stward we must
still march round the marsh, or else we must cross it on one single road
whose long and easily destructible bridges we could see spanning the bog
holes some three miles inland. Opposite the fortified lines we stood in
to within easy field gun range, trusting that the Turks would not wish
prematurely to disclose their artillery positions. So we managed a peep
at close quarters, and were startled to see the ramifications and extent
of the spider's web of deep, narrow trenches along the coast and on
either front of the lines of Bulair. My Staff agree that they must have
taken ten thousand men a month's hard work from dark to dawn. In advance
of the trenches, Williams in the crow's nest reported that with his
strong glasses he could pick out the glitter of wire over a wide expanse
of ground. To the depth of a mile the whole Aegean slope of the neck of
the Peninsula was scarred with spade work and it is clear to a tiro that
to take these trenches would take from us a bigger toll of ammunition
and life than we can afford: especially so seeing that we can only see
one half of the theatre; the other half would have to be worked out of
sight and support of our own ships and in view of the Turkish Fleet.
Only one small dent in the rockbound coast offered a chance of landing
but that was also heavily dug in. In a word, if Bulair had been the only
way open to me and I had no alternative but to take it or wash my hands
of the whole business, I should have to go right about turn and cable
my master he had sent me on a fool's errand.

Between Bulair and Suvla Bay the coastline was precipitous; high cliffs
and no sort of creeks or beaches--impracticable. Suvla Bay itself seems
a fine harbour but too far North were the aim to combine a landing there
together with an attack on the Southern end of the Peninsula. Were we,
on the other hand, to try to work the whole force ashore from Suvla Bay,
the country is too big; it is the broadest part of the Peninsula; also,
we should be too far from its waist and from the Narrows we wish to
dominate. Merely to hold our line of Communications we should need a
couple of Divisions. All the coast between Suvla Bay and for a little
way South of Gaba Tepe seems feasible for landing. I mean we could get
ashore on a calm day if there was no enemy. Gaba Tepe itself would be
ideal, but, alas, the Turks are not blind; it is a mass of trenches and
wire. Further, it must be well under fire of guns