impossible. We next went to Y. Beach and along
a small gully beside Gurkha Bluff, till we were stopped by our front
trenches, and could find no possible way of opening another station.
We next visited the A.D.M.S., Major Bell, who had not heard of this
suggestion.

The bombardment by the naval and field guns commences at 9 to-morrow,
and as Thomson and I, who are at present in reserve at W. Beach, are
both anxious to take part in what is likely to be one of our biggest
fights, we have permission to be out in Aberdeen Gully before it
starts. I have just been ordering breakfast for 6.45 to-morrow, the
cook remarking sarcastically to a bystander, "Widna five be a better
oor": "I dinna think ye shud gang to bed, min," was the reply.

We had seven aeroplanes up at one time this evening, viewing the land
and the movements of the Turks, preparing for to-morrow's row.

_June 28th._--After an early breakfast Thomson and I set off for
Aberdeen Gully, and as our three mule ambulance wagons were going up
for the day we had a ride in a four-in-hand to Gully Beach. All the
way out we watched the Turks' shells falling right along The Gully,
all the batteries, which are numerous there, getting their attentions,
while we sat and wondered what we were to do. At the foot of the steep
descent into Gully Beach Major Bell shouted to me from a high terrace
in which he lives, and advised us not to risk taking the wagons and
mules further, especially as mules were getting scarce and are very
valuable, so, after consulting with Col. O'Hagan, he suggested parking
them where they were. Col. O'Hagan, thinking this gave him the power
to do with our wagons as he liked, dared our men to do anything
without consulting him, otherwise he would put them under arrest--a
threat not much to the liking of Serg. Philip.

We now decided to give The Gully as wide a berth as possible and took
the track by the foot of the rocks to Y. Beach, about 2-1/4 miles
further on. The attack was to commence at 9 a.m. and we had
three-quarters of an hour to do this, climb the long, steep ascent at
Y. Beach, and cross by the sunk mule track to Aberdeen Gully. The guns
had been unusually active for the last two days, and to-day from
daybreak the heavy howitzers had been throwing shells among the Turks
to knock in their trenches, and these and many others were dropping
their shells a short way to our left as we crossed the mule track. The
heat by this time was intense, an