Item 03: Frank Hurley war diary, 24 January-13 August 1918 - Page 58
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[Page 58]
19th Feby Tuesday. 18.
Bofore leaving with the Brigade, I had quite an interesting chat with Monsieur Jacir and General Cox, (commanding 1st Brigade) over a cup of coffee, and a vile liquer celled arrac [arrack]. Jacir described to us some of the despicable methods resorted to by the Turks to extort money and produce from the inhabitants. If any of the officers took a fancy to anything whatsoever, they simply took it away with them, and Jacir, who treated them with every courtesy, had to bribe to the extent of some thousands to keep his beautiful home from being sacked. One instance he cited of three Turkish officers who visited him, and these noticing a beautiful carpet on the floors desired to possess it. They however found it too large, whereupon one of the trio produced a knife and slit the carpet into three sections,