sisted of the barbed-wire entanglements with which the defences south of
Beersheba were surrounded. Unfortunately the light was not too good for
accurate shooting, and although most of the wire was destroyed a few
patches were left which caused considerable trouble to infantry when they
went forward to the assault. Moreover the Turkish--or rather
Austrian--artillery fire was very heavy and accurate; they had the range
of every spot in the vicinity of their defences, which our own guns found
very difficult to locate. Despite the volume of fire the storming-parties
pressed on, tearing down the wire with their hands or forcing themselves
through it, until at last they got to close quarters with the bayonet.
After that nothing could stop them, and by the early afternoon all the
defences south of Beersheba had been taken. Also, the artillery by
admirable shooting had succeeded in putting the railway out of action: a
great feat.

By this time the Turks had received a rude shock from another direction:
east-north-east. Our cavalry, having unseen closed the northern exits from
the town, suddenly swooped down and seized positions menacing the town from
the east. Here some topographical details will be necessary. The only way
to approach Beersheba from the desert is by crossing the steep-sided Wadi
es Saba--from which the town and a small village near by take their names.
On the Beersheba side of the wadi and forming almost a semi-circle round
the town is a broad, flat plain commanding which was Tel es Saba, the
highest of all the surrounding hills. This had to be captured before any
direct attack on the town could be made.

All day long the Australians, on foot, made desperate attempts to carry the
hill by storm, but the Turks, well served by their magnificent position,
held on stubbornly. Another party of the Australians scrambled across the
wadi and made an attempt to cross the plain in face of the appalling fire
that was poured into them. They did succeed in capturing Saba village,
though the place was a death-trap after it was taken. Just before sunset
Tel es Saba succumbed to the incessant hammering it had received all day,
and one great obstacle was removed from the path.

But fundamentally we were "no forrader." Although the outlying positions
had been taken Beersheba itself was still intact, and its immediate capture
was urgently necessary; the whole adventure turned upon it. With the coming
of night, the artillery had