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[Page 29]
is very large, being shaped like a horseshoe & forms a natural harbour with deep water everywhere. Nearly all of the Island is cultivated, chiefly with Barley & there are a lot of sheep & goats bred on it. The population is 27,500 mostly Greeks. There are quite a number of Ships here, including the famous "Queen Elizabeth & several other battleships. There is also a Ship here (Aenne Rickmers) which was captured from the Germans on the outbreak of war & turned into a store ship, but got torpedoed by a German submarine off Smyrna & was beached in here to save it from sinking. A Turkish or German Aeroplane dropped 3 bombs here the other night, but they've done no damage. As we are only 45 miles from the Dardanelles we are getting closer to "the day". All lights are "deaded" tonight & we are on 6 hours notice.
April 10th Have just been watching an aeroplane flying around the Bay. There are also some Submarines here & just awhile ago two Torpedo Boat Destroyers went outside full speed. The Battleship Lord Nelson arrived here yesterday. Put some letters aboard a Cruiser today, but, dont know if they will send them away or not, because this concentration is being done as secretly as possible. Life on board here waiting gets a bit dry. Inspection of the Troops takes place at 9 a.m. daily, all assembling in full service uniform. A Bugler goes on ahead of the Military Commandant