e shades of night begin to fall they come in a constant
stream, and we are only safe when we retire to the depths of our
dug-outs--if our shallow pits are worthy of the name.

We keep wondering what sort of a holiday we are to have in Imbros. Are
there to be plagues of flies and dust as in Lemnos? However, it will
break the monotony which is getting very oppressive, and some of ours
keep up a constant grumble at everybody and everything.

The nights are now very cold, but the heat by day seems about as
intense as ever.

_September 9th._--We had orders yesterday to embark at Little West
Beach, at the north point of Suvla Bay. We were there at 7.30 p.m. and
were to embark at 8. It was a weary trudge, for we were heavily laden,
along the very edge of the bay to take advantage of the narrow strip
of firm sand that gets washed by the "tideless Mediterranean". Our
four Battalions were present, and after some delay over our baggage,
all which was finally got on board, the great lumbering barge, which
had 400 men and all the regimental baggage on board, refused to budge.
She was fast on the rocks where the water was very shallow. At last
she moved, going out a few yards then returning and taking all the
Dublins and so many Royals on board. Then she again stuck fast. It was
now getting late; the ship this barge was taking us out to was booked
to sail at 3.30 a.m., and this time had to be kept regardless of our
convenience. As she was still aground at that hour the order was given
to disembark. All this time we had been lying shivering on the dust
and stones, waiting for our turn, and now, with our spirits at zero,
we marched back to our base, reaching it at 4.45 as light was showing
in the east, so that we got back none too soon. The long wait we had
put in, with a cold wind blowing, had chilled us all thoroughly. All
had some brandy on our return, we got to bed at 5.30, and I for one
slept like a top and rose refreshed at 8.30, as also did Agassiz. He
and I felt so famished that we ground up some ration biscuits and made
porridge, which we enjoyed. None of the others got off their
stretchers before mid-day, when they did not know whether to order
breakfast or dinner. It ended in high tea.

A wagon with six mules passed behind us this afternoon, and drew a hot
shrapnel fire on all the Ambulances on the Beach. We had one man
wounded, the 1st Welsh one killed (Capt. Clark) and three wounded, and
the 3rd Welsh four wounded.