e, for
we are miserable. Geese are crossing in very large numbers to-day.

The thirty Welshmen who were attached to us were exchanged for an
equal number of the 4/1 Highland F.A. from Aberdeen. Our men had taken
to the Welshmen and were sorry to part with them, especially as they
were doing excellent work.

_October 25th._--The above weather forecast was wonderfully accurate,
the cold snap ran from the 19th to 24th. Yesterday opened rough, wet
and cold, but later in the day the wind fell to an absolute calm and
the temperature rose. To-day is ideal, not a breath of wind, a few
fleecy clouds, and delightfully warm. Geese are flying south in
thousands. Where do they all come from?--the lakes of Norway and
Sweden, Finland and Northern Russia, or where? Their destination is no
doubt that delectable country for the winter, Africa. Yesterday the
A.D.M.S. thought I required a change and recommended me to go there
also, but I refused absolutely. I prefer the hardships of Suvla and it
may be the Balkans, to a life of ease and comfort in the hospitals of
Alexandria. Had things not looked so bad here I might have accepted
such an offer, but now that the outlook is as bad as could be, and the
danger to ourselves gradually thickens, it is out of the question.
Mackensen is said to be in Servia and pushing south rapidly. He has an
army of 216,000, while the Servians can oppose them with only 80,000
or 90,000. French and British troops have been rushed north from
Salonika, and we are in contact with the Bulgars, if not the
Austro-Germans. All here expect to be ordered to the Balkans any day;
at Suvla we are now being wasted, all we can do is to hold up the
Turks which is not good enough.

_October 26th._--We hear to-day that the "Marquette" which brought us
from Avonmouth to Alexandria was torpedoed two days ago, on her way to
Salonika. About 1000 troops were on board, and 600 are said to have
been lost, including thirty nurses. The "Marquette" sent out the
S.O.S. signal, but the submarine came to the surface and signalled,
"No assistance is required".

_October 28th._--Nothing much doing except artillery fire. According
to evidence given by the Turkish prisoners our artillery fire does
little harm, they are so well dug in, one Battalion putting its daily
casualties at six. Yesterday about mid-day every Turkish gun opened
fire on our trenches from the extreme right to the extreme left and
along Anzac, and all at the self sam