ng the beach to
Kephalos; then up through some small rocky gullies, frightfully hot,
until, at last, we reached a graveyard. The congregation numbered many
of the poor boy's comrades who seemed much cut up about his untimely
end.

The P.M. has answered my cable to Lord K. asking for 45,000 rifles to
fill up and for 50,000 fresh rifles. K. is in France, he says, and I
will have my answer when he gets back. The 5th Royal Scots are down to
289 rank and file. I have just cabled about them. Something must be
done. Certainly it must be "out" for that particular unit if they don't
very soon get some men. The War Office still refer to them as a
Battalion!

_21st August, 1915._ Sailed for Suvla about 1 o'clock with Braithwaite,
Aspinall, Dawnay, Deedes, Ellison, Pollen and Maitland. The first time I
have set forth with such a Staff. Not wishing to worry de Lisle, I
climbed up to the Karakol Dagh, whence I got something like a bird's eye
view of the arena which was wrapt from head to foot in a mantle of
pearly mist. Assuredly the Ancients would have ascribed this phenomenon
to the intervention of an Immortal. Nothing like it had ever been seen
by us until that day and the cloud--mist--call it what you will--must
have had an unfortunate bearing on the battle. On any other afternoon
the enemy's trenches would have been sharply and clearly lit up, whilst
the enemy's gunners would have been dazzled by the setting sun. But
under this strange shadow the tables were completely turned; the outline
of the Turkish trenches were blurred and indistinct, whereas troops
advancing from the AEgean against the Anafartas stood out in relief
against a pale, luminous background.

As a result of our instructions; of conferences and of the war council
we had got our plan perfectly clear and ship-shape. Everyone understood
it. The 10th Division was Corps reserve and was lying down in mass about
the old Hill 10 in the scrub. We had to trust to luck here as they were
under the enemy's fire if they were spotted. But very strict orders as
to keeping low and motionless had been issued and we had just to hope
for the best. The Yeomanry were also Corps reserve at Lala Baba where
they were safe. But when they advanced, supposing they had to, they
would have to cross a perfectly open plain under shell fire. This was
the special blot on the scheme but there was no getting away from it.
There was no room for them in the front line trenches and communication
t