OUTWARD APPEARANCE OF THE G.C.R. 243 There was a bit of a moon left still during the night, so we took advantage of it, and started about 3 a.m. What a falling-off was there! The last time we had passed along that track, it was in the full glory of a camel apiece, now there was barely one to every five men, and even these, poor brutes, were only kept on their legs by continual whacking.

The foot-gear of the G.C.R. was most extraordinary ; the boots that had at length arrived from Korti, and which we had looked forward to as a real godsend, turned out to be of such small sizes that the men could hardly get their feet into them.

They were as hard as bricks, there was no grease to soften them, and the only way of using them was to slit them open at the end, and shove your toes through. As for the officers, no two had the same foot-covering ; field-boots, lawn-tennis shoes, gaiters, putties, and boots in all stages of decay and attempted repairs were worn. The men wore their black serge trousers, mostly tied under the knee like navvies', while several had lashed putties over them, and slit them at the thighs to allow of free ventilation. Others R 2