Zeitoun Camp
Sun. 14/2/1915
Dear Everybody
Another Sunday following the rest & I don’t think we have very much to say for ourselves. We have eased up in our work a good deal, & whether it is a calm before a storm or not, I am not prepared to say. Mr Perry & I are sitting in our mess, both writing, & having the life pestered out of us with these darn’d flies, you can’t imagine how very tame, & loving they are, but if you could see some of Perry’s antics or hear some of his remarks I believe it would give you some idea of how much we like them. Well I am in a bit of a fog, for I do not know where to start, or to finish either so far as that goes. However Perry landed with his reinforcements all-right, & a pretty good lot of fellows they are too. I believe they will be a good number of them at anyrate, see the front before some of the one that were here first. The horses landed in good form, & taken all round are, I believe, a better class than ours. The reinforcements have just merged into the squadrons & are carrying on the same work as the rest of us. We had a pretty big day or two last week of very instructive work. Last Monday we had a
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mobilization parade, that is, every man turned out with all the gear he is supposed to carry on active service fastened on to his saddle. Well, we left camp all-right & rode out about 2 miles & were getting instruction on the proper way to carry the different articles, when we received orders to return to camp as soon as possible; as we had to go out with the brigade, fight a rear guard action, & dig trenches in such a position as would be best suited for the defence of the ground we occupied. Well we left camp at 3 o’clock rode about 6 miles, put out & outpost line, held it for about an hour, & then dropped back on to the position where we were to dig the trenches. By the time we got a start it was half past five, & with only about half the number of tools we should have had, it was pretty tough proposition. We had to dig 200 yds of trench per squadron, which meant about 2 yds per man. The dimensions were 20 ins wide at the top 18 ins at the bottom 4 ft 6 deep with all the sand thrown out behind. After getting through the top layer of sand we struck a hard bed of something & every inch of it had to be picked. When you consider that we had only 20 shovels & 20 picks, & finished up at half past nine, with the proverbial Eaypt’s night, it was a very creditible performance. Altogether when finished the division had dug about 3/4 of a mile of solid trench, which we visited in the light of the next morning, with General Godley.
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When the General had satisfied himself the men were ordered to fill the trenches in again, & had it done in about an hour. Speaking to the Colonel afterwards, he was extremely well pleased with the way the men worked, & he said there were no better trench diggers in the world than the N.Z.s. It seem they dug some trenches in South Africa that were the talk of the war for some time. Well on Tuesday we had an easy time nothing but a short dismounted parade in the afternoon. Of our doings on Wed. I will enclose some slips I wrote while halted, which will throw some light on our doings. The parade practically resolved itself into a route march, & I think was meant to give practice to the staff. The rest of the week was very slack, winding up with half holiday on Saturday afternoon. Well now, when I tell you that I have seen Hamlit played here you might be surprised, but when you know, that is was played by natives in Arabic I am sure you will be. When I say natives, they were really Syrians, but spoke Arabic. The whole thing was staged almost identical with that of H.B. Irving’s conception. We could not understand a word of it, but the acting was so good that we could follow it quite easily. The man who took the part of Hamlit was really a good actor, & made quite an impression on a very enthusiastic audience.
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The setting or the costumes were not as good as the usual companies have, but when you make the necessary allowances for the natives it was exceptionally good. Particularly the Ghost scene, it was splendid, & quite as good as anything I have seen, also the chamber scene, & the scene where Hamlit has the players playing the scene in the garden, before the King & Queen. We were very fortunate, for we sat down in front of an Egyptian student who went in for amatiure theatricals himself, & he translated a good deal of it for us. The majority of hte audience were students & they seemed to appreciate the play to the utmost. This young student was telling us that at their university they study one of these plays every year, not alway Shakespearian, but they prefer his to any other. There were three of us altogether, Capt Gremfell, Lieut Ferguson, & self, & we were the only English people there. Unfortunately we could not wait for the end, but had to leave after the garden scene. On Saturday afternoon we had another great treat, this time it was a Capt Hawthorn, Lieut Dunnett, Lieut Perry, & self who made up the we. The treat was an orchestral concert, 65 musicians taking part, & Oh!, the music was simply glorious I have never heard anything like it, or even approaching it. For me to attempt to express my appreciation would be doing it too great an injustice.
