examine the famous arch. But as we halted for
the night beside the magnificent ruin, one could but reflect on the
ironies of a soldier's fortune. Here it was, long before the arch was
built, that the Emperor Julian, marching from Constantinople, had been
forced to halt his army, and met with disaster and death; and under
the ruins of this great arch Townshend, advancing from Basra, had
engaged in the battle that eventually brought his division to disaster
and captivity. And now Maude, encamped for the night beside the
ancient city walls, was pressing forward with his whole force to the
capture of Baghdad and Samarra.

[Illustration: Different Types Of Boats On The Tigris.]

[Illustration: Sailing Boats On The Tigris.]

The next morning, the 9th of March, we were glad of a short march to
Bawi. The Division crossed the Tigris by a pontoon bridge that night;
our Brigade being in reserve. After a hard march we reached Shawa
Khan, the enemy retiring before us and our Brigade came under shell
fire only. The following day was a very trying one. A gale was blowing
right in our faces, and the dust was so thick that our movements on
that day resembled some horrible night march. We manoeuvred the whole
day, and twice the orders for attack were cancelled owing to the
difficulty of gaining contact with the enemy. Towards evening we
struck the Euphrates-Baghdad Railway and were preparing to attack when
orders came postponing further movements till midnight. Never had any
of us experienced such a dust storm. With great difficulty we brought
up the 2nd Line Transport, filled the men's water bottles, and formed
a Brigade bivouac. Movement was again postponed till 3 a.m. on account
of the storm, though some of us thought it had been better to take
advantage of the darkness and make the attack at once. At 3 a.m. our
patrols were sent forward, the Battalion following in artillery
formation. Right well led, the patrols pushed on meeting with no real
resistance. When about a mile short of the Iron Bridge that crosses
the Kharr Canal, the Colonel received a message that our leading
patrol had gained the railway station in Baghdad before 6 a.m., that
no Turks remained, and that we were driving out the Arabs with little
difficulty. This information was immediately sent back to the Army
Commander, and the Red Haeckle was the first British emblem seen in
Baghdad. The Medical Officer of the Battalion observing a Turkish flag
flying over a build