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[Page 45]
the city. Monsieur & Madame are to be observed here pretty often. The donkeys which are hired for hire are accoutred in a manner entirely different to that of a horse. The pommel of the saddle is large and rounded. The seat has no hollow. A strap passes round the front of the pommel and along the side of the animal and hangs down in & fashion at the rear. The harness clothes are usually ornamented in a tawdry fashion. There is a girth, bridle, & stirrups of course. There is a pretty fair piano at the restaurant. I am told that the hospital at the camp is run on lines entirely different to those of which we have had experience. The Arabs are mostly tall muscular men of good physique.
Saturday 19th December
Things have been going on pretty much in usual camp tradition. The last week the parades have been run differently to any we have had before. We are out for about six hours in the morning and there is also a night parade. Night
parades commenced on Thursday night. The long morning parades commenced on Monday last. We were marched out in full marching order over the sand for something like two miles. The Major very lightly equipped led the way. The pace was, to say the leats, hot. At the end of the march we had to climb a gravelly slope. Here the men simply melted away. Think that at most not more than half of our company kept in place to the top of the hill. Then the Major turned around and with a very grim smile on his face waited for us to come up. It was a very severe test. We did but little for the rest of the morning.