Beside the Sea
20/3/17
My Dear People
It is again time I dropped you a few lines to let you know I am still knocking about amongst the sand & other things one comes in contact with during the day. Although still on the coast our camp is still further advanced than on the last occasion of writing, Palestine is now at the front door, if you will understand, but our camp is not in that land of plenty, thus far. The scene of the Raffa fight is not many miles inland from us & on odd days we take our horses out to graze on the scene of that action. A day out is not so long now as it was before coming up to this place but quite long enough, round about twelve hours from time of starting out till our return, & when the days are warm one is quite tired enough on returning. Since writing last I think, we have passed through the village itself. It is quite a large place & is set amongst green fields & set off in regular plots each one being fenced in by a mud wall some three to four feet high & surmounted by a prickly cactus, together they make an ugly hedge to try & find a way through
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lucky for us we had not to fight our way. The quarters of the inhabitants are typical of all native villages these other parts are orchards & there are hundreds of them varying in size to up to perhaps five or six acres & even more. At present they are in full bloom & look very well especially when we advance on them in the early hours of the morning say just when the sun is rising or perhaps an hour or two afterwards. Our days work takes us a good many miles past this place now & sill there is plenty of cultivation carried on quite surprising the crops are too, in a few more weeks harvesting operations will commence. I wonder if I will manage to get a job for a few weeks just for a change Eh! We can get any amount of eggs & oranges from the natives so that our daily ration is supplimented to a certain extent, also a supply from the canteen when the meal is set out it presents quite a goodly array. Tomorrow is a big day will probably be getting up about half past one or two in the morning so will have to turn in shortly as the night is wearing on the time simply flies out here a day is gone before one is aware of its commencement. Have had some good sport swimming our horses & ourselves this week. I daresay it will be a relief to you as well as myself to know that mails are coming
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more direct now that you have my proper address. I have received over a dozen this week letters up the end of Jan & a parcel of tobacco also tobacco & socks posted about Xmas & N.Y. that have not arrived yet & I am still looking for a box of cake you said was on the way, the Otago Witness of the last three weeks in Jan have come to hand Lottie along with your letters, but the same thing applies in each & every case still a few to be accounted for. 21/3/17 The big day I mentioned did not come off. I got orders last night that I was to go on a stay at home. So stopped short last night as something that I won’t write about at present may come off in the very near future of which you will no doubt get an account before this reaches you. By this time you will know of Lin’s having to return to N.Z. I got quite a shock when I was told that he was returning. Evidentally his has been a more serious illness than I know anything of although some that saw him in Hospital said that he looked bad enough. We heard of the big advance on the western front a couple of days ago a few more successes of that sort & the Huns will just about cry enough a another splendid victory in Mesopotamia also the Turks are getting there deserts now don’t you
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So you are expecting to get to this part of the world also Lottie I hope that you will not have long to wait now that the chance has come your way. According to the papers there has been a shortage of Nurses in England for some time. The Peters are not to shift after all what awful luck they have I wonder if it will ever change. George Wilson & his crowd will be nearly in England by this time I must drop him a line as I have not done so for ages on account of it as I thought not reaching N.Z. before he sailed. But since getting such a budget as I have lately I have a good many days writing to catch up & I don’t see my way to get it done for a few days to come on account of work ahead I think I might say almost immediately. Now I think I will ring off for the present. Kind regards to everybody round about tell Tom Hall I got his letter & intend dropping him a line on first opportunity & I hope this finds one & all in the best of health & spirits as it leaves me the same.
Your Affect Brother
Charlie
