The British official history described the battle; The passage of the Auja has always been regarded as one of the most remarkable feats of the Palestine campaign . . . its chief merits were its boldness justifiable against troops known to be sluggish and slack in outpost work and already shaken by defeat its planning, the skill of the engineers; the promptitude with which unexpected difficulties in the bridging the river were met; finally, the combined discipline and dash of the infantry which carried out the operation without a shot being fired and won the works on the right with the bayonet.
22.
Mr . Barclay was the only one who retained his presence of mind; but he,'deemed,'as Sir Henry Holland says, to be'one of the best boatmen in Scotland, seized the tiller, and by his firmness and skill brought us into safety .'Sir Henry Holland in 1858, on the occurrence of a vacancy in the principalship of the university of Glasgow, urged the claims of Dr . Barclay to the appointment upon Sir George Grey, expressing his conviction that the man who could preach such a sermon on Sunday, and next day by his firmness and promptitude save a boat from being swamped, was one eminently fitted for the government of young men and of a great college .'How far this contributed to it I know not; but Dr . Barclay received the appointment, which he has ever since held with high honour and usefulness '.
