Series 03: John Brady Nash letters, January 1914-December 1915 - Page 239
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[Page 239]
illshaped, uneducated, he is driven by the jerking of the reins the lashing of the whip and the shouting of the driver. At his best he is but a puny creature compared with the average horse from Australia that has been brought here. Are no shapely and attractive horses to be seen? Oh yes more stylish upstanding pairs of horses, well groomed & caparisoned are in the streets of Cairo during one afternoon than one could find within the compass of a year in Sydney or Melbourne, but they are not native to the soil, they are of European origin for the most part. Racing is in vogue here, as also is polo, the horses for these sports, I am told, come mostly from Syria. Many shapely little animals of high mettle compete for the various prizes. It may be of course, that the words of the song applied to the arab of the dessert, far far from the abode of the Egyptian.
Doffie in her letter to hand a few days back, mentioned that the type writer at No 219 is not in good working order, send it to be repaired, she will tell you where, then you Kitty dear can soon become efficient in the use of the machine. Knowledge comes in handy on many occasions during life when one least expects and so may it be with the typewriter.
Sir Ian Hamilton, a highly placed general in the British army was here this morning inspecting the troops of the Australian division. I heard it said at dinner that he told the soldiers they were a fine body of men but sadly needed training in discipline. As amusing a talk took place by those around our board as one ever listened to. The little Commedian, more undisciplined than any one in the brigade, vented his opinion upon the necessity for its being understood by every one & being practised by each. Discipline
[Sir Ian Standish Monteith Hamilton (1853-1947), British general, was Commander in Chief of the Mediterranean Expeditionary Force at Gallipoli.]