Primary tabs
Transcription
[Page 39]
& a strong hot wind was beginning to blow from the south east across the desert. The water in our bottles was very warm & at 11 oclock it was that hot as to make it undrinkable. The heat was intense & the wind was blowing very strong. The flies were down to it & gave us no trouble at all. Our throats were already parched & the sun being on the back of our heads made us feel giddy.
At 11.15 we came to an oasis in a hollow & we got into the shade of the trees. It gave us little relief as there was scarcely a breath of air & the temp must have been 120° There was a well here but the water smelt strongly & we were ordered not to touch it But it was impossible to keep a lot of the men away, some were staggering & a few fainted. I had my bottle half full of hot water & so I made a fire & boiled some tea. This made me feel much better but my throat was just as dry after I had drank. At 12.30 pm we got the order to mount & push back to Sagra [Sagia]. It seemed as though