles to these, and I could not possibly see how they could get a
+direct hit, and prophesied that as soon as the ship left they would
+show that there was life in the old dog yet, by giving a worse
+cannonade than usual, and this was just what happened. No fewer than
+five shells fell in the C.C.S. beside us, killing the cook, and
+wounding two orderlies, and a number of the already wounded. I saw
+several horses and mules fall to their bag also. Then as soon as it
+got dark they made up their minds that we were not to be allowed to
+sleep, and every fifteen to twenty minutes we had a terrific crash in
+the camp up to 5 a.m. This becomes very trying, and all wish that
+something could be done to silence these guns. Nothing will do but a
+landing on the Asiatic side.
+
+
+_July 1st._--I came out to Aberdeen Gully after breakfast. Here one
+feels comparatively safe, and we are enjoying the peace after our
+nocturnal shellings, and the thought of a good night's sleep braces
+one up wonderfully. Fiddes and I walked over to the Artillery
+Observation Post to see the extent of our advance, the other day, and
+I was surprised to find our front trenches so far forward. Some of
+these front trenches we still divide with the Turks, and during their
+attempts to recover some of these last night the darkness of the night
+and the thunderstorm terrified the Gurkhas so much that they nearly
+lost their most advanced line.
+
+
+_July 2nd._--Spent a quiet day out at the dressing station--as far as
+work went. I went over to Y. Beach by the mule track, but as shells
+were dropping about both these places I returned sooner than I
+intended. In the afternoon a message from the Turks, dropped from an
+aeroplane, gave the whole army half an hour to clear out of the
+peninsula, otherwise they would shell us into the sea. The shelling
+had to be resorted to, and commencing at 5 p.m. they worked so
+vigorously that plainly they meant what they said. The artillery duel
+then started was on this left side, and, our Gully being between the
+two fires, all the shells went right over our heads, and the shrieking
+was as bad as any I ever heard. At periods during the three hours this
+lasted they crossed at the rate of 200 per minute. We were close to
+three of our own batteries, and these had to be peppered over our
+heads, and most of the shells being shrapnel, timed to burst in the
+air, we had many an explosion immediately above us. We all cowered as
+well as we could up against the rocks, and although shrapnel bullets
+and half a shell base came among us no one was hit. In spite of all
+this bombardment, an artillery officer told me next day that all the
+casualties he knows of are one man and five horses wounded. All these
+were hit in a small side Gully like our own, a shell bursting in their
+midst.
+
+Padre Creighton came back tired and hungry at 8.30 and found no supper
+nor fire to cook it with, the cook's life having been frightened out
+of him he forgot the necessity for bodily sustenance for the rest of
+us. I noticed the cook at one time flourishing a spade like a cricket
+bat, and on asking him what this was for he declared, "You can easy
+see the bloody thing comin'". He intended to let fly at the first
+shell that came his way. Creighton in his usual energetic way buckled
+to, and prepared an excellent supper of fried onions on toast, with a
+little bacon. This was much enjoyed, as was also the Bivouac cocoa
+with which it was washed down.
+
+
+_July 4th._--Aberdeen Gully. A glorious Sunday morning. A slight
+shower during the night has refreshed the air and nature's dusty face,
+and now, with a brilliant sun and a gentle breeze, one can feel as
+happy as one can out here, thousands of miles from home--but are we
+downhearted? No! There is also almost an absolute calm from those
+noisy death dealers, shots being only very occasional. A big howitzer
+is going off at times, but apart from that the unnatural silence seems
+ominous, like a calm before a storm.
+
+Padre Creighton is to-day offering five pounds to a shilling that it
+will be Christmas before we take Achi Baba. My forecast is we will be
+there before this day week, while any combatants I have spoken to say
+it will take us to the end of July. At the present rate we will take
+months, but in my opinion it will be necessary to push on faster than
+we have been able to do so far, although I believe by wearing out the
+Turks slowly our casualties will be less. But a more rapid advance
+would be a greater help to our comrades fighting in other parts of the
+Continent.
+
+_Afternoon._--Had an excellent lunch cooked by Fiddes, who is a
+first-rate _chef_. An officer lunched with us who says he is the last
+of his battalion. He came in slightly wounded, but his nerves have so
+completely gone that he says he will never be able to shoot a rabbit
+again, and sheds tears at the thought of such cruelty. Many will
+follow in the same condition if we cannot get relief, and out of reach
+of the Turks' guns for an occasional rest.
+
+
+_July 5th._--We have had a terribly hot morning, we opening the
+artillery ball at 3.45, when the Turks made an attack on the most
+important front trench we now hold, and took from them this day last
+week. Now, at 9 o'clock, things are still very warm, but nothing to
+what they were during the first three hours, when the fire from both
+sides was about equal. After the first rush of the Turks the fight has
+been nothing but an artillery duel.
+
+In Aberdeen Gully, we are wonderfully protected by our high rocks, and
+natural banks which have been improved by ourselves, and although many
+pieces of shell have fallen in it to-day no one was hit.
+
+The Turks are said to have suffered enormously, being taken by
+surprise in a nullah along which they were marching in close
+formation. An officer with a machine-gun says he alone accounted for
+about eighty. We have had about twenty-four wounded Dublins so far,
+some mere boys. Those boys who are slightly hit are in great glee over
+their prowess, one as he walked proudly in exclaiming, "Py Jasus, we
+gave them a holy paestin' this mornin'".
+
+Last night we had a call from the M.O. of the Scottish Rifles. He was
+telling us about the casualties in the Lowland Brigade on Monday last.
+They went in 2900 strong and only 1200 came out. Their Brigadier and
+three Colonels were killed. I have spoken to several officers of the
+Brigade, and they unanimously put this loss down to some tactical
+mistake. They charged much too soon, and moreover the men had to
+assault trenches that had never been shelled. This M.O. says he had
+been speaking to an officer who said he assisted to cut the rope by
+which one of the Turkish gunners was bound to his machine-gun. To
+prevent their running away we have heard that they are sometimes tied
+to their guns by chains.
+
+6 p.m.--I am back again at W. Beach where I find they have had a
+perfect hell of a time. A big French transport was sunk off this by a
+torpedo on Saturday.
+
+In the morning after the fight of the 29th I met in The Gully three
+wounded soldiers of the Lowland Brigade, two of them trying to put a
+sling on the third, who had a smashed hand. I assisted and asked about
+their casualties. One said, "We lost our Brigadier, Scott-Moncrieff,
+did ye ken him, a wee wiry beggar?"
+
+After dinner to-day I walked to the Dublin trenches with Creighton,
+who was to bury some of the men killed last night. As we passed a
+workshop and engineers' dump on our way back, Creighton was again
+asked to bury a man. While he was doing so I sharpened my pocket knife
+on a grindstone standing by, and asked a soldier if that was all the
+killed they had last night. "Yes," he said, "and we had an officer
+buried to-day." "Oh," said I, "when was he killed?" "He wasn't killed
+at all." "Then why did you bury him?" "A shell blew in a trench on the
+top of him, but we dug him out, and he was none the worse."
+
+Another mule--but it was a horse this time--toppled down from the path
+above us this afternoon. He started on his career with his full load,
+but he had nothing but his saddle when he dumped himself down on the
+path three yards from my sleeping bunk, after a drop of about 50 feet.
+I would much rather have a whole mule flying in among us than a chunk
+of shell. He picked himself up and looked scared, and went away
+puffing hard, but quite unharmed except for a bleeding nose.
+
+
+_July 6th._--W. Beach. What's wrong? Not a shot in our neighbourhood
+during the night, and I must have slept seven hours.
+
+_Later._--By afternoon we had a few shells, some dropping
+uncomfortably near--forty-five in all, so many from Achi Baba, and ten
+huge ones, with big explosions, from Asia. These last were aimed at
+our ammunition dumps, where some damage was done.
+
+At supper our Q.M. Dickie told us the following little anecdote,
+which I jot down as it was connected with our Corps. One evening a
+recruit presented himself at Fonthill Barracks, Aberdeen, and informed
+the CO.--Captain Robertson--that he wanted to "Jine". "But we are full
+up," says R. "Oh, I thocht ye wintet men." "Oh well, as you are a
+likely looking chap, I think I'll take you; when would you like to be
+examined?" "I'll be examined noo, far's the doctor?" "I'm the doctor,"
+said R. "God," says the chap, "ye dinna look muckle like a doctor."
+"But why do you wish to join?" "It's jist like this, I hid a dram, an'
+the maister said I was a damned feel, so I telt him if I wis a damned
+feel, he wis a damneder, an' he telt me to gang tae hell, sae I jist
+gaed, an' here I am." "When can you join?" "Weel, this is Saeterday
+nicht, it wid need tae be Tiesday or Wednesday. Ye see I drive the
+milk caert, a damned responsible poseeshen." Not much of a story but
+real Aberdeen.
+
+
+_July 7th._--Had seventy shells to-day on W. Beach, mostly big ones
+from the "Asiatic Annies"; bag, two killed and three wounded.
+
+
+_July 8th._--W. Beach. Yesterday we had a big mail--great rejoicing.
+
+When we came out of the mess tent to-day at 1.15 we found a great
+swarm of what we all think must be locusts, but no one is sufficiently
+well up in zoology to be certain. All are flying inwards in the same
+direction, as if they had come out of the sea, but it is more likely
+they have come from Asia, across the Dardanelles. There is a slight
+breeze and they have difficulty in flying, and are resting everywhere,
+and bump up against tents and everything that comes in their way, and
+are not strong flyers. They have powerful grasshopper legs, red from
+the knee downwards, and an inner pair of wings, which are also red
+and give the whole animal a red colour when in flight. Now, after an
+hour, they are still more plentiful, and are flying past actually in
+myriads.
+
+At 4.30 I got a message to relieve Col. Yarr at Corps H.Q. An
+aeroplane was drawn up there, and along with myself a second one
+arrived. Now I am in for a shelling, I said to myself, and I had just
+entered Col. Yarr's dugout when the first shell exploded a few yards
+off, and this was immediately followed by two others. Near the middle
+of the aerodrome a large gun emplacement--or whatever it is--is being
+dug, which, it is hoped, will draw some of the fire away from here.
+
+The swarm of locusts (?) did not diminish for three hours, when it
+tailed off. Their bumping into one's face made walking almost
+impossible.
+
+
+_July 9th._--Head-quarters. We have had a quiet night. The shelling
+does not commence here till the aeroplanes arrive from Tenedos. Last
+night at dinner various subjects were discussed, such as the duration
+of the war. The views of all were very depressing, although no one had
+the slightest doubt as to the ultimate complete smashing up of
+Germany, and the longer the war lasted the more complete would the
+smashing be. One man was sure it would be ended by next spring,
+another, who had lived long in Macedonia, is positive it will take two
+years from now. General Hunter-Weston took no part in this discussion,
+but looked interested and amused while his juniors threshed the
+subject out. All agreed that it was most laughable to read the
+forecasts in the papers at home, and that it was only now that England
+was realising how enormous the task before her was, and that the war
+will continue till both sides are just about played out, but there can
+be no doubt of our ability to hold out longest.
+
+The plans for the next big attack were also discussed. The General,
+who commands the whole army on the peninsula--including the
+French--arranges all details, under the Commander-in-chief, Sir Ian
+Hamilton. The dates of former attacks were known to us all several
+days before they took place, and these invariably reached the Turks.
+To avoid this more secrecy is now observed, and it amused me last
+night to hear the General emphasise his dates in a voice that denoted
+that he did not mean them to be taken literally. This was to bamboozle
+me, I thought, the only non-combatant present, but occasionally he
+stumbled. As it was always with regret that I came to know the dates
+of former attacks some days ahead I was glad to observe this attempt
+at secrecy. I remember we were once to commence at 7 o'clock, and the
+Turk let fly at us at 6.45, determined, sensible man, to get in the
+first blow.
+
+When talking about crushing Germany, all regretted that our country
+was so soft, and would not crush sufficiently; however, they thought
+they could rely on Russia and France insisting on this being carried
+out very thoroughly.
+
+After breakfast I walked down about 300 yards to Helles point,
+wondering what had come of all our shipping. The hospital ships are
+there, one small supply ship only, a few mine-sweepers, and close in
+under the rocks a British and a French submarine, lying beside the
+keel of the "Majestic". It appears a German submarine had been sighted
+last night, hence as many of the ships as possible had fled. A French
+ship is battering Kum Kale, and kicking up a tremendous dust. An
+officer from H.Q. was regretting the inability of the Navy to help us.
+At last, I hope, even the Navy has discovered this for themselves, for
+land operations they are of little use. Then we must rely on our field
+guns and howitzers, and these only. Another 5-inch howitzer battery
+arrived last night, I hear, and we have 9.2-inch guns somewhere, but
+I fail to gather whether these had been actually landed.
+
+
+_July 10th._--We had an unusually good dinner last night, a feast fit
+for the gods to one who has had nothing but camp rations for three
+months, where the staple diet is bully beef. We had various liqueurs
+before dinner, and excellent cocktails made by the General's A.D.C.
+But I never enjoyed anything so much as a bottle of Bass the night
+before. The A.D.C. is a jovial fellow, always happy, with plenty of
+foresight, and with a fatherly interest in everybody. General
+Hunter-Weston has been spending the night at Imbros with Sir Ian
+Hamilton, and the Staff had asked several of their friends to dine
+with them. I was able to find out from one of our visitors that there
+is absolutely no truth in a most persistent rumour we hear, that the
+whole of the 29th Division is going home to be re-equipped, after
+their almost complete annihilation. He says we are to get a rest, but
+we only go to Lemnos. Why send troops away in the meantime?
+
+The Turks for some days back have been making a huge excavation on
+this side of the actual peak of Achi Baba. Its purpose is a great
+puzzle here. The first object one would think of is that it is a big
+gun emplacement, but, as they say at H.Q., they have made it on the
+wrong side of the hill. Still I cannot see why not, if they front it
+with a big enough mound. But there could be no advantage in making it
+on this side, where we could so easily "spot" our shots.
+
+We, too, are making a big excavation on one side of the aerodrome, but
+when the first aeroplane enters it for the night I am mistaken if the
+Turks do not knock it out within an hour. It is intended for a
+monoplane that can fly 113 miles an hour, and its special purpose is
+to give chase to the first Taube that appears.
+
+That Achi Baba excavation makes one suspicious that the German
+officers with the Turks are to be up to some form of frightfulness. It
+cannot be gas, but, if it is, we have been prepared for that for some
+weeks, and every man has his respirator. To-day I was asked by the
+A.D.C. about a paper dealing with gases, with which we are to
+retaliate should the Turk use these first, but it contains names I
+never heard before, and can give him no enlightenment on the subject.
+
+6 p.m.--I have been on the General's observation hill with one of the
+staff, and his opinion about the excavation is probably correct. It
+must be a redoubt, in which the Turks will have a large number of
+field and machine-guns, which will mean some taking, but our artillery
+should make short work of it.
+
+
+_July 11th._--Was knocked up at 6.30 to see the General who is ill.
+This is awkward, as I have just gathered at breakfast that the next
+big fight ("stunt" is the word always used) comes off to-morrow. I
+also heard at breakfast that in our last stunt when the first lines of
+the Turks were slaughtered, new troops as they were brought up refused
+to cross the masses of their dead comrades, and that one of the
+reasons for General Hunter-Weston refusing the armistice asked for by
+the Turks two days ago was that he wished to retain their dead as a
+wall of defence.
+
+Much business has to be transacted in preparation for to-morrow and
+the General is getting little rest.
+
+6 p.m.--I walked over to the Ambulance to notify them about
+to-morrow's stunt. The road between the aerodrome and the Beach was
+being shelled, so I took the other side of the aerodrome, past the
+Ordnance Stores, and as I was nearing these the Asiatic gunners
+thought they might pepper this side, and I had some big crashes near
+me. A shell entered the road just behind the 89th F.A. without
+exploding, and one of our men pushed a 7-foot stick down the hole
+without reaching the bottom. The hole was the cleanest I ever saw, 7
+inches in diameter, and every mark of the rifling of the driving band
+was beautifully moulded in the clay. Here at H.Q. they dug up one of
+these new and unexploded shells, and it had penetrated 14 feet into
+the ground.
+
+A New Zealander was telling me yesterday that his people closely
+resembled those of the old country in every respect, while the
+Australians seem to completely alter. When the British and New
+Zealanders hear a shell approaching they duck, while an Australian
+straightens his back, gets his head and shoulders over the parapet,
+and swears.
+
+General Hunter-Weston kept improving during the day, and by evening
+was much better.
+
+
+_July 12th._--An important battle took place to-day, and still rages,
+beginning at 4 a.m. but in real earnest by 5, when many new big guns
+were used for the first time. Our centre (Naval Division) and the
+right (French) are mainly involved, although the whole line took part
+in the preliminary bombardment. News came in that the first attack
+failed, but that by 7.30 the first line of the Turks was captured. On
+the top of the Observation Hill at H.Q. I met an interesting fellow,
+who said he was the only civil surgeon who had got permission to join
+us. He had a Government appointment in the Soudan, and having three
+months' leave he was allowed to spend it here without pay. He said he
+would have been ashamed to go home.
+
+The General feels better to-day, and by lunch time looked as if things
+were going well at the Front. However, the French have a most
+difficult piece of work before them, namely, the capture of Kereves
+Dere, which has blocked their way since April 28. This gully runs in
+a S.E. direction from the foot of Achi Baba to the Dardanelles, is
+flat at the bottom, and about 400 yards wide, with steep perpendicular
+cliffs on both sides, nearly 200 feet high. At the bottom each side
+holds a trench facing the other, while there are others half-way up
+wherever there are slopes. In a spot or two the French are said to
+have pushed through before, and for a time held a piece of the other
+side, but the difficulty is to get the Turk entirely out and the
+position consolidated.
+
+The enemy submarines would like to do some mischief to-day, could they
+find something worth a torpedo, but all our shipping has gone, except
+three hospital ships and the torpedo craft. Within the last fifteen
+minutes a destroyer has given a long blast on her whistle, followed by
+two short, the signal that a submarine has been sighted. Three
+destroyers are at the present moment grouped together evidently having
+a conference.
+
+6.15 p.m.--The battle has raged the whole day, but less violently from
+11 to 4, but at the latter hour, a warship, lying close in, with all
+our field guns, raised a great roar, and a solid mass of smoke and
+dust rose high in the air enveloping the whole of the Turkish lines
+from the west of Krithia to the Dardanelles. The Turks have replied
+all day, but feebly in comparison.
+
+Most of the day I had been watching the battlefield from the
+Observation Hill, then at 5 went to tea in the mess where I was alone.
+General Hunter-Weston entered in a few minutes, and sitting opposite
+me said, "What an extraordinary thing war is". The progress of the day
+had greatly satisfied him I could see, and he was in great glee.
+"Yes," I said, "but I wish to goodness it was all over." "My dear
+sir," he replied, "we'll have years of it yet." I asked if he thought
+there was any possibility of its ending this year. "Absolutely none; I
+think there may be trouble in Germany over the food supply by the
+beginning of next harvest and, if so, there will be a chance of its
+ending in twelve months, but it is more likely to take two years." I
+was afterwards speaking to Major ---- about this, and I have always
+agreed with his remark, "It is all damned nonsense to talk about
+starving Germany".
+
+After tea I returned to the Hill where several of the Staff were
+collected. We watched a body of Turks, about 200 in number, leave
+their own lines and come towards ours with a large white flag. Within
+three seconds after their forming into a body five of our shells
+landed among them, and there was nothing to be seen when the smoke
+cleared off. But in a few minutes those remaining gathered into a body
+again, and immediately two more shells exploded in their midst. The
+few remaining could now be seen coming out of the smoke and tearing
+down a slope to a nullah a short way off, and they were not seen
+again. Major ---- was here called away to interpret to three Turkish
+prisoners who had come in, but I have heard no particulars of their
+examination.... I hear from one of the orderlies that a prisoner
+complained that their own guns opened on them as soon as a body formed
+up to surrender. (This is what actually happened, Turkish shells, not
+ours, fell among them, a lesson to others what would happen if they
+surrendered.)
+
+We seem to have made a great advance in front of our Naval Division.
+It is more difficult to say what the French have done, their line is
+more hidden from here, owing to the contour of the ground. It will be
+dark by 8, and now at 6.45 it is high time we were straightening up
+our line, otherwise the forward positions will be enfiladed by night.
+
+I heard our Artillery Staff-General being asked at the Observation
+Hill if he was satisfied with the day's work, and he replied, "Quite,
+on the whole, quite, quite".
+
+I was interested to find that none of our Generals left H.Q. to-day;
+everything is worked from there by telephone. Each was at his own post
+and spent little time on the Observation Hill--much less than I did
+myself.
+
+
+_July 13th._--Rumours after a battle are always plentiful, but at H.Q.
+one has an opportunity of sifting these, in fact I could always get
+the exact truth by asking members of the Staff, but I feel as a
+non-combatant that I have no right to openly poke my nose into purely
+military matters. Rumour said we had taken 700 prisoners yesterday;
+another rumour puts the number at 2000. I heard at dinner that eighty
+had come in. Mention was laughingly made of "the lost regiment". I
+could not imagine at the time that we had lost a regiment and thought
+it was a joke of the General's, but to-day I find that a whole
+battalion of K.O.S.B.'s are amissing. Those must be prisoners in the
+hands of the Turks. They had lost so heavily before that they could
+not have been at anything like full strength. The curious thing is the
+officers are said to have turned up, and can give no account of what
+happened. I expect this is not the exact truth. They are said to have
+pushed too far forward, which is the usual cause of our worst
+disasters.
+
+Three violent counter-attacks were made last night. Fighting had never
+ceased the whole night, and I hear we had to retire all along the
+line. The extent of our falling back I do not know, but the news is
+most depressing.
+
+Major ---- told me yesterday that the best troops in the world would
+get so completely demoralised under a shelling like that we gave the
+Turks that every man would be absolutely limp, and could not even aim
+when firing. Then, the more shells we have the better, as we all know
+here and at home. Yesterday we used very little shrapnel, it was
+almost entirely high explosives. At home it was discovered that we had
+used too much of the former in France. The demoralising effect of
+shrapnel is slight, and it has little effect on troops under cover,
+but you might as well fight an earthquake as the other, if it is
+anywhere near you.
+
+Yesterday's casualties up to evening were put at 3000 to 4000, but
+this number will have been added to over night.
+
+10.55 p.m.--Fighting has gone on all day, and with great success on
+our side; we have regained our lost trenches and taken several new
+ones.
+
+I had a very exciting and hot motor ride in search of the Liaison
+officer, at General Hunter-Weston's request, word having come in that
+he was badly wounded. I had many narrow escapes, especially from high
+explosives fired at a battery astride the road through which I had to
+dart, and afterwards from bullets when I left the car and went forward
+on foot. On stepping out of the car a man seeing I was on business
+stepped up to me and immediately dropped dead with a bullet through
+him. I searched our own and the French front lines amidst showers of
+bullets but could find no trace of the man I wanted. I had taken Col.
+Yarr's orderly with me, an old regular. After clearing the battery,
+where big shells from Asia were dropping on all sides of us, and at a
+terrific rate, he picked himself up from the floor of the car and
+swore roundly, and said Col. Yarr would never have taken him into such
+a hot place.
+
+
+_July 15th._--About 5.30 a.m. we had a Taube overhead, which dropped
+two bombs on W. Beach, the acres of boxes at the Ordnance Stores being
+aimed at. A man's arm was blown off and two or three mules killed. We
+have moved our ammunition from Tekke Burnu, where it was too exposed,
+and the Turks seem to think we have mixed it up with these stores as a
+deception, hence these bombs to-day. The machine was at an enormous
+height, and its approach was neither seen nor heard, and the French
+monoplane gave it a start of at least five minutes before pursuing.
