Diary of Oberlin Herbert Gray, January to May 1915 - Part 2

met us. We stopped only 5 hrs- Some of chaps
tried to get leave-heard Smallpox was a
rumor- couldn't get it. Stopped at mth
of port & a no. of small boats were soon
all round very interesting barter- a long
fibre rope with basket in Centre passed
back & forth with money & goods - the Aust
flag floats at our stern - an armed
Merchantman - Empress of Asia comes
steaming in - drops anchor & Jack
Tars go off. We depart 6.30 PM
the sun sets behind the mtns to W.
they show up clear & distinct - spires
minarets -all in bold relief - Star
follows soon after - Pass 3 lighthouses
on Port Side - 2 Searchlights playing
on Water- Continue W SW. – Saw
light on Port in distance - Had Service
& later some singing - In night
29  Passed thro' Str of Babelmandeb
proceeding up Red Sea- wht caps every
where - no swell - Arabia dimly seen in haze
on Starboard - Rugged rocky high coast
of Africa on Port - white sandy beaches here
& there - bare-brown & drab rocks -
spray dashing high on rocks - fresh breeze
a wreck on Coast - NW. course-
Inoculated for second time - passed
about 6 Steamers -  Islands ahead- steep
barren rocks, huge & volcanic looking
10 I's in all - perspire very much
Lighthouse on one - high up- lovely
spot- sea choppy- hazy horizon- 
Beautiful sunset & lunar bow- near
full moon- 7 PM passed another Is
with lighthouse - had bonza shower
& retired. ~
30 Hot day no sight of land - passed
one or two ships. Capt Southey gave a
straight address on Venereal diseases
from a medical standpoint - preventatives
& results of impure life - thousands
of soldiers, get diseases - 50 on Runic
had seen him about it. to say nothing
of chaps who had escaped- Chaplain
afterwards gave an afd xxxxxxxx
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moral aspect - passed a boat evening
31 - Cooler, Cool windy night - passed
two or 3 boats -rope ladders all ready
a disembarkation xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
on Semaphoring by Stone - Hospital
orderly work takes 1½ hrs after ea. meal
till finished - boots belts etc marked
Poor chap very ill - pleurisy & pneumonia
1 April passed a ship - windy
fairly choppy - passed lighthouse
on flat rock with another rock 
close too - played chess - Chaps who
went ashore at Colombo fined 25/- ea
Saw band on port boat - chess.
2Ap  No parades- Land all round
desert rough- hilly - one very
high peak towering up above mist like Island.
poor chap died of pneumonia  

Good Friday - wonder what they are
doing at G. land on both sides -
Come to lighthouse on Port Bow - Sun
rises 5.45 sets 6.15 - then desert backed
by a range of mtns - fairly high mtns.
on Starboard - very cool - Gulf of Suez -
funeral at 1 PM at Sea - 3 volleys fired -
Runic stopped not far from land.
Sea was perfectly calm as we came into
Suez- cloudless sky- Star got in first
Desert backed by low hills on Starb
Fairly high on Port- drab looking hills.
A small light house - launch came
out flying red flag 3 ☾ - followed soon
after by a dhows with Egyptians - figs oranges
pcs- Cigs. - xxxx xxxxxxxx xxx - In even

like a lovely picture - Star not far away
several beacons - yellow sand & purple hills
& the clear water - with several sail
on - twinkling lights of Suez to NW.
an oasis on the shore - On Port - a
native boat - egypt in blue dress - clear
bold outline of hills - oil tanks - a
gunboat & cruiser & several steamers
a cluster of twinkling lights at foot
of hills - Had a nice service with
some favourite hymns -
Sat.  Disembarkation - bustle everywhere.
About 7 moved into the  Imur Basin
passed the cruiser & Star - natives
busy first thing - Slowly moved along side
breakwater & about 10 started to disembark.
Moved patients out most were
able to go. - Kits brought up AMC got
ashore 11.30 & after some excitement
entrained - a very long train -
stopped 5 min. & besieged with egypt
oranges etc - Had biscuits & beef.
Passed thro pt of Suez - concrete buildings -
Not much close to - pretty children
Canal - irrigation along banks - palms
figs etc - Camp of Indian Soldiers -
little donkeys - camels - Saw string
of 120 camels & lots later - eastern
dresses - black veiled Egypt woman
Dk green lucerne - natives plowing
- with bullocks - bullock walking
round & round pumping? - camel in
enclosure - a small station here &

