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S.S. CITY OF BENARES (_Troopship_).

_Tuesday, 8 P.M., August 18th._--Orders just gone round that there are
to be no lights after dark, so I am hasting to write this.

We had a great send-off in Sackville Street in our motor-bus, and went
on board about 2 P.M. From then till 7 we watched the embarkation going
on, on our own ship and another. We have a lot of R.E. and R.F.A. and
A.S.C., and a great many horses and pontoons and ambulance waggons: the
horses were very difficult to embark, poor dears. It was an exciting
scene all the time. I don't remember anything quite so thrilling as our
start off from Ireland. All the 600 khaki men on board, and every one on
every other ship, and all the crowds on the quay, and in boats and on
lighthouses, waved and yelled. Then we and the officers and the men,
severally, had the King's proclamation read out to us about doing our
duty for our country, and God blessing us, and how the King is following
our every movement.

We are now going to snatch up a very scratch supper and turn in, only
rugs and blankets.

_Wednesday, August 19th._--We are having a lovely calm and sunny
voyage--slowed down in the night for a fog. I had a berth by an open
port-hole, and though rather cold with one blanket and a rug
(dressing-gown in my trunk), enjoyed it very much--cold sea bath in the
morning. We live on oatmeal biscuits and potted meat, with chocolate and
tea and soup squares, some bread and butter sometimes, and cocoa at
bed-time.

There is a routine by bugle-call on troopships, with a guard, police,
and fatigues. The Tommies sleep on bales of forage in the after
well-deck and all over the place. We have one end of the 1st class cabin
forrard, and the officers have the 2nd class aft for sleeping and meals,
but there is a sociable blend on deck all day. Two medical officers here
were both in South Africa at No. 7 when I was (Captains in those days),
and we have had great cracks on old times and all the people we knew.
One is commanding a Field Ambulance and goes with the fighting line.
There are 200 men for Field Ambulances on board. They don't carry
Sisters, worse luck, only Padres.

We had an impromptu service on deck this afternoon; I played the
hymns,--never been on a voyage yet without being let in for that. It was
run by the three C. of E. Padres and the Wesleyan hand in hand: the
latter has been in the Nile Expedition of '98 and all through South
Africa. We had Mission Hymns