Diary of Cyril Strahan Parry - Part 4

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There is another ship very close behind us. 
The journey through here is estimated at 
14 hours (at the fastest) The deserts
look very bleak round here, but on the 
Egyptian side they are not so bad, as
there are some irrigated patches.
We are passing steamers every little
distance, tied up to make way for us.
A special Guard has been placed on
deck tonight in case we are fired on
by the Turks who are reported to be
in large numbers about here. It is 
not altogether as comforting as it may be.
December 1^st Tuesday
This morning early we arrive at Port 
Said & anchor opposite the City. We are
now taking in Fresh water & Coal.
The coals is arrived on Board by Blacks 

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who are very quick, it is said this is
one of the best coaling ports in the world.
There are several Warships in here.
3 French, 1 British Battleship & 1 Cruiser.
We are not more than a few yards 
from one of the Main Streets so can see all
that is going on there. There are centries
posted all along the Canal & Docks. A
little way ahead on the Canal Bank is

a large Monument of Ferdinand of Lessapps
"The Frenchman who built the Canal of
Suez" Port Said is a very big City with
beautiful buildings and is well laid out.
Just by us are the Buildings of the
Suez Canal Company which are very fine.
The Canal has to be continually
dregded & there are a great numbers of
dredges of the Company about the Harbour

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There is a direct Railway from here to
Cairo & also one to Suez.
The Natives are not allowed to come
alongside here to trade. But we have 
been entertained by Italian Musicians
(1 man & 2 girls) who are playing Mandolins
& singing. The Frenchmen on the
Warships cheered us when we arrived
to-day & have been very friendly ever
since. The Indian Troops all along the
Canal were quite excited, & were eager
to know where we were bound for, &
on learning we were for Egypt they
were extra pleased. Tonight
preperations are being made to convey
"A" Company of the 5^th Battalion from
here to Cairo, first thing in the morning.
They are all excited & a Band Concert 

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is being held as a "Send off" as we are 
lying close alongside 3 French Warships
there is a good deal of cheering at

7 o'clock the P & O liner Egypt arrived
through the Canal from Suez & ^as she
is from Australia we expect to get a
mail on Board tonight. 
December 2^nd Wednesday
All day the various Troopships have
been arriving through the Canal and
anchoring in the Harbour. This
afernoon at 3p.m we leave Port Said
in company with the New Zealand
Transports & make for Alexandria,
so are at see once again.
December 3^rd Thursday
This morning at 6 a.m. we arrived at
Alexandria & drew alongside the 
Railway Pier

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During the morning we unloaded our
kits & Baggage & after lunch we put
them into Truchs ready to go to Cairo.
As there was no room provided for us
in the carriages we had to get into
the Trucks as best we could. We left
Alexandria about 3 pm & very soon
were into the country passing
through Rice, Maize, Cotton Fields
also Date plantations etc. We
arrived at Cairo at 8pm & were
provided with a cup of hot cocoa &
& bread & cheese. We then had to load
our baggage into Tram Cars that had
been prepared for carrying stores. We
then went through Cairo (on top of the
baggage) and arrived at Mena
9 miles from Cairo, at the foot of the 

53 
Pyramids, & had to turn to & load our 
stores on to carts & take them to the
Camp Ground. There we found that no
tentage was supplied for us so we had 
to sleep on the Desert & mighty cold it
was too with only 2 blankets.
Next Morning (Dec. 4^th Friday) we had
to have breakfast off  Bully Beef &
biscuits & for dinner we managed to
get some fresh beef, but as we only
had one dixie into in which to cook,
Meat, potatoes, & Tea, we didn't have
a very grand dinner. For Tea that
Evening we had to go to Cafè near by
for something to eat. This afternoon
we managed to get two tents, these we
pitched on a hill above the reservoir.
This afternoon some of us had a look

54
round the pyramids which are longside
the camp. We went inside the Big
Pyramid & had a walk through the
Native Village of Mena on our way to 
the Sphinx. Our guide could speak
English fairly well & we were well
satisfied with him.  We intend to
go again with him as soon as possible.
Tonight we are sleeping 14 in a Bell
tent & of course were warm but a bit
crowded.  We have had to change our
English Money into Egyptian Money
as English Silver is not recognised here.
December 5^th  Saturday
Tonight we are on leave, & go into Cairo
in Trams about 5pm. & get back again
late at night. We had a good look
round the City, some pa^rts of which 

55
are
very fine & some are very bad. There are
many Europeans in Cairo but very few
English. (Mostly Italians) & French.
The European Shops &  Cafès are very fine &
quite up to date, also some of the Hotels & Trams.

