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[Page 9]
July 18th We are inspected by Brigadier ,General Holmes who gave a very fine address on military subjects. He said we had three things to do in the way of training. Shoot, march and dig. The weather is very hot and oppressive and requires a lot of getting used to. We are al issued with shorts at 10 o'clock at night and informed that General Maxwell was to inspect the Battalion at 7 o'clock in the morning.
July 29th General Maxwell inspected the Battalion and afterwards gave an address chiefly concerning discipline. A native boy came to the camp and gave an exhibition of rifle exercises and bayonet exercises showing very remarkable aptitude, it was impossible to give him an order which he could not correctly carry out. I gave a lecture on discipline to the Company. We four Subs have a tent to ourselves, it is a large E.P. Tent and one sleeps in each corner.
We all rushed out of the tent in order to obtain a photo of a native Corporal of Police who came along to the camp. The Native Police Corporal looks quite grand on his black horse and is delighted at the idea of having his photo taken. They carry a carbine slung over his shoulder.
July 30th The shorts are a great improvement and are very comfortable. We have now all settled down to the conditions and are fairly comfortable. The sand and glare of the sun is very trying for the eyes. The climate is not quite so bad as we were led to believe and the general physique of the men as long as they keep away from the drink and women is good. There are wet canteens for all ranks.
July 31st Nothing
August 1st Visited the pyramids and Tombs. Mena House is ¾ of an hours ride from Cairo in the electric tram. We left the camp I the morning in a native four wheeled vehicle called a Garry accompanied by a native guide who we had engaged for the day for 1 pound, 100 Piastres. The guide paid all expenses. The day was very hot and we did not like the idea of getting out of our drill dress of shorts.
Arriving at the trams we had a soft drink and the guide asked us if we required anything to eat but as it was so early we said no. We went straight out to the Pyramids passing over the river Nile and some of its tributaries and finally finished up at the base of the pyramids, hired a camel each and rode up as far as we could get.
It was my first experience on a camel and in early got pitched off when the camel got up and down, their stride reminds one of a small boat on a rough sea although they can get up a fair pase. The one I had was ten years old and I was informed that they live about as long as a horse.