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It is almost impossible for us to believe that the weather is so bad with you, when we think of the weather we had when we were there, & the good stuff we are getting now it is incredible. According to the papers and your letters everything seems to be in a very backward state. when I left I little thought there would be next to no turnips in by Xmas. However I can well imagine what it must be like if it is any worse than it was three years ago. According to statistics there seems to have been a good deal of dying off going on on the estate. I have often kept my eyes open for Obstipoff but have not managed to light on him yet. I think I told you that the little bay hack I had at Balclutha camp turned up here in the hands of the Regt. Sgt. Major, looking as fresh as a daisy & a tip-top hack. The little black mare of Jacks, that we had round two years ago is in my troop also, & not looking bad either. I do not see nay of our local friends amongst the reinforcements yet, surely some of those young bucks about Thornbury will make a bid before this is done with. It would be a good thing for some of them, they would then be able to apply the old adage, that “absence makes the heart grow fonder.” Riverton has done very well, but I think there are quite half a dozen in & around Thornbury who are quite eligible. One of the young Cloughley lads
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arrived with the reinforcements. Oh! Kate that young brother of your matrons has not made himself known yet. It was great the night Perry arrived, he made straight for my tent, the hour 1.30 AM. roused me up, & I had to take him round the camp to the different lines, showing him where his men were to go. It took us about an hour, & the night was awfully cold. However after about an hours tramping we got them fixed up & returned to our own little crib to talk things over. It was quite like the old Territorials days getting him to yarn to again. I mentioned in the P.C. I sent last week about the engagement on the canal, & about the Otago boys being in it. Well it was quite correct, but they did not have much to do, the fire brought to bear on them was not very effective. They were under fire for about half an hour, returning a fire which absolutely mowed the Turks down. The fact that there were none killed in the Otago lot proves to a great measure that the Turks fire was pretty wild. However our men wer exceptionally well entrenched, & perhaps that accounted for so few being scratched. The Turks seemed to think they had had enough for the time being for they retired in disorder. That they will come back I think is quite certain, for it is reported that they have merely retired to link up with their main body.
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When we are going get our dispatch from here I do not know, but hope it will be soon. We are rather expecting to get the order any day, & perhaps before this reaches you we will have had some experience. I believe the water questions is what is keeping us tied here, there being no water until we get 60 miles on the other side of the canal. I think I have fulfilled all your wishes in remembering you to all those whom you know. In regards to Morton, he has been in isolation for a fortnight, because of a case of measles breaking out in his tent. I have not managed to get any of my photos printed yet but will send them as soon as I have done so. You can tell Lizzie that George is down at the canal, but so far as we know his regiment was not in the brush. As to seeing him we used to converse pretty often before they ran away & left us. I am going to send his mother a post-card, in case he has not been able to write her from there. He was to send me word how he was getting on, but have not heard from him yet. At anyrate Lottie you can tell her that he was bright & cheery & in the best of form, for now when I come to think of it I do not know their address. Hutton is looking well & in the best of form, also Mr Ilwrick, Crawford, Howie & all the rest that you know. Oh! Lottie you can tell Miss Hutton that Birtie has a new Officer a Mr Finalyson, I think she knows him, also yourself. Howie is in command of a troop in the 12th Squadron
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The hour is growing late & I think I must be off. However, I must inform you that I have not yet received the box of cakes yet. I believe they have been sent home to England on a cargo boat, & should such be the case we might not get them for another month yet. In regard to the doings of Buller & Spanish have not yet heard. I have seen the results of the 2nd days racing at Ingill, but neither of them started. Have not been able to get hold of a paper with the results of the Wyndham or the 1st day of the Ingill races; so am thinking that no news means good news. Have no time to read this over, & know there are dozens of mistakes & words left out, but put them in where they are wanted & just carry on. Hoping you are all in as good health & spirits as self. I will say au rêvoir for the present.
Your Loving
Brother E.S. McI.
