Item 01: Oliver Hogue letters, November 1914-29 December 1915 - Page 8
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[Page 8]
4
the doctor, plus little Ollie then commandeered a couple of motors & started out to explore. First we did the "City". The white population is only about 150 plus the garrison troops. The coloured population is counted in tens of thousands. Perhaps 100 000 is near the mark. We got a fine view of the Port as we came in ruggedly grand & forbidding. (Mabel your postcard of the Rock gives some idea). It is all volcanic formation & bare as a board. Close in the sea is a bright Eau de Nil. (Viv the colour of the sky in your postcard is something like it). The roads are excellent, miles better than Sydney. the track to the Tanks is wonderful. It winds in and out amongst the peaks & the tunnels are quite unique. (Ask Jim to show you his p/c. It gives an idea of the road). Just near this tunnel is the Grave of Cain, the bloke that killed Abel some little time ago. The Arabs point it out. Perhaps it is true - perhaps not.
The Tanks are the chief attraction. They were built by King Solomon (so the natives say) thousands of years ago. They run in terraces from the top of the mountain down to the 'crater' where the Arab village is situated. Here and there are wells & half naked Arabs.