Nipped into a "Special" which seems to
have become my "ordinary" vehicle and left for Cairo. Opened despatches
from London. "Bullet-proof lighters cannot be provided." "I quite agree
that the 29th Division with its artillery is necessary." Not a word
about the Gurkhas. Arrived at 10 p.m., and was met by Maxwell.

_27th March, 1915 Cairo._ Working hard at Headquarters all day till 6.15
p.m., when I made my salaam to the Sultan at the Abdin Palace. A real
Generals' dinner--what we used to call a _burra khana_--at Maxwell's
hospitable board:--

General Birdwood,
General Godley,
General Bridges,
General Douglas,
General Braithwaite,
Myself.

_28th March, 1915. Cairo._ Inspected East Lancashire Division and a
Yeomanry Brigade (Westminster Dragoons and Herts). How I envied Maxwell
these beautiful troops. They will only be eating their heads off here,
with summer coming up and the desert getting as dry as a bone. The
Lancashire men especially are eye-openers. How on earth have they
managed to pick up the swank and devil-may-care airs of crack regulars?
They _are_ Regulars, only they are bigger, more effective specimens than
Manchester mills or East Lancashire mines can spare us for the Regular
Service in peace time. Anyway, no soldier need wish to see a finer lot.
On them has descended the mantle of my old comrades[11] of
Elandslaagte and Caesar's Camp, and worthily beyond doubt they will wear
it.

[Illustration: Lieut.-Gen. the Rt. Hon. Sir J. G. Maxwell, G.C.B.,
K.C.M.G.]

The enthusiasm of the natives was a pleasing part of the show. During
four years of Egyptian Inspections I recall no single instance of any
manifestation of friendliness to our troops, or even of interest in
them, by Gyppies. But the Territorials seem, somehow, to have conquered
their goodwill. As each stalwart company swung past there was a
spontaneous effervescence of waving hands along the crowded street and
murmurs of applause from Bedouins, Blacks and Fellaheen.

Maxwell will have a fit if I ask for them! He will fall down in a fit, I
am sure. Already he is vexed at my having cabled and written Lord K. for
_his_ (Maxwell's) Brigade of Gurkhas. To him I appear careless of his
(Maxwell's) position and of the narrowness of his margin of safety. For
the life of him K. can't help putting his Lieutenants into this
particular cart. The same old story as the eight small columns in the
Western Transvaal: co-equal and each thinking his o