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[Page 370]
[Pages 370 to 378 are a nine-page letter, dated 9 May 1915, from Dr Nash to his "Girls". The pages are out of order and the letter is transcribed here in the page order in which it should be read. See individual images for detail. (At the top of the second and following pages of the letter is the word "Girls, which is not transcribed.)]
Lieut Col. Nash
C/o The D.M.S.
Cairo
Egypt
9 May 1915
My dear Girls:/
Letters were posted to you at the head post office in Cairo. Let me hope that the contents will be pleasing to you.
This afternoon I drove to Mena, with object to settle my accounts with the Manager & to see some of the patients. At the door of the Caravanserai I met Col. Springthorpe, I just said good day & went on. I concerns me little whether I ever see Col. Martin, Col. Springthorpe, or Major Grey ever again.
Captain Williams, one of the best, went with me. We were back at our posts at 6.30 p.m. partook of dinner, chatted, then I came to my quarters, had a shower bath, got into my pyjamas, sat at the table, commenced to write some more letters, and am now chatting with you
An anecdote for Mary O'Connor & others. A rather overbearing eyeglassed Major was inspecting companies on board ship. He surveyed John Smith carefully, adjusting his eyeglass to make sure, then remarked as sequel to a glaring look: - "Ha! Ha! No shave!" John Smith replied like a flash. "He! He! No razor!" Even trained soldiers could scarce restrain a smile. When J.S. had shaved previously, he borrowed a razor from a pal.
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11-5-15. Do you know what happiness is? Since leaving you at Circular Quay my position under Lnt Colonel Martin has been such as to make for unhappiness all the time. It was of no use complaining, but now I am away from him & his show. It is sincerely to be hoped that with Martin Springthorpe and Gray I shall not more have anything to do. To each as to any one else I shall be politely civil on every occasion but beyond that nothing.
The Isolation hospital in which I am now in charge is not much of a show, but it will develop, and General Ford has told me that I shall not be kept here for long. Where to next lies in the laps of the gods, and what kind of gods, God alone knows. As you know never a man set out with better intent to do good work for his show, it was annoying to find my efforts blocked at every step.
I fear that letters to you will for the future be brief. However I shall do my best to set out a few words every day.
The Jackarand is a favourite about Cairo. At the present moment nearly every tree is in bloom, some are as one sees those in the Sydney Botanical Gardens in full bloom, and then flowers interspersed with green leaves.
Another common flowering plant is the Oleander also now blooming, mostly of the red petalled variety.
This is a beast of a day. The wind is blowing off the dessert, bringing clouds of dust which spreads over & gets into everything.
Patients are pouring in here in large numbers this morning, giving to every body heaps of work, and to make things worst one of my men is sick in bed, an unfortunate man too. An eye must be kept on all of them, else a tangle would soon come about. It will come right.
My peck of dust will soon be swallowed here.
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What do you people think of the sinking of the Lusitania? If the Germans cannot win the war, they should be made to pay dearly for this wanton murder. What more is it? The destroying wilfully of a great ship, laden with non-combatants of all ages, from infancy to old age, rich and poor. A reign of terror is all right for the man who can terrorise. But can William of Germany with all his vaunted legions, withstand for all time the British French & Russian onslaught? He appears to be having the best of the fighting just now and I should not be surprised to see him victorious on this years fighting. Can he be so at the end of 1916? I think not, anyhow as far as our Empire is concerned. You know that faith in the Russians has never been a strong point with me, and in the staying power of the French it is a mistake to believe too highly. It is supposed from the telegrams that they have done well so far. Better than might have been expected. Can they keep it up. The histories of decadant nations give the answer, No. Let us hope that, in this case it should be yes.
12-5-15 – 10 am.
At the end of this week, tis in my mind to send to you a cable message. You may be somewhat anxious about me, a few words will relieve your mind, letting you know that I am still in Cairo.
This morning I was for a ride to the North of Heliopolis, towards the Nile river. The cultivated la[n]d, irrigated by canals and drains is the same as near Mena. Men, women, children, don't keep, camels, working the fields. … buffalo, shed, goats camels, and donkeys grazing on the lucern & other fodder or helping in the labour.
