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[Page 7]
taking it all round but the drill was very solid. We started at 5.30 A.M. till 6.30 then at 8.30 till 12 noon then 1.30 till 4.45 P.M. then 3 nights a week out doing what is known to Military men as Patrole work and night observation and we used to have some fun too there is a place in the locality of the camp known as Virgins Brest and I think the N.S. Wales men charged that hill more time than the North Sydney people charged the Sydney Ferrys. And we often started at 3 in the morning to do this as it was supposed to be a supprise attack on the enemy. This is the camp where I first had the pleasure of chaseing chats [lice] and I have caught as many as 43 on me at one catch Every night we could manage it we went into Cairo. And I dont mind saying that we seen some sites and had some fun pulling the Egipos about. I remember one night the Four of us went in and the first thing to do was pinch four walking cans [canes] off the natives those with the bent end and then we would walk down the Streets looking for a big fat gipo sitting on a chair asleep and one would get him by the neck and one hook the chair and over he would go then there would be a run from the Picquit and M. Police. Then when we would get tired of that sort of fun we would muster up a few of the boys and go down in front of Shepperds Hotel where the heads would be and we would get about 4 yards apart and walk up and down the street in front of the hotel saluteing the officers until they would jerry to us and then the Police was sent to shift us.
One Saturday 3 of us got a Egipo to drive us around the town in his garry all went well till we got to the Art Gallery and when we come out no Egipo to be seen so he had a good win for we gave him 20 Piastres for 6 Hours and he eloped after 1 Hour. But I said good luck to him although we was wild at the time. Another day Pte Harwood and I went in to have a good afternoon so we paid 5 Piastre each for a donk to ride arround the town. So away we started full gallop and the owners always follow you but they walk well we are going around the corners and at last we did not know where we was and we had lost the owners so we handed them over to two little kids and told them that we had bought them for them. So that was the end of that days outing and we never saw Egipos or donks since. On the 23/12/15 I was in Cairo on my own and I got mixed up in a row and at the finish I run fowl of the M. Police and I love them like poisen. I dont know how a man could lower himself to leave his home to fight for his country and then join the M. Police for that is what they done in Egypt the mongrels they are. Well I was brought up on the 24th Exmas eve and sentenced to 7 days detention. So I done my 1915 Exmas behind the bars and lost 7 days pay and I missed my Exmas Billy. Well I got out on New Years Eve and was very near put in again we about 14 of us was in a tent singing about 8.30 and the Police came and told us to be quite or they would put us in so we reported them to our Officer and he told them to go about there bussiness and leave his men alone We had a good days sport on New Years day they started at 9.30 and we finished up with a concert at night. On the 5/1/16 there was a roumur that 100 men had to join the Battalion and our company was about 500 strong so some plucked up enough courage to go to the Orderly room and ask but they got no satisfaction. So things was not to good.