satisfaction that we had not been wounded, he told us that we must make ourselves at home. To facilitate which process he informed us that the tent and all its furniture were English. They had come from Gallipoli, spoils of war. He was very certain that we should not be prisoners long. The war was in its last stage: Paris bombarded, and the Germans advancing at the rate of five kilometres a day. His news seemed accurate as far as we knew the situation, and to be rather later than anything we had heard. He read out to us a wireless message just received, announeing a further German advance, and olaiming the capture of a number of villages. From what we saw all along their wireless appeared to be very good, and the arrangements for the dissemination of news prompt and efficient. Bulletins were received throughout the day. They may have been due to the fact that at the time the news was favourable, the German advance in France being then in full swing. In any case, the best use was made of it; the troops were informed promptly, and confidence in the final victory of the Germans was most noticeable in all ranks.

We had a long conversation with the Divisional Commander on the subject. He was astonished at our inability to grasp the inevitableness of the German victory. After a long period of eloquenee which made no impression, he asked us in desperation, "Well, when do

you think the war will be over?" Ballast answered impassively, "When we have won." This reduced the General to dumbfoundered silence. But he returned repeatedly to the point during the next hour, incredulous that any one could be so blockheaded. On one of these occasions the Pilot in his suavest manner put in, "It is difficult for you to realise, General, that we-the Englishspeaking portion of the Allies, I mean-have hardly begun to fight yet. We weren't military nations, you see, and up till now we've really only been making our armies: just training them, you know. Next year, however, we hope to be able really to start ahead." This nearly finished off our host.

Conversation turned on to our own campaign. Old battles were discussed, and the deplorable prospect of the summer of inaction was touched upon; especially the extreme discemfort of the present position on this front, and the appalling heat that was to be anticipated in these rocky trenches. would be a very boring business for both sides sitting opposite one another in these trenches all through the hot weather.

It

Relations being established now on a cordial basis, Pilot asked whether a message could be sent across to the British, so that our relatives could be informed that we were uninjured; and that our kit might be dropped over. The General assured us that this would be done: that he had already

wired to his Army Headquarters for instructions, but hoped that we should be staying with him for a few days, as officer prisoners had done previously, until the arrival of our kit. (We ascertained later, however, that the only information the British H.Q. received on the subject from the Turks officially, was the Constantinople Wireless Press of the next day which mentioned our capture.) We touched tentatively on the subject of Germans, and met with very little enthusiasm. The General evidently disliked the subject. He stated briefly that he had a number attached to his Command in various technical and advisory capacities, but that none of them were in a position of any executive authority.

It was very noticeable that there was no love lost between the Germans and the Turks or the Arabs, or any others that we met. were heartily disliked everywhere.

They

Before we took our leave the General remonstrated in a very decided manner on the abuse of aeroplane superiority. He had none now at his direct disposal, whilst we had plenty; and not only indulged in frequent bombing raids and reconnaissances (which he regarded as mere waste of petrol on our part: surely one flight a day would be ample), but had taken to the reprehensible habit of sweeping down low, and machine-gunning roads and paths in his rear, thus rendering still more acute his

already troublesome transport difficulties.

Pilot of course pointed out in the blandest manner that in this terrain observation was very difficult, and preparations for concentration for offensive action might easily be missed unless constantly watched; moreover we had known of his arrival, and it was necessary for us to watoh very carefully a man of his reputation. However, the General was not to be diverted from his reproaches anent our unsportsmanlike habit of machine-gunning harmless ration - parties well away from his anti-aircraft defences.

Before we took our leave we asked for a meal, which was promised; and for the return of such private correspondence as had been in our pockets, which was refused.

It was nearly sunset when we were dismissed. Ali, the young interpreter, was sent along with us to see that our needs were attended to. We passed en route a big green double fly-tent in which three German officers were sitting, and a little farther on came to a bell-tent from which bedding was being removed. Tentage being very short, Turkish officers were olearing out to make room for us.

Throughout our sojourn in their hands we invariably met with the greatest courtesy and consideration from all Turkish officers. The hunger and cold we experienced were due to force of circumstances or actual lack of supplies, not to any ill-will on their part; and

the fact that the lot of a wounded prisoner of war would be extremely unenviable, is not due to any deliberate brutality or frightfulness, but to the total absence of any adequate medical material, or personnel, or arrange

ments.

