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[Page 22]
Tues. Feb.18.
Turned out this morning what I thought was early, had a Bath & strolled down to D deck to find that Breakfast was over. I managed to get some steak & Bread & Butter & luke warm coffee, which was better than nothing anyhow.
Returning on deck I found that quite a number of Arabs were hovering around our ship in their boats selling oranges, dates, cigs. & silk articles. Most of the silk was "shoddy" but it sold to the Diggers like hot cakes. Yank paid 10/- for a mat which in my opinion would be dear at half the price. It was quite interesting to hear the bargaining going on between the buyers & sellers. The chaps in their Boats sent up their articles in baskets tied to ropes, & the money was sent down in the same manner.
Tues. 18/ cont.
It was quite like old times to hear the sing song of the "Gyppos" as they went about their various tasks, loading, etc & working on shore. We left Port Said at about 2 p.m. & steamed slowly up the Canal. It is not pretty country by any means as there is nothing to see on either side but eternal sand. The stations on the Canal are a very welcome break in the monotony of the desert. Their neat buildings & brave attempts at Gardens give quite a cheerful aspect to the Canal. [indecipherable] a number of Arabs tied on to our Boat & got a tow for a number of miles. We passed a big camp of Armenian refugees, who waved us a hearty "Farewell"; we also passed an enormous Camp & Dump which is evidently the Base of the British Forces in Egypt.