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[Page 4]
4.
also on the premises. The last day or so we had two typhus patients. One died the next day and onewe left with Capt. Campbell and an assistant and he was getting on well and was quite cheerful when suddenly he collapsed and died in less than half an hour. After handing over to an Imperial unit we left about midday en route to Tinerius. Passing through Kefr Kenna a village larger than the ordinary and where we passed several European girls, chiefly Germans with a Jewish casts of countenance. In the hospital in Nazareth were some Germans sisters who were very indignant at the 4th L.H.F.A. taking possession and were refused keys to the cupboards of crockery and linen presses. The men soon burst some open and they then handed over keys. The hills were just as steep on this side as on the other, but descending instead of ascending we did not notice them so much. Grapes were in season and were large luscious and cheap, but required washing before eating. We camped near Lubien thro night watering horses by bucket from a well on the roadside. Next morning after a brisk walk of a few miles we looked down upon Tiberias on the S. of Gallilee. It is a very flat roofed village typically Arabic, and which looked very dirty. However as typhus and cholera were supposed to be prevalent in Tiberias it was strictly out of bounds, and we did not see it except externally. We halted on the N.W> side of the town apparently for orders, and whilst waiting a number of us went for a swim in the S. of Gallilee, or as locally called Lake of Tiberias. After enjoying this for half an hour we found we out of bounds being in the water and we got out as the unit was passing going N. following the road. We quickly dressed and followed passing El Madgel, and camping at Abu Shushen, next morning we continued again heading for Damascus, and a mile or two further on, we left the S. of Gallilee behind and seeing a mile or two distant on our right at the entrance of the Jordan into the S. of G. a village supposed to be where Christ stayed when coming to Gallilee. We had a splendid view of the S. of G. the distant shore being covered by hills which were 8 miles distant, but which appeared to be about 2. At the South end of the village, Samakh, where large railway workshops were situated, and where some few hundreds of Germans in a protected position tried to stop the 11th L.H. To a certain extent they surprised the L.H. but their surprise was the greater when the L.H. turned and charged up the steep hills, swords drawn slaughtering right and left, about 130 were killed and wounded, the balance (300) being taken prisoners. A few who managed to reach a launch started across the S. of G. but a troop of L.H. turned a Lewis gun on to it and getting their petrol tank soon had it in flames. Not one escaped. Two German commanders of Cols. strongly objected to being taken by a mere soldier, one was shot and wounded, and the other promptly changed his mind when he saw what refusal meant.