the morning was ere night transformed into a scene of busy life. Long strings of camels were to be seen traversing the desert in all directions, bringing up supplies of all sorts to the camp from Quarantine Island. Fatigue parties were marching here and there, or toiling under the burning sun. Mounted orderlies galloped over the plain, and generals and staff officers visited the different detached camps and inspected the fresh arrivals. Down at Quarantine Island there was indeed a busy scene. There men of all nationalities worked night and day like great swarms of bees, unloading the transports as they arrived in quick succession one after the other—at one time full of stores and equipment, at another of forage and fuel; at a third, perhaps full of camels from Berbera or India, when each camel had to be slung up from the hold and swung over the side.
At last Quarantine Island contained something of all sorts—tons of railway plant, camel-saddles in thousands, harness, gigantic cases full of clothing and equipment, mountains of compressed hay, camels, mules, horses, tents, ammunition, and a thousand other things, a list of which would fill a volume. We had to work and toil, to be sure, from daybreak to sun-
