Series 03: John Brady Nash letters, January 1914-December 1915 - Page 517
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[Page 517]
29.8.15. Australian troups are being poured out of Cairo daily. Colonel Holmes and his crowd went last week. General Legge and the 6th brigade start to day. The 7th brigade go at the end of this week. It is ten thousand pities that they could not all be kept here for six months training, after that they would be in position to give good account of themselves. With the very limited knowledge that is possessed by officers non commissioned offiicers and men, I fear greatly for the result. However we can but hope for the best. With English, French, and Colonials in Galipoli the numbers of fighting men on that strip of land is probably greater than it has ever been in the long series of centuries during which it has been the convincing ground between the various nations that have congregated round the Sea of Marmora.
Kenneth Garrick and two of his soldier friends called upon me this afternoon as they expect to leave Cairo within a few hours. I wished them all sorts of good luck, and hoped to meet them some day in Sydney, in the future. What think you? If you see Mrs Rouse you will please tell her of the setting out of her grandson.
You must please forgive me for not sending to you such long letters recently, but my eyes have persistently refused to keep upon during the night, eating too much and growing too fat on the feeding which Jerom is giving to me. Jerom is looking better than he has ever been. I some fancy that he is thirsty, and he would give half a crown to rush across Macquarie Street and down King or Hunter Street to the nearest hotel. If this idea be correct he must be very thirsty, because he has been strictly correct for a long time, his wife would hardly know him were they to meet in the street, I hope that he will get back home in like fettle.
Train loads of wounded come constantly into Cairo, indicating that the fight is being continued at the peninsula. On one train to day some Turkish prisoners were brought, not as many as we should like but better than none, if but a few thousand were forthcoming a desireable effect would be produced upon the population of Egypt.
By this post I am sending to you a registered parcel, the long promised beads, they come from the graves of the ancient Egyptians, having been buried with the embalmed bodies of their owners. They are quaint and some what uncommon. If you get them strung together firmly and arranged with some of the gold out of the safe they will be uncommon ornaments in your part of the world, however you will know best how to deal with them. At present they are held together by modern cotton which is not too strong. In the tombs unless they were strung on gold thread they are found loose and thread having become deteriorated with the lapse of time during which they have been stowed away.