But not so, for the horses needed rest and exercise and proper food before they could be fit to carry us.

Moreover, there were stores to be offloaded from the ships, we having brought with us many things that it would not be so easy to replace in a land at war.

Whatever our desire, we were forced to wait, and when we had left the ship we were marched through the streets to a camp some little distance out along the Estagus Road.

Later in the day, and the next day, and the next, infantry from the other ships followed us, for they, too, had to wait for their stores to be offloaded.
The French seemed surprised to see us.

They were women and children for the most part, for the grown men had been called up.