On the coast, two or three miles to the north of Romani, lies the hamlet of Mahamadiyeh, which sprang into fame as the most popular seaside resort in Africa, the battalions, with the exception of those of the 126th Brigade guarding the railhead, being sent there in turn for rest, recuperation, and sea-bathing. Further advance eastward by the Division was impracticable until the railway and pipe line had been pushed farther ahead, the present limit being a few miles beyond Romani. Meanwhile, a position was sited east of Oghratina to cover the extension of the railway, and this was reached by the Division, less the 125th Brigade, 1st Field Company, R.E., eight batteries, R.F.A., and the 1st Field Ambulance, on September 11. A prospecting party of Engineers had located considerable supplies of water, and the few trial wells were rapidly increased to forty-three, supplying 9000 gallons an hour. The water was slightly brackish, but was drunk by horses and camels. Water for the men was supplied to units at the railhead tanks. The 125th Brigade had been moved to section defences, the 5th Lancashire Fusiliers to Kantara, the 6th to Dueidar, the 7th to Hill 40, and the 8th to Ballybunion. A few weeks later the Brigade was reunited at Mahamadiyeh, where D.H.Q. was established. For more than two months the Division shared with the 52nd Division and the mounted troops the duty of protecting the railway and water-pipe from raiders, the troops occupying a succession of forward positions along the coastal road in advance of and covering the railway, each Division returning to Romani when relieved by the other. To pack up, load the camels, and move off to a fresh bivouac quickly became second nature. Steadily the railway was pushed forward towards El Arish, and alongside it a road was constructed, the sand being conquered at last by the ingenious device of wire rabbit-netting laid and pegged down. In this way the fatigue of marching was much reduced. The large main through which a daily supply of 40,000 gallons was pumped from the Sweet Water Canal through filters to Romani, was carried forward by the Engineers, who also erected reservoir tanks at the railhead. This supply was barely sufficient for the men, and none of it could be spared for the animals, so exploring parties of sappers went ahead to sink innumerable wells and erect signboards giving a rough estimate of the supply per half hour and the degree of salinity. They also prepared maps of a region that had hitherto been practically unmapped. It was an engineer’s war, and the amount of work done by them in the face of difficulties that had been considered insuperable was indeed amazing.