first halting place El
Burj. It was about nine miles, and we marched in the evenings, which
was undoubtedly very wise. The going was not bad, there being a
wire-netting track laid over all the softest parts: it is wonderful
how satisfactory this is to march on, and many a time did we bless the
man who invented it. The only sufferers were the mule leaders. They,
naturally, could not lead their mules on the netting, and it was extra
hard work for them, as they had to walk in the heavy sand and maintain
the pace set by the troops who were on the good going. El Burj proved
to be a most desolate spot, but it was at all events near wells; and
we were so glad to hear that we were not to march straight on next
day, that we didn't grumble much about the scenery.

The Higher Command were a little nervous that the Turks might slip
away again as they had already done at El Arish; but the next few days
were to show that this information was not correct, and that the Turk
had no intention of leaving the Gaza-Beersheba line so long as he
could hold on to it.

We stopped there four days, and marching once more in the evening, we
did a comparatively short step to Sheikh Zowaid, camping about a mile
short of the station. It was pitch dark when we arrived and we had no
idea what our camp was like, and it was a great surprise to find in
the morning that we were on the edge of a shallow salt lake. The
sunrise on this sheet of water, fringed on the far side with a line of
scattered palm trees, was really most exquisite. It was, however, the
only good thing about the place. Water for breakfast was late in
arriving, and we were told that the half-day's supply, which then
arrived, had to fill the dixies for lunch, and also the water-bottles
for the next march. There was not nearly enough for this, with the
result that we had to start in the blazing sun about 1 P.M. with
hardly anything in the bottles. The reason for this was, that the
camels had to go on ahead to our next stop--Rafa--about thirteen miles
distant, where it was hoped to have water drawn and ready for us on
our arrival.

This afternoon march was a gruelling experience. It was the hottest
part of the day; we had practically nothing in our water-bottles, and,
to add to our trials, the wire-netting road was not laid beyond Sheikh
Zowaid, as the ground had appeared quite firm to the divisions who had
preceded us. Since they had passed, however, the route had been cut up
by guns an