THE YPRES TIMES
141
for some twenty minutes or so after my conversation with W. when there was a
terrific explosion in the dump quickly followed by another, flames shooting; up to
a great height, followed by almost complete darkness.
A number of heavy objects, I do not know what, but they sounded very
unpleasant, fell all around us, so that we thought it best to push off without
delay, and get ourselves tucked in comfortably in a transport.
But our troubles were not yet over, in fact the worst was yet to come.
We hailed transport after transport, but incredible as it may seem, were told
by all, some more rudely than others, but never politely, that they were full up
already, and we could go toHelles.
There was nothing for it, then, but to try to reach Kephalo on the Island
of Imbros ourselves, but as the wind was on shore and our lighter was bound
to make a lot of leeway, we stood a very good chance of being driven on shore
before we could get clear of the Gallipoli Peninsula, and having to say good-
morning to,the Turks after having, as we hoped, bade them a last farewell.
Photo] [Imperial War Museum, Crown Copyright.
THE ENTRANCE TO GULLY RAVINE. SEPTEMBER, 1915.
The following colloquy which I overheard between our Captain and his First
Lieutenant did not increase my hopes of safe passage to Imbros:
Captain: "I say, Bill, do you know the Kephalo light?"
Bill: No, can't say I do, but I daresay we shall pick it up all right."
Off we went hopefully in the direction Imbros was supposed to be. Some
ten of us preferred the risk of being washed overboard, a real one as there
were no bulwarks and our foreboard was something over 2 feet, to the very thick
atmosphere in the hold. As there was not a chink through which fresh air
could penetrate to the hold, and most of the passengers there were seasick, the
