Series 03: John Brady Nash letters, January 1914-December 1915 - Page 318
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[Page 318]
have almost gone, the brightness of the sun is dissipating them forever, yet may by tomorrow be followed by others like unto them as 'tis possible for God to make them. Some dark bands of clouds are in the place where the colours were brightest. Some Arabs in flowing gowns of black & white are moving across the near middle distance, making towards their daily toil. Flat topped single storied mud or brick cottages, windowed as is the custom of the country dot the landscape or rather sandscape to the left, around the corner of the nearest one the arabs walk, their journey bringing them between the foot of the sphynx & the cottage. The faintest remains of the colours are now far away as my eyes can see, nearest to them being deep blue colour on the land. Australian gum trees – what think you of that? – occupy a place on the picture here & there.
Some of our men are camped in a grove of gum trees, not flourishing as they do in New Zealand, yet growing as well as in many parts of New South Wales. A surprise never expected to see the gums Eucalyptus represented in this part of the world. The horizon is more filled with light, the thickness of the clouds appearing to obscure the margin of the sun, no golden ball shines through them but the light becomes clearer moment after moment. Full daylight is once more upon the sands of Egypt, making clear its sands, its people, – a woman with a load poised upon her head is walking away from here & round the corner of the cottage nearest on the left, by this she is now hidden from view – its peculiarly shaped buildings bespeaking architecture of byegone ages, and a length of life extending far into the past.