Item 01: Eric Susman war diary, 1 January 1915-4 April 1916 - Page 90
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[Page 90]
Sunday 7 March 1915
To-day I was fortunate enough to dodge the usual church service, and proceeded forthwith to Cairo, with the object of visiting one or two of the Egyptian bazaars. And very interesting they proved. To penetrate through the maze of the back streets of the native quarters, I had, for the first time, to hire a dragoman or guide, and as might be expected, he was more bother than he was worth. As I strolled down the street, the absence of khaki struck me as pleasing and refreshing – it also had the same effect on the natives, for they were the happiest smiling crowd I have, as yet, seen in Cairo. A host of articles are offered to one – from a thick, luxurious carpet to an uncut emerald, from a silver coffee service to an imation coral necklace. Then one sees the Egyptians at work on their brassware, chiseling the quaint, distinctively Egyptian designs together with the ever present "Koran" inscriptions. Some time at a "Turkish delight" depot and a visit to a perfumer of cigarettes brought a very enjoyable afternoon to a conclusion.