MacNamara diary, 19 August 1916-29 May 1919 / John Patrick MacNamara - Page 118
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[Page 118]
of pipes. Most of the pumping plants were rendered useless by the retreating turks who took away some of the necessary parts. All these engines were of English manufacture.
Went up into the village today 2nd Jan & was rather disappointed in it. It is a scattered place nearly all the houses being made of wood. Some however being made of stone with either wood or tile roofs.
The people are all Jews & the universal language among them is German while only a few speak French. We can but [buy] quite a lot of things in there as dates, nuts, candles etc but everything is very dear. Change is very plentiful however which is quite a surprise to us.
I got into conversation with one chap who had travelled a good deal as a sailor & who told some interesting facts about the Turks. They have only one meal a day it seems, consisting of some black bread made from ground Dura (a grain) &