Item 01: J. E. Morrison diary, 13 October 1917-29 October 1918 - Page 22
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[Page 22]
We passed hundreds of Turkish prisoners on the banks well guarded & seemed to be well contented with their lot. We arrived at Ismailia at 5pm & dropped anchor. A military guard was sent aboard with instructions that no one was allowed to leave the ship for the shore, letters or otherwise no communication whatsoever. We wondered if they took our Australian troopship for foreign or was it because conscription failed at Australia.
Our Captain wrote a letter on behalf of himself & the crew of the Canberra to the General in charge of the district & protested against such a drastic regulation. It meant we could not receive our home letters nor send any. Next day a Military officer came off & apoligised & said all of us were at liberty to go to Ismalia & that there had been a misunderstanding. Well we did go ashore. Some went to the Australian soldiers camp & rode on camels, others up the town. As per usual everything was dear & all looked up the Australian as if he had more money than brains. The Jippos are out to make money, does not care who wins & not trustworthy hence the twenty's of thousands of troops kept here otherwise they would no doubt cause trouble.
This is a country of cheap colored labor the result everything 250% dearer than Australia.