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[Page 23]
Saturday 19/2/16 – Tad stayed in camp to-day, so Miers and I went and walked about Cairo, had a look at the Sultan's Palace and then over the Kas-el-Nile Bridge, along the bank of this ancient river returning through Ghiza Gardens, there was not much life on the river and all along the bank lay a stream of white tourist streamers, which once must have rung with the gay laughter of merry tourists, but were now strangely silent and deserted like many other things since this awful war broke out and made men fly at one another's throats and put us poor beggars on an iron ration of bully beef and biscuits with a delightful change of greasy stew for every meal for a week. Ghiza Gardens are very plain, but we could not expect too much in this direction from a country like Egypt.
Sunday 20/2/16 – This morning I went to Aerodrome Camp and saw Jack, and had a very welcome chat with him. In the afternoon Tad, Miers and I had a look round the central railway station of Cairo, but returned to camp early.
Monday 21/2/16 – Jack and I went to the Kersail in Cairo and enjoyed the show very much.
Tuesday 22/2/16.- To-day we bought mats for the floor of our hut, which made it very comfortable. After parade Tad and I went down and had a game of Tennis on a court in Aerodrome Camp, where the charges for the court, loan of racquets and balls for 40 minutes is 5 piastres each for two or 4 piastres for four playing, and it seemed like home again to have a good game.
Wednesday 23/2/16 – This afternoon Stewart, Tad and I went to the Citadel, and of course visited the Mohammed Ali Mosque, which is just inside the gates and overlooking the courtyard where the famous massacre of the Mameluke Beys took place by the above Sultan, The Mamelukes were asked to a review and they paraded on their beautiful horses into the courtyard when the portcullis fell and there was no escape from the fire from the battlements. The main entrance of the Mosque opens into the usual courtyard with its fine old fountain richly carved. Running along all sides are a large number of pillars giving a stately aspect to the general view . From here we enter the main room of worship with its beautiful red carpet, decorated with bold designs in gold. What first strikes one is the curious light which is caused by the sun shining through