The barley is ripe or nearly so. Some fields have been reaped and the threshing is taking place. For doing the manual labour involved in separating the grain from the stalk, Bedowin Arabs wander round from place to place, camping on any vacant spot, in their primitive tents. The coloured tents in the paintings by de Leener [Jan de Leener, worked 1890s to 1920s, Australia] are very swell affairs, but the design is much the same as that put up by the humblest. Material of some kind supported by pieces of bamboo or other wood. The men the women the children goats sheep & donkeys huddle up
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on the lee side of the canvas structure. They look to be of the humblest in the land. One girl was cutting the wool of a sheep with what looked like a small table knife, the mutton was resting uncomplainingly upon the left side, the wool, more like mohair than that from our fleeces, was placed on the ground alongside the sheareress. I pulled up watched for a little and then said quies! Good, Inter-quies!!! Very good, and rode on.
Another woman was grinding corn. Two large flat stones are apposed, the surfaces rubbing together being roughewn by the grooves. A hole is in the centre of the upper one through this the corn is dropped, a wooden handle projects from the top side of the upper stone. With it the stone is turned round and round, the corn is ground between the nether & the upper stone. Thus the meal and flour were made in & before the days of Noah, & so they are done here today. The women probably did it then & so they do today.
Primitive really! Wonder are they all happy? Mayhap.
Milk: If a householder requires milk here, a man brings round the cow or the goat, milks the fluid into a basis or jug collects the money and goes on to the next house.
Some large jakarandas looked splendid all the branches bearing full blooms.
The palaces on the edge of the cultivated lands are enclosed by high plastered stone walls, within which are extensive orchards, stabling accommodation, flower gardens, & other signs of luxury.
Captain Williams, with whom I live, had charge of the princely relations of the late Kehdive, when they were under surveillance in the Citadel Gentlemen every one of them, educated at Oxford, also in France, with money in abundance, none of them liked the incarceration, the Kehdive had gone away, they were left. Williams is just the man for such a job, and I have no doubt that he, performed it well. He comes from Queensland & is a great contrast to the three Mena men with who I was in close contact at Mena. He is of the Harold Sparks build and type. Mirth flows forth from him during each meal, whereat he keeps
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Captain (Dr.) Plant & me highly amused. He saw service in South Africa as a private, of it he tells us much in an amusing way.
14-5-15. 11-45 pm. During every day this week I have looked for letters from you none has arrived. On Wednesday several letters and papers came from Melbourne, but not one from Sydney. A mail arrived but why not from your city it is difficult to understand. We shall now have to wait till next week
On Thursday morning, Ascension Day, and this morning (Friday) I visited a most interesting place. It is at Matariyyeh, a town about two miles from where I am writing, on the other side of Heliopolis. It is on the site of Old Heliopolis. An obelisk, brother to the Cleopatra's needle that is on the Thames embankment, marks the site of the ancient city. It was brought as all other large blocks of granite from far up the Nile, and has battle gainst the elements of time and weather for some six thousand years, a venerable land mark that has capacity, as far as one can judge, to stand for as long a time in the future as has been its midst the centuries that have passed.
To Christian people the Virgins well, the Virgins tree, the Balm garden, & the Chapel connected therewith are the attractions. With them are associated traditions of the Holy Family during their residence in Egypt. In the 2nd Chapter of St. Matthew is narrated the causes for and the flight into Egypt and the return to Nazareth of Joseph Mary and the child Jesus. It was at or near the Virgins well or spring that their humble habitation had its site. The Jesuit fathers have a presbytery in the garden, and judging from present appearances they exercise a loving care over their charge. I have not yet spoken with any of them but I must do so at an early date, but first I shall call at their house in Cairo. Letters to the principal
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have been in my possession since I was in Alexandria, up to date they have not been delivered.
The new Church was entered by me on Thursday a little before 8 a.m. I just had time to say a few prayers and then galloped back to breakfast. It is in the Balm garden, entrance being through iron gates which are in the surrounding walls. A native boy held my horse The Church in cruciform with a surmounting dome & subsidiary domes. The long arm of the cross is for the congregation, the three other arms are for the main and two latteral altars. The seating accomodation is for about 120 persons and as many more might comfortably find standing room. The interior suggests religious piety of the highest order, and care of the best by those who look to it.
The main altar is decorated in simple style. Above it in a recess is a Holy Family group, lighted by a window in the surmounting dome. The Virgin seated, the child standing on her knee and St Joseph standing. The grouping and setting are pleasing suggesting much that that has been written of the family from which has dated modern events and upon whose history has been built the morals and ethics of close on two thousand years, of a character and class which we say to be and think to be of a standard far in advance of any previous civilisation or of those which now survive in the world. Such being the case 'tis to me a great privelige to have opportunity for visiting and taking notes about the plot of land and its features which have been trod and utilised by so holy and such epoch making people.
