tish intervention almost before the
Grand Duke made his appeal. The Russian victory, the details of which
were explained to us that day by its creator, was gained on a date
preceding by some weeks the Allies' naval attempt to conquer the
Straits single-handed.

After a belated luncheon at the staff mess, following on this long
programme, we had to hurry off accompanied by Savitzky and his staff
to our railway-car. All the officers and a goodly number of the rank
and file in Sarikamish seemed to have collected at the station to give
us a rousing send-off, making it evident that our visit had been much
appreciated. This was not unnatural. Here were Allies fighting in a
region far removed from the principal theatres of war in which the
armies of the Entente were engaged, and they were with justice
desirous that their efforts should not remain wholly unknown. Like
Off, Sarikamish conveyed a very favourable impression of the working
of the Transcaucasian legions under the supreme leadership of the
Grand Duke Nicholas, of whom officers all spoke with enthusiasm, and
whose personality undoubtedly counted for much amongst the
impressionable moujik soldiery. What one had seen in these forward
situations inspired confidence in the future. Nor was that confidence
misplaced, for the Russian forces in Armenia were to achieve great
triumphs ere 1916 was out.

We had hoped to cross the Caucasus from Tiflis to Vladikavkas by the
great military road over the Dariel Pass, but the staff would not hear
of it, as there was still some risk from avalanches and as the route
was not properly open. We had a farewell luncheon at the palace, and I
had a long talk on military questions with the Grand Duke beforehand,
at which he entrusted me with special messages to Lord Kitchener and
Sir W. Robertson, and expressed an earnest desire for close
co-ordination between his forces in Persia and ours in Mesopotamia.
News had arrived of the repulse of the Kut Relief Force at Sannaiyat
after its having made a promising beginning at Hannah, so that there
was no disguising the fact that little hope remained of saving
Townshend's force. I did not know what course might be adopted by our
Government in this discouraging theatre of war, assuming that Kut
fell; but there could be no doubt that co-ordination was desirable, as
we were bound to hold on to the Shatt-el-Arab and the oil-fields,
whatever happened; it was therefore quite safe to promise that we
would