desert on the eastern side
would make approach by the Turks well-nigh impossible.

Meanwhile, the Turk was not letting the grass grow under his feet.
Whether the Germans ever intended to pay the price for Turkish adhesion
by sending a strong enough force to make the invasion of Egypt
practicable is open to doubt. The Turkish rank and file were certainly
led to believe that a serious invasion of Egypt was intended. But it is
much more likely that the object of the Germans was to detain as large a
British force as possible in Egypt and thus prevent their taking part in
the fighting in France. A secondary object may have been to render the
Suez Canal temporarily impassable. Whatever may have been the chestnuts
that Germany hoped to get out of the fire, it was clear that Turkey was
willing to act as catspaw, and attempt a foolhardy invasion of Egypt.
Consequently, the construction of a new military railway in Syria was
put in hand, and by January, 1915, the Turks had formed advanced posts
at Auja, on the frontier, and also at Kosseima, El Arish, and Khan
Epenus in the desert. The problem of water supply has always presented a
difficulty to armies crossing this waterless desert. There are a certain
number of reservoirs and cisterns which hold up water during the rains.
In the winter time these would be full. The Turk is less particular
about the water which he drinks than the white man, and doubtless he
could, to some extent, be supplied from some of the brackish pools in
the desert, with water that no one would think of offering to a British
soldier.

The light pontoons that the Turks dragged across the desert for crossing
the Canal are said to have been used for carrying water during certain
stages of the advance. Suffice it to say that the Turks did succeed in
solving the water problem, and in crossing the desert with a force of
some considerable strength.

On the 3rd February, 1915, the threatened attack materialized. Before
dawn, some of the light pontoons which the Turks had brought with them,
were launched on the Canal. These were manned, while other Turks
deployed along the eastern bank and opened fire to cover the crossing.
The troops defending this portion of the Canal, mostly Indians, opened
fire upon the pontoons, with the result that many of them were sunk. Two
of the pontoons, however, reached the western bank, and their crews,
numbering about twenty, surrendered. There was fighting throughout the
day, but n