there - palms silhouetted against intens
intense blue of canal - the desert -
irrigation channel & hosts of bright
lucerne - a camp of horses etc -
horses eating hay - cattle - lovely
sky bluey - Mud huts followed close
to Canal - 5 hr journey - 2.30 We pass
thro' big tracts of irrigation - groves of
trees - palms & many strange trees - Small
donkeys-loaded on a blue coated native on
an boat - drawn along channel by a
native - mud houses or grass huts - cactus
enclosures - cattle etc feeding - Stopped
at a Stn - Egypt, houses & people - backsheesh
sand on troops in train on branch
line - Sentries on line - groves Cypress
trees - glimpses of sails above sand
banks of Channels - Stretches of desert
as far as eye can see.  beans & onions
grown - biscuits thrown to all we see.
Sheep & humped cows. goats - cemetery
date palms - telegraph posts.  iron
rails - nearer Cairo much cultivation

pretty children - Stopped at Zag a Zig

Street Row - Police use a stick on crowd -
crowds of children - Groves & avenues
of palms - In dusk reach Neopolis & get
out - March thro streets - very fast electric
trains - about 3 miles - across sand to
Camp - had tea biscuits & beef - Put it
in Sheets; for troops just arrived  very
near to us xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
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xxxxxxxxxxxxx, before - furniture, burnt.
Aust. troops went mad - Egyptians
called out & several Aust shot - heard
7 killed - We are at Abbas Helirn crowd
of locusts blacken sky?  Egypt Coinage

puzzling 10rp. 1PT. 97½ PT. £1 - lose on
change -  Abbas Helirn Barracks..
Saw big group of Wireless? Stations
4 Ap. Sun.  Slept well on table with overcoat -
Breakfasted off bread &
meat - no rations provided - Some got eggs
& bacon at Canteens - News galore - 4
killed in riot - Chat with Manchester man
old Territorial - get 1/- day less deferred
6- Said no one would look at chaps
who stayed behind - & no one would
be Soldiers again now they know what
it was like - very hot day & cold at
night - Corporal Cook apptd. - Saw Egypt
woman carrying jugs & baskets on
their heads. Saw water carried
with goat skin. -
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx - Many think
nothing of morals - Austns throw
money right & left - lose on exchge.
[*DISEMBARKS AT EGYPT
3/4/15*]

pay many times over for what English
regulars pd when first came & in
conseq. much more is spent - fellows
come back from break leave, with,
tales of fighting drinking & wild life
eg. one chap spent £5 one night.
great deal of gambling - 2 up - card
dice - one chap won £130 one day
& lost £87 next - Sects money tossed
about like dirt - notes changing
hands by the dozen.
5 Ap  Saw guns put in 1874 huge
guns - commanding desert -
11 AMC men 2 LHFA left for unit -
very dusty, sand blowing - unusual.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx - 8000
horses in camp - natives come
round & clean mess tables - then
go away & sell stuff to native
hangers on for small  sums -
Some of AMC get drunk - Most
of our lot drafted out to diff.
units - expecting it any time.
Go as cooks, help - in turns -
stews & rations - rotten jam -
Canteen started charging 1 piastre
2½ for ½ pt instead 1 pt out of
English beer sold. out - This angered
men & after working up excitement
got hold of one corner of tent - big
marquee - rip! rip!! & half one side
came down - one chap ran off
with a barrel - then the Greeks put 

all casks on Counter - then fellows
started getting onto beer & soon a
crowd pulled marquee down &
rushed beer, carried all casks out
& departed - When it was all consumed
the other canteen was attacked -
MP's were powerless - casks were rolled
out - MPs knocked down - tent pulled
down - xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
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6  Heard that 900 Aust Soldiers had been
sent back - disgraced - After wet canteens
were ransacked dry canteen was attacked
walls ripped off & goods all over camp -
one AMC came in with a lot - sent out
Saw E. Lord - been here a months - cooking
all morning. xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
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xxxx - Stubbings & I spent a very interest
afternoon at the Buried or Dead City
All the chaps went out to Cairo (out
of bounds or Heliopolis)  Stubbings & I
went at 2 across desert, across many
long trenches & mounds across old
channels of overflow of Nile which are
being filled up with rubbish & manure
spread over - irrigation scheme?
Across railway. up hill - Met Eng.
Tommys - who directed - Saw chaps
heliographing (Have heard no
news as to our movements - no
parades - nothing-) Went past lime
Kilns across Sand, many pieces of
ancient pottery lying about - old
architecture - Arab guide with
refs from Kitchener & other high pers.
Showed us his refs & pass, wanted to
take us to dead city for 10 PT ea.
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Saw many kids - got into xxxx city
went into a temple - Egypt characters
&c - 2 or 3 guides foll^d us - Other guide
came along with 10 - Horse & others -
had drink water - along into big
Court. high pillars & throne - went
up it. In room to left Sultan - Son -
& high servant buried in other room
Sultana an daughter & maid? Our
guide could not speak English - only
a word here & there.  Wandered
about, down into dungeons - with
dust of ages - tumble down rooms
up stairs onto roofs & inspected the
top., 2 big domes & 2 minarets - into
little rooms - thick walls - rubbish
& lots of pottery about - Into big dorm
rooms fallen stuff - big well with
water in - out into court & up stairs
winding like corkscrew to top
of minaret - out onto landing over
looking City then up another flight
winding round central column to
summit & out onto it - strong wind
street far below - natives living
in filth & squalor in low houses

