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and though two aeroplanes and many smart small war ships looked carefully for the submarine, she could not be found, though the water was as smooth as glass, she must have sunk to the ocean's ben [bed] and kept quite till darkness came, and under cover of this she crept away.
On the morning of the 25th of April I was working on one of the cutter towing Australians from the ships to the shore. The sailor men thought the Australians to be made, because they jumped out of the boats into the water, made straight for the shore ran across the few feet of level beach, and wi giving forth a terrifying shout, such as none of us ever heard before, and not waiting for the word of command, they threw off all encumberances in the form of packs &c., they rushed the steep side of the hill, reached the top ran down the gully on the other side and up the second hill higher than the first, the Turks must have been frightened by the great shout because they began to run at once retreating and firing. The sailors were landing troops all the time, and were lost in admiration of the bravery of the men who made the assault. A great feat of arms. Such a place to take. The yell they gave must have demoralised the Turks. A terrible yell. They had hearts of lions to do it. Such was the chating of the simple sailor man about the first fight made by the Australians in this war. Good for your fellow countrymen, looked at from the point of view of him as a fighting man.
12.7.15. I hope that you will receive my telegram in the morning, which will be Tuesday, and that it will please you to know that all is well with me. Jerom is feeding me in such effect that my weight is increasing daily and my energy is at the highest pitch.
This evening I paid a short visit to the sisters of the African mission at Zeitoun, they are a jolly lot of girls, old and young, the Irish woman showed me round the garden and the poultry yard, in the latter I had a chat with several of the women, telling them about the rabbits in Australia, the keeper of the poultry being quite indignant that we should feed pigs on such beautiful beasts as those like to her rabbits, she could not understand how they should be a pest. I showed your photographs, and in you they became much interested, enquiring about the Dominican sister and the others. I wished to go to Matareiah but it was late and return to my crowd of lambs was essential lest they should get out of hand with my captain. They are such a wild lot that it takes but little to start them on a row and once begun it might not be easy to check it.
Good night: To my friends kindly wishes of all kinds. To each of you heaps of love and loads of kisses from
Your lvng & afft Faree
John B Nash.
The Misses Nash
Sydney