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[Page 75]
was considerably reduced.
At about 6 pm just as the dusk was coming on, and there is practically no twilight in Egypt, we weighed anchor and made for the entrance of the Canal. We were ordered to parade for there was a British and a French cruiser lying in the entrance and it is an act of courtesy on the part of a troopship to parade the men and salute as they pass the bluejacket who do so much for our protection.
They gave us great cheers and cried "Good old Wallabies", "Cheery-ho lads". "Die hard boys" and many other things. These little incidents are all very spicey and we always enjoy passing a battleship - the sailors are such wits. Of course we were so close that we nearly brushed her side. The Frenchies gave us a most weird and remarkable cheer but were very wholehearted. Well, we turned up the canal. Everywhere there were dugouts and trenches. Barbed wire entanglements could be seen covering a belt which in places was 150 yards wide, on the Asiatic side of the Canal. The stocky little Ghurkas greeted us everywhere, leaping from the lookouts and tents to run down to the shore and cheer. But we saw little that evening.
At daybreak we were up and enjoying the fact that we were passing through the exact spot where the heaviest of the fighting took place, El Kantara. The ground is still very disturbed, the remains of dugouts etc., and a line of trenches on the canal's edge is still inhabited by these faithful Indians. The barbed wire entanglements are here very extensive. I doubt if the real traces of the affair will be properly wiped out for years to come.
We noticed away on the desert a slowly moving whirlwind of dust, gradually approaching us. As this drew nearer we saw it was caused by a number of horses galloping. On it came till we could distinguish the turbans of the famous Bengal Lancers. They were out exercising their horses and by way of a little muscle producer they galloped their hardy ponies a distance of about 4 miles, never pulling rein till they propped dead on the very bank of the canal opposite us. Here, by a pretty manoeuvre, showing what wonderful horsemen they are, they formed two deep gave us three cheers. We've all got soft spots