The altars in the latteral arms of the cross are well cared for. Stained glass windows serve to light the congregation's space, below them are arranged the relief pictures of the Stations of the Cross in ordinary sequence, and lower still are six frescoes, three on the left
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three on the right. From rear to front they are
1. "Massacre des Innocents". Herods soldiers are depicted killing the infants in the presence of their Mothers.
2. "Ordre due Depart". An angel is telling St. Joseph to set out for Egypt, he is seated in the centre of the room, and his carpenters tools lie on the floor close by. The virgin an child recline on a raised couch in the corner of the room.
3. "Fuite vers L'Egypt". The Virgin, with child on lap, is seated astride a donkey, their family luggage hanging in small parcels across the neck of the animal, St. Joseph leading it.
On the right from the front to rear:–
4. "Halt au bord du Nil." The Virgin with Child on lap is seated near a sphynx. An angel stands just behind them. St Joseph has the donkey at the river drinking. All is dessert sand around relieved but by a few date palms, varying sizes.
5. "L'arbre de la Vierge". The Virgin is seated on a knotty root of the tree, the child on her lap. St Joseph standing close by. The donkey tethered on the other side of the trees trunk.
6. "Entree a Heliopolis". The Virgin with child on lap is seated aside on the donkey. St Joseph follows. The group under the arch of the great gate which served as entrance to the city.
The colour tone of the pictures is pale blue, and the vestements of the people a dark blue. The paintings may not be of high artistic value, but they set out the story in graphic style for each who looks and thinks.
On Friday morning at 7 O'Clock I was again at the Church in time for Mass. A French priest officiated, three of his colleagues were within the altar rails. I was the congregation. A Notice at the gate gives warning – "Mass every morning at 8 O'Clock, during May at 7 O'Clock also.
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On Assencion Thursday, two Sisters of the Church had in charge some fifty children, while there were some men and women ready to hear the Mass to be said at 8 O'Clock.
I enclose you some pictures.
To night when at No. 1 General Hospital I was speaking with Ramsay Smith about the Chapel. At once that indefatigable worker said "Oh I have some photographs of the place, exterior and interior, he showed me the negatives and he has promised to have some pictures struck off for me. I offered to pay for them but he said that he would have them done. I hope that he will as I should prize them much for sending to you. They would be original and unique. One of you could take them to Santa Sabina to let M. M. Bertrand & the others see them.
The Virgins well is close by. The water is clear and sweet, attested to by my drinking from a glass of it presented to me by a Native. The Sycamore tree, (really a fig tree), which now represents the original, is a knotty gnarled decrepit specimen, bowed towards the ground to so great extent, that to prevent it from falling supports are kept applied to each part. If not two thousand years old it suggest great age and slow growth. It is enclosed by a special railing, but is marked in every inch by names carved upon it by the ruthless knife of the visitor. Mulberry and other trees flourish round about.
The Balm garden is so called because formerly the trees called "Balm" waere grown there, and from them was extracted the perfume which could not be equalled, the juice exuding from the cut inner bark, the oil after a long process of treatment separating from the rest of the fluid. It
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It was the property of the ruler in Egypt, and he distributed it to various potentates & other people. A drop was much prized for batysmal purposes, especially by the Abyssinians. Do you remember to have heard of this before? I shall post to you a book that will give to you more information than is set out in these sheets.
I am glad that before leaving Egypt it has been my good fortune to visit so holy and interesting a shrine.
Wounded still continue to pour into Egypt from the Dardanells, train loads of officers and men come to Cairo each day. As yet no list has been issued. We wonder if you yet have been provided with a roll of those killed. Some of the wounded are not recovering. I have been told that Dr. Joe Kenny, brother I think to the girls from W. Australia who one time were at Santa Sabina was killed with others of his Ambulance.
Good night! Good night!!! Good night!!!!! I shall finish this for post tomorrow. [Lines of Xs and Os.] Car. [Lines of Xs and Os.] Joe. [Lines of Xs and Os.] Kit.
Just to think of it, when I was outside a few minutes ago, walking to the office, some drops of rain fell upon me. They were really wet.
15-5-15. Saturday – Posting today. May add something as a supplement tomorrow in another envelope. No letters from Sydney yet. Shall hope for next week.
Good bye my dears. God bless you. To all my friends best wishes & kind regards. To yourselves heaps of love & loads of kisses from
Your lvng & affn Faree
John B Nash.
The Misses Nash
219 Macquarie St.
Sydney
N. S. Wales.