tations practised daily. All lights were covered at night. The
weather proved to be ideal and the look of content on every soldier's
face gave indication of how the change of life, scene, and air was
appreciated.

A modified form of training was carried on--prominence being given to
anti-gas measures and trench routine and discipline.

During the morning of Sunday, the 19th March, the rather violent
"zig-zagging" of the ship gave an indication of the presence of hostile
submarines. There were, however, no visible signs of their presence, and
it was not until later in the day that the information as to another
ship having been torpedoed, not many miles away, was passed down by the
ship's staff.

[Illustration: THE 2ND DIVISION CROSSING THE CANAL _EN ROUTE_ TO
EUROPE, MARCH, 1916.
_Photo. lent by Mr. Yeldon._]

[Illustration: THE "THEMISTOCLES" AT ALEXANDRIA.
The 28th waiting to embark, 16th March, 1916.
_Photo. lent by Mr. Yeldon._]

Having passed around the north side of Crete the ship, during the
afternoon of this same day, arrived off Malta. Her engines were
stopped for a while and those on the decks had a brief glimpse of the
narrow entrance to the Grand Harbour, the heavy fortifications whose
walls seemed to run down into the sea, and, beyond, the steep slopes,
upon which the picturesque city of Valetta is built. A few naval vessels
were within sight of the Transport. A wicked looking submarine and a
French torpedo boat passed close by.

Receiving fresh instructions as to the route to be followed, the
"Themistocles" resumed her course and, passing through the Malta
Channel, entered the Sicilian Sea. The Italian possession of Pantellaria
Island was sighted and also the elevated headland of Cape Bon on the
Tunisian coast. Skirting the western shores of Sardinia and Corsica, the
French coast east of Toulon came into view on the morning of the 21st
March. Little could be seen of the great naval base, but as the
Transport headed north-west, a short lapse of time revealed Marseilles,
France's most ancient city, lying within its circle of verdured hills.

Proceeding under slow steam towards a precipitous islet, which with its
castle was recognised by some as the Isle d'If, made famous by Dumas'
"Count of Monte Cristo," a hail was received from a picket boat, which
came racing out from the direction of the shore. In response, the
Transport changed her course abruptly, as it seemed she had been on the
verge of ente