Ali showed himself most friendly. He was a man of good family, had been educated at an American college at Constantinople, and knew many of the English Colony there before the War. He related to us various stories about General Townshend, whom he had seen, and for whom the Turks appear to have a great respect and affection. He also gave us good accounts of four R.F.C. officers who had previously been brought down on this front. All had been kept at Divisional Headquarters for several days. One pair of these, a Pilot and Observer, one of them a particularly hefty Colonial, appeared to have had heart-breaking luck. They were forced down a long way behind the Turkish front, made a landing in the desert, burnt their machine all right, and got away. They struggled gallantly on for fortyeight hours, and had got so near home before they were caught by Turkish cavalry, that they were actually in sight of our Lamb cars, who unfortunately did not notice them.

Ali's dislike of the Germans was extremely emphatic. Later on, when one of these gentlemen was coming to interrogate us, Ali bounced into the tent

VOL. CCIV.-NO. MCCXXXIII.

with the warning, "Here comes the sausage, but don't you take any notice of him: he can't touch you." At the time we were somewhat bewildered by this announcement, a8, as, not having had anything since an early breakfast, we were rather expecting something to eat.

We got permission to walk up and down outside the tent under a guard of four sentries, and on one pretext or another managed to get a fair idea of our immediate surroundings by nightfall, when we were confined to our tent, and Ali went off to get us a meal. This gave us an opportunity of discussing ways and means. It was a most unfortunate thing for us that the moon was almost full: a full moon in Mesopotamia is to the English moon as an arclamp to a glow-worm. Moreover, at dusk the wind drops entirely, and the night is so still that the slightest noise is audible.

Our tent was pitched on a ledge in a small nala. The guard lived five yards farther up the nala, with one sentry at our door, and another on the hillside above the tent.

The hillside was covered with loose stones. The only possible way of leaving the tent would be by the back, where the earth was cut away to fit it. One would have to go without boots, and even then there was little chance of avoiding making a noise on the stones. The full moon was bright as day on the lemoncoloured rock.

There were three dogs about, apparently belonging to the

F

start as soon as a conveyance could be arranged. This most unwelcome news made us both long heartily for a heavy storm that night: a murrain on all Turk transport: or a a plague of profound slumber on all our guards.

Broussa was likely to be our eventual destination: & delightful climate, excellent water-supply, high above the Sea of Marmora, charming views, only four hours' run from Stamboul-all the comforts of a first-class penitentiary in fact.

We were pretty sleepy, but we hadn't been rolled in our greatcoats on the floor of the tent for more than an hour when we were waked by a curt summons to get up and be going. In vain we opposed this: cajoled, delayed, even insisted on an A.D.C. going back to the General with a request that as we were very tired we might be permitted a night's rest. The answer came that the order was inexorable, had come from higher authority, and must be obeyed. A small springless waggon, closed in all round with canvas flaps, awaited us in the bright moonlight, surrounded by about a dozen mounted men. We found next morning that these were Tartars. They were looked upon by the Turkish authorities as very trustworthy and quite unbribable, probably quite correctly-in any case, they couldn't understand our best-intentioned attempts at bribing in any known language. Strong, cheery, hearty fellows, but absolute barbarians.

Two

sat on the box of the waggon and appeared to use the whip unceasingly. Through the chinks of the canvas we could see & man riding at each wheel, whilst three or four more spurred their steeds along so close behind that whenever the vehicle checked, the horses ran their noses into the backboard. The remainder of the escort kept ten or twelve lengths in rear. It was a most uncomfortable night: cold, and the road very rough. The cart had constantly to be helped over bad bits by one or two of the guard, and sometimes we had all to get out whilst the empty waggon was dragged over some obstacle. Towards morning we halted half an hour for water.

Soon after dawn the miserable pair of ponies gave out altogether. We were not sorry to get down and walk to get some warmth into our legs. Four of the guard accompanied us, the remainder staying with the waggon. The whip had no effect on the exhausted animals harnessed to the vehicle. With the indifference born of habit, three or four of the guard would proceed to dismount and belabour them savagely with their rifles till they staggered on once more. As the sun rose we came to strips of cultivation and scattered palm-trees, and saw for the first time the famous water-wheels by which all the irrigation of the upper reaches of the river is done.

An arched aqueduct of grey stone runs out into the water and carries at its far end one or more Heath-Robinson