about 1 o'clock turned to go back, slowing down
and closing in to let me take a second good look at the coast. Our
studies were enlivened by an amusing incident. Nearing Cape Helles, the
_Queen Elizabeth_ went astern, so as to test her reverse turbines. The
enemy, who must have been watching us like a mouse does a cat, had the
ill-luck to select just this moment to salute us with a couple of
shells. As they had been allowing for our speed they were ludicrously
out of it, the shot striking the water half a mile ahead. We then lay
off Cape Helles whilst a very careful survey of the whole of that
section was being made. The Turks, disgusted by their own bad aim, did
not fire again. On our way back we passed three fakes, old liners
painted up, funnelled and armed with dummy guns to take off the _Tiger_,
the _Inflexible_ and the _Indomitable_. Riding at anchor there, they had
quite the man-o'-war air and if they draw the teeth of enemy submarines
(their torpedoes), as they are meant to do, the artists should be given
decorations. At 6 p.m. dropped anchor and I transhipped myself to the
_Arcadian_. Birdwood and Hunter-Weston had turned up during the day; the
latter dined and is now more sanguine than myself. He has been getting
to know his new command better and he says that he did not appreciate
the 29th Division when he wrote his appreciation!

_13th April, 1915. S.S. "Arcadian."_ Heavy squalls of rain and wind last
night. _Band-o-bast_ badly upset; boats also bottoms upwards and at
dawn--here in harbour--we found ourselves clean cut off from the shore.
What a ticklish affair the great landing is going to be! How much at the
mercy of the winds and waves! Aeolus and Neptune have hardly lost power
since Greeks and Trojans made history out yonder!

Have sent K. an electrical pick-me-up saying that the height of the
_Queen Elizabeth_ fire control station had enabled me to see the lie of
the land better than on my previous reconnaissance, and that, given good
luck, we hope to get ashore without too great a loss.

In the afternoon the wind moderated and I spent an hour or two watching
practice landings by Senegalese. Our delay is loss, but yet not clear
loss; that's a sure thing. These niggy-wigs were as awkward as
golly-wogs in the boats. Every extra hour's practice will save some
lives by teaching them how to make short work of the ugliest bit of
their job.

_14th April, 1915. S.S. "Arcadian," Lemnos._ A day so exquisitely l