struction of Fort Glanville. To plan forts, to obtain the widest scope
for the fire power of their guns, is fascinating work to a gunner. I
revelled in it, and in a few weeks I was ready with the revised plans.
The plans were approved of, and the contract was let for its
construction. Largs Bay Hotel then became my headquarters.

The time came when the building of the Largs Fort was advanced enough to
push on with the mounting of the heavy guns, which on arrival had been
stored at Port Adelaide, some three miles away. The hauling of the guns
and carriages and their assembling and mounting was excellent instruction
to my young gunners. In revising the plans of the Fort I had made
provision for barrack accommodation for a larger body of men.

Fort Glanville has now for some time past been dismantled. The proposed
fort near Glenelg was never built, though two 9.2 inch B.L. guns, which
were imported at great cost as the result of the Russian scare, are still
lying buried in the sand hills on the proposed site.

CHAPTER II

POLO, HUNTING AND STEEPLECHASING

While busy with my professional duties I found time to amuse myself as
well. My friends at the club had put my name up as a member. I was soon
elected. You will doubtless smile when I tell you what happened the first
time I entered the club as a full member. It had been a very hot day. A
visiting team of polo players from the western district of Victoria had
battled hard in the afternoon against the Adelaide team. The good game of
polo in those days was in its infancy in Australia. A few enthusiasts in
Adelaide and some in the wonderfully rich western district of Victoria,
the De Littles, Manifolds, Blacks and others who owned thousands of acres
of as good country as there is in Australia, kept the game going. An
inter-colonial match was arranged. Lance Stirling, now Sir Lancelot, and
President of the Upper House, Arthur Malcolm, a thorough sportsman with a
keen love for practical jokes, and the two brothers Edmund and Charlie
Bowman, were playing for Adelaide. The old veteran, Dave Palmer, St.
Quintin, Para Hood and one of the Manifolds represented the western
district of Victoria.

It was the custom to celebrate all such occasions as polo matches, big
race days, Hunt Club meetings, by holding dinner parties at the club,
often attended by fifty or sixty of the younger members, with a
sprinkling of the older sports, who thoroughly enjoyed the vivacity and
ex