itum_. Whilst the Q.
Staff are thus pulling their full weight, the G. Staff will sail off
quickly and put their heads together with the Admiral and his Staff. As
to myself, I'm off: I cannot afford to lose more time in getting into
touch with the sailors, and the scene of action.

All was well until the Commander-in-Chief said he was going, but that
moment arose the good old trouble--the trouble which muddled our start
for the Relief of Chitral and ruined the Tirah Campaign. Everyone wants
to rush off to the excitement of the firing line--(a spasm usually cured
by the first hard fight), and to leave the hum-drum business of the Base
and Line of Communication to shift for itself. Braithwaite, of all
people, was good natured enough to plead for the Administration. He came
to tell me that it might tend towards goodwill amongst the charmed
circle of G.H.Q. if even now, at the eleventh hour, I would sweeten
Woodward by bringing him along. I said, yes, if he, Braithwaite, would
stand surety that he, Woodward, had fixed up his base hospitals and
third echelon, but if not, no! Next came Woodward himself. With great
pertinacity he represented that his subordinates could do all that had
to be done at the base. He says he speaks for the Q.M.G., as well as for
the Director General of Medical Services, and that they all want to
accompany me on my reconnaissance of the coasts of the Peninsula. I was
a little sharp with him. These heads of Departments think they must be
sitting in the C.-in-C.'s pocket lest they lose caste. But I say the
Departments must be where their work lies, or else the C.-in-C. will
lose caste, and luckily he can still put his own Staff where he will.
Finally, I agreed to take with me the Assistant to the Director of
Medical Services to advise his own Chief as to the local bearings of his
scheme for clearing out the sick and wounded; the others stay here until
they get their several shows into working order, and with that my A.G.
had fain to be content.

D'Amade and two or three Frenchmen are dining with me to-night. Sir John
Maxwell has just arrived.

_6th April, 1915. Alexandria._ Started out at 9.15 with d'Amade and Sir
John to review the Mounted troops of the 29th Division. We first saw
them march down the road in column of route. What a contrast between
these solid looking men on their magnificent weight-carrying horses and
our wiry little Allies on their barbs and Arabs. The R.H.A. were superb.

After