very
beautiful with its green cultivated fields near the water, and
complete circle of rugged hills, and the distant snowclad mountains
away to the far North. All returned hungry, and while enjoying a cup
of tea at a table of Engineer officers, we heard what is evidently the
latest proposal about the invasion of Gallipoli. Instead of landing us
from troopships we all go on battleships, which seems to us to be an
improvement. We are also likely to land at three if not four different
points at the same time. This new plan will likely take a few more
days to develop, so that we may expect a few days' grace yet. We have
very exact maps of Gallipoli on a large scale, with full accounts of
all the possible landing places and the interior, with soundings round
the whole peninsula, the nature and the amount of water to be expected
at various points, etc.

_April 16th._--Beautiful day; nothing stirring, even no fresh rumours
afloat. Had a long sail to-day again with Whyte and twenty-five men in
search of the "Marquette". Believing that the "Marquette's" new name
was "B. 8," I boarded "B. 9," which has been here for a day or two,
hoping the captain might be able to tell me something of her
movements, but he thinks she has not left Alexandria. This is a
terrible disappointment to us all, and as her load is mainly
horse-flesh it is likely true. Horses would suffer badly lying in the
harbour where the ventilation would be very bad and would mean death
to many of them. I think I omitted to state that we lost nineteen
horses between Avonmouth and Alexandria, this high death-rate being
due to the want of proper ventilation.

Whyte and I next went over a Hospital ship, the "Soudan"--which we saw
in Malta, but was lying here on our arrival. She has four lady nurses,
two of whom we saw. One can hardly imagine petticoats out here. We
both agreed that the sight of them did us a lot of good.

_April 17th._--Had breakfast at six, paraded at seven and stood on
deck till 10.45 waiting our turn to cross to a collier that is to be
used in the Gallipoli attack. The intention is to run her ashore at
full speed, ploughing into the sands, when her load of 2000 men are to
get overboard as best they can on to floating gangways. By a long
circuitous route we all got into our places, and were packed close on
the various decks which have had large square openings cut through the
iron plates of the sides of the ship, and from these and the upper
d