re. Whether
burglars or battles are in question, give me sunshine. What had been a
terror when Braithwaite woke me out of my sleep at midnight to meet the
Gaba Tepe deputation was but a heightened, tightened sensation thirteen
hours later.

No doubt the panorama was alarming, but we all of us somehow--we on the
_Q.E._--felt sure that Australia and New Zealand had pulled themselves
together and were going to give Enver and his Army a very disagreeable
surprise.

The contrast of the actual with the might-have-been is the secret of our
confidence. Imagine, had these brave lads entrusted to us by the
Commonwealth and Dominion now been crowding on the beaches--crowding
into their boats--whilst some desperate rearguard was trying to hold off
the onrush of the triumphant Turks. Never would any of us have got over
so shocking a disaster; now they are about to win their spurs (D.V.).

Here come the Turks! First a shower of shells dropping all along the
lower ridges and out over the surface of the Bay. Very pretty the
shells--at half a mile! Prince of Wales's feathers springing suddenly
out of the blue to a loud hammer stroke; high explosives: or else the
shrapnel; pure white, twisting a moment and pirouetting as children in
their nightgowns pirouette, then gliding off the field two or three
together, an aerial ladies' chain. Next our projectiles, Thursby's from
the _Queen_, _Triumph_, _Majestic_, _Bacchante_, _London_, and _Prince
of Wales_; over the sea they flew; over the heads of our fighters;
covered the higher hillsides and skyline with smudges of black, yellow
and green. Smoky fellows these--with a fiery spark at their core, and
wherever they touch the earth, rocks leap upwards in columns of dust to
the sky. Under so many savage blows, the labouring mountains brought
forth Turks. Here and there advancing lines; dots moving over green
patches; dots following one another across a broad red scar on the flank
of Sari Bair: others following--and yet others--and others--and others,
closing in, disappearing, reappearing in close waves converging on the
central and highest part of our position. The tic tac of the machine
guns and the rattle of the rifles accompanied the roar of the big guns
as hail, pouring down on a greenhouse, plays fast and loose amidst the
peals of God's artillery: we have got some guns right up the precipitous
cliff: the noise doubled; redoubled; quadrupled, expanded into one
immense tiger-like growl--a so