DESCRIPTION OF SOUTHERN GALLIPOLI
As I shall have to mention several places in Gallipoli, it may be well
before proceeding further to give the reader some idea of the geography
of the place.
Gallipoli is a narrow, hilly peninsula, varying from three to twelve
miles wide, running south-westward into the Ægean Sea, with the
Dardanelles, from one to four miles wide, separating it from the Asiatic
coast throughout its length of some forty miles.
As I am going to speak more particularly of the southern end of the
Peninsula, I will only describe that portion of it, as it was here that
the 29th Division landed, and the Zion Mule Corps worked.
The dominating feature is the hill of Achi Baba, some seven hundred feet
high, which, with its shoulders sloping down on the one side to the
Ægean and on the other to the Dardanelles, shuts out all further view of
the Peninsula to the northward. There are only two villages in this
area, Sedd-el-Bahr at the entrance to the Dardanelles, and Krithia, with
its quaint windmills, to the southwest of Achi Baba, somewhat
picturesquely situated on the slope of a spur, some five miles northwest
of Sedd-el-Bahr--Achi Baba itself being between six and seven miles from
Cape Helles, which is the most southerly point of the Peninsula.
A line through Achi Baba from the Ægean to the Dardanelles would be a
little over five miles, while the width at Helles is only about one and
a half miles.
A fairly good representation of this tract of country will be obtained
by holding the right-hand palm upward and slightly hollowed, the thumb
pressed a little over the forefinger. Imagine the Dardanelles running
along by the little finger up the arm, and the Ægean Sea on the thumb
side. Morto Bay, an inlet of the Dardanelles, would then be at about the
tip of a short little finger; Sedd-el-Bahr Castle at the tip of the
third finger; V Beach between the third finger and the middle finger;
Cape Helles the tip of the middle finger; W Beach between the middle
finger and the forefinger; X Beach at the base of the nail of the
forefinger; Gully Beach between the tip of the thumb and the
forefinger; Gully Ravine running up between the thumb and forefinger
towards Krithia village, which is situated half-way up to the thumb
socket; Y Beach at the first joint of the thumb; and Achi Baba in the
centre of the heel of the hand where it joins the wrist.
Anzac, where the Australians and New Zealanders landed, would be some
distance above the wrist on the thumb side of the forearm; and the
Narrows of the Dardanelles would be on the inner or little finger side
of the forearm opposite Anzac.
Imagine the sea itself lapping the lower part of the hand on a level
with the finger-nails, and then the cliffs will be represented by the
rise from the finger-nails to the balls of the fingers.
The hollowed hand gives a very good idea of the appearance of the
country, which gradually slopes down to a valley represented by the palm
of the hand. The lines on the hand represent the many ravines and
watercourses which intersect the ground.
Practically the whole of this basin drains into Morto Bay or the
Dardanelles, with the exception of Gully Ravine and the ravine running
down to Y Beach, which drain into the Ægean Sea.
A glance at the "handy" sketch will make everything clear, but it does
not pretend to strict accuracy.