with goats donkeys etc - Came
down had to give head man
1 PT for going up. Arabs seem
to sit about all day doing nothing
Went out & along street - pretty
little children - eyes like velvet
& teeth like pearls - Into temple
big dome towering up - beautiful
frescoes & ornamentation - lovely
stained glass windows - glorious
with Sun shining through - arab
goes along with us, other chaps there.
takes us into inner room., stained

glass, & marble galore - imprint,
of Mahoumets feet placed hands
on them - saw impress of hand
in another part - previously seen
impress of hand on big rock in
first palace - Tablet on marble to
3 wives & tombs in room - raised
with characters all over - Several
other recesseas - Stubb. was smoking
& guide made put it out when came
in - Went out - tipped man. 1 PT - down
steps they shut door behind & sat
down on steps - one a big fat fellow
dressed in flowing robes - round, streets
shops - streets winding about, houses
built any way, no fronts to some -
sellers of eggs etc - passed native
police - round a corner - to gate had
½ hr. guide took us in, garden with
eucalyptus trees in - beautiful
flowers - arabs watering - xxxxxxxx
blind man begging at gate - Saw
place where Virgin, Mary rested?  Virgins
Rest, on the flight into Egypt
Saw the flight fertile plain where
irrigation channels run thro.
2 or 3 Arabs sitting on steps of Blue
Mosque - brought out big leather
slippers put on our feet over boots & the Arab

put pr on too - ask 2 P.T. ea. We
owe him 2 - go in with guide - he
lifts up cover & shows us Mahomets
crown under glass case - open at the
middle - Koran - in Arabic - makes
reverence & looks round to see - Keeper
doesn't see him - drops cover -
glorious colored glass windows in loft
arabesque mosaic dome - turkish
carpets on floor - beautiful marble
monument in middle Mahomuets tomb
marble tablet on wall - & in recesses
roped off with red silk cords were
robes worn by carpets of Mahomuet gorgeous
designs in gold & silver thread -
& velvet - we went inside - not usual
thing - gorgeous carving & ornamentation
in gold leaf - "arbersq" marble etc
Saw reading desk for Koran.
bewildering beauty - Came out - took
off slippers & went out into sunshine
& street - pretty little kiddies
beggars- slums- took our guide
along street & gave him 2½ PT &
a reference - seemed very pleased

Heard that Clearing Hospital is right
full up - one man comes to us -
3 FA  Some Aust letters rec^d
We arrived back at Camp at 6
picked up some stones relics -
7 April - Several of chaps come home
late last night - Some half shift - they
had been to tours pts of Melbourne
Last night found that Ford & Joseph &
Taylor had been brought in to Jail
Took them their Coats & blkts & some
bread - Had bread & meat for tea.
In morn Ford &c tried & let free -
made tea for break - Cooking all morn
had good dinner potatoes & marrow
After dinner some went off to Cairo
others Heliopolis - I & 8 others went
to City of dead - Tyler Still missing -
We went over desert across old grave
yard - 5 fresh dug graves Still there
the native asleep - later we saw 2
carrying empty coffin - Went along
to palaces -round it & inside &
had a look at monuments & court

room - Other guide there with
party - has a ref. from Mark
Twain - went along native streets
refusing cries of backsheesh
crowds of children - chap carrying
silk & food of pickles - water
carrier with goatskin - Many
sitting at village pump selling
water - Garnalich Police Stn - lots
of enclosures
with tombs & Monuments in - some
new looking - others new looking -
Some inhabited by donkeys etc -
donkeys carrying huge loads - carts