+The Taube went in a westward direction, ours directly north, evidently
+with the view of cutting it off from its usual landing place. Our
+machine returned after forty minutes, but I have not heard if it was
+successful.
+
+I went to Aberdeen Gully this morning having returned from H.Q.
+yesterday forenoon.
+
+
+_July 16th._--Woke this morning about 6 after a delightfully peaceful
+night. I lay in my bunk, surrounded by muslin to keep the flies out,
+and felt wonderfully contented with my lot. Such peace could not last
+long, soon the booming of guns was heard some way off, others nearer
+followed, and one over our heads joined in the chorus, and by 10
+o'clock rather a fierce Turkish cannonade commenced.
+
+6 p.m.--I took the temperature of the air to-day for the first time
+and found it 92.5--not the hottest day I have felt here, still
+uncomfortably warm. Walked over to Y. Beach in the forenoon, and up
+The Gully later, meeting the Hants and Worcesters marching down with
+their full kits--all off to Lemnos or somewhere out of the reach of
+shells. These are the very last of the 29th Division to leave except
+the three ambulances.
+
+
+_July 17th._--W. Beach. Returned from Aberdeen Gully to-day. Last
+night the Asiatic guns were troublesome about W. Beach, also a Taube
+which dropped bombs about the ammunition dump. By shell or bomb a fire
+was started that cost us 1,000,000 rounds of rifle ammunition.
+
+I had an order in the forenoon to inoculate the H.Q. Staff against
+cholera. On going over at 6.15, the appointed hour, I found General
+Hunter-Weston had gone some hours before, along with Col. Yarr, to
+Lemnos for a much-needed rest. I inoculated two other Generals and
+forty-five others, finishing up with a dose for myself.
+
+One of our men had a letter from a friend who is with the 2nd Highland
+F.A. in France. He spoke about them retiring out of shell fire for a
+rest, and after pitching camp a shell fell in the next field. They
+then struck camp and went back another 5 miles. "Good God," some one
+heard him declare, "an' here's his, we could na gang five inches."
+
+
+_July 18th._--Last night about 11 o'clock seventeen shells came over
+from Asia, and one hit a huge pile of cartridge boxes and set it
+ablaze. It burned furiously, with a very alarming sputter, bullets
+flying everywhere, although their velocity was not great. They were
+flying over our heads and we had to go underground. Several about the
+fire got rather badly wounded. When fully alight the noise was the
+most earsplitting I ever heard, not that it was so very loud, but
+there was something painful about it. This pile was composed of
+cartridges taken off our own dead and wounded, and those picked up
+about the trenches, where a sinful waste goes on, although I believe
+the big half was captured Turkish ammunition. Many millions were
+burned.
+
+In the morning I was asked to spend the day at H.Q. to relieve Col.
+Yarr's successor. Major-General Stopford (afterwards in command at the
+Sulva landing) was acting as G.O.C. Everything seems very quiet at
+present, as if we were to be in no hurry to make another attack--a
+pity, I think.
+
+At 9.30 p.m. I went over to the "River Clyde" to guide an ambulance
+that was coming out from England. They landed at midnight, and are to
+encamp with us--we fondly hope and believe for the purpose of
+relieving us. Asiatic shells were flying as they landed, and for some
+hours afterwards, an unfortunate and alarming experience as all were
+raw to warfare.
+
+
+_July 19th._--For some days we have been looking for orders to go
+somewhere for a rest. The order came suddenly to-day at 8 p.m. and we
+were ordered to be on board at 10 at V. Beach. A tall order indeed,
+all had to pack up and stow away what we were leaving behind. The most
+of B Section was at Aberdeen Gully, 4 miles away. Word was sent to
+these, but the note miscarried, and by the time they were able to come
+in it was long past midnight.
+
+
+_July 20th._--Last night C Section was sent off in advance, A
+following about 11 o'clock. We hoped to get off quickly, the object of
+the rest being to take us out of shell fire. We had to pass along the
+road at the top of the lighthouse cliff, and C Section, as they waited
+for us beside the "River Clyde," observed a signal about the time we
+had been passing that point. The Kum Kale guns gave us what they
+considered a fair time to cover the remaining piece of ground, and
+just as we were coming up to the "River Clyde," under whose shelter we
+were to embark, we heard the whistle of an approaching shell. We lay
+flat but there was no time for shelter. Instead of one shell, as we
+thought, four (some say six) burst simultaneously about us, all high
+explosives. Not a man was hit, which was an absolute miracle; all had
+burst beside us, and actually among us, as I thought. I rushed back
+through the dense smoke and dust, expecting to find terrible havoc in
+our ranks, and found the men had bolted to shelter, leaving their
+packs in the middle of the road. I shouted but got no reply, but in
+twos and threes they collected near the pier, and rushed along to the
+side of the boat. Other men had been passing along this pier when the
+shells burst, and a number were killed and mangled, one of the barges
+being simply splashed with blood. All this was most unfortunate, but
+it did not end until we got sixteen shells in all. The officers after
+the first salvo sheltered at the entrance of a deep dugout owned by a
+Frenchman. Whenever he saw the flash of a gun over the water he
+shouted "Kum Kale" and pointed to his dugout, when we dived down in
+beautiful style, tumbling over each other down the dark steps. At last
+our mine-sweeper came in and we boarded her about 1.30 a.m. to-day.
+She took us beyond the reach of the guns to the "Osmanieh," a fine
+boat of the Khedivial mail line. I had had practically no sleep for
+the last three nights, and I was soon on the top of my bed half
+undressed and fast asleep.
+
+We breakfasted at 8 as we were entering the outer roads of Lemnos.
+Here we had two more transfers before we landed on the most
+inhospitable looking shore we had ever seen. We soon wished ourselves
+back in Gallipoli with its shells. The wind blew, and such a dust. All
+the land round the harbour, and far inland is one large camp. The
+harbour is covered with battleships and transports, most of the former
+flying the tricolour flag, and among the others are many of the
+largest liners in the world, the "Mauretania" with her four funnels
+being one of them. We trudged on for 1-1/2 miles through the most
+terrible dust, underfoot and in the air, and took possession of a
+rushy piece of ground, the only natural piece we could find, all the
+rest being under cultivation of vines, French beans, maize, and other
+crops. It is a god-forsaken place in the meantime. We could get
+nothing to eat or drink, but finally, after 4 o'clock, we managed to
+"borrow" sufficient water to make tea. After a meal of bread, and a
+small tin of salmon between us all, we felt a bit revived, and the
+desire to return to the shells of Gallipoli lessened. But we are
+ordered to strike camp, we are interfering with the privacy of some
+fellows who have the honour to belong to H.Q. of the 87th Division,
+and we must be off to-night.
+
+
+_July 21st._--I expected to have to go to bed hungry last night, but
+Pirie of the Lancs. called and asked Kellas and myself to dine with
+him, so that I finally went to rest under the stars feeling quite
+comfortable. I spread my two coats on the ground, thought twice about
+undressing, but, wishing to have a good sleep, got into my pyjamas,
+and with a single blanket over me slept till about 3 a.m. when I woke
+up feeling bitterly cold. We are now encamped in the midst of
+vineyards, where there is an excellent crop of grapes, but they are
+sour and unripe. I got hold of a Greek yesterday and asked him if he
+could bring a supply of fruit to us in the evening. He did a big trade
+among the men with oranges and lemons, and when he saw me produced a
+special sack with some really fine pears and oranges, and a huge
+red-fleshed water melon which we had for breakfast, in spite of the
+warning that we were to guard against all sorts of fruit, but melons
+in particular. This morning I gathered a supply of French beans and
+think a good dish of green food will benefit our health. Except at
+H.Q. I have never had an opportunity of anything of the kind.
+
+The 29th Division, which left Gallipoli less than a week ago, are
+ordered back already, before they have time to benefit much by the
+change. An officer of the Dublins was lamenting about this to me, and
+compared his men with Kitchener's army, which is largely represented
+here, being on their way to the Front for the first time. All the old
+campaigners are thin, hollow-eyed and haggard. I know I myself have
+lost over a stone weight, and feel very tired--to do anything is an
+exertion.
+
+Here the heat is intense, and we have not a particle of shade, there
+being no trees where we are, but this morning we are arranging about
+tents, and in a few hours we may be able to escape from the sun's
+perpendicular rays. I hope within the next day or two to explore part
+of the island and its villages. The natives are inclined to be very
+friendly, the Greek who brought me the fruit absolutely refused
+payment, saying, "It's for the commander, he take Constantinople and
+me give him this". I promised to take it in less than no time. If I
+could fulfil my promise the Greek would have the best of the bargain,
+but this has been characteristic of the race from all time.
+
+Towards evening Thomson and I walked to Mudros by a back road, and
+were fascinated with the primitive ways of the natives. Their mode of
+threshing in particular interested us. We wandered through the
+village, meeting crowds of native men, women, and children, the men
+mostly squatting in front of dirty cafes, or lounging inside, sipping,
+as far as I could make out, syrup and soda water. This love of syrup I
+have seen in Holland and Belgium and in France, and I fancy is
+universal in hot countries. We visited the church, which I had been in
+three months before. An old verger--for such I took him to be--took us
+round, a venerable old fellow with kindly eyes, and long beard, long
+robe, and tall brimless hat. He pointed out everything, talking a
+mixture of French and Greek; showed us the Bible on the altar, a
+beautiful silver covered tome, the various pictures, etc., and the
+pulpit of the "Episcopos". "Oh, the bishop," said I. "No, no, Castro
+Episcopos." He meant the Bishop, who perhaps pays the place periodic
+visits, his palace being in Castro, the largest town on the island. A
+candle--a mere taper--had been lighted for each of us on entering, and
+was set in a circular candlestick. For this performance we were
+expected to pay of course. Before leaving I dropped a piastre
+(2-1/2d.) into a plate, and handed Thomson another, but he finding he
+had three British pennies dropped all in, greatly to the delight of
+our guide into whose pocket all this wealth went. "Merci, merci," says
+the old chap who dives for another candle, and lit a second for the
+good of Thomson's soul.
+
+
+_July 22nd._--Thomson and I set off after breakfast to Rosapool, a
+village to the N.E. On the way we studied the method of threshing the
+wheat, which seems to be occupying the full time of every member of
+the families at this time. The threshing floor on which the operation
+is conducted is twenty yards across, circular and laid with flat
+stones. About sufficient sheaves to form half a dozen of our "stooks"
+at home is evenly spread on the floor, while a pair of oxen draw a
+sledge made of two stout boards, about 5 feet long, turned up at the
+point, and studded most carefully with flints projecting fully half an
+inch. The driver, who is usually a woman, stands on this and directs
+the cattle round and round, prodding them freely with a goad. Some of
+the larger floors have a second team: several I saw to-day consisting
+of two donkeys and a pony. These were not muzzled like the oxen, they
+had no sledge, their hoofs doing the work, and they were kept going
+round at a good pace. The winnowing follows, after the whole is
+reduced almost to snuff. This is carried out by throwing shovelfuls in
+the air, the slight breeze we have to-day carrying the pounded straw
+away and leaving the heavy grain.
+
+Rosapool is off the beaten track and is not much spoiled by the
+present influx of men. We managed to get a drink of excellent
+beer--Pilsner, from Athens--the old fellow who served us explaining
+that he had no right to let us have it, but as soon as a military
+policeman who was standing at his door, moved on we were placed on
+chairs at a small table and had our repast. We visited the church
+which was not unlike the bigger one at Mudros. With her head on the
+doorstep was a wizened old woman fast asleep, guarding three piles of
+salt she had laid out to dry in the sun. She got on her haunches,
+mumbled to us in a friendly way, and showed us how she worked her
+spinning machine, which she had with her. This consisted of a pole
+about 2 feet high, with a base which she clutched with her great,
+coarse, bare toes, and as she teased out the wool from the bunch at
+the top she twirled a short spindle with her right hand making a
+remarkably even thread.
+
+We next climbed a hill near this, which we found rough and rugged, as
+every hill here is. It was scorched absolutely brown,
+thistles--especially yellow-flowered ones--alone showing signs of life,
+along with a pretty, dwarf Dianthus. The rocks are covered with an
+orange-coloured lichen which gives them a warm colour. When lying on
+the top I could almost imagine myself in Scotland, if I kept my eyes
+above the villages and valleys, and viewed the hill-tops only. Away to
+the north of us was a large, pure white lagoon, shut off from the sea
+by a sandbar. No doubt this was a layer of salt formed the same way as
+the inland lakes with their salt we were accustomed to at Mex, and it
+was likely from this the "old wifie" had got her salt.
+
+Every village has its fig trees, the largest under 20 feet high, their
+large leaves rich green and luscious. Almost every house has one or
+more of these. There is but one pattern for their houses, a square box
+two storeys high, often with a bit of balcony covered with vines. The
+general colour of a village is grey, cold, and forbidding, but this is
+relieved by the fig trees, and the bright green and blue paint many
+use on their doors and windows. Everything is primitive, and long may
+it remain so; all seem happy and contented on the small pittance any
+of them can earn. There is no attempt at farming on anything but the
+smallest scale.
+
+Was it in Lemnos, the AEgean Isle, Milton lands Satan when thrown out
+of Heaven?
+
+We hear that Achi Baba was to be stormed to-day, but we do not believe
+it. Big gunfire is distinctly heard at this distance (over 40 miles)
+and we have heard but a very few shots. Last night the booming was
+constant for a time.
+
+
+_July 23rd._--To-day we had a route march of nearly twelve miles, the
+first since we left England. We went through Rosapool to the northern
+shore of Lemnos, where the men bathed and rested for an hour. We found
+a fine beach of silver sand. We reached camp a little after 2, with
+excellent appetites. By a little clever manoeuvring--and with the aid
+of Sergeant-Major Shaw--Kellas and I managed to reach Rosapool while
+the men rested outside, and we had a long, cooling drink of Pilsner.
+
+
+_July 24th._--Went over almost every street in Mudros this morning.
+There were five of us, and we made many purchases for our mess--white
+wine, plums, Turkish delight, preserved fruit, tomatoes, etc. In the
+evening Thomson and I inoculated every one in camp against cholera--my
+second dose.
+
+
+_July 25th._--When we landed at Lemnos we chanced to meet Padre
+Komlosy, who has looked us up in camp a time or two since. He had a
+service at 10 for us and the Welsh Fusiliers who are on their way to
+Gallipoli for the first time. These Welshmen wear a cockade of white
+feathers in their helmets and the officers three black ribbons down
+their backs, from below their coat collars. Padre Hardie also visited
+us in the evening.
+
+H.Q. of the lines of communication is on the "Aragon," a magnificent
+ship lying in Lemnos harbour. The "Aragon" is notorious for its number
+of monocles. Up to now any officer has been allowed to go on board to
+any meal on payment, but evidently that privilege is about to be
+stopped. If anyone went in his grimy, war-worn garments, and many now
+have nothing else, he was glowered at by these toffs, as if he had no
+right to be there. Besides, many officers who were not sick enough to
+enter a hospital, but too ill to carry on at the Front, were sent
+there for a rest. These too were attacked by these fellows and told
+that if they were ill they should be on a hospital ship or if not ill
+they ought to be at the Front. These men have no intention themselves
+of going nearer the Front, they are all fat and sleek and live on the
+fat of the land, are faultlessly dressed, and strut about with their
+monocles, looking with contempt on all the poor devils who are doing
+the dirty work. Every one is now up in arms against them.
+
+In the evening the CO., Kellas, and I climbed a rocky hill of about
+800 feet, lying to the east. The view of the harbour with over 100 big
+ships, and about as many small craft was very fine in its setting of
+rugged hills. We watched the sun go down in all his glory on the
+distant side of the island.
+
+
+_July 27th._--Still in Lemnos. There has been nothing doing to-day. We
+lie about camp a good deal where we have an abundance of light
+literature, sheltering under two large, double-lined Indian tents we
+were lucky enough to secure the day after our arrival. Yesterday we
+had a mail, which of course had to go to Gallipoli first, and was
+delayed at least a week by this short double journey.
+
+At 9 a.m. Fiddes and I took the men for a route march through the
+village of Romano and up a hill beyond.
+
+
+_July 28th._--Another slow day. I amused myself in the morning with a
+fine specimen of a tarantula which I caught crawling up a tent. I had
+seen three others in Gallipoli but this was the finest of all. Kellas
+and I had a praying mantis in a large tin box with gauze as a lid so
+that we might watch him at his devotions. The mantis reminds one of a
+small, green monkey, the fore pair of legs being well developed and
+used in prehension. A large number of the insects we have are of the
+grasshopper tribe with well-developed hind-legs. The tarantula was put
+beside the mantis and he pounced on him like a cat at a mouse, seized
+him round the middle and with his great mandibles chewed right along
+to his head, squeezing every drop of juice out of him. Nothing was
+left but a few dry pellets. Kellas next gave him about a dozen flies
+and he found room for the lot. These he sprawled at with his
+fore-legs, rarely missing a dart, keeping his mouth open till a fly
+was grabbed and forced between his jaws. He has had another meal of
+flies and looks well satisfied with the easy way in which he has been
+able to capture his prey to-day, and is much inclined to sleep.
+
+An aeroplane crossed directly over us at 4.15 this morning, coming
+from the S.W., probably Smyrna. It was flying at a moderate height,
+and was quite visible in the dim light. After completely crossing the
+harbour and taking careful note of our shipping, it turned and dropped
+a bomb at something about the harbour entrance. And all this happened
+without a single shot being fired by us--like our watchful
+authorities!
+
+
+_July 29th._--To-day I had a very enjoyable tramp with Stephen to the
+top of a hill, then to Rosapool, which is the only place near where
+one can quench one's thirst with bitter beer, or even the local sweet
+wine. All shops are strictly forbidden to sell either, and military
+police are everywhere on the prowl. Still the trade goes on, a Greek
+can never refuse money, he will sell his soul rather than miss the
+chance of making a penny. Our usual place of call is kept by a very
+knowing and intelligent Greek, but he was from home to-day--gone to
+Varos, we were told, to buy beer. The son, a boy of eleven or twelve,
+was in sole charge, a keen little chap as ever lived, with a genuine
+Greek eye for business, but a fine and intelligent boy, and by taking
+a seat in the shop for fifteen minutes and threatening to spend the
+day if necessary, he was at last persuaded to produce a couple of
+bottles of beer from Salonika, which we found to be really good. The
+boy has a smattering of English and French, and says he has been at
+school. I have never seen any sign of a school in any of the villages
+so far. He says "the English soldier drink, drink, he no good," and
+shakes his head, as though the national curse would end in our losing
+the war. We discovered in a corner four barrels of mysterious looking
+stuff that attracted flies. These were full of cheese floating in
+water, little more than stiff curd, but palatable, and this along with
+biscuits and beer made an enjoyable little lunch. Then we set off for
+"home," Stephen carrying a kilo of cheese, I with a bottle of beer
+inside my shirt, as a very small treat for the other fellows.
+
+
+_July 30th._--Stephen, Dickie, and I set off at 9.30 to have a day's
+enjoyment at Varos, a village we had heard a good deal about. The day
+was scorching but we covered the 6 miles, via Lychkna, at about 3-1/2
+miles an hour. In the last-mentioned village we were studying a notice
+on a house door when we discovered a nicely dressed woman beside us,
+evidently regarding us with some interest, and, what was most
+unusual, with a smile on her face. "Are you English?" said Stephen.
+"No," she replied, "but I have been in England." "What part?"--answer
+"America". She went for her husband, who, she said, would give us
+beer, although she admitted it was forbidden, but he was hard as
+adamant and absolutely refused, saying "He cared for the notice" we
+had been reading. This vowed dire punishment on all who dared to
+supply anyone with alcohol. We shortly afterwards reached Varos, with
+its twelve windmills all in a row. This being in French occupation
+there is no prohibition for the British, so we searched out a suitable
+place for a cooling drink, and chose a very interesting spot in the
+village square. All the shops are somewhat alike, bare, black rafters,
+with earth or stone floor, and in this particular one a flock of
+swallows had their nests in every niche in the ceiling. Each of us had
+a bottle of beer on the pavement, alongside a French sentry whose sole
+duty was to see that no Frenchman had a drink. He seemed to think that
+it was unfair that his countrymen were not allowed to quench their
+thirst, so he defied the law by having a drink with us, and allowing
+every Frenchman who made the request to enter and have his big
+water-bottle filled with water--but really with red wine, a whole
+litre of which they could buy for sixpence. Delicious wine it was,
+although rather sweet.
+
+We had very interesting talks with several of the younger men, who had
+all been in America, but had been recalled by their Government lately,
+when there were signs of Greece taking the field, which, according to
+our informants, she would do in September. All we spoke to seemed very
+desirous to have a blow at Turkey, they wished the Turk turned out of
+Europe. I had an idea there were no schools here, but I was told every
+village had its two schools. Young children were taught together, but
+as they grew up the sexes went to different schools, and education is
+compulsory to the age of fifteen. All are taught to read and write
+English. This is due, our man told me, to Alexandria being their
+greatest mart.
+
+We had coffee, real Turkish coffee, at another place, where we were
+attracted by a curious advertisement. It was an oil painting of a
+Scotch lassie in kilt and plaid, dancing with a jug of foaming beer
+above her head, and alongside her it was announced that they sold
+"tea, coffee, and milk". Stephen at once wished to buy it, but the
+terms were exorbitant. To make Turkish coffee you put a teaspoonful of
+ground coffee in a little pot with an equal quantity of sugar, then
+run in about two ounces of boiling water, and push this into
+smouldering charcoal until it boils. Along with this is served a large
+tumbler of ice-cold water, which you sip time about with the coffee.
+
+Before we could get Dickie away from Varos he insisted on being
+photographed by Stephen, astride a huge cask in front of a shop, but
+the cask refused to keep steady--so Dicky asserted, although to all
+appearances it was most solidly fixed to a substantial stand. Plainly
+Dickie was feeling weak after his long walk.
+
+
+_July 31st._--Dickie much stronger to-day. I accompanied him to
+H.M.M.P. "Aragon" to get some money from the army cashier. We lunched
+on board and had a glorious meal, everything to eat good, excellent
+cider with ice, and comfortable lounges in which to smoke. Such things
+are almost unthinkable after our simple--very simple--fare on
+Gallipoli. I sat between two New Zealanders who had come over from
+Anzac last night. One of them said they were only 10 yards from the
+Turks' trench in one part of their line. The other day a New Zealander
+shouted across, "Do you want any jam this morning?" "Yes," said the
+Turks from the depths of their trench. "How many of you are there?"
+"Eight," was the reply. "All right, here's one pot of jam," and a pot
+of real jam was thrown over. The next morning the same proceedings
+were gone through, and the eight got together to get their jam. But
+this time the pot was filled with nitroglycerine and the Turks were
+blown to pieces. We are now using hand grenades from home, but till
+just lately when we had to retaliate on the Turks, who took to using
+deadly grenades, ours were made hurriedly of empty jam tins. These
+were filled with nitroglycerine mixed with pieces of old iron, such as
+shrapnel bullets and pieces of burst shells which we all
+collected--and most deadly weapons they proved, if a Turk got one in
+the stomach it simply blew him in two.
+
+Word came in the early hours of last night that we had to prepare for
+our return to Gallipoli on Monday August 2. No one seems actually
+sorry, we feel that we have got all the good out of this place that is
+to be had, and the sooner we are all in our places the sooner will the
+war be over. We had much wind and dust in the morning, the wind
+falling later when it became uncomfortably warm. We had few flies in
+our camp at first, but they soon found us out and became as trying a
+plague as in Gallipoli. The Kaffirs say God made the bees, and the
+Devil made the flies.
+
+
+_August 2nd._--We left our camp in Lemnos at 12.15 and marched in a
+solid cloud of dust to Australian Pier, where we had to wait in the
+grilling sun for another hour before we got off to the "Abessiah," of
+the Khedivial Line, which sailed at 4.15, taking a long time to
+manoeuvre before she got her head towards the entrance of the harbour.
