o-bast_ for the
battle. No question about it, the Dardanelles was the theatre of all
others for our Indian troops.

Have now seen all the New Army units except six Battalions of the 10th
Division.

French has written me a very delightful letter.

FOOTNOTES:

[Footnote 1: See Appendix III containing actual instructions, together
with a brief explanatory heading.--IAN H., 1920.]

CHAPTER XV

SARI BAIR AND SUVLA

_6th August, 1915. Imbros._ O! God of Bethel, by whose hand thy people
still are fed,--I am wishing the very rare wish,--that it was the day
after to-morrow. Men or mice we will be by then, but I'd like to know
which. K.'s New Army, too! How will they do? What do they think? They
speak--and with justice--of the spirit of the Commander colouring the
_moral_ of his men, but I have hardly seen them, much less taken their
measure. One more week and we would have known something at first hand.
Now, except that the 13th Division and the 33rd Brigade gained good
opinions at Helles, all is guess work.

Went down to "K" Beach to see the 11th Division go off. Young Brodrick,
who was with us, proved himself much all there on the crowded pier and
foreshore; very observant; telling me who or what I had not noticed,
etc. First the destroyers were filling up and then the lighters. The
young Naval Officers in charge of the lighters were very keen to show me
how they had fixed up their reserves of ammunition and water. Spent
quite a time at this and talking to Hammersley and Malcolm, his G.S.O.
(1); also to Coleridge, G.S.O. (2), and to no end of Regimental
Officers and men. Hammersley has been working too hard; at least he
looked it; also, for the occasion, rather glum. Quite natural; but I
always remember Wolseley's remark about the moral stimulus exerted by
the gay staff officer and his large cigar. The occasion! Yes, each man
to his own temperament. Some pray before battle; others dance and drink.
The memory of Cromwell prevails over that of Prince Rupert with most
Englishmen but Prince Rupert, _per se_, usually prevailed over Cromwell.
To your adventurous soldier; to our heroes, Bobs, Sir Evelyn, Garnet
Wolseley, Charles Gordon (great psalm-singer though he was) an occasion
like to-night's holds the same intoxicating mixture of danger and desire
as fills the glass of the boy bridegroom when he raises it to the health
of his enigma in a veil. But I don't know how it is; I used to feel like
that; now I too am