December 6^th Sunday
Today we are taking thing s very easy &
during the afternoon had a look at the Temple
of the Sphinx (just over the rise from here)
Troops are still coming into Camp, yet more
than half of them have yet to arrive.
December 7^th Monday
There are four pyramids within a few
minutes walk from here, the largest is  471 ft.
high. Some distance off are several more but
much smaller. The Natives here are very
stubborn & have to be driven to everything
they do. Plenty of bluff & an accosional boot
being required

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December 8^th  Tuesday
To day S.S. Lloyd & I accompanied by a

Guide visited Mena Village nearby. This
village tho' small has between 3000 &
4000 inhabitants (mostly Egyptian) The
streets (?) are very narrow (in places only a
few feet) & filthy dirty. There is a Mosque &
several small shops.   There is apparently.
no education or idea of Sanitation among its
people. Hundreds of them live in tombs of 
Ancient Egyptians) & have little or no furniture
at all. The children (of whom there appear to
be hundreds) play about the streets with the
fowls, geese, goats & donkeys. The children . 
were so filthy we could not even allow
them to come near us & had to be
continually ordering them to go away
(IMSHI). In the quarters occupied by

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the richer ^(?) of them, the conditions were a
trifle better, the children were quite clean & .
rather nice looking. The people get a living
as guides, donkeymen & camel-men, &
some work in the fields nearby. (Our
Guide lived in this Village). The Better
classes do not allow their women folk to be
seen by Europeans, all that we caught
glimpses of, hurried into the nearest
doorway till we had passed, The poorer
people do not follow this custom at all.
The Mohemedans say their prayers three
times aday. They take off their shoes & spread
out a mat (sometimes a cloth) then turn

their faces towards Mecca & begin
business. They knelt down & put their
foreheads on the ground several times
& mutter prayers. This performance

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takes several minutes. Tonight we are
informed that we have to move into the
City & go into Barracks. Our Arab friends
are very sorry we are going away from them.
These are two Arabs ( Father & son ages
about 60 & 30) who are in charge of the
water supply to the Camp & have to 
turn on & off the Taps to keep the tanks
full. We give them a drop of tea now &
again, & they sit round our fire at night
& teach us a few words in Arabic.
Tonight they brought up a bucket for
the stew & a big tin for the tea, they
evidently thought we wanted to supply Cairo
Wednesday 9^th   December)
This morning early we packed up
our baggage ^etc & moved into Kasr-El-Nil
Barracks in Cairo. These Barrack
s 

 59
are situated close to the City on the Banks
of the River Nile. We are alloted four
"Quarters" & have formed a Mess of our own,
& Employ Native Cook, Waiters & Washermen.
Saturday 12^th  December
This afternoon I went out to Mena Camp & saw
Athol for the first time since I left him
in camp in Tasmania. He is in the best
of spirits & condition & enjoying himself
thoroughly. I also saw other Tasmanians
Sunday 13^th  December
This morning we went to a Church (the 
first time since leaving Australia).
It was 'All Saints" Church (English.)
in the centre of the City. We saw
quite a number of English people there.

In the afternoon we went to the
Zoological Gardens at Gizeh. They

60
are very beautiful especially the footpaths 
of which there are miles of
them, made of Black, white & brown
stones set so as to form patterns.
The patterns are wonderful. All the
stones (about the size of pigeon eggs)
came from Italy & are said to have
cost about 1 piastre each (2 ½^d )There
is, in the gardens, practically every
species of Bird & animal from Africa.
Monday 14^th December
We visited the Arab & Jewish Quarters
of the City. They are very old & quaint.
The streets being filthy dirty & only a
few feet wide. Scarcely room to pass in
some places. The Jewish Quarters are a little
better. We noticed that the Arab children
were very badly off, while the Jewish 

61
children no matter how poor they were,
were always healthy & clean. The Arab
children always suffer from bad eyes
(the result of filth). We had a Guide
through his part, a Mr Yaish, who we met
in a Tobacco store in the City. He is an
Italian & has taken a great interest in
us & shows us round everywhere.
December 15^th Tuesday
This afternoon we visited the "Bazaar". This
is where a great deal of the trade is done.
We saw the Egyptians weairng ^ wearing Cotton &
Silk & very clever they were too. We also
saw them making wooden shoes, Brassware 
& also grinding grain & Mustard etc.
There were rows of perfume stalls, Carpets,
Amber ware, Brassware, Silk, Boots,
Cloth, Grocery, Jewellery, Stalls etc.