+We had a good afternoon tea of crisp toast and real butter, likely our
+last respectable meal for many a day.
+
+As we passed through the shipping the old familiar cry of "Are we
+downhearted?" came from some of the shiploads of fresh troops. There
+was but a feeble reply from our men, very unlike their shouts as we
+passed through Malta on the way out. We could not raise a cheer
+now-a-days, we are still too tired in spite of our rest. We feel a lot
+of desperate men, prepared to go back and face the worst if need be.
+We passed a British and French submarine just inside the boom guarding
+the harbour.
+
+Before midnight our ambulance was transferred to a mine-sweeper and
+landed at V. Beach, leaving myself and twenty-one men behind to look
+after the baggage, which is always landed at W. We had a weary night
+of it, the trans-shipping of our heavy goods with fifteen mail bags
+which we picked up just as we were leaving Lemnos, being a big job. On
+coming round to W. Beach we were told we would have to remain where we
+were till 7 o'clock, or perhaps later.
+
+
+_August 3rd._--It is now 6.30 a.m. and the captain and crew are still
+sound asleep, at any rate not a soul is stirring.
+
+We overlook our old Beach, which looks as forbidding from the sea as
+it is in reality. A few minutes ago I watched a Taube drop a bomb
+beside our Ordnance Stores, another near the C.C.S., and a third a
+little further on. What has come of that French monoplane whose
+purpose was to chase such visitors? At 7 we transferred to a pinnace,
+and after much bother about baggage we reached our familiar dug-outs
+about 8. On our way up from the Beach, we passed the Signal Station
+which was a heap of ruins. A shell fell on the roof two days ago,
+killed six men outright, and wounded ten, one of these afterwards
+dying. The numerous recent shell holes in the road and elsewhere
+showed that the Turks had not been idle in our absence. The 88th F.A.
+beside us had several casualties, one day losing ten mules and three
+another, with one man wounded.
+
+
+_August 4th._--It is twelve months to-day since war was declared by
+England on Germany. The number of men slaughtered in that time should
+be an easy record in the whole history of the world.
+
+We are ordered to relieve the 88th F.A. at their dressing station near
+Pink Farm on the West Krithia road, and I walked out in the morning to
+view the place and to see what extras it would be necessary for us to
+take with us. I found Whitaker there with thirty men. Towards evening
+Fiddes and I came out with thirty-two men, and we are now in our
+dug-outs, which are really part of an old trench. It is a narrow
+bedroom but airy. We have a stretcher or two as a roof to keep the sun
+out, but with their huge blood stains they do not form an artistic
+ceiling.
+
+It is now 10 p.m. and having come 2 miles nearer Achi Baba I had to go
+out and study what was doing. The usual all-night rifle fire goes on;
+roars occasionally from the batteries near us; Asiatic shells I can
+hear exploding over at V. Beach; star shells are going up from our
+lines, and the French, but theirs are superior to ours. Ours are
+merely rockets, theirs have parachutes which open when the rocket
+reaches its highest point, and they remain practically stationary for
+a considerable time.
+
+We are in a very exposed position and have been warned that we will be
+sniped at once if we show a light. A few stray bullets have come about
+us, and I could wish that my parapet was a trifle higher, and I am,
+moreover, doubtful whether my candle light is not reflected through
+the roof stretchers which have a wrong tilt. But I will risk both
+dangers to-night, and will heighten my wall by daylight.
+
+The Achi Baba guns shelled W. Beach rather furiously to-day, and in
+the afternoon a large number of shells fell in the harbour.
+
+
+_August 5th._--Had a quiet day at Pink Farm (in some of our maps this
+is called Saliri Farm). In the forenoon, our water-cart not arriving
+when expected, I had a long hunt for a well where we could draw a
+small quantity of water, but it was with great difficulty we got it,
+every well being reserved for some particular unit.
+
+We are on the eve of a big battle. To-morrow the front of Krithia is
+to be captured at any cost. We must get on and the cost must no longer
+be counted. In preparation for this there has been much ranging by all
+the batteries, to which the Turks feebly replied. We have no right to
+have our dressing station where it is, we have dumped ourselves down,
+and have erected our largest Red Cross flag, in front of several
+closely packed lines of reserve trenches, which is contrary to the
+rules of warfare, and if we get shelled it is our own lookout. To-day
+these trenches swarmed with men, and four shells were fired at them,
+the first just grazing the trench we are in. In the same way two
+submarines lie off the coast, close to the C.C.S. on one side and the
+hospital ships on the other, hence shells are continuously dropping in
+the former, but for this we cannot blame the Turk. So far, all are
+agreed that the Turk has not only put up a valiant fight, but a
+straight one, and if he continues as he is doing it will be better for
+him when the day of reckoning comes round.
+
+
+_August 6th._--When sitting at dinner with Fiddes word reached us that
+Kellas had been killed. Such a blow to us and to all who knew good and
+gentle Kellas. Curiosity had frequently led us both into positions of
+danger where we ought not to have been, and I always noted how
+fearless he was. To-day he had been along a deep communication trench,
+along which wounded were to be carried in the action we knew was about
+to take place, and he had been viewing the ground, and while standing
+at the extreme end of this trench a sniper had caught sight of the
+group he was standing in and a shot laid him low. About an hour after
+this sad event I had orders to take his place in The Gully. As the
+fight was to begin at 2 p.m. I had little time to get into my place,
+at least three miles distant. I set off at once to our advanced
+dressing station at the Zigzag, three-quarters of a mile up The Gully
+from Aberdeen Gully.
+
+To-day's battle has been a most bloody affair, wounded beginning to
+drop in at once. As often happens, out of our four first cases three
+were wounds in the left hand--one a bullet through the centre of the
+palm, another was minus the first phalanx of his fore finger, the
+third minus another finger. All these were undoubtedly self-inflicted.
+We are bound to notify all these suspicious cases to their C.O.'s and
+until a guard is sent for them we retain them under a guard of our own
+men. If a hand is found blackened it of course shows that it was done
+at very close quarters, but to avoid this a glove or bandage is
+applied before firing.
+
+I was kept very busy and had no time for food during the rest of the
+day. The wounds were particularly severe, and very few had single
+wounds, many having four to six.
+
+
+_August 7th._--The Turks failed to make their usual counter-attack
+last night, though firing never ceased. I worked for nine hours
+without one minute's halt, and by night felt very tired. I lay down on
+a stretcher and tried to get a little sleep, but got none. The snores
+of my neighbours, the groans of a few wounded we had retained
+over-night, and the death rattle of two dying men beside me were
+sufficient to banish sleep.
+
+Two of our battalions have each lost 700 out of the 900 they went into
+action with. We have gained very little ground; we took trenches and
+lost them. The long interval from the last fight to the present gave
+the Turks time to dig trenches almost proof against shell fire, so
+that when the bombardment began they retired back to these, knowing
+there could be no assault on their front trenches by the infantry
+while this lasted.
+
+Yesterday our army made a fresh landing which we hear was most
+successful, one Division landing at Anzac, the other a short way
+beyond on fresh ground. Our casualties we are told were two, another
+report says five, so that it was practically unopposed. Our attack
+yesterday and during the night kept the whole of the Turkish army
+concentrated here. Looking at it in this light some think our losses
+were not excessive.
+
+Yesterday I spoke about three cases we suspected to be self-inflicted.
+A guard took these away to-day, and they are to be court-martialled
+to-morrow. Our fourth case also came in just as the action was
+beginning. A zigzag path comes down a steep cliff behind us, and down
+this came a man at full gallop, and I thought he was coming to warn us
+that the Turks were using gas, but, instead, he threw himself on the
+ground and yelled and kicked like an infant, and for about an hour
+nothing could calm him. It was a simple case of funk, quite a common
+ailment. A Tommy was sympathising to-day with another who was severely
+wounded and he replied, "I don't care a damn, I did for the bloke who
+shot me". That is the sort of men we want in the army.
+
+
+_August 8th._--Two Divisions were landed at Suvla Bay, beyond Anzac,
+and it is said a third Division will also land there. They are said to
+have made good progress inland, on their way to Maidos, and if they
+succeed in cutting the Turkish line of communication Achi Baba is
+likely to be evacuated--so it is said, but the Turk has already given
+us more than one surprise--we shall see.
+
+On my hurry round from Pink Farm two days ago an orderly dumped my
+pack at the Zigzag among a pile of packs belonging to the wounded, and
+since then it has not been seen. I set off to-day for Gully Beach half
+expecting to find it there as it was from here the wounded were
+transferred to the hospital ships. I next went on to W. Beach and
+inquired at Ordnance and the C.C.S. but all to no purpose; however, I
+was able to pick up a few necessities from each of these places. I
+dined at our base, the C.O. and Dickie being the only officers
+present.
+
+I afterwards attended Kellas's funeral. We buried him in the little
+cemetery inland from our Beach, to the music of flying shells, one
+landing at the entrance as the ambulance wagon with his body drew up,
+and several others followed. The padre who officiated said this was
+the first time he had seen a funeral shelled. During the service we
+all stood in the big grave for safety, and, I am afraid, were forced
+to think more of our own protection than the solemnity of the
+occasion. The whole company consisted of four officers and eight men,
+all that we could muster. Poor Kellas we left sewn in a blanket of the
+usual military type and covered with a Union Jack. I never met a man I
+respected more than Kellas, he was most gentle and brave, and in every
+way a good sort. If a man really deserved to be "sat upon" no one
+could squash him better than Kellas.
+
+
+_August 9th._--Fiddes and I came to Aberdeen Gully last night with
+most of the men, leaving twelve and an N.C.O. to act as bearers in the
+Zigzag track, these to be relieved every twelve hours. A few wounded
+stragglers reached us, but there was little doing to-day. We had one
+cowardly chap, who had had his fill of fighting and tried to do away
+with himself by taking a draught from a cresol tin. He is now under
+close arrest and will be handed over to the tender mercies of a
+court-martial.
+
+
+_August 10th._--Walked up to our advanced dressing station at the
+Zigzag, and found some unknown persons had dumped there, during the
+night, a body in an advanced state of decomposition. I managed to
+unearth his recent history. He had been killed on the 7th, being
+wounded by the Turks, and when crawling back to our lines, along with
+some others in the same condition, he shouted in the dark, "Don't
+fire, we are English". Thinking this was a ruse so often practised by
+the Turks an officer ordered his men to fire, and this poor fellow was
+killed.
+
+In the afternoon a well-known lion hunter looked in and had a shrapnel
+bullet removed from his shoulder. He was a most interesting man, and
+gave us all his views about the conduct of the war. Every mistake that
+it is possible to make has been made, he thinks. Once more we are hung
+up for want of ammunition. He is no optimist with regard to the
+duration of the war. Unless the new landing pushes on and keeps
+hitting he fails to see how they will do much. Even though Austria and
+Turkey are knocked out, Germany is one vast fort, with everything
+within herself, and will hold out for long. He condemns our statesmen
+for even now not initiating conscription, and making every unmarried
+man serve. He severely criticises the quality of our shells, half per
+cent. of which burst prematurely. The fuses of all those available,
+where this has happened, have been picked up and examined and all have
+been correctly set. A French battery of 75's is stationed behind this
+man's battery, firing its shells just 8 feet above his head, and since
+it took up its position it has only had two premature bursts, and one
+of these was caused by the shell striking the branch of a tree. We
+have been buying shells everywhere, and he says those supplied by
+America are far and away the worst.
+
+
+_August 11th._--While we were at tea this afternoon de Boer rushed
+into our mess in Aberdeen Gully to say that he had brought down, by
+our bearers at the Zigzag, Captain O'Hara, whom I have spoken about
+before as the only officer of the 86th Brigade left alive and
+unwounded. He had lately been sent to Egypt to look after prisoners,
+and I was unaware that he had again joined the firing line, but I
+fancy he had found the other job much too slow. He was full of pluck,
+it was not from attempts to save his skin that O'Hara had escaped so
+long. To-day he and a Turk were sniping each other, and after a time
+O'Hara had such a poor opinion of his opponent's firing that he got
+upright to walk away when the Turk hit him through the back. When I
+went up to him I said, "Hullo! O'Hara, I haven't seen you for ages".
+"No," he answered, "and perhaps you'll never see me again." He was one
+of our greatest heroes, and a most likeable fellow. (Long afterwards I
+heard that he progressed well for three weeks when he suddenly grew
+worse, and died on his way home.)
+
+Twenty-four K.O.S.B.'s came in between 2 and 4 a.m. to-day. They had
+blown up a Turkish sap, and on rushing forward to seize and hold it
+they found themselves greatly outnumbered. Most of them were very
+badly wounded, and four died in our station before morning.
+
+
+_August 12th._--Feeling lazy I rode from Aberdeen Gully to W. Beach,
+where I spend the next four days. This is only about the fourth time I
+have been on horseback since I left Mex, the reason for my walking is
+that I require exercise--and a lot of it--and besides you cannot dodge
+a shell when mounted.
+
+
+_August 13th._--We had a big mail to-day. The papers of July 21
+announce that all lieutenants in the R.A.M.C., T.F., become captains
+after six months' service. My captaincy will thus date from April 16
+last. The Turks made an attack on the French and our centre last
+night. We replied with a furious cannonade, then rifle fire continued
+for the remainder of the night.
+
+
+_August 14th._--W. Beach. Beautiful, still morning, as most mornings
+are, but to-day is unusually calm. The sea without a ripple, and a
+heat haze hangs over all. Our harbour at W. Beach is full of ships,
+and just beyond it, at anchor, with their smoke rising lazily, are two
+hospital ships, white to their mast heads except for their surrounding
+belt of green broken by three large Red Crosses, all dazzling in the
+sunlight. The harbour is a busy place, and is now a good and
+commodious one, formed by a pier which it has taken months to build
+from the rocks of Tekke Burnu. As the work proceeded slowly, the water
+it was desired to enclose was further shut in by sinking two large
+steamers, a costly method of pier building perhaps, but here I believe
+it may be the cheapest, as Greek labour which built the stonework is
+dear, and the Greeks poor workmen. They are so nervous that when a
+shell comes their way from "Asiatic Annie" they bolt like a lot of
+rabbits to their holes, where they cannot be unearthed for the next
+half-hour. They were not engaged, they rightly say, to work under
+shell fire, and this often happening several times a day the pier made
+little progress. We have also put the Turkish prisoners on this job,
+and this morning I watched two bodies of these being marched down
+under French guards with fixed bayonets--a capital idea this to put
+the Turks under their own fire.
+
+10 p.m.--Tremendous blasts came floating in from the sea about 5
+o'clock, so I went over to the lighthouse ruins to find out what was
+doing. One of our monitors lay beside Rabbit Island and was throwing
+her 14-inch shells at a ridge on the Dardanelles beyond Kum Kale,
+where we know "Asiatic Annie" and her sisters live. These had been
+firing at V. Beach and the French lines just before. All very well, I
+thought, the monitor can do no harm, but she will stir up these guns
+to give us a lively time at W., and I was not many minutes back when
+they started, the shells coming in fours, just to prove to us that
+their guns were all there. We received about fifty shots in all. We
+had seven destroyers all afternoon at the mouth of the Dardanelles,
+which looked as if they intended something unusual. Now again after a
+pause these guns are firing at their hardest at V. Beach--aye, and
+here too.
+
+
+_August 15th._--I wrote the last clause (aye, and here too) just
+before a shell burst behind me. It was one of a group of four, and was
+two seconds at most in front of the other three, which were
+simultaneous absolutely. Howls and cries for help at once came from a
+tent 15 yards in front of my dugout. A shell had crashed into this
+tent where five men were lying, exploding at the feet of one, and
+shattering his leg at the ankle. The other four were untouched. Some
+of the fuses of yesterday's shells have been dug up to-day, and we
+find from the brilliant orange colour on these that lydite had been
+used, in some of the shells at least.
+
+To-day a snake 38 inches long was caught in our camp. About twenty men
+armed themselves with sticks, axes, etc., and surrounded it, but kept
+a most respectful distance away, having great faith in its springing
+powers. Sergeant Gavin Greig, who has been in Ceylon and knows
+otherwise, got it by the neck and put it in a bottle which he filled
+up with methylated spirit much to the poor brute's dislike as was
+witnessed by its contortions.
+
+An order came yesterday from the A.D.M.S. asking if we could move off
+with our present equipment on a sudden call. This has stimulated all
+those responsible to overhaul all our material, which, though
+deficient in some points, is adequate. Our greatest deficiency is in
+personnel; we are short of our original number by three officers and
+thirty-eight men, this being due to casualties and sickness. Kellas
+was killed nine days ago, Whyte and Morris are home on sick leave.
+
+
+_August 16th._--At 8 a.m. as Fiddes and I were preparing to go out to
+Pink Farm, a message came that we were to embark any time after 17
+o'clock (i.e. 5 p.m.). We withdrew all men and equipment from our two
+advanced dressing stations, and had a busy day in camp packing up all
+we possessed. We left at 8.30 after a supper of chicken and
+champagne--something very unusual--and got on board the "Ermine," a
+Glasgow boat. The officers made themselves as comfortable as possible
+for the night in the smoke room, where several K.O.S.B. officers had
+already deposited themselves. I managed to sleep a little at first,
+but my nearest companion, a K.O.S.B., being unable to persuade me to
+put my legs over his, placed his over mine while I was in an awkward
+position, and rather than disturb him, I lay still. My friend was less
+considerate, he next planked his big, dirty boots alongside my face,
+which were anything but pleasant, they smelt as if their owner kept
+cows.
+
+We only steamed about one and a half hours when the anchor was let go
+with the usual rattle, and we heard some one from another boat
+shouting that the troops were to remain on board till morning. No one
+took the trouble to look out to see where we were, such a thing seemed
+to be of no interest.
+
+
+_August 17th._--Suvla Bay. Tuesday, 2 p.m. We landed at Suvla Bay
+about 5 a.m. and marched to the point of the projecting piece of land
+on the north side. The bay is entirely closed by a boom, and inside we
+have a fairly large fleet of battleships and transports, and a large
+number of smaller boats, while three hospital ships lie outside. The
+Turks have been shelling these rather furiously, but I have seen no
+hits. Our troops on land are also having their share. All our
+equipment was sent off on a lighter, which has not yet arrived, and as
+all our rations are with it we are in dire straits. Luckily another
+ambulance took pity on us and gave us tea and hard ration biscuits,
+but there is no sign of further meals, nor do we expect any.
+
+I am sitting on the side of a rocky slope, and just in front, in a dip
+of the hill, are crowded the whole of the 87th Brigade to which we are
+for the present attached. All arrived this morning and there is
+nothing but confusion. The heat is terrific, and is intensified by the
+large amount of bare rocks, which are so hot that it is impossible to
+lay your hand on them. The surrounding hills, especially hill 972,
+S.E. of the Salt Lake which glistens in the distance, are barren and
+rugged, with no sign of cultivation, except about the foot of that
+hill, where there is said to be a village, but it is invisible. Round
+the Salt Lake a good many trees are dotted about, likely olives and
+figs, and a good deal of bright green scrub exists on the lower hill
+slopes. This scrub Ashmead-Bartlett calls furze in his articles, but I
+have never seen furze in Gallipoli. This plant is generally 2 to 3
+feet high, is in very solid bushes of a stiff, fibrey nature, with an
+ovate, dark green glaucous leaf. Thyme and numerous other plants
+abound. I have been interested in the weathering of the rocks beside
+the sea, this reminding me of the Brig at Filey. This follows a most
+peculiar pattern, like a number of leopard skins spread out on the
+rocks.
+
+I wish night was here, even though we are to go supperless to bed; one
+would give anything for the cool air one can be sure of after sundown.
+
+It was here that a landing was made by Kitchener's army ten days ago.
+They are said to have put up a very poor fight. Trained and steady
+troops, it is said, would have had practically a walk over, as the
+opposition was slight, little more than a brigade of Turks having
+checked two divisions of our men. A few shells fell on the top of a
+ridge where they were advancing. This made a number of the men bolt,
+others were seized with panic, and all seem to have got out of hand. A
+splendid opportunity of turning the Turks' flank, joining up with the
+Australians, and seizing Achi Baba from the north, has been lost, and
+the difficulties in front of us are much increased. There is nothing
+for it now but to land troops in such numbers that defeat is out of
+the question, and it must be done quickly before the wet season sets
+in. I am afraid we must be content to hold the Germans in check in
+France, and withdraw the necessary troops from there.
+
+
+_August 18th._--Yesterday and to-day have been the warmest days we
+have experienced in Gallipoli. The reason that our present station is
+warmer than the point (Helles) is the attraction and retention of heat
+by the rocks, and our camp is on the south face of a high ridge, where
+we have absolutely no shade. Last evening a Taube sailed over us and
+discharged four bombs at the warships, all missing, but one was within
+a few yards of its mark. This evening two came over together, but were
+fired at before they got overhead, and bore off to the left, unharmed
+although numerous shots from the ships followed them.
+
+After breakfast I went to Brigade H.Q. to announce that the ship
+("Manitou"--B.12) which brought our baggage came in yesterday, and
+after discharging about a third of our belongings set sail for
+Lemnos, as she had to be there by a given hour. I had to explain that
+we could not open a clearing station with our shortage of equipment,
+but that by afternoon we would be prepared to put patients into
+improvised blanket shelters. The Brigadier for the time being is
+Colonel Lucas, who was absent on a visit to his regiments, and I had
+an interview with Major Brand of his staff. He gave me orders that our
+unit had to dig itself in before night. This is very necessary as we
+are still under shell fire in every part we hold here, and are just as
+exposed as in Helles. Another ambulance is encamped beside us, and two
+shells bursting among them this morning killed two men and wounded
+two. A big piece of shell hurtled over my head last night, hitting a
+rock about two yards away.
+
+Three rumours have come to us this evening, which have put us all into
+the best of spirits, although we know one is a story, and we are so
+accustomed to rumours that we doubt the truth of the other two:--
+
+1. Achi Baba has been captured!--certainly not true. The ships in the
+bay were well bombarded this afternoon, and we saw two shells hit a
+big transport. A section of an ambulance was on board this ship, and,
+on their landing in the evening, their comrades gave them a rousing
+cheer, and when this was heard in other parts the only interpretation
+that could be put on it was the capture of this troublesome hill.
+
+2. Warsaw we could guess had to fall to the German army, but we hear
+they soon had the worst of it and fled with enormous casualties.
+
+3. We hear we have advanced 26 miles in France. We try to believe
+there is some truth in this, but it must be a great exaggeration.
+
+The Turks are supposed to have a number of big guns mounted on rails
+behind one of the higher ridges overlooking us, and rumour says this
+railway was taken this afternoon, but I do not believe it. Ugly
+ridges they are, and certainly we can never capture some of them
+except by turning, many having a sheer, rocky face of 400 or 500 feet.
+We know extremely little about what is going on within a few miles of
+us. I have seen eleven sour-looking Turks marched in as prisoners
+to-day, which shows we are doing something at any rate. Constant fire
+goes on, and the ships strike in several times a day for half an hour
+or so, but naval guns are not well suited for this work. Down about
+Helles--15 miles off--we can hear much booming too.
+
+
+_August 19th._--Two days ago I spoke about the scrub Ashmead-Bartlett
+calls furze. I now find it is almost certainly the plant from which
+our briar pipes are made. The stem is slender, but the root expands to
+a considerable extent, and I have seen parts of these, which our men
+have dug up when clearing the ground, about 4 to 6 inches thick. The
+fibres are twisted in all directions, giving the wood the well-known
+bird's eye appearance. What is exposed to the weather seems quickly to
+darken.