of stone- very high wheels - narrow

carts - saw natives blasting -
went thro' temple - beaut. dome - cold
glass windows - Mahomets foot & hand
prints - etc - Went to Blue Mosque round
back, entrance - Missed way - Paid
1 PT each to go in & ½ PT for guide -
He put on slippers - one fell off one
chap & he had to stand on one leg
while guide got another slipper He
opened window & showed us the 2
carpets - one from tomb of Abraham
Sheik at Bagdad & one from tomb
of Mahomet at Mecca - Four are
made every year in Egypt & beautiful
work & put on tombs - old ones
go to Egypt govt, Sultan or Khashmir
he gives one to Mosque - one to
temple etc - Koran written by
Haroun el Raschidi caliph of Bagdad 700 years old - beaut
work, on stand of inlaid pearl &
ivory - glorious windows - antique
bowl - tomb of Mahomet Tophet built
by Sultan in marble & alabarster Pasha,
also tomb of grandmothers - covered
by velvet plush & gold characters - Stone
slab to lift by 4 men when
fresh burial - Sultan comes 3
times year to pray - Oct - end of
Nov. & July, went out into & pd
½ P.T. to see Salon of Sultan -

He has a special railway built
running to above temple. &
steep flight of steps leading down
to garden - Worshippers go there
Friday & Mondays. xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
xxxx Went into Salon - court where
his chief man servant waits - when
wants coffee - valet passes on order
& then carries it to Sultan. on left
lounge - antique wooden lattice
Sultan sees people - Can't be gazed
on, lounges & divans where he
smokes & drinks - stiff cane chairs
Into other room on lef right - room
where he prays - lounge chairs - carpets
facing East to Mecca - places for
head feet & hands - In another
room lavatory, xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx - water laid
on - little pr of shoes - pearl studded
Came back across desert - Saw
stable full of mules - had tea -
went into Heliopolis - for an hr or
so. xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Skirted fences & across electric
train lines - huge hospital converted
out of hug hotel cost £ 2 000 000,
has 2000 beds - built by American
couldn't get licence - lovely cafes
& shops - full of Soldiers - Greeks
& Arabs well to do - Silks & all
kinds of Oriental goods -
Sellers of goods in streets - small boys
clean your boots - xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Saw Sxxxxx - fine
wide streets  splendid buildings.
Had place called the National
Tombs Candlesticks glass - Lit when
Sultan goes to xxxxxxx go there
8 xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
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We all cooked our breakfasts at
a bad fire - worst food since we
started - Moved out of huts into
tents close by - fairly warm - no dust
Some of horses stampeded - Had Stew
for dinner - Paraded at 2 & wanted to
be paid - book lost - Aspinall says parade
to-morrow - Tyler one of AMC absent for 3 days
hear he is in Cairo xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
xxxxxxxx - Man who are shot are put down
"Killed in action" - Fighting on Suez -
Sultan of Egypt shot at. by, assassin -
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Bingham & I
went into Heliopolis - Rode donkeys -
2 PT. Most amusing - My donkey won
put a spurt on at last - Little Arabs cleaning
boots - Walked along lovely drive - Orient
shrubs & trees - Termiro Court - Europeans
xxx in White, & playing - passed golf &
polo grounds - Saw 2 or 3 missed ? wht.
in streets  Mostly French Arab &
Egyptian - very lovely women - olive comp
& dark large eyes - Toffy youngsters
from school - A great deal of French.
spoken - Went in several shops -
got postcards & silks - photos - yarned with
several Red Cross chaps -

