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[Page 198]
The big coin is Turkish and is used in Jerusalem mostly and is worth 5 1/2d, the small coin is a Turkish malime.
The three trinkets are not much good but I thought that Lorna Mardie amp&; Kath might like them as they came from over this side and the other two are for you but I am afraid they are not much so don't wear them if they look cheap. The broach is made of two silver one piastres and a two piastre piece; you don't often see silver piasters now as all the small coins here are being made of nickle.
We had some rather funny experiences in Port Said; you see we tried to get rooms at the "Continental" which is a good pub, but they were full so we had to go to a place the Continental people recommended to us and it was a rotton place; it seemed clean enough but there was no bathroom, and one thing we had looked forward to was a good bath, and a bed for one night cost 3/- and at that we had to fight the attendants to get more than one bowl between two of us.
The first morning there they brought us each a cup of tea in bed which seemed very nice but before we went out they tried to make us pay 10d for it; of course we refused but offered to give them 6d for it; they would not take this so they sent out and got in the military police to us.
Fortunately the police we good chaps and they told the Hotel proprietor that the 3/- was for bed and breakfast so instead of us paying for the tea we were to get breakfast free; which nearly finished the nigger but we would not take the breakfast as we had had enough of that pub.
Port Said to seems to be a terribly expensive place to