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[Page 33]

Army in the South African War. On the other hand, he is known to be an extremely conceited man, and although Sir Ian Hamilton was nominally supposed to be the Commander in Chief of the joint Army, I did not feel that he would be strong enough to exercise his authority in any emergency, that might call implicit obedience to a command, on the part of our Ally.
      Friday April 23rd
The weather showed signs of clearing today, and we learned definitely that all being well, that our portion of the Expedition would sail the following day. We had a full dress rehearsal once again of taking the 11th Infantry on board, and the rest of the day, we spent watching numbers of battleships, cruisers, and transports sailing from the Bay, to a then unknown destination. This force consisted of the 29th Division and covering ships, which was to rendezvous over Tenedos, which we understood was to land somewhere at the Southern extremity of the Peninsular.
      The destination of the Colonial troops was however, unknown. I paid a farewell visit to the "Queen Elizabeth" and saw Commodore Keyes, who promised me he would get the despatches off as soon as possible, and that they would probably have to go by boat from [to?] Malta, or Alexandria, and be despatched by cable from there. There was an air or suppressed excitement about everyone. All seemed to shake off the lethagy of too much waiting about, and to brace themselves for the coming struggle. The last and greatest of the Crusades which would decide whether the Turk would be driven out of Europe forever or else leave the Crescent more

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