+
+The geology is interesting. I have spoken about the strange weathering
+of the rocks at the Beach. All the rock on this point of land dips at
+an angle of 45 degrees, and points northwards. I put it all down as
+Devonian, it is almost exactly like Hugh Miller's old red sandstone,
+as seen in Ross-shire, the matrix of a paler red, but the mass of
+water-worn pebbles embedded in it is the same. The matrix contains
+lime as is seen in the large amount of calcite that exists. A vein,
+perhaps 5 feet thick, of a slatey substance runs across just in front
+of us, and contains a well, which is the only sign of fresh water I
+have seen so far. The Engineers have sunk a well in a marly part near
+this, but the earth they are throwing up is perfectly dry, and they
+might as well give it up.
+
+_Later._--Some one now tells me that the rocks are Tertiary and not
+Devonian, and that my slatey vein is cobalt. Much of the stone peels
+readily into large flat slabs which we find useful in building our
+dug-outs.
+
+There was much rifle and big gunfire last night. The ships have
+displayed about a normal amount of activity to which the Turk has
+replied, but his marksmanship is worse than it was yesterday.
+
+We had rain this morning, which was heavy enough to be disagreeable,
+and it was with difficulty we kept ourselves and our belongings dry.
+It gives us a foretaste of what to expect soon. But before then we
+must get on. About Helles the naval guns are very busy.
+
+This morning we had sixty-nine cases of sick and wounded in our
+hospital. We are expected to keep all minor cases of wounds, and cases
+of sickness likely to return to duty in a few days, while the more
+severe cases we send to the hospital ships for the various bases. We
+saw besides about fifty walking cases, all belonging to our 86th
+Brigade.
+
+
+_August 20th._--Last night was very chilly, and for the first time for
+weeks we had to put on our tunics and unroll our shirt sleeves. But
+the weather has again changed and to-day is uncomfortably warm.
+
+On landing on the 17th a man I chanced to speak to told me that a
+rumour is afloat that the Kaiser was suing for peace through the Pope.
+This I give no heed to, but to-day we have it on better authority, and
+it is said he is prepared to give up Belgium, Poland, and
+Alsace-Lorraine. He will have to give these up and a great deal more,
+nothing but unconditional surrender will be listened to, with
+partition of his fleet among the Allies. The Emperor of Austria is
+also said to have declared that he will not allow his people to endure
+another winter campaign.
+
+7 p.m.--The bearers of our Ambulance have been ordered to proceed to
+the foot of a hill 3 miles off, beside the Salt Lake, and to take up
+their position before dawn. I for one will have to go too. I know the
+spot well in the distance, and know it is a favourite dumping ground
+for Turkish shells. At present it is pitch dark at night, and we have
+no idea what we have to encounter on the way.
+
+
+_August 21st._--Last night we were all busy preparing for our start at
+3 a.m. We got off punctually at that hour, and marched in the dark for
+nearly 3 miles, by an unknown road, which was only a rough twisting
+track with many off-shoots. We were bound for "Chocolate Hill," east
+of the Salt Lake, but we have not got there yet. We floundered, and
+squabbled about what should be done so that daylight was on us before
+we passed the bar between the bay and the lake, where the main
+Clearing Station is, also three or four Ambulances. One of these took
+pity on us, and gave us breakfast, and the use of their ground until
+we should hear from the A.D.M.S. to whom we have sent a message for
+instructions. The A.D.M.S. Lt.-Col. J.G. Bell, appeared about 10, and
+we were planted by him in the middle of the bar, facing the bay, where
+we can get no shelter from the sun or shells, the bank behind us
+rising after much digging to less than 5 feet. Our orders are to form
+an Aid Post here, catching all the wounded that come our way.
+
+We have an attack at 3 p.m., and apparently a very big one is
+expected, and we are waiting for its commencement. I have explored the
+bar which is about a mile long, and 300 yards wide, and have studied
+its flora. There is a large lily with a bunch of sweet-smelling
+flowers, not unlike the Madonna lily, but the flower is more notched
+and less of a funnel. It has enormous bulbs, some of which I scraped
+out of pure sand at a depth of 2 feet. Other bulbous plants are
+common, and huge downy reeds.
+
+It is now 2 p.m. I am sitting in a juniper bush in the middle of the
+bar, scribbling, all the country in a scorching haze, the shells from
+the ships screeching over our heads, searching all the ridges and
+hollows in front of us. The Turks' guns have been silent for the last
+hour, no doubt in anticipation of giving us something warm; our
+bearers are off and have just passed in twos and threes across the
+north side of the lake, which at this period of the year is dry,
+except in the middle. On our side all is ready to give the Turk a good
+hiding, but every time at Helles we were just as prepared and the
+result always a practical failure. Now for the battle, and little
+chance of concluding my notes to-day.
+
+6.50 p.m.--Ever since the appointed hour a very big fight has been in
+progress. To me the most exciting part was the advance of the 11th
+Division from the south side of Lala Baba, over a mile of absolutely
+unprotected country, where our men could not fire a shot in return to
+the perfect hail of shrapnel to which they were subjected, shells
+coming in fours and fives at a time right in their midst. There was
+the breadth of the lake between us, but with our glasses we had a good
+view of the whole proceedings. The number bowled over seemed small,
+considering that the last half-mile had to be crossed at the double,
+in a dense cloud of smoke from bursting shells. Whenever the cloud
+cleared off we saw distinctly that many dead and wounded lay about the
+field.
+
+What I admired most was the plucky way the bearers did their work, all
+round the north and east side of the lake, while all the time they
+were subjected to fire, and towards the end of the day, when the Turk,
+apparently desperate, sent shell after shell among the bearers and
+ambulance wagons, at a time when there were no other troops near.
+
+We have tried to dig ourselves into the banks of soft sea sand for the
+night, but the constant stream of fine sand fills up our excavations
+as fast as we dig. Four ships still keep firing--"Lord Nelson,"
+"Swiftsure," "Agamemnon" (?) and "Euryalus"--and every shot brings
+down more sand.
+
+Being off the direct track from the battlefield we have missed the
+wounded we expected. In spite of our tramping about all night in the
+dark we feel very fresh, and disappointed at having nothing to do,
+although in good spirits over our victory--for such we take it to be.
+
+This is the first occasion on which we can find fault with the Turks'
+method of fighting, but to-day they have fired on all and
+sundry--bearers, ambulance wagons, Red Cross flags, and the C.C.S.
+
+
+_August 23rd._--I ended my notes two days ago by remarking that we
+were all in good spirits over what seemed to us to be a victory. Soon
+after that some of us had to change our tune. Two officers were
+ordered up to Chocolate Hill, so Agassiz and I went across the north
+side of the Salt Lake which we found dry and caked hard. Towards the
+far end, as we neared the terrible hill, bullets were flying in
+hundreds--one struck the ground practically under my left foot,
+another passed between Agassiz and myself when we certainly were not a
+foot apart. A few more hundred yards, at the double, took us to that
+absolute inferno, Hill 53. (The hills were named according to their
+height, 53 meaning 53 metres high.) We got to the top through dead and
+dying men lined out everywhere. We at once looked up the A.D.M.S. who,
+along with the heads of the 29th Division, was in a deep and strongly
+protected dug-out. Now came the terrible and most unexpected
+news--the Staff were in a state of hysterics--Hill 72, which is
+separated from Hill 53 by a small dip, had been fought for all day and
+captured at immense cost, and was now about to be given up, it was
+impossible for us to hold it. The 11th Division had sent word that
+they were at a certain point which was their objective, but they were
+actually some distance behind that, and never did reach that point.
+But this piece of information, which the line had been eagerly waiting
+for, now allowed our centre to advance, thinking they had the 11th
+Division protecting their flank. They soon got too far forward and
+were at once enfiladed. This was the beginning of what was a
+catastrophe and which will cost us thousands of lives to rectify. "We
+are to give up Hill 72," said the A.D.M.S., "and if the Turks make a
+night attack, as they always do after an engagement, we'll be pushed
+off this Hill (53) into the valley, and it is hard to say where it
+will end. In that case we want every stretcher-bearer we can lay our
+hands on to work with might and main to get the wounded back from the
+trenches, or they will fall into the hands of the Turks." This sounded
+terrible, but we had to face it, so we sent back for all our men who
+could be spared, and many regimental men had to help to carry the
+wounded back, which was a most difficult piece of work.
+
+In making communication trenches along which the wounded have to be
+carried from the firing trench, the carrying of stretchers is never
+considered. Traverses must be made certainly, and the narrower the
+trenches the better while fighting, but they should be made wide
+enough to let stretchers along, and the corners of the traverses
+should be rounded. As it was the stretchers could only be carried
+along the straight parts with the stretcher traverses "kicked in," and
+even then the backs of all the men's hands were peeled to the bone.
+Being impossible to get round the corners the stretchers had to be
+raised above the top of the trench, and as a rule the bearers soon
+tired of doing this at every few yards, and got right over the
+parapets and carried in the open.
+
+We had a terrible night, and next morning as soon as the day began to
+break, although we were on the opposite side of the Hill from the
+enemy, they knew the range so thoroughly that they dropped their
+shells at the exact angle of the Hill, which was but a gentle slope,
+and raked it from top to bottom time after time.
+
+Those of us who escaped were lucky, but it was a bit trying to one's
+nerves. The Turks had made great preparations for this battle, which
+of course had to come off, and they fired as much ammunition as we
+did, and everything was to their advantage. Their snipers, often armed
+with machine-guns, played the very devil with our men. By good luck
+the Turks had had enough and did not attack at night, and we were glad
+when daylight came, although with it came again the terrible, raking
+fire.
+
+Through the day our troops deliberately and slowly evacuated part of
+Hill 72, but most of it we unexpectedly managed to hold, and are
+likely now to stick to. Had we thoroughly defeated the Turks, as we
+should have done had there been no bungling, the end of this part of
+the campaign might have been in sight, but now we are held up, and how
+we are to get out of the fix will sadly baffle our Staff.
+
+The men of the 89th F.A. behaved with admirable pluck, and worked
+hard, and up to evening we had eight men more or less badly
+wounded--one at least fatally, poor Adams. The 21st and 22nd were
+spent practically without food, and hardly a drop of water was to be
+had, and all suffered badly from thirst--more bungling.
+
+In the afternoon of the second day it was rumoured that the whole of
+our Division was to be withdrawn to the reserve lines, and that our
+86th Brigade, to which we had been again attached, were to march off
+as soon as it was dark, and we were to follow and take up our position
+behind the Infantry. Good news indeed! The G.O.C. in C. had done a
+wise thing in bringing two Brigades of the 29th Division round from
+Helles to stiffen Kitchener's Army. Our Royal Fusiliers were in
+reserve all the time, and although they never fired a shot were in
+such a position that they were badly exposed to shell fire, and were
+within view of snipers, and lost no fewer than 150 men.
+
+In the dark we set off over the N.W. corner of the lake making for a
+certain point at the foot of a ridge. It was difficult to strike the
+exact spot, the night being dark, but we got wonderfully near it, and
+after spending a bitterly cold and cheerless night at the back of a
+low stone wall, across which bullets whistled all night we rectified
+our position before the sun rose. As we came across the lake three
+more of our men were hit, bullets flying about for the first mile or
+so. To-day, after reaching our destination, and while in a shelter, a
+bullet hit another in the thigh, bringing our casualty list for this
+fight up to sixteen. All are agreed that it has been a very bloody
+affair, and the difficulty of seeing a way out of our present position
+has made all despondent, and a number of those in high positions are
+being torn to shreds. Our men are not grumbling, and look as if they
+could go through it again, but it was a very trying two days and
+nights.
+
+Fires broke out in the thick scrub almost at the very start of the
+battle, and after a few hours many acres were ablaze, and as it was
+largely from such places the men of both sides were firing many
+wounded were burned to death.
+
+
+_August 24th._--Last night we got orders to move as we were certain to
+be shelled, lying as we were behind the Infantry of our Brigade. We
+accordingly moved after dark to a gully, which is really a dry
+watercourse entering the middle of the north side of the Salt Lake.
+Agassiz and I, followed at a short distance by a few men, had no
+difficulty in striking the desired spot, but the others, following in
+small lots, got lost, only one lot reaching its destination that
+night. Others lay behind bushes till daylight, while Stephen and his
+men returned for the night to their starting-point. It showed the
+difficulty of moving about in the dark in a strange country. The 86th
+Brigade, which left Chocolate Hill the same time as ourselves got lost
+and wandered about for six hours. Our new site is no safer than the
+last, we are beside a well where men congregate from the various
+battalions encamped near us, and this was shelled furiously on two
+occasions yesterday.
+
+
+_August 25th._--Four calendar months since we landed on Gallipoli. And
+not much progress made yet.
+
+The Royal Fusiliers, who had watched our men at work in the "Battle of
+Chocolate Hill," are giving them great praise for their daring. Pirie,
+who was waiting for bearers for his wounded, on hearing that some men
+coming towards him belonged to the 89th F.A. replied, "Thank God, now
+we are all right". Several--two at least--high-placed officers also
+took note of them and promised that some would be mentioned in the
+next despatch.
+
+Seeing some big black Arum lilies--known as the "Dead Turk" from its
+evil smell--with flowers about 2 feet long, I dug up two enormous
+bulbs this morning, one fully 6 inches in diameter. These, with other
+bulbs, I will send home. (They were not an acceptable gift, they were
+allowed to die owing to their horrible smell.) These were growing
+beside a well which was shelled a couple of hours ago, but I sneaked
+out in safety when this had finished. I heard this evening that I had
+been "mentioned" in Sir Ian Hamilton's first despatch. Two other
+medical men of our Division are also mentioned--Col. Yarr, our
+A.D.M.S. at Helles, and Major Lindsay of the 87th F.A.
+
+
+_August 26th._--Pottered about in the morning after seeing some
+batches of sick sent in by the Regimental M.O.'s, then walked to our
+base on Suvla Bay Beach. Fiddes and McKenzie, who joined our Ambulance
+two days ago, walked out with me. They dilated to Agassiz and myself
+about a great discovery they had made, namely, that excellent rissoles
+could be made of bully beef and ground biscuits. On their departure we
+decided to have rissoles for supper, so Agassiz prepared a frying pan
+and a tin of bully, while I with a pick-shaft ground up a couple of
+our flinty biscuits. We had them done to a turn, and felt much better
+for a decent feed. We then smoked and watched big, threatening clouds
+scurrying over the moon, and away in the S.W. constant flashes of
+lightning. The weather is changing, and the rainy season is not far
+off. Then what on earth is to come of us? We'll be washed out of the
+gullies, to be shot down in the open.
+
+
+_August 27th._--Agassiz and I returned to the base at 7.30 p.m. and
+were relieved by Fiddes and McKenzie. Plenty of firing by both sides,
+but nothing worth noting.
+
+
+_August 28th._--A day at the Beach--a weary place and I wish I was
+back in The Gully. Here we are encamped at the top of Suvla Bay, at
+the edge of a wide stretch of soft sand, which is dotted all over with
+men and their shallow dug-outs in the sand. We are protected by a
+number of Red Cross flags, several Ambulances and the C.C.S. These
+have never been shelled by the Turks, and one feels absolutely safe,
+but I miss the healthy excitement of our little Gully. As I watched
+the bearers and wagons being shelled during the last fight it struck
+me at the time that all the shrapnel might be coming from a single
+battery, and I now think there can be no doubt about this. It must
+have been a battery of four or five guns in command of a beastly
+German.
+
+
+_August 29th._--Sunday. Nothing doing--except that the usual artillery
+duel goes on, and a Taube crossed over us. These we occasionally fire
+at but never hit.
+
+
+_August 30th._--Feeling bored to death I took a pleasure walk out to
+our dressing station in The Gully, where Stephen and Thomson are at
+present on duty. After dark I returned alone, trudging first down The
+Gully almost to the Salt Lake, then cutting off to the right towards
+our base. It is very different from the great Gully at Helles (The
+Gully), being but a watercourse, averaging 8 to 10 yards in width and
+most of it not over 6 feet deep. It has huge clumps of rushes and
+lofty, graceful reeds which give it a tropical appearance, and in a
+few places are pools of dirty, green water that has not dried up since
+the last rainy season, and in these water tortoises and big green
+frogs live in hundreds. To-night it was rather weird as I came along,
+with the bull frogs croaking, and several other nocturnal animals
+making loud cries, down past the "Turk's grave," where a pile of dead
+had been collected in The Gully and a little earth thrown over them,
+and now the odour is so strong that one has to pass at the double,
+holding one's breath. The very earth over them looks wet and greasy as
+I noticed to-day. The whole Gully is full of dug-outs from end to end.
+These had been made on the first days of the landing and are now
+untenanted. Lying about unheeded is equipment of all sorts, which had
+belonged to our dead and wounded.
+
+A Taube dropped two bombs at our ships to-day, but missed as usual. And
+our not firing at the marauder showed that we had not much faith in our
+own shooting. The warships and a monitor were busy towards evening
+battering some unseen object away beyond the mountains--perhaps the
+forts of "The Narrows".
+
+We have two Welsh Ambulances beside us. The men move very smartly and
+are evidently well drilled. They are great psalm singers, and always at
+it.
+
+
+_August 31st._--The Australians over at Anzac seem very busy to-day.
+So also are the Turks whose shells are falling thick on land and sea,
+and our ships are firing at some target beyond Sari Bair (Hill 972).
+
+We had a curious plague of midges last night: they attacked the lamp
+and table in our mess in thousands, and made things so unpleasant that
+we had to hurry from the table. These have never bothered us before,
+and I doubt if I ever saw a midge on Gallipoli before.
+
+
+_September 1st._--Agassiz and I came out to the dressing station as it
+was getting dark last night.
+
+Two new officers and twenty men joined us yesterday--Captains Wilson
+and Tawse.
+
+Wiseley, M.O. to the Lancs., passed through our station this forenoon,
+badly wounded in the head by a sniper. It looks as if it was all up
+with him. (He died before he reached the C.C.S.) Tawse followed from
+our base to take his place. Pirie of the Royals looked us up, and told
+us he was down for "mention" in the next despatch. We have all
+admired, and often spoken about, the good work and earnest devotion of
+Pirie, and are delighted these are to be recognised, even in this
+small way. We were talking about the huge bungle of the landing at
+Suvla. It seems agreed had it not been that two Territorial Battalions
+turned tail when faced by a handful of Turks things here would have
+been totally different, and the ridges which are not yet ours should
+have been taken and held the first day. A distinguished General is
+said to have remarked: "Had there been more sweat on the part of the
+men there would have been less blood". We have one excellent General
+here now who pokes his nose into everything, says what he thinks,
+whether polite or otherwise, and swears at large. He says that without
+a good backing of swears people will never believe you are in earnest.
+Only men of blood and iron are of any use at the present moment for
+filling our high places.
+
+Pirie was telling us that they had two Australian snipers attached to
+the Royals, and one of their own men who had done a good deal of
+jungle shooting was an excellent sniper. One night he was out and had
+crawled to within 30 yards of the Turks' trenches trying to get as
+much information as possible, when lo, and behold! he found by his
+watch it was 5.30 and broad daylight. He had fallen asleep. However,
+by careful crawling he succeeded in gaining his own lines in safety.
+It is always by night these men work, and the Australian snipers get
+two days off every week to go to the base for a rest. This time is
+usually spent in their going somewhere else to snipe. Fighting to the
+Australians is great sport and nothing else.
+
+In the afternoon an East Kent officer paid us a visit. He tells us
+that rumours of peace with Turkey are again afloat. We have heard this
+sort of stuff before and don't believe it.
+
+
+_September 2nd._--Agassiz and I had attended the sick of our Brigade
+during the day, and spent a quiet time about the dressing station,
+gathering enough brambles to make an excellent dish for supper, when
+suddenly at 7.30 the scene changed. First two cannon shots, the
+well-known signal for a Turkish attack, a short pause then a general
+cannonade from the Turks which was fast and furious. I do not suppose
+anyone could have guessed they had so many guns in position, but for
+half an hour--twenty-three minutes to be exact--they simply deluged
+with shrapnel our trenches on the hill on our extreme left (Hizlar
+Dagh), and rifle fire from both sides was equally furious. The part of
+The Gully we occupy as a dressing station runs north and south, and I
+could not have believed it could possibly have been enfiladed, but
+bullets, after the first few minutes, got diverted our way, and came
+right along our position in a most alarming way. All lay low at once,
+except our servant, Wallace, who had just removed our supper things
+and was sitting on the edge of a low trench leading into our dug-out
+when he called out, "Oh!" I turned round and said, "What's up?" "I am
+struck," he said, and fell into my arms. We laid him down on the floor
+of the dug-out, and in a few minutes he breathed his last. So ended
+the days of an excellent fellow. Formerly a ship's steward he had seen
+the world, and was a splendid servant and much liked by the whole
+Ambulance. This only added to the alarm that had seized us all, which
+was due to the very insufficient protection we had on the side the
+bullets were coming from. Agassiz and I lay hard up against the north
+side of our dug-out--little more than a few dry lumps of clay--while
+Wallace's body was stretched alongside us. As I have said, this attack
+ended in twenty-three minutes, but at 8.30 there was a second and
+similar one. We had all made up our minds that the Turks were to break
+through and would be down on us, and all had secretly decided what
+they were to do, and how much of their equipment they would take in
+case we were forced to retreat. All this fighting was but a very short
+way to our left.
+
+This morning we sent Wallace's body back to our base, where it lay
+till the return of C Section at 7.30 p.m., as we wished to be present
+at the last rites, and we could only turn out in a body after dark.
+The moon was not due for hours, but in the dark, with only the stars
+for light, and a brilliant planet in the east, we listened to Padre
+Campion's short service. He, being an Episcopal clergyman, had to
+accommodate himself to us Presbyterians, and he recited "Abide with
+me," then read the piece, "I am the Resurrection," and ended with "The
+Lord's Prayer". Then back again to camp, supper, and general
+conversation.
+
+Rumours reach us that the Germans are still being pressed back about
+Warsaw, that the Austrians have been defeated in Galicia, and the
+Turks in the Caucasus.
+
+The Australians at Anzac are making steady, though slow, progress,
+which appears to be the only point where we can press on at all. The
+Marquis of Tullibardine arrived here to-day with a body of Scottish
+Horse--unmounted of course. Padre Campion says he was at Eton with
+this brilliant soldier.
+
+
+_September 4th._--A very moderate S.W. breeze is blowing to-day, and
+our pontoon pier of about thirty boats has gone all to pieces and lies
+on the sand. Its sole use was to get patients away from the C.C.S. to
+the hospital ships. This shows us the difficulties we will have to
+face in winter with our patients and stores--if we are to be here,
+which heaven forbid! Padre Dennis Jones has just told me that the
+betting is that the war in Turkey will be over in a fortnight. He also
+says he was in the trenches last night when word was passed round to
+prepare to meet a big Turkish attack after dark. This did not come
+off, last night was quiet except for an occasional spurt of rifle
+fire.
+
+
+_September 5th._--Sir Ian Hamilton is reported to have said that the
+war will be over in ten days.
+
+This morning we have been notified that we go to Imbros, probably for
+a week, on the night of the 8/9th. This does not seem to give pleasure
+to many. It means a night spent in crossing, and being tired all next
+day when we will have to work hard to provide shelter, then returning
+before we get really settled down. If this order takes effect we will
+besides miss the "grand finale" which will be held among the forts of
+"The Narrows" (!!!)
+
+There was much artillery fire by both sides yesterday, and this
+morning they have been very busy--they even managed to send two shells
+after a Taube, these bursting many hundred yards behind their
+objective. But it let the Taube see that we were not asleep at 7.30
+a.m.
+
+My friend Pirie, M.O. to the Royals, passed through this in the
+afternoon, having been wounded in the back while he was holding his
+Sick Parade--only a "couchy wound," such as the Irish pray to the
+Virgin Mary to send them at the beginning of a fight, so that they
+might escape something worse. Pirie walked in with his usual smile,
+and pleaded with us, before we knew there was anything wrong, "not to
+make him laugh as it was sore". (To everyone's sorrow, Pirie was
+afterwards killed in France.)
