London, Feb. 5.
The special correspondent of the British Press at Basra, on the 2nd, says that the spell of rainy weather has passed, and the mud is drying up. The Relief Force is in good condition and is now encamped.
Apart from the weather, which was only comparable to the worst experienced in France in the winter of 1914, the troops have suffered peculiar disabilities as owing to the flatness of the country they are exposed to rifle fire at 2000 yards when attacking.
Now, owing to the recent halt, the conditions are assimilating to those in France. Communication trenches have been cut and operations at present are confined to desultory sniping and artillery fire.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.