DUNKIRK and CALAIS was open. Warnings, friendly and otherwise, had been given by the Allies to the Belgians that they must 'hold out'; but they were no more able to resist the attacks of the victors of ANTWERP now than when behind fortress ramparts. Their fighting spirit was broken; so, influenced by the wishes of the British and the French, King Albert finally decided to employ this last desperate means of defence, and place a wide expanse of his fair country under water. The water-level rose slowly and insidiously until, on the evening of the 30th, the YSER north of DIXMUDE had almost everywhere overflowed its banks. The inundation destroyed buildings as well as soil, but it enabled the worn-out defenders to recover their sore-threatened security. General von Beseler quickly realised the danger which now awaited his attacking troops on the far side of the canal, behind whom a sheet of water, 2000 to 3000 yards broad, was constantly deepening. The decision was an exceedingly hard one for him to make, yet it had to be done. The attack would have to be given up and the greater part of the western bank of the river evacuated. The order was issued and carried out during the night of the 30th-31st October. In spite of the dangers due to the altered appearance of the country and the consequent difficulty in finding the way, and although the Franco-Belgian artillery kept the YSER crossings under constant heavy fire, the withdrawal was a brilliant success. Not a wounded man nor rifle fell into the enemy's hands, and the movement was so well covered that the enemy did not notice we had disengaged until it was too late. A small detachment of gallant Brandenburgers under Lieutenant Buchholz remained behind for a long time in PERVYSE. In front of them the enemy was sweeping the village with artillery and infantry fire and behind them was the edge of an apparently boundless sea. A French colonel offered Lieutenant Buchholz honourable conditions if he would surrender; but he indignantly rejected the offer: his only answer to the colonel was to slip off with his little band of followers. They rejoined their unit successfully. The enemy only followed up slowly along the roads, with weak detachments of infantry. Our rear-guards remained west of the canal on the line ST. GEORGE-STUYVEKENSKERKE, whilst the main body on the 31st took up its new position east of the YSER as follows: the 5th Reserve Division north of the main road ST. PIERRE CAPPELLE-MANNEKENSVERE; the 4th _Ersatz_ Division in the area MANNEKENSVERE-SCHOORE; and the 6th Reserve Division to the south of it. One battalion and one battery of the 4th _Ersatz_ Division remained facing NIEUPORT, extending northwards to the coast. A new defensive position was selected along the line WESTENDE-MANNEKENSVERE-SCHOORE-KASTEELHOEK: a continuation of the attack was now out of the question, as the water was still rising west of the YSER. On 31st October and 1st November, however, the XXII