+
+
+_September 7th._--It was the duty of Agassiz and myself to take over
+the dressing station last night, and there we now are. After the
+experience we had last time when we did not feel over comfortable
+after dark and the bullets began to fly, we were glad to occupy the
+same dug-out during the night, for the sake of company. It is a most
+unpleasant feeling to find you are fired at when alone. I have noticed
+this especially when out a walk just as it is getting dark. You ask
+yourself how long you may have to lie, if you get wounded, before
+anyone comes your way. But even in daylight if shells are dropping
+about they are doubly terrifying if you are alone.
+
+This Gully has been a most uncomfortable place all along, its banks
+afford little protection from rifle fire; they are too low for
+cross-fire, and a few days ago we found it could be enfiladed. At
+ordinary times we have only occasional bullets during the day, but as
+soon as the shades of night begin to fall they come in a constant
+stream, and we are only safe when we retire to the depths of our
+dug-outs--if our shallow pits are worthy of the name.
+
+We keep wondering what sort of a holiday we are to have in Imbros. Are
+there to be plagues of flies and dust as in Lemnos? However, it will
+break the monotony which is getting very oppressive, and some of ours
+keep up a constant grumble at everybody and everything.
+
+The nights are now very cold, but the heat by day seems about as
+intense as ever.
+
+
+_September 9th._--We had orders yesterday to embark at Little West
+Beach, at the north point of Suvla Bay. We were there at 7.30 p.m. and
+were to embark at 8. It was a weary trudge, for we were heavily laden,
+along the very edge of the bay to take advantage of the narrow strip
+of firm sand that gets washed by the "tideless Mediterranean". Our
+four Battalions were present, and after some delay over our baggage,
+all which was finally got on board, the great lumbering barge, which
+had 400 men and all the regimental baggage on board, refused to budge.
+She was fast on the rocks where the water was very shallow. At last
+she moved, going out a few yards then returning and taking all the
+Dublins and so many Royals on board. Then she again stuck fast. It was
+now getting late; the ship this barge was taking us out to was booked
+to sail at 3.30 a.m., and this time had to be kept regardless of our
+convenience. As she was still aground at that hour the order was given
+to disembark. All this time we had been lying shivering on the dust
+and stones, waiting for our turn, and now, with our spirits at zero,
+we marched back to our base, reaching it at 4.45 as light was showing
+in the east, so that we got back none too soon. The long wait we had
+put in, with a cold wind blowing, had chilled us all thoroughly. All
+had some brandy on our return, we got to bed at 5.30, and I for one
+slept like a top and rose refreshed at 8.30, as also did Agassiz. He
+and I felt so famished that we ground up some ration biscuits and made
+porridge, which we enjoyed. None of the others got off their
+stretchers before mid-day, when they did not know whether to order
+breakfast or dinner. It ended in high tea.
+
+A wagon with six mules passed behind us this afternoon, and drew a hot
+shrapnel fire on all the Ambulances on the Beach. We had one man
+wounded, the 1st Welsh one killed (Capt. Clark) and three wounded, and
+the 3rd Welsh four wounded.
+
+We again have orders to embark at 7.30.
+
+
+_September 10th._--The hour for embarking was afterwards changed to
+8.30. Owing to the shelling we had just been subjected to this pleased
+us, as we could march down in the dark at this later hour. We got on
+board without any adventures and were taken out by two tow boats to
+our old friend, the "Abbassieh". The sea was choppy and our boat
+bumped unmercifully against the ship's side and ladder. We had supper
+on board, tea, bread and butter with cheese making a right royal
+feast, these articles never tasting half so good in all our lives
+before. Never till then did I fully appreciate how much we had roughed
+it since we came to Suvla Bay. Our bread has usually been vile, and
+often was not to be had at all, and everything has been unusually
+filthy and smelly. This was often due to our being unable to spare a
+drop of water to wash out our cooking utensils.
+
+No doubt what has really taken it out of us most is the constant
+danger we are in from bullets and shells, and especially the former at
+our Advanced Dressing Station in The Gully (Azmac Dere). After supper
+and a glass of beer we went to bed, and found genuine spring
+mattresses, a tremendous luxury. The very ground at Suvla seems to be
+harder than at Helles, and I often get up in the morning feeling stiff
+and sore. However, I much prefer living on chunks of anything out at
+the dressing station, and sleeping on a few rushes spread on the
+bottom of a shallow hole, to the comforts and safety of our base in
+the sandbank of Suvla Bay.
+
+When the anchor was raised, with the usual amount of rattle, it roused
+one of our men who was asleep on deck; he sprang to his feet and
+dashed over the ship's rail, and really never woke up till he found
+himself in the water. Cries of "man overboard" were raised, and with
+much scurrying the ladder was let down, and being a strong swimmer he
+was got on board none the worse for his early bath. He was sent down
+to the engine room to dry.
+
+We landed at Imbros about 9 a.m.
+
+Imbros is a busy place, and has a big natural harbour facing the
+north, dotted over with warships and transports, and a considerable
+number of monitors each armed with one or two huge guns, all 14-inch I
+believe.
+
+Our camp is in a dusty spot, and the wind makes it disagreeable and
+ruffles our tempers. There are about a dozen canteens, run by Greeks
+whose prices I am glad to see are fixed for all articles. I bought two
+kilos (4-1/2 lbs.) of grapes and a few tomatoes, intending them for
+our mess, but I could not resist the grapes, I had an overpowering
+longing for fruit, and ate most of them, skins, stones and all, on my
+way back. I have tried to take up a bet to eat 2 lbs. against every
+lb. eaten by anyone in the mess.
+
+The hills and valleys I have not yet visited, but these look inviting.
+We are encamped on an extensive dead level between the sea and the
+hills.
+
+
+_September 11th._--I had a walk with Stephen last night, just before
+dark, to a hill about a mile off. From the top we were able to get a
+good idea of the beauties of Imbros. Except for the stretch where we
+are encamped, the whole island is one mass of rough, volcanic
+mountains, with narrow, fertile flats, carefully cultivated and
+bearing healthy, looking fig, olive, and other trees. A large herd of
+goats, wending their way home down a narrow track between rugged
+hills, away down below us, all with their bells tinkling, made a fine
+picture of a peaceful evening scene. As we sat and smoked beside a
+towering pinnacle of volcanic rock a raven went sailing past us, with
+his croak, croak. I remember Professor McGillivray, in his "Natural
+History of Deeside," describes what was perhaps a not altogether
+dissimilar scene among the Cairngorms, and addressing a raven on a
+rock beside him calls him "poor fellow".
+
+
+_September 12th._--Did nothing in particular to-day. We had church
+parade in the afternoon, Padre Campion officiating, and a mail
+consisting almost entirely of parcels, every second one smashed up
+till it could not be delivered. Stephen and I have arranged to go to
+Panagheia to-morrow, and we walked out to a spot at the foot of the
+hills to order ponies, donkeys, or whatever they had, for our trip.
+When there an old Greek came riding in on a donkey with two panniers
+full of grapes, to which he asked us to help ourselves, they cost him
+nothing and he would make us welcome to as many as we liked at the
+same price. I ate a pound at least and still felt hungry. He said when
+this island was Turkish the taxes were very heavy, then the Greeks
+came along and they became worse, but he had been a sailor and a good
+deal in England, so he always swore to the tax collector that he was
+an Englishman and exempt from all taxes, so he has never paid a penny.
+We got more grapes from him, by purchase this time, big, luscious ones
+at 6d per kilo. We ate at our hardest while the Greek looked out big
+bunches that could be tied together, and for these he wanted, in Greek
+fashion, to charge an extra 3d. "Damn you for a greedy devil," says
+Stephen, we dived into his pannier and each had another big bunch,
+paid him, and returned to camp where we had a really good
+dinner--roast chicken stuffed with oatmeal and onions, beans, stewed
+pears, Vermouth, and three half bottles of champagne (from the Medical
+Comforts pannier!), then port and nuts (the former from ditto), and
+ended with cigars and Egyptian cigarettes. We had not dined so well
+since we left Alexandria.
+
+I believe to-day is the first day since we left England on March 18
+that we have not seen the sun. As we were leaving the pony depot we
+fell in with Atlee of the Munsters who had been at Panagheia, and he
+says a pony is no use except for a bit of "swank," you have to walk
+practically the whole way beside your animal.
+
+Thomson went into hospital to-day. He has been ailing for some weeks,
+and looks thin and far from well.
+
+
+_September 13th._--A red letter day. Last night we had a few showers,
+and in the morning as the sky was overcast we at first decided not to
+go to Panagheia, but as the blue sky began to break through by 9 we
+set off and were mounted on our shelties by 10. These we picked up at
+the edge of the mountains, beyond the camping ground. A dozen or two
+of animals--ponies, donkeys, and mules--were ready saddled, the owner
+of each pushing his way forward when he saw a likely customer coming
+along, eager to display the good points of his animal. I got astride a
+pack saddle, a wonderful structure of substantial sticks and raw hide,
+with a big, comfortable cushion on the top, for stirrups a piece of
+rope, and bridle the same, without bit, the rope being merely twisted
+and knotted round the lower jaw.
+
+We at once dipped into a deep valley, clothed on all sides in thick
+shrubbery, with plenty of trees in the lowest part, along which there
+was a tiny stream with occasional beautiful rocky pools. The trees
+here and all along were principally olives, figs, mulberry, and a few
+walnuts. The road was the merest track, littered with stones, and
+wound up hill and down dale. At first it was so bad that I thought it
+must surely lead soon to a better path, but little did I think what we
+were in for; we were soon among huge boulders, and nothing but
+boulders, up and down shelving rock, often 2 feet higher than the
+path, slithering over stretches of hard, bare rock, and all the time
+without a single stumble on the part of any one of our mounts. There
+were four of us--Stephen, Agassiz, Padre Campion, and myself--each
+with a guide dressed in blue material, and all sorts of head gear, and
+with the usual fold upon fold of cloth round the waist, shoes of raw
+hide with the hair outside, held on by twists of hide from the ankle
+to the knee, in proper brigand style.
+
+The scenery soon became simply glorious, and my three companions, who
+all knew Switzerland, said it was exactly like that country, except
+for the absence of chalets. The hills rose on all sides, some to a
+height of 5000 feet, rough as possible, all volcanic of course, some
+looking as if they had belched out flames and smoke not so very long
+ago. One reminded me of Ben Sleoch as it rises out of Loch Maree, the
+same mass of rock atop, but here more rugged. Each mountain top and
+side was studded with enormous needle-like pinnacles and rough warty
+masses. It is strange how fertile these volcanic earths are, these
+high mountains were clothed with trees below, and had thick shrubbery
+almost to the top--mostly hollyoak, I fancy. The colouring of the
+rocks is very fine, the colours being warm reds, browns, purples, and
+yellows in one mingled mass.
+
+By 11.30 we had crossed the highest part of our path, and a wide
+valley came in sight a mile or two off, great masses of olive trees,
+with a large village away ahead on a hillside, and after a little time
+our destination hove in sight, round the shoulder of a mountain on our
+right, nestling among trees of deep green colour. These turned out to
+be mostly mulberry which has a very luscious and cool looking leaf; no
+fruit unfortunately, its season was over. We passed along the
+picturesque streets of Panagheia, with their projecting windows and
+vine entwined balconies, to a place proudly labelled "Hotel Britannic,
+J. Christie, proprietor, a British subject". The Hotel London we had
+been warned to pass by, as the catering was not so good, and strange
+to say, when we returned to camp and the orders of the day were being
+read at supper, it was there announced that this hotel was out of
+bounds for the time being, the proprietor being of suspected
+nationality.
+
+Stephen was at his best, and was the life of the party and of everyone
+we came across, and greatly amused our guides. One of the guides had
+his little son with him who was named Georgo by Stephen, who told the
+little chap that his own name was Stephanos. He mounted him behind his
+saddle, and when lifting him down at the first halt, he said, "You've
+done damnedo wello, Georgo". Georgo showed by a broad grin that he
+felt flattered.
+
+Lunch was ordered in the fine hotel of J. Christie, which was
+upstairs over a cobbler's shop, and consisted of one very small room
+which we filled, with a larger one off it, and behind was the kitchen,
+only half of which was floored, and through the great gaping part you
+looked down to the back of the cobbler's premises, a place full of
+empty bottles and the abode of J. Christie's poultry. That was the
+whole establishment, but they could cook. J. Christie, being an
+Italian and not a Britisher, was an excellent _chef_, and soon
+prepared for us first-rate soup, then boiled partridge which was
+likely a chicken from the hole I have mentioned. Then came the dish of
+the day--honey omelettes, which were brought in one at a time,
+glorious creations over which we poured delicious drained honey. They
+were so good that Stephen gave the order that they were to go on
+turning them out till he told them to stop. Each had two big ones, and
+after each you felt hungrier than ever. The wine of the country we of
+course also had, one called Morea not unlike champagne. Then cheese
+and Turkish coffee, after which we set off to view the village. We
+landed at the school when it chanced to be play time, but we went
+through the rooms followed by all the scholars, fine bright boys and
+girls, and Stephen with a piece of chalk showed them some new method
+of multiplication, which was far more complicated than the old way we
+all know. In a hall they had two large pictures, one of Venezelos, who
+they declared was good, the other of Gunariz who was bad. One little
+chap was the son of the local doctor and spoke French well. He said
+his father was a graduate of Paris University.
+
+It was altogether a most enjoyable day, the padre saying it was the
+day of his life. He was a good fellow the padre, and nothing delighted
+him more, he remarked, than to hear Stephen saying "damn," he put so
+much expression into the word.
+
+We commenced the return journey at 4.45 when the colouring of the
+mountains was perfect, and the padre always insisted on dismounting to
+take a sketch of some particularly fine scene. He got ahead of us one
+time when we came upon him seated on a big stone in a rough
+watercourse, surrounded with oleanders and sketching a peep of a grand
+mountain between two nearer ridges.
+
+When we returned we found Sir Ian Hamilton had inspected our
+Ambulance, and made himself pleasant all round.
+
+
+_September 14th._--A cold wind blew all day--from the north of course.
+Saw the sun only occasionally.
+
+I took the Lancashire Fusiliers Sick Parade this morning, when 215
+presented themselves as sick--every fourth man. I expect the order of
+the day had included a route march. There is nothing Tommy hates more
+than a route march.
+
+
+_September 15th._--The nights get still colder, and this forenoon was
+like an October day at home, but later it was bright and warm without
+a breath of wind. Our airmen made the most of the calm spell and took
+out the only airship we have here and circled about for at least two
+hours, with a fast monoplane scouting in case of reprisals. The sun is
+at present sinking in the west and the evening colouring among the
+mountains makes one long for everlasting peace, there is too much
+discord between such scenes and our errand out here.
+
+
+_September 16th._--Just as I got out of bed at 7 am some one called
+out that a Taube was dropping bombs. It dropped four a short way from
+us. It was at a great height and got a good peppering from our ships
+in the harbour. In about fifteen minutes it returned, or it may have
+been another aeroplane, and let loose five or six bombs at the G.O.C.
+in C.'s H.Q. where, I afterwards heard, five men were wounded. It was
+heading straight over us, but the fire again got too hot for it and it
+made off to the south, but it was most daring and persistent and put
+in a third appearance, when one of our monoplanes, a very fast
+machine, went up and we expected some fun. After ascending in large
+spirals they got on the same level when the Taube turned round and
+faced our machine, both now at a very great height, and both evidently
+firing at each other, when suddenly our machine dived down at a
+tremendous speed. We of course thought the airman or his plane had
+been disabled. We heard in the evening that his gun jammed, and being
+helpless he wisely cleared out.
+
+Stephen and I were to take the whole Ambulance to Panagheia, and I
+went early to the Lancs. to get their Sick Parade over. Stephen
+promised to assist and was to be up early too, but he turned up last
+for breakfast, and I had inspected two companies before he arrived.
+
+Nothing eventful happened on our 6 or 7 mile march across the
+mountains. Big, threatening thunderclouds, with rain on the high peaks
+before us, rather detracted from our enjoyment, and the Greeks we met
+pointed to the clouds and with a descending motion of their hands
+prophesied rain. However, it never did rain and the afternoon was
+perfect. The Greeks followed us with pony loads of grapes (Staphila,
+they call them), pomegranates, and figs, and we fared well. A pony in
+front of us tumbled down a steep incline and we straightway wished to
+buy its load which was scattered everywhere. I picked up a lot of figs
+which were dead ripe and delicious. The black grapes of these parts
+would be difficult to beat, and I must have eaten 3 lbs. of these on
+our way.
+
+After halting the men beyond the village, and having lunch to which
+they were allowed beer, a luxury which few of them had tasted for many
+months, Stephen and I went to a small village half a mile further on.
+Many go from Panagheia to Castro, a fishing village, but our little
+place was off the beaten track and quite unspoiled. We entered a
+primitive cafe where we had a cup of good coffee, served as usual in a
+very tiny cup with a big tumbler of water. Two Greek policemen were
+sipping their coffee and playing cards, and we managed to enter into
+conversation with them and some other loafers. Many of the old women
+were spinning about their doors, and we saw some of their work. Their
+wool (goat's) when carded is very fine and fluffy, but the material
+when woven is hard and looks as if it would wear for ever.
+
+Next we sat down in front of what we thought was a school and made a
+sketch of it. It turned out to be the church of Sainte Varvara. The
+school is alongside, and the dominie had eyed us and came over and
+took us through the church. We thought he was a verger, and Stephen
+wished to purchase every holy relic in it. Then we tipped him a few
+coppers, and tapers were accordingly lit and planted in a basin of
+sand. All the Greek churches we have seen are very ornate and tawdry,
+with a multitude of pictures and tall candlesticks. The pulpit towered
+till it almost touched the low ceiling. The centre of the churches is
+always vacant, and round this space there is always a row of
+high-backed seats. I fancy the difference between the Greek and Roman
+churches is not great. Both give much prominence to the Virgin and
+Child, but I am told that one of the differences is that the former
+does not regard the Virgin as a Saint. A number of saints were
+pictured here, including Sainte Varvara, to whom the building is
+dedicated.
+
+We next looked into the school, a tumble down place, but clean and
+tidy, and with about forty bright, neatly dressed children. Stephen
+was delighted at the sight and beamed on them all, and yelled and
+laughed, gave a little chap a sum of multiplication on the blackboard
+which he did correctly, then he had to show him his new and more
+complicated way of getting the answer. This new method is very
+peculiar, but the two answers were identical, to the astonishment of
+the dominie, who was apparently able to follow the steps. "Now," says
+Stephen, "I want all the children to say 'Venezelos good' and to give
+him a cheer." This was done most heartily. "Now, say Gunariz bad."
+This time, I think, they did not understand what was wanted of them;
+however, with a little persuasion from Stephen and the dominie they
+got through it in a mild way. There was something refreshing and
+homelike in our visit to the kiddies. They all jumped smartly to their
+feet as we were leaving. The dominie accompanied us up the street,
+where we admired the trees laden with clusters of beautiful
+red-cheeked pomegranates. I had never seen this fruit growing before,
+but here every garden was full of it.
+
+We next stopped to watch a woman spinning inside a doorway, with an
+instrument like a fiddle bow--either that or she was carding the wool
+with it, this being in fluffy billows about her on the floor. She
+asked us to enter--all by signs of course. We had a look round her
+kitchen which was very clean, the fireplace and articles about being
+mostly not unlike what one could see at home. In a corner was a broad,
+low divan on which she threw some cushions, on which we sat with our
+legs tucked under us, which we supposed was the correct fashion, and
+what was expected of us. She next got us two small glasses of brandy,
+a saucer with a few small biscuits and two tumblers of water, and
+placed all neatly on a small table with a cover. The brandy was strong
+and scented, and not much to my liking; however, I drank it and felt
+grateful to this good soul for her hospitality and showing us a
+little Grecian home life. At one side of the room there was a part
+shut off by a curtain which we concluded was a box-bed, but Stephen
+had a look in and found it full of shelves with blankets and articles
+of clothing. "But where do the devils sleep?" Stephen kept on saying,
+and by resting his head on his hands and snoring he tried to get the
+woman to understand that he was curious as to this point. Her
+demeanour at once changed, her temper was up, and we cleared off down
+the street.
+
+
+_September 20th._--There has been nothing to take note of during the
+last few days. The Lancs. Fusiliers have occupied a good deal of my
+time, their Sick Parades varying from 215 to fifty-seven. We have had
+a few visits from Taubes, mostly after dark, one dropping two bombs
+yesterday, and the night before we had six. The hangar seems to be
+their objective. Two others we heard approaching last night but they
+never came over us, they could see we were on the alert by the amount
+of our fire, and some red rockets went off high in the air.
+
+To-day should end our holiday to Imbros, but as it blows a gale we
+have been notified that this has been postponed. In the afternoon
+Agassiz and I had a delightful walk up a valley that was new to us. It
+was a mass of huge rocks and boulders, with an attempt at a stream
+which would be a raging torrent in winter. We came on a curious
+geological formation, which we thought could be nothing but fossilised
+trees, but how a tree came to be in the middle of a lava rock was a
+puzzle. We soon found many others and saw that, however, this shape
+came about, trees were not the foundation. Each consisted of a large
+number of concentric circles exactly like the rings in a tree stump,
+some fully 3 feet in diameter.
+
+On our way back we had a good view of Achi Baba--of unpleasant memory.
+
+We had two padres to tea, Beardmore being one of them. They told us
+how Turkish snipers were paid--20 piastres for a lieutenant, 40 for a
+captain, 80 for a lieutenant-colonel, but if a Staff officer was shot
+the sniper got shot himself--not very flattering to our Staff.
+
+If you meet a Greek on a fine day his usual greeting sounds like
+"kalumaera". It was only to-day that I discovered this was the modern
+pronunciation of kale hemera, and on greeting a man in the ancient
+form he stood up and wondered what I meant, then said, "No, no". He
+explained that all aspirates are dropped in modern Greek. They use the
+word "su" for water, but they also understand the ancient word hudor.
+Many of the accents also seem to have changed.
+
+
+_September 22nd._--We reached our old camp at Suvla about 9 p.m.
+yesterday, after a pleasant crossing, and a good meal of tea and
+coffee, ham and eggs before disembarking. We watched the usual Turkish
+"evening hate" from our place of safety on board, the shells bursting
+in places we could recognise. One fell in the sea not far from us as
+we marched from the Beach in the dark. To-day we had a large number of
+shells just round us.
+
+I had an order early this morning to join the Lancs. Fusiliers, and
+after breakfast set off in search of their lines. I was directed to
+various places where the North, South, and Royal Lancashire Regiments
+lay, but it cost me a whole hour to find our Fusiliers. They are in
+reserve, with the supports and firing lines just in front of them, all
+on the steep slope of Hizlar Dagh. During Sick Parade we had to keep
+ducking from shells, the Turks evidently having discovered that the
+86th Brigade was once more among them. As I was passing through the
+Dublin lines on my return to our base two shells fell just beyond
+them when de Boer shouted to me to take shelter under a projecting
+rock where all their officers had retired for safety, but before I got
+in another shell landed almost in the centre of their line, among some
+very thick scrub, which had prevented pieces from flying far. As I
+passed this spot when things had got a bit quieter I asked one of the
+men if none of them were hit. "No," said Paddy, "but we smelt the
+pouther."
+
+
+_September 23rd._--As it was getting dark last night the A.D.M.S.
