p.

We were now in an area in which even the optimistic Ordnance Survey (who
in the chatty little notes they append to their maps, characterised the
local water supply as "abundant though varying in quality") considered
wheeled transport as impracticable. In consequence our nodding
acquaintanceship with camels ripened quickly into an undesired
familiarity. There is a touch of oriental romance about the camel, as
the mile long convoys loom up through the night and pass in uncanny
silence, slow but untiring across the moonlit desert. It was romantic
even to see a string returning to camp, their day's work over, with the
camel escort swaying high in air, rope bridle in hand and rifle on hip,
as if they had been bred in Somaliland instead of Glasgow. But the
romance did not carry one very far. Orders from Headquarters soon put an
end to free rides even on unloaded camels. The eye might be charmed by
the stately motion of the creature but the nose was offended by its
exceedingly unpleasant smell. Camels are very delicate. They must not be
overloaded or overworked. Their saddles gall them with surprising ease
and rapidity, and are extremely difficult to pack. They have vile
tempers, and in late autumn become frankly impossible. The native word
"macnoon," by the way, in spite of its suggestion of respectable
Highland clans, was regarded as the only one adequate to describe a
camel at this time of year, and was therefore added to our vocabulary.
They are noisy, vicious, unaccommodating and aggravating to a degree. A
lance-corporal of the Battalion of great girth and tank-like prowess in
the football field was always ready to bear bitter testimony to their
man-eating proclivities, and no doubt still regards it as a distinct
intervention of Providence that he lost no more than the seat of his
shorts.

[Illustration: IN A REDOUBT, MAHAMDIYA.]

The peaceful life of our seaside resort was soon destroyed by rumours
that the Turks were moving. On the evening of July 19th, an aeroplane
reconnaissance discovered a considerable force of them at Bir el Abd,
some twenty-five miles to the east of us, and noticed smaller parties
much nearer. The Turkish feat of moving a force, then reckoned at from
8000 to 9000 men, fifty miles from El Arish without our being aware of
it, was a very fine one, and when it is remembered that they attacked us
at Romani, seventy-five miles from their base, with 18,000 men and
artillery up to 6 inch howitzers,