political atmosphere and is willing, therefore, to
let us draw on Egypt. He thinks, in a word, that as far as Egypt goes,
we should try and get what we can get.

Said good-night with mutual good wishes, and have worked till now (1
a.m.) answering wireless and interviewing Winter and Woodward, who had
come across from the _Arcadian_ to do urgent administrative work. Each
seems satisfied with the way his own branch is getting on: Winter is the
quicker worker. Wrote out also a second long cable to K. (the first was
operations) formally asking leave to call upon Maxwell to send me the
East Lancs. Division and showing that Maxwell can have my second Mounted
Division in exchange.

Have thought it fair to cable Maxwell also, asking him to hold the East
Lancs. handy. K.'s cable covers me so far. No Commander enjoys parting
with his troops and Maxwell may play on one of the tenderest spots in
K.'s adamantine heart by telling him his darling Egypt will be
endangered; still it is only right to give him fair warning.

Lord Hindlip, King's Messenger, has brought us our mails.

_28th April, 1915. H.M.S. "Queen Elizabeth." Off Gallipoli._ At 9 a.m.
General d'Amade came aboard and gave me the full account of the Kum Kale
landing, a brilliant piece of work which will add lustre even to the
illustrious deeds of France. I hope the French Government will recognize
this dashing stroke of d'Amade's by something more solid than a thank
you.

At 9.40 General Paris and the Staff of the Naval Division also came
aboard, and were telling me their doings and their plans when the noise
of the battle cut short the pow-wow. The fire along the three miles
front is like the rumble of an express train running over fog signals.
Clearly we are not going to gain ground so cheaply as yesterday.

At 10 o'clock the _Q.E._ was steaming slowly Northwards and had reached
a point close to the old "Y" landing place (well marked out by the
glittering kerosine tins). Suddenly, inland, a large mass of men,
perhaps two thousand, were seen doubling down a depression of the ground
heading towards the coast. We had two 15-inch guns loaded with 10,000
shrapnel bullets each, but there was an agony as to whether these were
our fellows falling back or Turks advancing. The Admiral and Keyes asked
me. The Flag Captain was with us. The thing hung on a hair but the
horror of wiping out one of my own Brigades was too much for me: 20 to
1 they were Turkish reinforcements whi