+ordered me to join the Lancashire Fusiliers at once, and to remain
+with them, they having no Regimental M.O. I hurriedly put everything
+necessary into my pack, and with Conroy, as servant, set off to the
+slopes of Hizlar Dagh. I reached my post in half an hour, and was
+assigned as my quarters a scraping in the earth not a foot deep. Here
+I spent a most wretched night, an icy cold wind blowing down the
+depression in the hill where the Battalion is encamped. I simply
+shivered and shook till the sun rose at 6 o'clock, when I felt too
+cold to wash and shave, but so did every one. I breakfasted with
+Lt-Col. Pearson and his Adjutant, Captain Johnson (killed three months
+afterwards), and at 10 held Sick Parade. The Turks can fire straight
+along our hollow, and General de Lisle made a wise proposal yesterday
+to run a long series of terraces crossways, each with a back about 7
+feet high and a trench 7 feet wide in front. If this is continued to
+the foot there should then be room for 5000 troops. The Turks have not
+yet found us out, although they gave us a few shells yesterday,
+otherwise they could have made it too hot for us to continue
+operations. All have been busy to-day digging, picking, and quarrying
+stones, and already we have fairly safe trenches for one company. The
+Lancs., who have a large number of miners in their ranks, have been
+selected to do this, job, otherwise they would have taken up a
+position half a mile further back as was first intended.
+
+In the afternoon I strolled down to our Advanced Dressing Station
+which is only half a mile off, at the foot of the hill. Stephen had
+walked out as far as this with me last night, and to-day I find the
+place in charge of Sergt.-Major Shaw. Agassiz had paid them a flying
+visit very early this morning on his way to the C.C.S., he too being
+sick. All our original officers are now away or at present ailing
+except Q.-M. Dickie and myself, and it looks as if he and I were to be
+left alone in a few days.
+
+_Later._--Had a note from Stephen saying Fiddes has gone off sick
+along with Agassiz, and that his own temperature is 101--this looks
+bright.
+
+
+_September 25th._--After writing the above two days ago, and about 10
+p.m. when I had retired to bed, the Adjutant announced to me that
+another M.O. had been found and that I was to be relieved. This had
+been arranged owing to the shortage of officers in our Ambulance. I
+therefore left the Lancs. yesterday morning, Touhy, an Irishman,
+taking my place. I was enjoying myself thoroughly with the Lancs., and
+regretted this change as we were going into the front line in a day or
+two. Colonel Pearson is very popular with every man in his Battalion
+and is a most charming man, and I regretted leaving him.
+
+Stephen went off sick to-day. Hoskin joined us yesterday, being
+detached from hospital work at Imbros. He is a good fellow, and eager
+for work and still more for excitement.
+
+This morning I went up to our Advanced Dressing Station at the foot of
+the hill. It has now to be run without a permanent medical man. I saw
+the sick and wounded who had come in; took the Sick Parade of the
+London R.E.'s who are at present without an M.O.; returned and had our
+own Sick Parade; attended the sick in our hospital; saw several relays
+of Royal, Dublin, and Munster Fusiliers; returned to the dressing
+station at 6 p.m. and saw some fresh cases of sick and wounded;
+besides other duties, and altogether had an unusually busy day.
+Something of this sort will now go on daily until the D.M.S. sends us
+more officers.
+
+There was fighting all along the line last night, especially about
+Anzac where we hear the Australians advanced half a mile.
+
+The R.C. Padre who is attached to the Munsters, and has messed with us
+for the last week or so, leaves us to-morrow to our general regret. He
+is the most amusing man I have met in the army. Now that the hardiest
+of us, although we are still carrying on, are far from fit, and our
+spirits none of the best, we will miss him sorely.
+
+
+_September 27th._--I have had a very busy day especially at the
+dressing station. A messenger came from there a few minutes after
+midnight, and I had to go up to see some Munsters who had been wounded
+two hours before in a scrap with the Turks. As I tramped back alone in
+the dark (this is entirely against orders) the frequent ping of
+bullets was not too comforting, and as I neared our base several
+shells came about, at no great distance, when I found myself pushing
+my fingers inside my shirt to make sure that I had my identity disc
+round my neck, a habit I have got into when alone and in a hot corner.
+When I returned in the evening I found still another officer had been
+attached to us--Stott. The padre told us many amusing stones at
+dinner. He said he knew one of the Dewar family who always began his
+speeches with the remark that he was not a speaker but a "doer," and
+ended by saying, "I must now do as the lady of Coventry should have
+done, and make for my 'close'".
+
+The Regimental M.O.'s are too lenient--that is my experience at any
+rate--and send too many away to the base hospitals, and to-day Hoskin
+and I returned ten of their cases to their lines, which we have the
+power to do. Probably 150 a day are leaving Suvla alone on sick leave,
+many with mere trifles, and a large number through sheer funk--I
+approve of getting rid of these, they are worse than useless, they
+cause panic very often. Last night we had two cases of acute insanity
+from this cause, both boys of nineteen, and to-day I sent off one of
+seventeen with the same trouble.
+
+
+_September 28th._--Last night about 7 a furious attack was made by the
+Turks which lasted half an hour. A gun behind Sari Bair, which has
+bothered us before, threw about twenty shells round our base, their
+objective being either the road in front of us, or the ships behind.
+Pieces were flying about in all directions. This was followed by a
+quiet night, only one shell going over us and out to sea about
+midnight.
+
+8.15 p.m.--I have come out to our dressing station for the night, and
+am in a newly made dug-out, which has been deepened and heightened by
+myself since I arrived here three hours ago. Its back towards the
+enemy is 7 feet high, dug into a bank, with a high parapet of earth
+and a stone lined face. (It is never advisable to build with stone, a
+shell landing among stones can do a great deal of damage. In this case
+I could not do otherwise, sand bags were very scarce by this time, and
+it was with great difficulty we got any from the R.E.'s for the
+protection of our patients. A little after this date these stones of
+mine were sent flying.) It is of course open to the heavens where the
+stars are unusually bright to-night. It promises to be a warm night,
+the wind being S.W., very unlike what we have had of late when the
+winds were from the north and keen by night. Just as it was getting
+dark--before 7--I watched an aeroplane, evidently in difficulties from
+its low flight and with its engine knocking badly. It descended on a
+wide dusty road behind our base, when I expected the Turks to open
+fire on it, as they once did on a similar occasion at Helles, but they
+have left it in peace.
+
+General Percival, our Brigadier, paid us a visit here a couple of
+hours ago, and I tried to get the date of our next stunt from him but
+failed. I admired his caution--if he knew. He tells me a special
+telegram came from Kitchener to-day announcing the capture of 23,000
+Germans in France, and forty guns, and more coming in all the time.
+
+One can do little here after dark--and so to bed. Between mother earth
+and myself is a ground sheet, near my feet my pick and spade, handy if
+I should feel cold and wish to do some digging during the night, as I
+may do when the moon rises about ten; beside me a miserable candle
+lamp and my revolver, and after getting into my heavy overcoat, with
+my pack for a pillow, hard though it is with mess-tin, jug and other
+such like material inside, and a blanket over my feet, I hope to get a
+few hours' sleep.
+
+
+_October 1st._--During the last few days I have been very busy at our
+dressing station preparing for the big attack which we know is near
+and to be on a big scale. We are told that next time we must push
+through and seize the Turkish lines of communication. We did some
+heavy work, and as I had been the Engineer of the alterations and
+earth works I felt responsible and was more on the spot than I would
+have been otherwise. I thoroughly enjoyed it all the same, and all the
+while did my full share of navvy work. We had large numbers of sick
+and wounded to see to at the same time, Hoskin and I seeing about 100
+a day between us. I was roused one night to see a case of snake bite,
+the first I had seen or heard of out here--and I had my doubts about
+this case, although the man declared he had none.
+
+We had orders the other day to change our base to a site well up the
+side of Hizlar Dagh, well back towards Divisional H.Q. where we should
+be fairly safe from gun fire, although in full view of the Turk, but
+we now have faith in his respect of the Red Cross. The winter rains
+are probably not far distant now, and here there should be no danger
+of being washed away. I am there now, our men having pitched two tents
+yesterday as an experiment to see if the Turks would leave them alone.
+Stott and I came up to it last night after dark. Everything is very
+simple--so much so that we had to forage to get some food. In my pack
+I luckily had a tin of cafe-au-lait and one of us had a mug so we
+stirred up a spoonful in cold water and both pronounced it remarkably
+good--as everything is when you are almost dying of hunger and thirst.
+Stott, a famous raconteur, contributed to our amusement with
+drawing-room stories till 11 o'clock when both fell asleep.
+
+This morning I wandered out of our tent about 6.30 to find a very
+thick mist, the first time we had seen a trace of this. The tents were
+soaked and the ropes as tight as fiddle strings.
+
+We had been here about ten minutes last night when a rifle shot went
+off behind some bushes beside us, followed by howls from some one in
+agony. A soldier lay on his back with his rifle beside him, his left
+foot merely held on by his puttee. We learned that at the end of the
+war he had to undergo some years of penal servitude for some offence,
+and his comrades, I see, are convinced that this was an intentionally
+inflicted wound. I have never before seen a man shoot off more than a
+finger or toe, carrying off a foot shows that the man has plenty of
+pluck of a sort.
+
+
+_October 2nd._--A terrifically hot day.
+
+Everything seems to be upset to-day. We have been slaving and
+preparing for a big stunt, and now it is said that no such thing is in
+contemplation. In my opinion this change of plan is due to the
+position Bulgaria has definitely taken, or seems certainly about to
+take, in the present troublous times.
+
+For some strange reason she has taken the side of Germany and Turkey.
+We must reserve our strength, according to a statement made by Sir
+Edward Grey in the House of Commons, as we have promised to assist
+Servia with troops should this eventuality come about. We half expect
+some of us will be withdrawn from here and landed in Greece or
+wherever it is most suitable for a march on the Bulgars. Many of us
+would go right gladly, the monotony of living all these months on a
+small patch of ground gets more irksome as time goes on.
+
+I am now at the dressing station, having come out for twenty-four
+hours' duty. We have a collecting station, where we keep a few
+stretcher squads, half a mile in front of this, and this is to be
+withdrawn to a site near our old station in Azmak Dere, but slightly
+further forward, between the Green Pool (a filthy hole full of frogs
+and tortoises) and the end of a communication trench. I had to inspect
+the situation this evening, and marked off the boundaries, and
+to-morrow our men start to dig themselves in. The position is very
+exposed and I reported that I did not like it. Three artillery
+officers who passed said they were to plant a battery a few yards in
+front of us, and they thought the place anything but safe. However,
+the spot was chosen by General de Lisle and there is no getting away
+from it.
+
+
+_October 3rd._--Dressing station. I was up to-day at 6.30 and at once
+set to work with pick and spade, not stopping till breakfast was
+announced at 8, when Morice, the cook, brought me three huge slices
+of bread, two chunks of very fat bacon, and a mug of black dixie tea
+that had boiled for a full hour, all on such a lavish scale that at
+ordinary times they would have taken away my appetite; but not so
+to-day, I devoured the lot and never enjoyed a breakfast more in all
+my life. I next had a large Sick Parade drawn from twelve units, and
+returned to their duties several who were on their way to the C.C.S.
+with very trifling ailments. This will put up the backs of the
+Regimental M.O.'s, but in such serious times, with our numbers getting
+more depleted every day, manners must not be considered. I mentioned
+this subject to the A.D.M.S. to-day, and he backs me up and is to see
+what can be done to check this wastage.
+
+Padre Mayne held a short service under the tarpaulin-covered space we
+reserve for patients, his congregation being twelve poor beggars on
+stretchers waiting to be sent down, and about twice that number of
+sick walking cases. The wounded tried to cheer up and suppress their
+groans, but these occasionally got the better of them. Then I returned
+to my spade and worked till 12.30.
+
+I returned to our new base for lunch and am now sitting on the edge of
+a dug-out in the setting sun, which has annoyed us all day. It is a
+most glorious evening, not a breath of wind, and deep down below me
+the Aegean glistens without a ripple; all is at peace, except the big
+guns, and they are very busy, the ships having fired incessantly for
+the last two or three hours at the Sari Bair ridge. The Anzac guns are
+also very active. But the Turks are at present lying low and not
+making a single reply.
+
+I was explaining the position of our collecting station to the
+A.D.M.S. to-day, telling him about the proposed battery in front of
+us, and the preparations to build a bridge over the gully just beside
+us. He had not heard of either of these, and he now thinks our site
+will have to be given up for one further back. To-morrow the C.O. and
+I go over to inspect the ground on this side and report.
+
+Our magnificent dressing station, over which I have taken no end of
+trouble, is to be given over to the 88th F.A. Their Colonel jokingly
+thanked me for all we have done preparing for him--we give it up with
+regret.
+
+
+_October 4th._--The day opened with a violent bombardment about Anzac
+and the adjoining end of Sari Bair, this spreading gradually along the
+ridge to our right centre. The C.O. and I should have started for the
+centre of the line after breakfast but this journey had to be
+postponed till eleven, when there was again quietness, and before
+lunch we surveyed the ground already occupied by our men in digging,
+and other probable sites behind that in case we should have to retire
+further back. The position we do not consider good, but we can find
+nothing more suitable, and we examined the ground all the way back to
+Hill 10. The work must therefore go on as arranged. We passed Azmak
+Dere, the warm spot we held so long, and Col. Fraser had a look at it
+for the first time.
+
+Col. Riley, D.D.M.S., to-day says we are to retain our present
+dressing station, and being Divisional and not Brigade troops, it does
+not matter which Brigade we serve. Still we hope in our present
+position to be able to attend the sick and wounded of our 86th
+Brigade, and are willing to take all others who come our way. The 86th
+have moved from our extreme left--where we are--to our right centre,
+hence the re-arrangement of Ambulances.
+
+
+_October 8th._--Daily writing of these notes gets monotonous as there
+is nothing much doing. Artillery duels are constant, and during the
+last few days the naval guns have fired more than usual. Occasionally
+a Taube flies over us and drops bombs, but such things are now not
+worth noting.
+
+Four new officers joined us yesterday--Captain McLean, Lieutenants
+Russell, Campbell, and Hodgkinson, and to-day Lieutenant Fyfe, so that
+we now have ten medical men in our unit, or one over strength. Forty
+medicos landed at Suvla yesterday, fifteen at Anzac, and fifteen at
+Helles, and more are landing to-day. More than enough surely, but all
+units must be very short.
+
+The Turks used poison gas to-day for the first time. Tomlinson of the
+Lancs., who told me his experience, says it made him feel sick and his
+eyes smarted, but his respiration was not affected. One or two men
+were overcome by it but none fatally. Curiously the evening before all
+our naval and field guns were bombarding Jeffson's Post, the front
+line of the Turks on Hizlar Dagh, and on climbing to the top of the
+hill behind our camp to see what was doing the smell of chlorine was
+well marked, although I was nearly a mile from the above place. The
+shells were bursting well over the Turks who had to fly into the open
+where our machine-guns got them. (The smell of chlorine probably came
+from chloride of lime somewhere near, this being much used as a
+disinfectant.)
+
+
+_October 11th._--The statement that the Turks used gas the other day
+now turns out to be false, it was ordinary lydite the Lancs. mistook
+for one of the new fangled German devices. My apologies to the Turks.
+
+Yesterday we had a visit from General Sir Julian Byng, our Army Corps
+Commander (formerly in the 8th Army, we are now in the 9th). He
+roughly inspected our camp, and the C.O. being in undress and unshaved
+I had to take the party round. Sir Julian was complimenting the Turks
+on their straight fighting.
+
+
+_October 13th._--A day of intense cold after a still colder night.
+Last night while we were at dinner a terrific rain came on suddenly,
+and when I got over to my tent it was to find my bed soaked through,
+as was almost everything I possessed.
+
+To-day we had a lecture on the hillside by Sir Victor Horsley on
+surgical wounds in warfare, mainly of the head. A very good lecture it
+was.
+
+This afternoon one of our aeroplanes came down in the Salt Lake. It
+was well shelled and must be useless for the present. The two aviators
+were seen leaving it amidst a storm of shrapnel, one evidently getting
+hit, he was seen applying something white round his leg.
+
+This is one of the great routes for the migration of birds. Yesterday
+and several times to-day I saw flocks of geese flying over our heads
+and steering south, likely on their way to the Nile and great African
+lakes. During last night they kept up a constant cackle as they flew
+over us.
+
+
+_October 14th._--Geese in large flocks are crossing to-day, mostly in
+V formation of twenty-five to thirty. A good many are in two V's and
+some of the largest flocks must number about 500. Many thousands must
+have crossed before 11 a.m. when they suddenly came to an end.
+
+A shrapnel shell struck the back of my dug-out at the dressing station
+two nights ago, blowing all the walls down. Two of our new officers
+were in it at the time, one being rather badly hit on the head by a
+flying stone. He is besides badly shaken and has had to go to a
+hospital ship. The other was blown right into the trench in front, got
+well shaken up and had a hand cut, but he looks on it all as a bit of
+a joke.
+
+
+_October 15th._--I have been off colour for some little time, and I
+question if I'll be able to carry on much longer. Of the ten officers
+we had the other day only three are quite fit, and most of them landed
+but a few days ago.
+
+
+_October 16th._--This morning, about 4 o'clock, the orthodox hour for
+attacking being one hour before dawn, a furious gunfire opened on Sari
+Bair, which I got out of bed to watch. Many shells were bursting
+simultaneously all along the ridge and down this side of the hill. It
+is hard to say whether the Turks or the Australians were the
+assailants, but I noticed in the forenoon the Turks were shelling a
+spot near the bottom of a gully which crosses Sari Bair, and which a
+few days ago was in their own hands. All forenoon a most interesting
+shelling went on in these hills and foot hills, but after watching it
+carefully I cannot satisfy myself that there is any material change of
+position. The Turks and ourselves have fired many thousand shells
+to-day, and the Turks have kept the end of Sari Bair held by the
+Australians enveloped in a continuous smoke.
+
+About three days ago the Turks had placed a new gun of large calibre
+in the line of Hizlar Dagh, and its huge shells come screeching over
+our heads on their way to Little West Beach at all hours of the day
+and night. Its first day's bag I hear was forty-one, and its second
+eighteen. This is the busiest landing place we have, men in large
+numbers embarking and disembarking all night long.
+
+A Turkish aeroplane crossed over our camp about 10.30 a.m. flying so
+low that, when I heard it in my tent, I said to myself only one of our
+own machines could fly at that height. It must actually have gone
+right over an anti-aircraft gun on the top of Hizlar Dagh, almost
+immediately behind us, and before this fired a shot it was allowed to
+go nearly a mile. Then it opened fire and shells went after it in
+quick succession, but every shot burst, as is almost invariably the
+case, hundreds of yards behind it. The machine glided gaily along past
+the point of the bay, straight over the British lines to Sari Bair,
+rifle shots being fired in a regular fusillade. It turned, perhaps
+three miles from here, went to its right, came straight over the
+warships in the bay towards us, all the time flying at the same low
+elevation. It then went to the east right over our centre lines where
+all our infantry opened on it, but it never veered from its straight
+course. I was watching all this with an officer of the London
+Territorial Fusiliers, and asked if he thought there could have been
+20,000 rounds fired, and after thinking a little he said there must
+have been twice that number. At least fifty shells also went after it.
+I hope the aviator got a V.C. or its equivalent on his return to his
+own lines. Our shell fire was atrocious; I felt so thoroughly ashamed
+of it that I hoped the Turks were not watching the puffs of smoke as
+the shells burst a good quarter of a mile behind their mark. When the
+machine came within range again on its return journey the
+anti-aircraft gun opened fire on it again and did no better than at
+first, but at the very end there was a distinct improvement. I can't
+think how all these shots at such a short range could have missed a
+vital spot. The man's sailing over us a second time was the coolest
+act I have ever witnessed, and I would have been sorry to see him
+drop.
+
+As McLean was coming in from the dressing station after dark last
+night two bodies of troops passed each other, a sergeant of one
+shouted to a ditto of the other, "Are you the West Ridings?" "No," was
+the reply, "we are only the bloody Monmouths walking."
+
+Lt-Col. Fraser, our C.O., who has been ailing for some time, left for
+hospital to-day. This leaves me as C.O. of the Ambulance, Dickie and I
+being the only officers remaining of the original ten.
+
+Up to the present time our losses are six killed (including one
+officer), two died of disease, and either twenty-four or twenty-five
+wounded (including two officers). (This is an under-estimate.)
+Sickness has also been excessive, and we cannot have more than a third
+of our original men. We have had four drafts, mostly Englishmen.
+
+
+_October 19th._--Walked to our new dressing station this forenoon and
+examined "well thirty," this being by order of the S.C. of the
+Engineers of our Brigade. I was presented with a bottle of water thick
+with blue mud. Being intensely thirsty I adopted the only test
+available and drank it off, and promised to report if it had any bad
+effects.
+
+In the evening another draft of thirty men reached us, this time from
+Swansea. Every man is turning up his nose at the thought of a Welsh
+detachment.
+
+Had a long interview on many subjects with the A.D.M.S. (Lt-Col. J.G.
+Bell).
+
+A large flock of geese crossed this morning, but I have seen none for
+the last day or two.
+
+
+_October 21st._--Preparations were made to meet a Turkish attack
+yesterday, which was some great feast or fast day with them; however,
+it did not come off. Dickie thinks such exertion on either a feast or
+fast day would have been a mistake. Then at night when there was a
+full moon we half expected this attack, and an Engineer officer at
+present at H.Q., who called to see me yesterday, said he was always to
+keep his boots on at night after this, as he said he had no faith in
+the troops we now have in our front line being able to check any sort
+of attack.
+
+Another of our heroes, Nightingale of the Munsters, left for home
+yesterday in bad health, but greatly against his will. He pleaded to
+be allowed to go back to the trenches, but we were partly influenced
+by a letter from his C.O., who requested that we should give him a
+rest as he had been on the peninsula since the landing. Almost without
+exception those who get a chance to go home go with the greatest
+pleasure, and it is refreshing to come across one who is really not
+suffering from "cold feet". All are more or less ill I admit.
+
+
+_October 24th._--A particularly cold, wet and rough day. According to
+an article which appeared in the "Westminster Gazette," and was
+reprinted in our local "War Office Telegram," there is always a cold
+rough snap from October 20 to October 25. The first date was correct,
+and I trust the latter, which is to-morrow, will be as accurate, for
+we are miserable. Geese are crossing in very large numbers to-day.
+
+The thirty Welshmen who were attached to us were exchanged for an
+equal number of the 4/1 Highland F.A. from Aberdeen. Our men had taken
+to the Welshmen and were sorry to part with them, especially as they
+were doing excellent work.
+
+
+_October 25th._--The above weather forecast was wonderfully accurate,
+the cold snap ran from the 19th to 24th. Yesterday opened rough, wet
+and cold, but later in the day the wind fell to an absolute calm and
+the temperature rose. To-day is ideal, not a breath of wind, a few
+fleecy clouds, and delightfully warm. Geese are flying south in
+thousands. Where do they all come from?--the lakes of Norway and
+Sweden, Finland and Northern Russia, or where? Their destination is no
+doubt that delectable country for the winter, Africa. Yesterday the
+A.D.M.S. thought I required a change and recommended me to go there
+also, but I refused absolutely. I prefer the hardships of Suvla and it
+may be the Balkans, to a life of ease and comfort in the hospitals of
+Alexandria. Had things not looked so bad here I might have accepted
+such an offer, but now that the outlook is as bad as could be, and the
+danger to ourselves gradually thickens, it is out of the question.
+Mackensen is said to be in Servia and pushing south rapidly. He has an
+army of 216,000, while the Servians can oppose them with only 80,000
+or 90,000. French and British troops have been rushed north from
+Salonika, and we are in contact with the Bulgars, if not the
+Austro-Germans. All here expect to be ordered to the Balkans any day;
+at Suvla we are now being wasted, all we can do is to hold up the
+Turks which is not good enough.
