the Cape a few days before and come to
anchor in Walvis Bay on a cold morning you think you have reached
No-man's-land after a fast voyage. It is a first impression only. The
place is desolate enough; it suggests the Sahara run straight into the
sea, or the discomforting dreariness of Punta Arenas, in Patagonia.

But first impressions are not everything. Walvis Bay is desolate; a
study in yellow ochre sands, burnt sienna duns, tin shanties veiled in
hot desert winds, and a sea that seldom knows anything more than a
ripple. But that is the point. Walvis Bay is nothing now--but it is a
bay. As a fact, it looks to be one of the finest natural harbours in
the world. With the South-West interior developing in the future,
Walvis Bay should have something to look forward to.

[Illustration: Before the Advance. General Botha photographed with the
Red Cross Sisters]

[Illustration: General Botha and Staff alighting for an Inspection.
(The famous Brigadier-General Brits, who trekked to Namutoni, is the
fourth figure from the right.)]

We left the _Galway Castle_ on the 11th, disembarking into lighters, to
be towed up the coast to the occupied German port of Swakopmund. Down
to the tender, on to the lighter, kits and equipment, and farewell to
the quietened steamer. For a while we stood away from her, and rose and
fell under no way on the still grey waters. Then we saw a tender from
the _Armadale Castle_ steaming towards us. She came up on our starboard
quarter and made fast. A figure well known to us all crossed the
gangway and climbed to the boat-deck of our steam tender. We had not
seen the Commander-in-Chief in personal command since the past bitter
days of the Rebellion. A great cheer hit the morning silence and echoed
over the bay to each transport at anchor. With a smile of genuine
pleasure, General Botha brought his hand to the salute. And away we
went, the tender steaming full speed ahead, blunt-nosed barges surging
in her wake, for Swakopmund.

Swakopmund was the first Headquarters of the Northern Force, Union
Expeditionary Army; we made two sojourns at this German port. First we
were there for a period of some five weeks, from February 11 till March
18, whilst awaiting the first advance into the Namib Desert; then we
were there for a further month, from the 27th of March till the 25th of
April, whilst awaiting the general advance to Windhuk and Karibib.

[Illustration: Awaiting the Advance. The Commander-in-Chief