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[Page 10]
The lads were very taken with the Rickshaw boys, fine big Zulus painted all over, wearing large horns & feathers on their heads. They spent their time running round the city drawn by these great good natured niggers who, to attract your attention when passing, prance and bow like a fine blooded well conditioned race horse. Without a doubt they are the finest race of men physically that I have so far seen. I can realise now what Rourke's Drift was, and can conjure these docile chaps really in earnest, led by Unslopogaas, Charka or Cetewayo. Thank goodness we are fighting the Germans!
Many of the boys were taken about by Civilians in buggies & motors. Leave was granted the whole of Saturday, and as the half holiday was observed there, the lads came in for a good deal of attention, as did the local young ladies, by way of a return compliment. A mile from the Post Office is the Beach, laid out exquisitely, infinitely superior to Manly. Down here the elite promenade on the Saturday afternoons, & needless to say this is the locality where most of the men found themselves. All kinds of amusements were there, White City turns & bathing. Deck Chairs were free & could be dragged into a sunny possie & left there. Really the Municipal authorities seem to me to be miles ahead of Sydney, tho' of course we must not lose sight of the difference in size and the conditions of the building of the two cities. The eating houses were very clean everywhere & were very well patronised by us. In fact, as "Come and have a drink" was out of order, it was come and have a feed, my shout.
But the part which has left a deep impression on everyones mind was the individual kindnesses shown by people on all sides. Ladies gave us cigarettes, lollies, novels and invariably took our addresses with the object of sending regular packets of dainties. I suppose I have given my military address to half a doz. people of this kind. I make a wager that every man on the boat received an invitation during the two days there, to come and dine with a family! The open heartedness of these brother colonials is something which I will never forget. Two Ladies took Q.M.S. McComas, C.S.M. Clayton, Sgt Moran, Sgt Swan, & myself home to a grand residence and sat us down to a spanking feed. They had prepared the meal and then gone