+
+
+_October 26th._--We hear to-day that the "Marquette" which brought us
+from Avonmouth to Alexandria was torpedoed two days ago, on her way to
+Salonika. About 1000 troops were on board, and 600 are said to have
+been lost, including thirty nurses. The "Marquette" sent out the
+S.O.S. signal, but the submarine came to the surface and signalled,
+"No assistance is required".
+
+
+_October 28th._--Nothing much doing except artillery fire. According
+to evidence given by the Turkish prisoners our artillery fire does
+little harm, they are so well dug in, one Battalion putting its daily
+casualties at six. Yesterday about mid-day every Turkish gun opened
+fire on our trenches from the extreme right to the extreme left and
+along Anzac, and all at the self same moment. We wondered what it
+meant and whether it was preliminary to a wild assault all along our
+lines, which was to drive us into the sea; one would have expected
+something extraordinary to follow, but in less than fifteen minutes it
+was all over. No doubt they caught many of our men in the open,
+sitting smoking on their parapets and such like, and 100 or 200 may
+have been knocked out. We are continually being caught napping, and
+one shell often lands in the middle of an unsuspecting group and plays
+terrible havoc.
+
+I see in G.R.O. (General Routine Orders) that General Sir C.C. Munro
+takes over command of the Mediterranean Expeditionary Force from
+yesterday's date.
+
+
+_November 2nd._--The weather on the whole gets colder and more
+bracing, sometimes too much so, but by day it is occasionally
+uncomfortably warm. The Turks and ourselves keep shelling each other
+as of old.
+
+I am now feeling so very much off colour that I know I ought to go
+home, but I am unable to tear myself away from Suvla in case I should
+miss the chance of going to the Balkans. Still, I am afraid I will be
+left behind if our Ambulance was to go. During the summer I had two
+months of dysentery. Since then I have never felt quite fit although I
+have carried on the whole time, and for the last three weeks I have
+had an attack of jaundice, of which there has been a very widespread
+epidemic. (This epidemic was afterwards proved to be Paratyphoid.)
+
+
+_November 7th._--For some days the weather has been perfect, bright
+and warm as midsummer, and the nights cool without being cold, but
+with dews heavy enough to drench the tents.
+
+To-day we had the most deliberate shelling the Turks ever gave the Red
+Cross. So far they have shown us more or less respect, in fact no one
+could find fault hitherto; when shells came among us, there was always
+some excuse for it. To-day I think they must have been retaliating for
+some mischief our guns had unintentionally done to their Crescent. The
+88th F.A. is encamped alongside us, and six big high explosive shells
+fell among the two of us, costing each of us a tent, but strange to
+say no other casualty occurred. All, including about sixty sick, made
+for our two big trenches which we made some time ago in case anything
+of this sort should happen.
+
+
+_November 8th._--A Medical Board was summoned for this morning for the
+examination of a well-known rascal, and being one of its members I had
+an opportunity of a talk with the President, our A.D.M.S., Colonel
+Bell. I represented to him that I had long felt I would be compelled
+to leave the peninsula, although much against my will, but after three
+months' illness my strength had got so undermined that I could stand
+it no longer. I took no care of myself, otherwise I might have felt
+better now, but since I landed on April 25, I have not been a day off
+duty. As Colonel Bell remarked, I should have left Suvla long ago. I
+am now writing on a hospital ship, trying to feel that I have done my
+bit.
+
+Dickie, who also goes on sick leave, and I decided to go forthwith, so
+we packed up all our belongings. We boarded a lighter at the C.C.S.
+and came out to the hospital ship "Rewa". The evening as we came out
+was beautifully still, with a little haze hanging about the foot
+hills, chilly, and we were glad to put on our overcoats. I felt
+depressed at being forced to leave, and cowardly when I thought of
+those left behind; still on gazing around I felt astonished I had been
+able "to stick it" so long. The monotony lately has been very trying;
+living on a small piece of ground with the enemy in front and the sea
+behind, and no progress being made, could have been nothing else.
+
+
+_November 9th._--Went to bed early last night and had a. talk with
+Major Turner of the 53rd C.C.S. who was in bed alongside. Talking
+about our being shelled on Sunday he said his hospital was twice
+shelled, getting three shells each time, and they were informed, with
+apologies, by the Turks that they were retaliating. On one occasion
+one of our naval shells landed in the middle of a Turkish Ambulance.
+This confirms my theory that our shelling was an act of retaliation
+for something or other. Although the door and port-holes were open
+last night I was greatly oppressed by the closeness of the atmosphere,
+due to my revelling in the open air for many months.
+
+
+_November 10th._--We lay at anchor outside the boom of Suvla Bay till
+mid-day to-day, when we had got on board nearly 500 sick and wounded,
+and we set sail for Lemnos. Our boat is so coated with barnacles that
+her speed is reduced from 18 to 12 knots. Two monitors were firing at
+Achi Baba as we came opposite it. Each had two guns and the four were
+fired together. We passed close to one which gave a magnificent roar,
+the like of which I am not likely to hear again for many a day.
+
+The sick officers occupy one table in the saloon, the Staff eating at
+a separate table. The latter a well-fed, happy lot, the others yellow
+and jaundiced, and looking very weary.
+
+
+_November 11th._--We reached Lemnos yesterday at 6 p.m. and anchored
+in the outer harbour with four other hospital ships and many
+transports. Our boat has orders to proceed to Alexandria and we are
+again on the move, leaving at 9 a.m. to-day.
+
+
+_November 13th._--We reached Alexandria at 11 a.m. taking fifty hours
+from Lemnos. On the pier at which we drew up stood a train refulgent
+in stars and crescents. This was soon filled, and passed off, into the
+unknown--likely Cairo.
+
+Next, how was I to get a wire off? Quite easy, said some one. You see
+that lady along there with the green umbrella, that is Lady C---- who
+meets all boats and looks after such things. Lady C. soon gets off a
+bale on which she has been sitting, and stalks slowly down our way,
+gets a bundle of what turns out to be telegram forms and awaits the
+hoisting of the gangway, a great lumbering affair which it takes an
+army of multi-coloured Egyptians to shove along on its wheels. Then
+they swing it round, amidst great shouting in chorus, and nearly catch
+her ladyship's shins in so doing, but she is wide awake, jumps back,
+digs the hand that is not holding the green umbrella into her waist,
+her head jerks a little, and I can imagine she is consigning all these
+Egyptians to a certain place. She comes on board where all are very
+deferential, and she is asked to lunch with us but declines.
+
+
+_November 14th._--Ras-el-Tin Military Hospital. Towards evening
+several officers were brought to this hospital yesterday. We enjoyed
+our ride through the streets, all gay with the brilliant colours of
+the East. At last we entered a big gateway and landed in an exquisite
+garden. At the distant end of this is a tall lighthouse, the hospital
+being at the very point of a long promontory on the east side of the
+harbour entrance. The garden is full of palms and flowers of the most
+brilliant hues.
+
+A medical fellow came round and gave me an overhaul this morning. He
+tells me my heart is dilated--hence my severe breathlessness. I was
+told I must go to England, but need not expect to get away for a
+fortnight or so. The hospital is very airy but uncomfortably warm.
+
+
+_November 18th._--I am already feeling much better. I have a wonderful
+appetite and am thoroughly enjoying the good things set before me. My
+weight is now 10 stones 1 lb., and I must have gained at least 2 or 3
+lbs. since I left the peninsula. I am still over 2 stones under my
+usual weight. I took a walk half-way up the promontory to the
+Khedivial Palace where I hoped to walk through the gardens. I had seen
+in the papers that the Sultan was up the Nile, but the two Egyptian
+N.C.O.'s at the gate refused to admit me, one saying, "de Sultan is in
+Alexandria". "Nonsense," I said, "he is up the Nile." "No, no, no,"
+said the black, "de Sultan is here," pointing over his shoulder to the
+palace.
+
+
+_November 19th._--At mid-day I was ordered to pack up as I was to
+start for home. At the docks I was put on board the "Rewa" where the
+officers and nurses greeted me as an old friend. I learned that our
+destination was back to Lemnos, where I would be trans-shipped to the
+"Aquitania" which is booked to sail on the 22nd.
+
+We sailed in the afternoon. The sea is rough, spray splashing all over
+the ship, the windows of the music room have to be kept shut, and it
+is hot and stifling--and I melt.
+
+
+_November 21st._--We reached Lemnos to-day after a run of forty-five
+hours from Egypt, a distance of 580 miles. The object of the "Rewa's"
+trip to Alexandria was to get drydocked and have her hull scraped. We
+could have done the trip in a few hours less than we actually took,
+but all last night and to-day we have had a furious gale in our teeth,
+which made us drop 4-1/2 knots per hour. The decks have been swept by
+the waves all day, and the awnings blown down more than once. We now
+lie in the outer harbour, while the four great funnels of our next
+boat can be seen towering over the hills that form the south side of
+the inner harbour. The cold is intense.
+
+
+_November 22nd._--We spent the night at anchor outside the boom. They
+commenced to raise the anchor at daylight, but were stopped by signal,
+so that now at 10 a.m. we lie here waiting orders. The cold to-day is
+terrific. The wind is probably stronger than ever and goes whistling
+through the rigging. Our latest orders are to lie here till the gale
+moderates.
+
+3 p.m.--During the forenoon the "Olympic" passed close to us as she
+entered the harbour, and is now anchored near the "Aquitania".
+
+
+_November 23rd._--We raised anchor about 7 and moved straight out to
+sea for 2 or 3 miles when we thought we were to go home on the "Rewa,"
+which had been spoken about as possible, but it turned out we had only
+gone out to bury a man who died last night. We turned and were soon
+manoeuvring to get alongside the "Aquitania," but after very nearly
+giving her a bad bump we had to sheer off, and we have again anchored
+and wait for that tantalising wind to moderate.
+
+In the afternoon we made another attempt to get on board the
+"Aquitania" and again failed.
+
+
+_November 24th._--After two hours fiddling about we managed to attach
+our fore and aft hawsers to the "Aquitania," and after breakfast we
+went on board our new home. This magnificent boat had 2300 patients
+last night and expects 2000 more to complete her load. She has a crew
+of 1000, thirty-six medical men and a large number of nurses. The
+"Aquitania" was at first a troopship and mounted four 6-inch guns, and
+has carried 7000 troops at a time, besides her crew. The distance from
+Lemnos to Southampton is 3080 miles, and with her proper coal, a
+mixture of Welsh and Newcastle, she has covered that distance in 4
+days 18 hours. But for coal she has to rely mainly on the inferior
+stuff she picks up at Naples.
+
+The fittings in the wheel house are most ingenious. For example,
+should fire break out the captain has only to open a cupboard which
+tells him where it is, and by touching a button he can flood any one
+of the six watertight compartments. A fan works automatically in this
+cupboard every five minutes, and if there is smoke in any compartment
+it is sucked up its corresponding tube. There are thirty-eight
+electric clocks on the ship, and as the time has to be changed
+continually as we go east or west, by moving the hands of a clock in
+the wheelhouse the hands of the thirty-eight move in unison.
+
+We hear Greece has been presented with an ultimatum demanding her to
+come into the war on our side, otherwise to demobilise within two
+days. Another story says she has already joined the other side, and
+that our fleets have been engaged.
+
+
+_November 26th._--The Germans are at present accusing us of carrying
+troops and ammunition on our hospital ships, an excuse given out to
+the world for sinking the first good prize of the sort they come
+across. Of the sixty-four hospital ships we are said to possess the
+"Aquitania" would make the most desirable capture, and our most
+dangerous spot is the Aegean, from behind any of whose numerous
+islands a submarine lying in wait may dart out.
+
+We are now approaching Sicily on our way to Naples. We cannot go
+through the Straits of Messina after dark, and our quickest and
+cheapest way is to anchor for the night, but the danger of attack
+prevents this and we have to go right round the island. We are doing
+about 20 knots against a stiff head wind. When pushed beyond this the
+consumption of coal is out of all proportion to the increase of speed,
+and being in no hurry they prefer to stick to what is called her
+economical speed.
+
+
+_November 27th._--I have been talking to an officer in the
+smoking-room who, like myself, was waiting for the library to open. He
+wished to hand in "The Life of Oliver Goldsmith," by Washington
+Irving. He says he is descended through his mother from Goldsmith, and
+he had taken out this book to find where Irving put his birthplace.
+"At Pallas," as he expected, "they all do so; even Johnson, who wrote
+his epitaph, made the same mistake." Goldsmith's father was rector of
+Pallas, and his wife had gone home to her parents at Elphin, in
+Roscommon, and it was here this great writer was born.
+
+Naples Harbour. We arrived at this historic place at 6.15 p.m. We
+began to get in among the islands of the Bay between 4 and 5, but
+daylight soon began to fade and we did not get a good view of our
+surroundings. The first land we approached was Capri on our left, an
+island famed for its wines. On the other side was a small island,
+little more than a huge volcanic rock, with the gleaming white houses
+of a small town half-way to the summit. We could see Naples away at
+the top of the Bay, large houses all the way up the high rugged hills
+on which the town is built in the shape of a horseshoe. Behind the
+houses on the sea front rises mighty Vesuvius, her highest peak
+covered with snow, and belching out volumes of smoke which roll down
+the side of the hill and stretch out to sea in one big dense cloud.
+The whole town is most brilliantly lit, the glare of street lamps
+being a relief after Gallipoli.
+
+We had some mild amusement to-day. These submarines are still a terror
+to those in charge of the ship. All the invalid Tommies are in hospital
+dress, trousers and jacket of light grey, and a brilliant red cotton
+handkerchief round the neck. All officers who wished to go on deck were
+ordered to wear this dress on account of the German publication that we
+carried troops, and if spies saw a lot of officers in uniform--and
+we'll have spies among the coal-heavers--there might be some faint
+reason for their pretended suspicions. After tea we donned our new
+garb, and about twenty of us collected on the wheelhouse deck. Out came
+a sailor who shouted, "No one but officers allowed here, away you go".
+Then in a few minutes out came another, "Now you privates, clear out of
+this; this is only meant for officers". The disguise was apparently
+complete, and the two poor sailors were the only ones who did not enjoy
+the joke. Our service caps were also forbidden, and we had all sorts of
+headgear. I had a long scarf wipped round my head in turban fashion and
+was said to be the worst looking ruffian of the lot.
+
+It was bitterly cold on deck, and about 2 p.m. we had had a shower of
+hail. The hills beyond Naples are covered with snow.
+
+
+_November 28th._--On looking over the rail on my way to breakfast I
+found we were coaling at the hardest on both sides of the ship,
+barefooted coal-heavers, all at the gallop, carrying their baskets of
+coal from the barges and tilting them into shoots down among the lower
+decks. Bum boats, not unlike those of Malta, swarmed about the
+harbour, loaded with merchandise, such as oranges, tobacco, picture
+post cards, and beautifully finished models of mandolines and guitars,
+the vendors yelling at the pitch of their voices. Their transactions
+were carried on away down on E. deck, and even at that low level a
+bamboo rod twice the length of a fishing rod, with a bag at the end,
+had to be hoisted to reach their customers. You bawled out your order,
+put your money in the bag, and your goods appeared in a minute or two.
+
+Another of our leviathans came in this morning to coal, the
+"Mauretania," a Cunarder like ourselves. She is a big boat but is
+dwarfed by the "Aquitania". I notice her bridge is on the 7th storey,
+ours is on the 9th.
+
+The air is sharp but it is bright and sunny. Vesuvius and the
+magnificent city of Naples stand out clear in all their glory, and
+away to the north one gets a good view of the lofty Apennines, all
+with their peaks covered with snow, and over these the wind blows icy
+cold.
+
+6 p.m.--We were allowed to tramp the boat deck in our hospital garb
+until mid-day when the O.C. the ship took it into his head to have us
+removed below. Now that it is dark we are allowed up again, and one is
+tempted, in spite of the cold, to remain there and admire the city
+which is a beautiful sight even at night. Vesuvius is in one of her
+quiet moods and gives out no glow from her crater. On the top of the
+hill behind the city is the Castle which reminds one of Edinburgh, and
+to the left of it towers Bartalini's hotel with its numerous storeys,
+a place where, an officer tells me, "you can get a hell of a good
+lunch, but you have to pay for it". There are trees everywhere among
+the houses. Many with tall, branchless stems and a spreading top,
+evidently of the fir family. Lombardy poplars and tall dark cypresses
+are everywhere.
+
+Between us and this old Castle, at the water's edge, stands a lofty
+stronghold, black and forbidding, and I believe many atrocities were
+perpetrated here in the days of Garibaldi. Its high castellated
+battlements look as if they had a history.
+
+We finished coaling about 3 p.m. and expected to get off at once, but
+no, the ship had snapped one of her cables and we could not sail until
+the 20 ton anchor and 50 fathoms of chain were fished up, and
+apparently this had not been done before dark, and we must now lie
+here till to-morrow. The harbour has a rocky bottom, and if an anchor
+catches behind a rock such an accident is apt to occur from a sudden
+jerk, and this is the second time it has happened to our boat in this
+self-same place.
+
+
+_November 29th._--Our whistle began its terrific row at 4.30 this
+morning. Its blasts are most unpleasant and seem to affect the stomach
+more than the ears. We began to circle round the "Mauretania" about 8,
+and by 8.30 we had cleared the breakwaters and were going down the
+Bay, the morning gloriously fine, almost a dead calm, and the houses
+and rocks sparkling in the sun. The whole forms a magnificent picture.
+"See Naples and die." We sailed close in to Ischia and we could see
+the terraces where the vines grow, beginning at the top of the
+perpendicular rocks and ascending the hill-sides like a giant's
+staircase. We pass a big liner flying the French flag, and she dips
+her stern flag as a salute.
+
+At 8.15 p.m.--We passed Sardinia, but all that was visible was the
+revolving light of the lighthouse on the south point. There is now a
+strong gale, and we pitch and roll a good deal. But the wind is soft
+and warm, blowing from the African desert instead of the snowclad
+Apennines.
+
+
+_November 30th._--A beautiful day and warm.
+
+I have been having a talk with one of our two captains of the ship. He
+tells me we have the most powerful wireless installation afloat,
+except on the big battleships. In Lemnos we can easily pick up the
+Poldhu messages, although our receiving distance is given as 2000
+miles only. We can send out messages to a distance of 500 miles, but
+the only one allowed just now is the S.O.S. Between Lemnos and Sicily
+we received a message saying that submarines were operating all round
+Sicily, and the Consul of Naples warned the captain of another
+dangerous spot which we are at the present moment approaching. This
+boat was once fired at by a torpedo as she was entering Lemnos, and at
+the time was steaming slowly to let the "Mauretania" pass outwards,
+when another torpedo was fired at that ship, which also missed.
+
+Our numbers on board are 3873 invalids, and the crew and all other
+staffs at least 1400, or a total of 5273. We have 106 boats, each
+capable of holding from fifty-six to sixty-nine, so that all could be
+accommodated in these--if we had time which is never the case in an
+emergency.
+
+Noon.--Our wireless news for the day has just been posted up. There is
+nothing much in it except the news that "Sicily is literally besieged
+by German submarines". Germany says she has accomplished her immediate
+object in the Balkans, whatever that is, but I understood this was to
+join hands with Turkey which she has not yet done. Austria is said, on
+the authority of "The Tribune," to be asking for a separate peace, and
+at home, considering the reliability of this paper, they think there
+may be some truth in this.
+
+
+_December 1st._--The steward when he brought me tea at 6.30 this
+morning, said "Gib." was in sight. On looking out I could see rocks
+but not "the rock". But it soon appeared and I got hurriedly into my
+clothes and quickly swallowed breakfast and was on deck with my
+glasses. Here was the rock close at hand, a brilliant morning, the sun
+lighting up the side we were nearing, a big mushroom-shaped cloud
+floating on and obscuring the summit. This side is bare and black with
+its acres of concrete rain catchments, the only means of water supply.
+Last time I saw it it disappointed me, but now we headed straight
+round its projecting south point towards the harbour and had a
+glorious view of the razor-backed hill, the point bristling with guns,
+walls, and forts, and all along the west side buildings in white and
+ochre, with red roofs, all lit up in bright sunshine; plenty of trees
+about, palms and others, and green grass which is always a surprise
+to me after the barren peninsula. At the northern point of what is
+quite a large bay lies the harbour full of shipping, its one entrance
+guarded by a most powerful boom. The view all round is not much behind
+Naples--the rock with its large and beautiful buildings; across the
+bridge, connecting the rock with the mainland, the Spanish town; to
+the left the snow-white town of Algeciras, famed for its bull fights.
+Behind all the great towering, rugged mountains of Spain.
+
+We lost two hours here waiting for orders, but by 10 we had turned our
+head for the Atlantic, and were soon going full steam ahead. The 970
+miles from Naples we covered in forty-eight hours, at economical
+speed. Our speed and size dwarf everything we come up against.
+
+Before sunset we passed a small tramp steamer which halted, as we also
+did, and for long signals were carried on between the two of us. The
+passengers were unable to read these, but they must have been very
+important when a ship like the "Aquitania" came to a dead halt.
+
+At Gib. we had been told that a rumour had reached England, and
+appeared in the "Daily Mail," that the "Aquitania" had been torpedoed.
+
+
+_December 2nd._--The air is soft and balmy, a few drops of rain have
+fallen, but the lower clouds fly fast as if a breeze was brewing.
+
+6 p.m.--We have had a stormy afternoon, a driving rain and a 50-mile
+gale as reckoned by the captain. As I came along a passage a cupboard
+door flew open and scores of dishes fell out with a crash. In the
+wards bottles and tables are flying all over the place. As I was
+steadying myself on deck the ship's whistle gave a blast that seemed
+unending. There was a rush from below to the boat deck, but as there
+was a thick haze we decided it was only a fog signal. "Fog signal,"
+said the captain, "I call it a d----d fool's signal. This boy,"
+pointing to a very guilty looking little chap, "placed his back
+against the whistle lever, and the d----d fool never noticed he was
+raising hell."
+
+
+_December 3rd._--All last night the rolling had been particularly bad,
+so much so that the ship is pronounced to be much too top-heavy. I had
+slept straight on till 5 and did not feel a particularly heavy roll at
+2 a.m., which every one is talking about, and which had tumbled a lot
+of people out of bed. One old sailor says he got a terrible fright, he
+thought the ship would be unable to right herself from her great
+weight, and he fled on deck expecting the worst.
+
+4.45 p.m.--A revolving light can be seen through the mist but must be
+many miles off. At 3 we had all been warned off the deck as a message
+had been received that we were again in a danger zone. We are now near
+our haven, and if that light is from the Needles another hour should
+take us there.
+
+_Later._--We anchored off the Solent as it was getting dark. In time a
+pinnace came alongside, presumably a pilot came on board, so we up
+anchor and are now moored inside the outer boom.
+
+
+_December 4th._--As soon as it was daylight we began to move, and went
+slowly up the Solent in a drizzle and thick mist; ships no end at
+anchor all the way; past Netley Hospital facing great mud-flats; New
+Forest stretching away to the left; Cowes in thick haze. When nearing
+Southampton four tugs came alongside, two were attached to the bow,
+the other two on guard crept along with us. At last the docks
+appeared, we were hauled round by our tugs and went in stern first.
+The four tugs then arranged themselves along our starboard side, got
+their noses up against the "Aquitania's" ribs and butted her up
+against the quay wall.
+
+7 p.m.--I expected to get off hours ago. The Military Landing Officer
+says the best he can do for me is to send me to Glasgow. I know what
+Glasgow is like in a drizzle at this time of the year--"coals in the
+earth and coals in the air," as some one says. It has rained all day,
+is foggy and altogether British, unlike anything I have seen for a
+long time. I can understand how our colonials come home and curse our
+leaden skies.
