Series 03: John Brady Nash letters, January 1914-December 1915 - Page 177
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[Page 177]
all being in the saddle for nine hours 7.30 a.m., to 4.30 p.m. The undulations on the desert make an ideal area for moving armies, from a spectators point of view because one can stand on one of the highest hills and see all that is being done for miles in all directions. More than 20000 troops were engaged.
About one hundred & fifteen years ago Napoleon I was in these parts, he fought a battle at Alexandria, & two here, the second that of Heliopolis made him master over Egypt; with 20000 French he defeated some 70000 or 80000 Egyptians and Arabs. At the time he built on the road Cairo to Suez towers of stone as landmarks to guide his people, one at every five miles; three of these, – 1, 2, & 3 – served for the troops moving yesterday to indicate positions around which the battle was to range itself. A wonderful man Old Nap, wherever he went he left marks of his genius & personality.
I returned to Mena House about 10 p.m. A warm bath & bed were very agreeable after the day in the sand and sun though a tempering breeze made the weather conditions agreeable to the individual & very suitable for men coming from Australia to work in. In our own land with such large bodies working, there must of necessity be dust, unless in those rare cases where grassed lands can be freely used. Were I but ten years younger I should still be on the Combatant – rather than the Med side.