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All were to a quarter to themselves & all
we saw were beautiful & much fairer
finer than anything I have ever seen.
Especially the Silks. After a little
bargaining we were able to make a
several deals. Mostly Silks & Tapestry's.
Dec. 16^th  Wednesday
Today we are busy getting tables, Chairs etc
into our offices in Chareh-El-Cheikh-abou.
El. Sebaa. Near the Centre of the City.
(Saw Athol tonight).
Dec. 17^th  Thursday
We make a start at work  but do very little
as we have not got into our stride yet.
Dec. 18^th Friday
Today Egypt was declaired a British
Protectorate. It was taken very quietly &
to day the City is decorated with the flags 

 63
of the Allies such as England, France,

Belgium, Russia, Greece, Italy, America.
We have over our offices, a large Red Ensign.
The Official Ceremony has not yet taken place.
December. 19^th Saturday
Athol came in to Kasr-El-Nil. Barracks
just about 5. 30 p.m. He had tea with us &
afterwards we went into Town until it
was time for him to get his Tram to Mena.
To day  I received the first letter since
leaving Australia (from I.V.)
Dec. 20^th Sunday.
This Morning about 9 a.m. was the
Official Ceremony of the Declaration of the
Protectorate of Egypt. The streets were
lined from Kasr.-El-Nil Street Bridge to
Abdin Sq. (via Kasr-El-Nil Street, Bular
st & opera Sq.) by English, New Zealand,

64
Ceylon, Egyptian & Australian Troops.
There were great crowds in the Streets &
the public were in general were very
Enthusiastic about it, thus proving their
loyalty to Great Britain. The procession
consisted of a Squadron of British Cavalry,
Then two squadrons of Egyptian Cavalry
Followed by the State Carriage - of the New
Sultan Hussein I & British officials &
their Escorts. We got on to the roof of a
3 storeyed Building in Sharia Abdin.
& had a very fine view of the whole
procession, From here we took snapshots
of the procession & the crowd
but as the Elevation was great, the
results are doubtful. We afterwards
went round the City & had a look
at the decorations & photographed them. 

65
Tonight numbes of the Principal Buildings
are illuminated. Today happens to be the
61^st Birthday of His Highness Sultan Hussein I
During the afternoon we went by Tram to the
Citadelle & went through it. We had to pass in
through  2 sets of tremendous gates in the 
wall & inside is a Beautiful Mohemedan
Mosque of a great age, It is built of very
fine Alabaster (now age worn) & has a big
dome & two very high minarets. We were
permitted to go inside, but we first had to
put on special shoes over our boots as the
Mosque is considered "Holy". Inside we
first entered a large Courtyard paved
with square blocks of Beautiful Marble
In the Centre of the Court was a fine
Marble Fountain about 20 feet high.
We then passed into the Mosque itsself

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This was very roomy | in fact the largest
building I have ever been in) & a great
height, the dome was coloured glass &
thus the inside was full of beautiful
shadows, from the ceilings  were hangings
hundreds of chandelairs & Lamp (once candle
lamps now Electic) There are lighted
every morning at 10 a.m. when prayers are
held. The Citadell is a very large fortress
built about 1200 years ago by S-aladin, was 
occupied by Napoleon who built another
fortress near by, Marks of the French
cannon balls are still visible on the
Mosques round about. It is now used by
the British & Egyptian Armies for Saluting
purposes, & Barracks, stores, Guard rooms,
etc. After leaving the Citadelle we went to
the "City of the Dead"  This if full of tombs, both 

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old and new, & was almost deserted. The Tombs
very mostly are about ground, built like small
houses, but many were underground, while
all are very quaint. Here we met a very old
Native man who was sitting on a "Prayer
Mat" plaiting another  Mat out of Rushes.
We persuaded him to sit for his photograph,
he was very pleased with the performance,
especially when we presented him with
3-half-piastre pieces for himself. These
natives are very grateful whenever we give
them the smallest coin, some of them are
very poor almost starving, & its quite a
common sight to see a poor woman &
perhaps two or three children, all of them
almost on the point of starvation & begging
for "bakchiche" (money) Many of them
have no homes & have to "Exist" just