+
+
+_December 5th._--Sunday. We left the "Aquitania" at 10 last night,
+many hundreds being left on the boat for discharge next day. They had
+poured out of the ship by two big gangways the whole day long,
+straight into the private station of the Cunard Line. In half an hour
+we were all in our cots, round came an orderly asking what we would
+have to drink, tea, cocoa, or oxo? I asked if that was his full list.
+"Yes," he said. "No, thank you, I am going to sleep."
+
+We reached Yorkhill Hospital, Glasgow, this forenoon, and found the
+town in 2 inches of snow--real white snow too.
+
+
+_December 7th._--Was examined by a Medical Board at 4.30 p.m. and just
+managed to catch the 5 o'clock train for Aberdeen. Am now in Perth
+where we have been kept standing for some time. The three men forming
+my Board said I had a well-marked heart murmur, and all three solemnly
+shook hands with me. Evidently their impression was that I was going
+home to die. They do not know how much I have improved since I left
+Gallipoli. I feel myself that I'll soon be at the Front again.
+
+(Feeling ill and almost useless I had intended to ask for sick leave
+from the A.D.M.S. a fortnight before I actually left.) On going to
+H.Q. for this purpose I met Col. Bell who said he had intended to look
+me up to let me know the result of a conference the previous evening,
+when it was announced we were to evacuate the peninsula. This was a
+strict secret, but I had to be told about it so that we might begin at
+once to get rid of as much of our equipment as we could spare. After
+such an announcement I felt it would be cowardly to miss what all
+considered would be a terrible experience, and the object of my errand
+was not mentioned. Such an eventuality was often discussed; we felt
+that our remaining there for the winter would be a mistake, and no one
+ventured to put our losses at less than 50 per cent. of all our forces
+should it be attempted.
+
+The preparations for the evacuation had been carried out with the
+utmost efficiency, so much so that our losses were perfectly
+marvellous--six casualties at Suvla, Anzac, and Helles combined.
+(Suvla and Anzac were evacuated on December 10, 1915, and Helles on
+January 8, 1916.)
+
+
+1916.
+
+_March 2nd._--On February 21, I received a long telegram from the War
+Office, ordering me to hold myself in readiness to embark for the
+Mediterranean at an early date to join an overseas unit. This order
+pleased me, as my last Medical Board threatened to put me down for a
+home job, which I told them would not be at all to my liking, and I
+was glad to find they had carried out my wishes and allowed me to go
+in for General Service once more.
+
+Then on February 28 I had the order to report myself 10 the Military
+Embarkation Officer at Devonport by noon on March 1. After a tiresome
+journey of twenty-two hours I reached the docks and was directed on
+board the Anchor Liner "Transylvania". Three medical men were down for
+duty to the troops on board, these numbering over 3000, with Lt.-Col.
+Humphreys as P.M.O.
+
+We have some heavy work allotted to us; the order to inoculate all the
+troops against cholera, which means two injections for each man, is a
+big job in itself. Many have never been inoculated against enteric and
+these have also to be seen to.
+
+The "Transylvania" is a big boat of 15,000 tons. We lie in the bay
+although all has been in readiness for twenty-four hours, and we
+believe the delay is due to the fact that there have been several
+casualties in the Channel, within the last few days, from mines that
+have floated down from the Dover end, and we are likely to lie here
+till the Channel is swept.
+
+My first thought about our ship was that she was such a big target
+that a torpedo could hardly miss her, and as yesterday was the date
+the German threat to sink every armed ship at sight came into force,
+our danger is no doubt great. (She was afterwards torpedoed in the
+Mediterranean with the loss of 402 lives.) All are ordered to put on
+our life belts, and even as we lie here many are going about with
+these cumbrous things on, but most are content to carry them under
+their arms.
+
+A meeting was held yesterday, and crews of two N.C.O.'s and thirteen
+men were chosen to man each of our fifty-five boats in case we should
+get holed, while the rest of us have to scramble into the nearest boat
+that has not its full complement.
+
+
+_March 3rd._--We still lie in Plymouth Bay. Rumour says two German
+cruisers have broken through our cordon and are somewhere on the
+prowl. This is the latest reason I have heard for our still lying
+here.
+
+A corporal shot himself this morning, the result of a letter from his
+sweetheart who dreamt that she saw him badly wounded, with his head
+swathed in bandages. Stupid fellow, superstition should have told him
+that this meant a wedding. He made a clumsy job of it, and a big mess
+in the Orderly Room where it happened.
+
+2 p.m.--At noon we cast off and in less than an hour had sailed
+through the tortuous waterway and were out in the open sea. We have
+two destroyers ahead and one astern. All are happy at the thought of
+being on the move, lying in the bay was getting irksome. All have now
+taken to their life belts. As a precaution against a surprise we have
+a submarine guard of 200 men on duty at a time. These parade the top
+deck with their rifles.
+
+
+_March 4th._--Our escort left us last night at 7. Few are thinking of
+submarines as is proved by two out of every three appearing for
+breakfast without their preservers, or war babies as they are often
+called.
+
+
+_March 5th._--Yesterday afternoon while I was busy inoculating down in
+D. deck six short blasts were given by the whistle, denoting danger,
+when all had to rush to their allotted posts at the boats with life
+preservers on. I guessed it was only practice, which is invariably
+carried out the second day a troopship is at sea, and as I had only
+four more injections to give, and these four men had not heard the
+signal, I finished these, detaining my orderly who got as white as a
+ghost. All must have got into their places quickly, all were in
+perfect order when I reached the Orderly Room, the post of all
+officers not in command of boats. An officer tells me that on his last
+voyage an important and very stout Colonel was in his bath when the
+alarm sounded. He obeyed the order to fly absolutely at once, getting
+into his life belt and taking up his station without another stitch
+on.
+
+To-day I was in my cabin when I heard a terrific roar. Thinking a
+torpedo might have hit us I put my head through the port-hole and saw
+several getting into their belts, so I made for the deck to find our
+big gun was practising on a barrel that had been dropped astern. Such
+practice is usually carried out several times on a trip.
+
+
+_March 6th._--We are nearing Gib., and as the danger gets worse here
+our zig-zagging has increased. It rains hard, with a fairly thick fog,
+and is altogether disagreeable. The M.O. for the crew had to be locked
+up to-day and has a military guard placed over him. He had been
+threatening all about him with a big amputating knife.
+
+6.30 p.m.--Just passing "The Rock". It is dark and a brilliant
+searchlight has been fixed on us. Once more in the Mediterranean, and
+I expect I have a long, trying summer to spend somewhere in its
+neighbourhood.
+
+
+_March 7th._--Another dirty, wet day.
+
+
+_March 8th._--It still rains and we have a violent gale, and as we
+zig-zag this at times catches us full on the port side and the ship
+rolls badly. She creaks from stem to stern.
+
+We are nearing Malta and are warned to look out for submarines which
+are more active here than anywhere. Each of our fifty-five boats is to
+have its crew of fifteen posted on deck to-night, and many of the
+officers say they are to sleep in their clothes.
+
+
+_March 9th._--The sea has been very rough ever since we entered the
+Mediterranean, and to-day has been the worst. We were opposite Gozo at
+noon, then skirted the north of Malta but made no halt. Now we zig-zag
+so much that we have no idea whether we are bound for Salonika or
+Egypt.
+
+
+_March 10th._--On the whole we now go south so that Alexandria is
+likely to be our destination.
+
+
+_March 12th._--When I woke this morning I found we were lying outside
+Alexandria. We soon afterwards entered the harbour.
+
+Hinde (one of our M.O.'s) and I were ordered to report our arrival to
+the A.D.M.S., Arsenal Buildings, and getting into a "garry," with our
+baggage mountains high, and a dirty native on the top of all, we left
+the docks. Cabby did not know the Arsenal and we took this native
+because, after infinite jabbering, he declared he knew it. But instead
+of taking us about a mile along the quay he landed us in Place Mahomet
+Ali, miles off. He was a beast this guide, ready to swear he knew
+everything, a filthy, thick-lipped pimp who offered his good services
+again when night came. "Sir will have a fine evening to-day," he
+began, then detailed all the beauties he was to show us, in spite of
+our violently swearing at him and his ancestors for centuries back.
+After inquiring at half a dozen places we found the office of the
+A.D.M.S., and a man, springing forward to assist us out of the garry,
+hoped I felt quite fit again. This was Dorian, one of our Ambulance,
+who had been sent here sick, and was acting as orderly to the A.D.M.S.
+Here we were ordered to report at the Officers' Rest Camp at Mustapha,
+five miles off.
+
+We wandered about for a time, asked for the Post Office which was
+closed by this time, being Sunday, then we asked for the telegraph
+office and were directed everywhere but to the right place. Question
+an Egyptian he will direct you anywhere, ask him for some place that
+has no existence on the face of the earth and he will show you the way
+with absolute confidence.
+
+We got out to Mustapha about 6 and reported ourselves at the office of
+the adjutant of the camp. All details as they arrive go to Mustapha
+or Sidi-Bishr. About 200 of us dined together and had a good dinner,
+most of us washing it down with the beautifully clear water of the
+Nile.
+
+Mustapha is a typical African camp, planted on sea-sand, but not so
+barren as my camp of twelve months ago at Mex. Here we have a good
+many date palms and other trees, and wherever a little irrigation is
+done there is a profusion of flowers.
+
+
+_March 13th._--I am directed to report to the O.C. "Camp 2," to whose
+company I am accordingly attached while here. My duty is to hang about
+his lines and take an interest in what the men are doing up to noon.
+This is a mere formality so that the authorities might know where to
+find us should we be wanted. To-day I came straight away and went to a
+mosque near by, where I was refused admittance unless I removed my
+boots, which I did not care to do, although I was assured the floor
+was most clean. It is usual to supply visitors with slippers big
+enough to go over their outdoor boots, but none are kept here. I
+wished to borrow a pair from a row on the door step, the owners of
+which were inside at their devotions.
+
+A flock of about 300 cranes flew over us an hour ago, all bound for
+the north, reversing the course I watched them taking last autumn at
+Suvla. The morning is intensely warm, and I sit in my tent minus my
+tunic and with shirt sleeves rolled up. A few days ago I left 6 inches
+of snow in Aberdeenshire--and almost as much in Devonshire.
+
+When I landed yesterday I heard that my old Division the 29th, had
+already started for France, and that the remainder sailed one of these
+days. Those still in Egypt are said to be at Suez, and I must see what
+I can do to join them. I am told that once you are cooped up here you
+may be forgotten for months.
+
+
+_March 14th._--I reported myself at my company office at 9, inspected
+the kits of a few men, and since then have wandered about like a lost
+soul, hot and gasping for breath in the furious heat and glare. There
+is a big house beyond us called Pasteur Villa, tumble down and
+uninhabited, with a large disordered garden of several acres, with an
+abundance of palms, cacti, etc., with high walls on which lizards
+sport, chasing each other up and down. The bigger ones are nearly a
+foot in length, with big ugly heads which they twist about in all
+directions while their bodies are kept fixed. They keep a guarded eye
+on you and allow you to get within a reasonable distance, but if you
+go an inch beyond that they are off like greased lightning. They are
+equally at home on the face of the smooth wall with their heads
+upwards or downwards, have well-spread out legs and long sharp claws,
+and whether going up or down are always at the gallop.
+
+There is a most persistent rumour that the 29th Division sails for
+Marseilles this week. When strolling about after dinner in the cool of
+the evening I stumbled across an office of the 29th just beside our
+camp. Here I was told that although they had heard this rumour they
+personally believed that it would likely be another week or so before
+they left. Anything rather than be stranded here for several weeks
+doing nothing. Several remarked that I would be a lucky beggar not to
+have to go to France. I hear most of the troops now in Egypt are
+likely to go there, as though Turkey was not expected to give us much
+more trouble.
+
+
+_March 15th._--One of my old Ambulance men, Davidson, recognised me on
+parade this morning and watched for an opportunity to speak to me. He
+is on his way home and left his unit only twelve days ago. He says the
+Ambulance expected to start for France two days after he left. Lt-Col.
+Bell, our A.D.M.S., on Gallipoli, is now in command, and as he is a
+most able and genial officer I must do my best to join my old unit at
+Suez should it be still there. (Col. Bell took over command of the
+89th F.A. a week or two before this date, and was with us till the end
+of the great Somme push of July. He was a most capable C.O., strict
+but much respected by the men, and under him the Ambulance attained a
+high degree of smartness and discipline such as it had never reached
+before.)
+
+
+_March 16th._--I have spent the afternoon with Hinde at the Nuzha
+Gardens, the Kew of Alexandria. On getting beyond the town we came to
+a broad, well-made road, bordered on both sides with orange trees, and
+extending behind these the eternal palm and fig trees. This passed
+Lake Hadra with its swampy edges full of long reeds and rushes, its
+waters a dirty green, beloved by noisy frogs, with an abundance of
+bird life, among which we saw two king fishers, and several times big
+lizards darted across the road and mounted trees like squirrels.
+
+The Gardens are particularly fine, the plants mostly tropical. I
+noticed here that the new date crop is already well advanced. Our home
+bedding plants, such as geranium, verbena, nemesia, were all in full
+bloom and the soil and climate seemed to suit them. There was a large
+rose garden, but the flowers were nearly over for the season, and the
+blooms were but poor specimens, nor was their method of culture
+conducive to the growth of prize flowers; the plants were mostly 3 to
+5 feet high, thick stemmed, old and branchy.
+
+
+_March 17th._--Still hearing rumours that the 29th goes to France one
+of these days. I thought it was about time I was stirring up the
+authorities, so I called at the adjutant's office at the Base Depot.
+He was out, and on asking if there was any one else I could see, an
+orderly said, "Of course there is the Colonel," in a tone of voice
+that denoted that he would be a bold man who tackled him. However, I
+dared to face him and found him a most charming man, but he could do
+nothing for me directly, but advised me to go to the H.Q. of the 3rd
+Echelon, Hotel Metropole, Alexandria, and ask for Captain B----. On
+such an introduction I was received there with open arms, a 'phone
+message was sent out to my depot, and I was assured everything would
+be cut and dry before I could cover the four miles tram ride back to
+camp. This I found carried out to the letter, and I am now on the
+point of starting for Port Said to join my old Ambulance.
+
+Hinde and I spent the afternoon visiting Pompey's Pillar and the
+catacombs. At the latter we had to go down and down a long spiral
+staircase which ended at two fine pillars, all cut from the solid
+rock. Most of the larger rooms were family vaults of kings and others,
+mostly of the Roman period. All the sarcophagi and recesses had been
+rifled and the mummies taken to museums, but some still contained
+large quantities of bones. One good specimen of a skull bone I slipped
+into my pocket to find on my return to camp that it was reduced to
+what resembled coarse oatmeal.
+
+
+_March 18th._--Last night all men belonging to the 29th Division--and
+there is a large number here on their way back to their units after
+sick leave--were ordered to fall in at 6.30 p.m., and from then till
+10.30 they were kept at their post. This long delay was merely for the
+purpose of preventing their wandering away and getting too much drink
+before their departure. We were booked to start soon after midnight.
+We had a heavy train with about 600 on board, mostly in cattle trucks.
+
+I could see little of the country till dawn when we were passing
+through a most fertile, well-watered region; date palms in thousands;
+native villages of mud houses, the whole usually surrounded by low mud
+walls; hundreds of water wheels driven by oxen, the water drawn from a
+canal we were skirting.
+
+We cut across, striking Suez Canal at Kantara. The last 20 miles or so
+was by an absolutely straight single track, through a sand desert,
+without a trace of animal life, and with only scattered clumps of
+fibrous vegetation. On looking forward one could see the sand flying
+like snow drift in front of a gentle breeze. This must continually
+block the line. The only surfacemen I saw were old fellows in dug-outs
+about a mile apart, each with a plentiful supply of great water jars.
+As we neared the Canal vegetation got rather more plentiful, with
+bushes resembling clumps of whin in the distance. Then houses, camps,
+and khaki, strings of camels led by natives in long white robes. We
+had struck the Canal; tramp steamers were passing through, and numbers
+of native boats were moored to the edges. Along the Canal were armed
+men, field guns studded about, and on the other side bigger guns in
+emplacements. The railway from Kantara to Port Said runs along the
+west bank, and within a few yards of the water's edge, and along this
+bank trees and shrubs form one continuous thicket.
+
+We had much shunting on reaching Port Said before we got the train
+alongside the docks, amidst the awful shrieking of our most unmusical
+engine whistle. The Egyptian is notorious for his love of this
+fiendish noise, one blast is never sufficient at any time, but he
+gives shriek after shriek till you feel inclined to kick him off his
+engine.
+
+We boarded one of the old Gallipoli lighters which were specially
+built for the landing, and were delivered three months after that
+event. This took us out to the "Lake Manitoba," an old tub that could
+barely do ten knots. As we drew up to the ship some one away aloft
+shouted, "Three cheers for Captain Davidson," which call was heartily
+replied to, and on looking up I found a lot of our men leaning over
+the rail and waving their helmets. I felt at home again on recognising
+this as Sergeant Stewart's voice and seeing "kent faces". On ascending
+the gangway, McLean and Russell gave me a warm reception. These are
+the only two officers remaining of the nine I left behind at Suvla in
+November last. Colonel Bell was soon found when I got another hearty
+handshake. He had heard of my arrival at Alexandria some days ago,
+through Colonel Humphreys, P.M.O. of the "Transylvania," who, being
+home on ordinary leave, had gone straight to Suez, and he said he had
+been wondering how he was to get a hold of me. Our new officers are
+mostly Scotch. The N.C.O.'s and many of the men I have had a talk
+with, and I am proud to find they are pleased to have me back among
+them, and I am just as glad to see them; the dangers we have come
+through together will always be a link between us. Sergeant Gilbert
+said the men had given me a ringing cheer at Suez when they heard I
+was in "Alex.". The men are looking extremely well, totally different
+from what they were when I left them. They are fat and bronzed, and
+say they feel very fit. They have had next to nothing to do since the
+evacuation in December, since when they have been stationed at Lemnos,
+Alexandria, and Suez.
+
+
+_March 19th._--We still lie at Port Said. At first the delay was said
+to be due to our waiting to have a big gun mounted at our stern, but
+this operation was finished in the morning, and now at 2 p.m. there is
+no sign of our moving. We have at least a dozen ladies and children
+on board, the impedimenta of officers returning from India.
+
+
+_March 20th._--We left last night after dark. The precautions against
+attack are very slack on this boat. There is of course a man in the
+crow's nest, but the submarine guard practically does not exist, the
+men pile their arms and wander about as they like. They are certainly
+particular about showing light after dark; by 6 p.m. all port-holes
+are closed, and every cabin has its iron deadlight down. After 7
+o'clock dinner all the electric lights in the whole ship are switched
+off, which is quite unnecessary; on the "Transylvania" we got absolute
+darkness without such drastic measures. You have to go to bed in the
+dark, no candles being allowed, the only lights being an oily lamp in
+the smoking-room, and one in each long passage.
+
+We have had a stiff gale most of the day, with waves washing over our
+foredeck. Although we pitch badly I was never in a ship that rolled so
+little.
+
+
+_March 21st._--A beautiful day with the sea like a mill pond. In the
+morning a destroyer was seen astern, convoying a large transport. They
+forged along till they came abreast of us where the ship remained, the
+destroyer going some distance ahead and keeping there for the
+afternoon. Towards evening we had five other ships in sight.
+
+
+_March 23rd._--The M.O. of the ship has just told me as a great secret
+that the "Minneapolis" was torpedoed two hours ago, at a spot we
+crossed yesterday about 10 p.m. He also says we have had a bad reverse
+in France--another absolute secret, and I had to promise not to
+breathe a word before my informant would tell me the news.
+
+_Later._--The above news could not be kept secret long, all knew it by
+afternoon, even the ladies from whom we wished to hide it.
+
+
+_March 24th._--As we approached Malta yesterday afternoon a big
+steamer coming from there wheeled round and returned to port; a
+destroyer dashed out and passed us at full speed, while we received
+orders not to enter Valetta as had been previously intended, but to go
+ahead at full speed. All this, we discovered by evening, was due to
+another transport, name as yet unknown, being torpedoed 60 miles east
+of Malta. We had crossed the spot very shortly before and must have
+had a narrow escape.
+
+A great tug-of-war has been in progress for the last two afternoons.
+Our unit, which is the largest on board, had four teams, two of them
+managing to reach the semifinal rounds when their opponents knocked
+them out, but only after a severe effort.
+
+We hear this morning that a third trooper was "plugged" somewhere in
+the course we have covered. If we are bound for Marseilles, which it
+is taken for granted is our destination, we are not taking the direct
+route. I am Orderly Officer for the day and having to inspect the
+men's breakfast I was up early--even earlier than was needful, but I
+was flooded out of bed as soon as scrubbing the decks commenced; half
+a bucket of water came through my port-hole during a roll of the ship.
+On looking out I could see land on our port side, which turned out to
+be Cape Bon. At noon we are skirting close in to the African coast.
+Either we intend to go through Gib., or we will go straight north to
+Marseilles, well to the west of Sardinia. Being now a long way west of
+Malta we feel that our chances of being torpedoed are perhaps less,
+but the neighbourhood of the Balearic Islands is considered anything
+but safe.
+
+
+_March 25th._--6.30 p.m. Darkness is coming down and the captain says
+that if we are not attacked within the next half-hour he will consider
+us practically safe. The danger of a night attack is almost
+negligible.
+
+The weather gets much colder as we go north. We are about opposite the
+north of Corsica, and a cold wind bears down on us from the Continent.
+Two small birds have accompanied us the whole day, resting in the
+rigging at times, but spending much time on the wing. I cannot make
+out what they are, some say chaffinches, but that is certainly a
+mistake, they are too small. A lark fell on deck in the forenoon
+utterly exhausted, lying for some time on its breast with wings spread
+out. It disappeared among the lifeboats and has not been seen since. A
+whale, or probably two, was seen spouting a few hundred yards distant.
+Some said they saw their backs, but I could not say I was fortunate
+enough to see more than the jets of water which were repeated several
+times. Porpoises have been plentiful all the way from Egypt.
+
+
+_March 26th._--Marseilles harbour. I woke at 2 and thought we had
+reached our journey's end, but I could feel that the screw was still
+revolving, though slowly. Evidently we were killing time, there is no
+chance now-a-days of entering a harbour during the hours of darkness.
+By 6 we were steaming slowly into the fine Bay of Marseilles, high
+rugged rocks on both sides, in front of us the town with its
+surrounding girdle of limestone mountains.
+
+("The Incomparable 29th" was a name well earned by this famous
+Division. The Gallipoli landing could only have been made by
+well-seasoned troops. Many and many a time I have heard the Anzacs wax
+eloquent over their doings. As fighters no troops in the world can
+surpass, or perhaps equal, the Anzacs, but they always declared they
+could never have done what the 29th did. The red triangle, the badge
+of the Division, they had a great love and respect for, and, although
+not over-fond of saluting, no officer with this on his arm was ever
+allowed to pass without a most deferential salute.
+
+The casualties of the Division on the peninsula exceeded 600 per
+cent., having been practically wiped out time after time. I afterwards
+served with them in France and Belgium till early in 1917, when I went
+to the Base and remained there till I was demobilised in June, 1919.)
+
+
+
+
+ABERDEEN: THE UNIVERSITY PRESS
+
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
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+    | Typographical errors corrected in text:                   |
+    |                                                           |
+    | Page  36: Andenia replaced with Andania                   |
+    | Page  36: Manihou replaced with Manitou (twice)           |
+    | Page  43: causalty replaced with casualty                 |
+    | Page  44: o'oclock replaced with o'clock                  |
+    | Page 115: court martial replaced with court-martial       |
+    | Page 136: 'order s' replaced with 'orders'                |
+    | Page 153: court martial replaced with court-martial       |
+    |                                                           |
+    +-----------------------------------------------------------+
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+
+
+
+
+
+End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of The Incomparable 29th and the "River
+Clyde", by George Davidson
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