ut off from sharing the
efforts of our comrades. Too near for reflection; too far for
intervention: on tenter hooks, in fact; a sort of mental crucifixion.

Cox is not going to take his Punjabi Mahommedans into the fighting area
but will leave them on "W" Beach. He says if we were sweeping on
victoriously he would take them on but that, as things are, it would not
be fair to them to do so. That is exactly why I asked K. and Fitz for a
Brigade of Gurkhas; not a mixed Brigade.

_3rd May, 1915. H.M.T. "Arcadian."_ At 9 p.m. last night there was
another furious outburst of fire; mainly from the French. 75's and
rifles vied against one another in making the most infernal _fracas_. I
thought we were in for an _encore_ performance, but gradually the uproar
died away, and by midnight all was quiet. The Turks had made another
effort against our right, but they could not penetrate the rampart of
living fire built up against them and none got within charging distance
of our trenches, so d'Amade 'phones. He also says that a mass of Turkish
reserves were suddenly picked up by the French searchlights and the 75's
were into them like a knife, slicing and slashing the serried ranks to
pieces before they had time to scatter.

Birdie boarded us at 9 a.m. and told us his troubles. He has
straightened out his line on the left; after a fierce fight which has
cost him no less than 700 fresh casualties. But he feels safer now and
is pretty happy! he is sure he can hold his own against anything except
thirst. His _band-o-bast_ for taking water up to the higher trenches is
not working well, and the springs he has struck along the beach and in
the lower gullies are brakish. We are going to try and fix this up for
him.

At 10 o'clock went ashore with Braithwaite and paid visits to
Hunter-Weston and to d'Amade. We had a conference with each of them,
Generals and Staff who could be spared from the fighting being present.
The feeling is hopeful if only we had more men and especially drafts to
fill up our weakened battalions. The shell question is serious although,
in this respect, thank Heavens, the French are quite well found. When we
got back to the ship, heard a Taube had just been over and dropped a
bomb, which fell exactly between the _Arcadian_ and the ammunition ship,
anchored only about 60 or 70 yards off us!

_4th May, 1915. H.M.T. "Arcadian."_ Last night again there was all sorts
of firing and fighting going on, throughout those hours