, while any combatants I have spoken to say
it will take us to the end of July. At the present rate we will take
months, but in my opinion it will be necessary to push on faster than
we have been able to do so far, although I believe by wearing out the
Turks slowly our casualties will be less. But a more rapid advance
would be a greater help to our comrades fighting in other parts of the
Continent.

_Afternoon._--Had an excellent lunch cooked by Fiddes, who is a
first-rate _chef_. An officer lunched with us who says he is the last
of his battalion. He came in slightly wounded, but his nerves have so
completely gone that he says he will never be able to shoot a rabbit
again, and sheds tears at the thought of such cruelty. Many will
follow in the same condition if we cannot get relief, and out of reach
of the Turks' guns for an occasional rest.

_July 5th._--We have had a terribly hot morning, we opening the
artillery ball at 3.45, when the Turks made an attack on the most
important front trench we now hold, and took from them this day last
week. Now, at 9 o'clock, things are still very warm, but nothing to
what they were during the first three hours, when the fire from both
sides was about equal. After the first rush of the Turks the fight has
been nothing but an artillery duel.

In Aberdeen Gully, we are wonderfully protected by our high rocks, and
natural banks which have been improved by ourselves, and although many
pieces of shell have fallen in it to-day no one was hit.

The Turks are said to have suffered enormously, being taken by
surprise in a nullah along which they were marching in close
formation. An officer with a machine-gun says he alone accounted for
about eighty. We have had about twenty-four wounded Dublins so far,
some mere boys. Those boys who are slightly hit are in great glee over
their prowess, one as he walked proudly in exclaiming, "Py Jasus, we
gave them a holy paestin' this mornin'".

Last night we had a call from the M.O. of the Scottish Rifles. He was
telling us about the casualties in the Lowland Brigade on Monday last.
They went in 2900 strong and only 1200 came out. Their Brigadier and
three Colonels were killed. I have spoken to several officers of the
Brigade, and they unanimously put this loss down to some tactical
mistake. They charged much too soon, and moreover the men had to
assault trenches that had never been shelled. This M.O. says he had
been speaking to an officer who sa