II THE DISEMBARKATION 19 



escaped. This circumstance, however, proved a blessing to us in 

 one respect ; the stranded boats were soon seized upon by our 

 men, broken into pieces, and their remains converted into a 

 number of blazing fires, round which we collected in groups and 

 spent the remainder of the night ; the light of the fire revealed a 

 set of as unhappy-looking countenances as any one might wish to 

 see. At length, however, it ceased raining, and the hght of morn- 

 ing began to appear, to our infinite satisfaction. 



Friday^ September 15. — The sun rose over the lake, and the 

 brilliancy and freshness of the morning almost made us forget the 

 misery of the night. The surf was still so high that disembarka- 

 tion was stopped until the afternoon, and we found that it was 

 true that a man and several horses had been lost during the night. 

 I could not help feeling that if the storm were to continue, our 

 position would be somewhat critical, in an enemy's country, 

 without artillery, cavalry, provisions for more than three days, or 

 means of retreat. In the afternoon the ships were at work again, 

 but the only way in which the horses could be landed was by 

 throwing them out of the boats and letting them find their way 

 as they could to the shore. In the morning I took a walk along 

 the coast to the French landing-place and encampment. In one 

 respect they were much more comfortable than we were, in that 

 they had tents to sleep in — little low ones into which four men 

 could just creep, and which are carried on the march a quarter by 

 each man. In the evening we made our beds on the sand as 

 before ; fortunately it was fine though very cold. 



Saturday^ September 16. — Went back to the ship to superintend 

 the removal of about forty invalid soldiers to the Kangaroo^ which 

 ship is going to take them to the hospital at Scutari. On my 

 return I was delighted to find our tents had arrived and were put 

 up, the luxury of which no one can appreciate who has not been 

 sleeping in the open air in cold weather. 



Sunday^ September 1 7. — The process of disembarkation is going 

 on briskly, the beach presenting a scene of the most animated 

 and lively description. Foraging parties that we have sent out to 

 the neighbouring villages have been generally very successful, and 

 have brought in an immense number of araba waggons, oxen, 

 camels, horses, sheep, goats, etc. The inhabitants mostly came 