French photographer - fine lofty shops
Went into Luna Park 1 PT. - on Scenic
railway - throug subterranean passages
Up hills & wild rushes down - then
back - Several Egyptn women - white
veils & black gowns were on train.
Went round thrice - then up stairs. -
grand view all ver Camps Heliopolis
Pyramids Cairo & irrigation area -
down slide into a lake on a
boat - a wild rush & splash - into
laughing house - mirrors - all shapes
Into revolving ring xxx xxxxxxxx
xxxxxx.  Cavern - saw river skating
rink.  Aunt Sally - biggest skeleton in
Egypt? round Streets - Had tea at
French Cafe - Coffee - eggs on toast & 2
French Cakes. 5 PT. - Met 2 Hosp Orderlies
one is showing us over Hospital to-morrow -
Very busy 800 patients - & 700
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx under
staffed? - About 4 dying daily - mostly
pneumonia  Not looking after themselves
eating ices., when hot etc. - about 500
or 600 died up to now - xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
patientsxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx - garrison.
duty - Several + ambulance cars -
Strict. Kinesna pictures - Cafes with chair
out in the streets & on the wide pavements
& Egyptn gentlemen & French etc drinking -
playing games conversing etc. - Went round
to Post Office, sent off silk-hakf -. opened
8.30.- French assistants - Arabs sending
of letters etc - very interesting.
Walked back at 9..PM. Met chap xxxxxxxx
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Grammar School -
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xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx to Canada
xxxxxxxxxxxxx - Aust & other pts of world
drove Swarms of locusts before us when
riding donkeys. - Good deal of disarrangement
about rations yet -
9.4.15  No bread for breakfast - bought
it at 3 PT at Canteen - had 3 eggs & tea -
pretty little monkey in next tent.. tried to
get paid - Aspinall couldn't until next week
2 native Water Carriers - playing music
one on pipes reeds - the other ^on a drum.  leather
stretched over pot - wild music like
bagpipes.  Arabs lead horses out into
desert  3 or 4 horses to man - Got leave
into Cairo Am sitting in a beautiful park
A band stand close to & red fezd & blue
& red uniformed band men, Crowds of
civilians & native soldiers - nearly all
men wearing the red fez. lovely trees
and palms lawns with beds of pansies
etc, a deodar ? tree near entrance with
down hanging roots from branches - the
band strikes up.  Came in with some of
chaps. 2 mill. from Ablasich - a lady with
purple blouse & purple silk sunshade * passes
leaving behind a trail of sweet scent - All
the women use a lot of scent - Arabs are
reading newspapers - Everything is very oriental xxxxxxxx
Arabs in flowing robes of many colors
Silks - or white robes - we past a funeral
uniformed men going in front: their priests
Greek (?) with long beards & gorgeous
*(& with blk hat) turned scarlet & gold on xxxx
coffin surrounded by flowers/ this

is not buried & mourners - passed huge
partly ruined & below level of street build of
old slave market. Native shops - xxxx
Hotels finely architecture in private houses,
passed crowds of military - British Tommys
very small - & fresh looking boys - Cyclist
Corps - Tiny donkeys dragging huge loads
& Arabs walking alongside - Many
eucalyptus trees about, Small leaves - Saw one
from Tasmania - it seemed different to
any I had seen - Wht gum ? - Many leadyam 
trees with strange branches propped up
found British Cafe - Soft drinks & meals
for Soldiers very reasonable - loungeroom
lavatory - Went to Post Office - all Arab
assistants  Most up to date fire brigade
headquarters - red paint & shining
brass - everything neat & shining -
Arabs in red fez - Went to Continental
to change Notes - no luck - Englishman
Mr Bradley of English Mission at
Belserin obliged me on steps of Cont. - Been to
Tasmania - asked me to tea at
Continental at 6.15. - xxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx - Went
to Hotel - in lavatory - Tea at  servant 
with little towels - Went in to
lovely sitting room - Yellow - Satin  curt
mirrors - Turkey carpet, everything
Eastern - Waiters in black robe
wht vests - broad sashes - & sandals
& carried tray above head - fed on
tiny sandwiches & cakes - Met
Mrs Bradley & 2 girls & boy - nice
little fellow. Lumney & 2 others came
in - tea & music - God Save the King -
& Earnest talk on the Chief end
of Man - Left with other chaps
xxxxxxxxxxx - went into Heliopolis
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walked xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxsand.
10 Wrote xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx for
Tea xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx -
xxxx xxxxx xxxx - Coins are dated
from birth of Mahommet about 600.
Went in Heliopolis aftn tea with
Bingham - Saw Sun Set over xxxxx.
Cairo - pretty coloring. - went into
Luna Park & on railway - water shute
& side shows
Had a talk with Abdulla the far-famed
guide of the Continental Hotel - He calls
me "Guide" because he met me
twice at the Dead City - Will take
into Pyramids 20 PT.  Obelisk 3033BC.
Had supper, walked round town.
It is ^on the ^site of Oasis of Heliopolis -
11  Sunday  Had dinner - Suet pudding
helped mess orderlies - was going
out with Tommy - he didnt turn
up - Saty is very quiet in Helio
Went into Helio after 5 PM tea - went
across polo ground & round streets -.
Most beautiful architecture - wide
streets & massive granite pillars - great
deal of arched work - also domes -
Saw several arabs on horses - flowing
wht robes & turbans -