MacNamara diary, 19 August 1916-29 May 1919 / John Patrick MacNamara - Page 197
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[Page 197]
The Administration of Damascus is in the hands of the Hedjaz troops. They were a big surprise to me as they are very well turned out in appearance with a good uniform & they are fair in phisique also. A lot of them are wearing English uniforms but most wear their own dress.
What surprised me most about them is that a very big proportion are very fair in complexion while others are swathy & dark like the ordinary Arab or Bedouin.
The River Barada runs through the main part of the City, flowing very swiftly & disappearing underground in the Centre of the City, running beneath the city & outcrops comes up in places. There is an abundant supply of water every where throughout the city but it is not used nearly as advantageously as is possible.
The sanitary & drainage system is very bad indeed but there is no reason why Damascus should not be a very clean city indeed.
This hotel is a pretty rough one, which is only to be expected I suppose. The food is very poor indeed & one not being able to get a decent meal at all & we have to supply our own blankets. We have got to stay here tomorrow too, as there is no train to Beirut until Tuesday morning.
One day is all that one requires to see Damascus as there is practically nothing to be seen except the Bazaars.