During our return journey, we were not worried by bombardment of any
kind, and got back to H. Q. for an excellent breakfast at 8.30. The
morning I spent strolling about the grounds of the ch?teau. At luncheon,
R. asked me what I would like to do, and I suggested a visit to the
Belgian inundations. The arrangements required were somewhat elaborate,
but thanks to the good offices of the Belgian _liaison_ officer
attached to the Corps Commander's staff, we got the necessary permits. I
am exceedingly glad to think that we did pay this visit, for it was not
only most picturesque but also most deeply interesting from a military
point of view. The greater part of the Belgian line and the whole of the
part we visited runs parallel to the course of the canalised river Yser,
which empties itself into the sea at Nieuport. To reach it we had to
pass through Furnes, most charming of old Flemish towns, with a
ravishing Grande Place, surrounded by beautiful brick houses, some of
them of the XVth century, some of them dating from the time of the
Spanish occupation, and some again, of the epoch of Louis XIV. As the
Belgian lines are on a dead flat alluvial plain reclaimed from the sea,
it had proved impossible to manage communication-trenches.
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