Primary tabs
Transcription
[Page 10]
At the top of this passage is a very big chamber sixty feet square & high, supposed to be the burial place of noted ancient Kings & there is still to be seen a huge granite coffin in the centre of the chamber. All this travelling inside the pyramid had to be done by candlelight, which the guide carried, making progress very slow & awkward for a missing of a foothold may mean a fall of considerable depth. After exploring the Kings chamber we descended the passage then along another, this one we were told was the burial place of the Ancient Queens. This chamber was much smaller than the Kings having nothing inside, so after seeing as much as possible fought our way back along the passages & was soon outside in the open air once more satisfied with our experiences. After putting our boots on it was decided to climb to the top outside which proved a very strenuous task but eventually reached the top which is 400 feet high. The top of the Pyramid has been levelled off so as to form a landing place for tourists who venture the climb, a pole being erected to show the original height. The view from the top is grand for one can see for miles with the naked eye, the patches of green pasture land around the Oasies on the desert giving a very peculiar yet beautiful sight. We spent some time on the top having a good look round, then set of for the ground below, setting out for home very tired & stiff after the days outing. We went back to camp via another route passing the Zoological Gardens, crossing over the River Nile by a very substantial bridge. The Nile is a very dirty looking river, having hundreds of house boats on it in which naives live, being crossed by a number of very finely built bridges. From the next day onward our reinforcement had to settle down to training which was a very big strain for we had done practically nothing since leaving Sydney. On the 27th January the whole camp was inspected by Lt. General Birdwood the Commander in Chief Australian Imperial Forces. The following day an old mate of mine who was in hospital suffering with a broken arm came to camp to see me so that night I went to see him as No 2 Australian Hospital. This place before the war was a big carpenters shop & situated right opposite Luna Park, used as another Australian hospital in Heliopolis. The following Sunday 30th January I went out to see Ghezireh Hospital, which is a fine big building situated on the left bank of the Nile, at that time being full of our wounded & sick. On Monday morning I was compelled to go on sick parade the giving me no duties through suffering with a cold in the kidneys through lying on the cold sand. Having nothing to do I wandered about looking a things I had previously seen also visiting Heliopolis on several occasions. Heliopolis is a very fine place, being well layed out and has numerous big white stone buildings & Australian Hospital of which the Palace is the largest. Situated near the camp was an Egyptian Grave yard which are very peculiar as the corpses are placed in the ground, then wet mud is heaped up high on the top & these cemetries are infested by ravens, big hawk like birds commonly called scavanges. On the 6th February I went to No 3 Auxiliary Hospital or as it was called the Sporting Club to see my mate who had been moved there from No 2 hospital. I met my mate & had a good look through the wards & gardens. The grounds are divided into, Polo ground, football fields & tennis courts, which are surrounded by beautiful hedges & gum trees. Adjoining the hospital grounds was a big Aerodromme which I also had a look through watching the planes on manoevoures which proved very interesting. I had tea at the hospital & after a good game of cards returned to camp well after lights out.