fired at it. At 7.50 an enemy's Taube came
over and dropped bombs near my Signal Tent, also a little summer shower
of small steel darts: five men were wounded. At 8.10 a.m. yet another
enemy biplane circled round but was kept at a respectful distance by the
ship's guns.

Gave an interview to Colonel Stewart, Armoured Car Squadron.

Vice-Admiral Foumet and Staff called on me in the forenoon. He replaces
Admiral Nicol gone sick. Mails went out this evening. Freddie and I
gave tone to our debilitated constitutions by dining with the ever
hospitable V.A. on the _Triad_.

A cable from Dawnay saying Lord K. "would not regard unfavourably" a
withdrawal from Suvla Bay.

Dawnay left under the cloud of the 21st August. He it was who
rough-drafted the cable (in very much stronger terms than my final
version) suggesting that we might have to draw in our horns if we were
not kept up to strength. Since then our skies have cleared; the spirit
of the men has risen to set fair and we have got drafts enough, not for
a big push but certainly to enable us to be delighted should the Turks
attempt any sort of an attack, either at Suvla or anywhere else. The
Turks, in fact, are strictly on the defensive both actually and in their
spirit.

_17th September, 1915. Imbros._ Had been going to Anzac to inspect and
then to bring Birdie back to stay with me. But the weather was too bad.
He got here all right as the wind is from the North and he was able to
climb aboard under the lee of Nibrunesi Point. Just as well, perhaps, we
did not go, for one way or another a good deal of extra work had to be
got through. One thing; two cables from Maxwell to the War Office have
been repeated to us here; inadvertently we think; divertingly for sure.
The story is this:--

* * * * *

A few days ago we were offered the 51st and 53rd Sikhs who, despite
their titles, are half Mahomedan. After consulting Cox, Birdie and
other Indian Army Officers I cabled back saying we would gladly have
them "as soon as transport can be arranged," unless French is willing to
exchange them for two purely non-Mahomedan units. Here are the
collateral cables from Maxwell to the War Office:--

* * * * *

"Both the 51st and 53rd Sikhs have already been disembarked. They had
better remain off ship as long as possible, I think, since they are
reported to be feverish. The troopship can wait at Port Said. The men on
the