872 THE ' LION ' LETTEBS 



jam, coffee or tea except what we bought for ourselves, 

 and, except in harbour, only salt beef and pork, both as 

 hard as wood, and salter than the sea except twice a 

 week a very little tinned meat. We had rum and Lime 

 juice daily, and sometimes cranberries, made into a sort 

 of doughy Swiss [?] tarts which we called cram-bellies. 

 Yet we were always in perfect health. 



The self -education of an officer should never be done. 

 A reminder comes with the death of the gallant Lord Airlie. 



His uncle, Lord Kedesdale, says of him, * Poor Airlie 

 was one of the noblest of men, so chivalrous, brave and 

 simple, a real Paladin. I loved him sincerely and we all 

 are utterly miserable about it.' 



I dare say that you have heard that Lord Airlie never 

 shot or fished, though he had moors and rivers for his friends, 

 and used to spend his leaves in reading and corresponding 

 with a German officer friend on military problems. As 

 you will soon find out, to be a good leader of men requires 

 far more knowledge and thought than any education can 

 give you. Manoeuvres are matters not only of skill and 

 judgment, but of forethought, to be gained by reading and 

 making plans of your own, and by getting others to set 

 you military problems, and studying them together. Above 

 all I would urge you to cultivate playing chess, and not 

 to be the least discouraged by finding yourself perhaps an 

 indifferent player for it is the practice that chess gives 

 that is so useful, and especially the habit of thinking what 

 your adversary's plans are, as well as your own. This 

 and Military History should employ your leisure hours, 

 which too many spend in cards and billiards. 



During active service he writes : 



I wonder whether you keep a Journal it would be 

 wise to do so for your own improvement, and it would 

 be so interesting for you in after life as recording your 

 early military experiences. 



At the end of the war, the young soldier, who desired 

 anything but inactivity, obtained a transfer to the Indian 



