easily the most commanding feature of
this part of the country. The battalion on our right had to attack up
the exposed ridge along which ran the Nablus road, while we were lucky
enough to have the frontage just east of the Wadi Hannina, where our
objective, the steep and massive feature of Bab-el-Muallek covered us
from artillery observation. The Turk soon spotted the movement and
during our advance treated us to heavy shelling, which took a
considerable toll from the exposed right battalion, whereas they were
firing at us without observation, and did us no damage, though the
machine-gunners, who advanced along with us, lost both men and mules.
The actual crest of Bab-el-Muallek was most uncomfortable, as shells
were bursting all along it; but though they searched the back of the
hill most thoroughly, it was so steep that we were pretty safe so long
as we lay snug. About 4 P.M. a couple of mules arrived with some
rations. It did not go far, but was enough to give everyone a bite,
and we were told that the rest would soon arrive.

Just on the top of this, we were told that the 60th Division was
holding the line Tel-el-Ful-Beit Hannina, and that we might, as soon
as we were ready, retire through them into support in the Wadi
Hannina. Not much time was lost in getting under way--we did not even
wait for the Lewis gun mules, which were away being watered, but
man-handled the guns and heavy valises. These proved really too heavy,
and the men responsible for them were very much exhausted by the time
we got into bivouac, though the distance cannot have been more than
two or three miles. Here we found a regular haven of rest.
Comparatively smooth, lying in an olive grove, and _all_ the missing
rations waiting for us. We ate about one whole day's rations in one
enormous feed, and then went to sleep. We all needed it pretty badly,
and even at dawn the whole camp was still sound asleep in spite of the
fact that they had no covering but their greatcoats, and there was
half an inch of ice on the water-buckets.

This proved to be the end of the Jerusalem push, and next day, 11th
December, in glorious weather we marched back to a bivouac near Beit
Iksa on the slopes of the wadi leading down from Neby Samwil to
Kulonieh. Here we received our donkeys--forty per battalion--but they
were in miserable condition and felt the cold terribly, most of them
having come from the semi-tropical Nile Valley. They had also had a
tough journey up,