o the
Gordons, and was so glad we were here. He left, and shortly after
another General came in. He told us he was our corps Commander,
General Pultney. He had another General with him who sat down beside
me and talked for a moment or two. Presently General Alderson came
along and then we were told about the review next day.

In the afternoon the Brigadier and I rode out to the field where the
review was to take place. There was a quaint old-fashioned churchyard
across the road and a brewery further up. Behind us was a Flemish hop
yard. This country is full of breweries, broken down wind-mills and
hop yards. In the graveyard they said a German Prince was buried. His
grave is not marked. The British and Germans had a pretty smart action
down the road several months ago. They tell us that six thousand
British troops defeated forty thousand Germans and drove them like
sheep across the Lye.

We opened the officers' mess in a school room. I tried to keep the
officers dining together as long as possible as I knew that as soon as
our billets were more open we would have to mess by companies. At this
time we were virtually occupying alarm quarters. The men had been
behaving splendidly. The inhabitants took to them kindly and of course
relieved them of all their spare change. The people of the town are
mostly old Flemish. The Flemings have the proverbial long noses, sharp
features and have fair complexions. Occasionally a stocky, swarthy
individual shows Wallon extraction. Some of the peasants speak nothing
but Flemish, which is one of the ancient Gallic languages.

The regiment was up at an early hour next morning and everyone was
shaved and cleaned. We had thus far avoided that terrible but famous
pest of the soldier that sheds more blood than bullets.

The regiment paraded at the alarm post at ten o'clock. At ten-thirty
we marched out and in a few minutes were on the parade ground. We were
the first regiment there and were soon formed up _en masse_ facing the
town. The officers were ordered to be dismounted and I sent my horses
back. Shortly after the Brigade staff turned up and all the Brigade
formed up in two lines, the 14th Montreal Regiment on the right, the
13th Royal Highlanders on the left of the first line, our regiment on
the right of the second line and the Canadian Scottish on the left.
The inspecting generals arrived and were accorded the customary
salute. The inspection started with the Royal Highlanders, and