[Page 63]
with the ample turban. Various regiments of Kitchener's Army were represented among the British tommies & the Navy was represented by jack-tars & men of various ratings in the "square rig" & peaked cap.
English residents were not uncommon, & natives in different costumes from an immaculately dressed gentleman in sac suit & fez & silk umbrella to the filthiest of filthy beggars in nothing but rags, - rag-shops one of the men called them. Scores of girls & boys of various ages ran along the road at the side of the railways holding out hands or robes with cries of "Backsheeh, master": a coin thrown was at once pounced on & unhesitatingly thrust into the purse of natives, - the mouth, - quite regardless of dust etc that might be adhering. Their robes were of all kinds of gaudy colours, merry faces generally, with eyes bunged up with sandy blight in many cases.
From the town the line led out to the canal, which it followed, distant from it about a mile, for half the length of the canal. Ahead the smoke of several ships going thro' showed the direction it took, & behind was the French mail steamer "Athos" mentioned in page 53, followed shortly afterward by the "Osterley".
There were numerous stops, at one of which I was able to take several snaps, & before darkness fell we had some very pretty scenes that I wished you could all have seen & enjoyed.
Numerous encampments of British