Michael Billings Collection - Wallet 3 - Part 10 of 14

4/
After liberal helpings of bully beef and herrings in recent months
the grub question always was of primary importance and I
did my capacious void proud at the pub. The weather for
the week was perfect just mild enough for summer kit, 
no rain of course and the nights were those when I think you
would have fallen under the vigor of my magnetic wooing. The Nile
is a noble stream, at Cairo the Delta is just forming and
there are two rivers actually with huge bridges spanning
them. As is the case near big cities the wat river is pretty dirty
but upstream it is a fast running, clean torrent. The
country for miles back from the banks is green and very
productive. It looks grotesque when this verdant scene ends
suddenly with stark desert. A tributary, the  Sweet Water Canal 
irrigates miles of farm lands but the water certainly does not
smell sweet. Cairo actually is two cities, like Jerusalem 
in that respect, the new city and the ancient Arab one
and of course, the Arab portion is no tourist attraction being
quite the typical Wog town of dirt and stench. A few miles
out of Cairo lies Heliopolis, the sporting centre and fashionable
European residential quarter. I went for a trip out there
one morning and admired some very fine specimens of the
architectural art.  

Cairo abounds with picture theatres, three shows a day and
some quite up to date shows are featured. The best one I
thought was the Metro where I saw the Marx Bros out West
- very funny too. Other shows I saw were Deanna Durban in
Nice girl. The Devil and Miss Jones and Adam had four
sons. [[N]] My visit was a bit premature as Major Barbara, Kitty
Foyle and Susan & God were to be shown this week. For
other entertainment besides beer swigging, I went to a few
cabarets where a fair floor show was presented usually.
Tried the famous Groppis but that joint was a bit pricy for
my purse. The Badia was good but the artistes were on
the make for free drinks from the patrons too obviously at
a mere 3/ a pop. The best one was a low dive, the Regal
and I had a fight and a lot of fun there. The girls put on
some of those sinuous belly wobbling dances which were awful
but as the grog ran freely everyone had a good time in and a
frightfully vulgar way. Otherwise I behaved myself like Little
Lord Fauntleroy and after cogitation, that seems to cover my
exploits in the big wicked city. In NO.47 I shall recount
my tours of the ancient Spots supplemented by snaps from
time to time which I trust you will enjoy hugely. So for a few
jiffs. cheerio sweetheart and tons of love. 
Mick. 

46
22 11 41

Part 1
AIR MAIL

Miss. K. Clarke
548 Barkers Road
East. Hawthorn
Victoria Australia 

No 46
written
22. 1 41
Egypt
Received
16.12.41

VX38483 Gnr. M. Billings C. Section,
No. 47
5th. Aust. Hy A/A. Battery 2 Aust. A/A. Regt.
A.I.F. Abroad 22 11 41

Darling Kay,
Number 46 having contained several pages
depicting more or less fully, an account of my weeks sojourn in
Cairo confined to the limits of the city itself. This
chapter shall be devoted to a running commentary of the
conducted tours I fell for during the vacation. Cairo teems
with guides termed dragomans who for a monetary fee
will arrange transport and accompany the party to the
haunt desired, illustrating the high spots in excerable English
very volubly delivered. Anyhow our party were victims to the
wiles of these gentry on several occasions visiting the following
places. (1) The Citadel and Mosques of Cairo (2) The Pyramids
Sphinx and Tombs at Giza (3) Memphis & Sakhara
(4) Bazaars and Museum at Cairo. During these visits I
collected sundry snaps which will show these marvels far
better than it is possible to describe them. Right, let's go to
town and on our magic carpet whisk you off to the Citadel
& the Mosques. These are on the fringe of the old city and
stand on a lofty emmence giving a wonderful panorama of
Cairo. Just how old it all is I cannot recall

2/
but its many centuries, the walls thickly encrusted with
the wear and grime of countless years. The dominant feature
of the Citadel is the mosque of Mahomed Ali built in the
17th century and constructed entirely of alabaster brought
from the Pyramids which were until that time completely
Sheathed in alabaster. The photo will show you how
magnificent the structure is and the interior, a single temple,
is breath-taking with columns and pillars and domes
radiant with alabaster of a multitude of colors and tints
the whole illuminated by hundreds of lamps of ancient
design. Some Belgian commissioned to restore dilapidated
portions had electric bulbs cunningly fitted into the lamps.
The scene on great feast days must be tremendous. You
probably know that the faithful never enter to pray except barefooted
and visitors to holy shrines must remove their shoes before entering
them. In the courtyard adjoining this mosque is a fount
where all must wash their feet before entering the holy
precincts. A snap of it will reach you ultimately. This place
is acknowledged the most beautiful in all Islam except
for a twin edifice at Istanbul and I will believe it.
Next we flow on to the Pyramids & Sphinx reached, believe it
or not by the common tram. The famous Mena House

3/
is hard - by complete with buffet and golf course so we
have a mixture of the ancient & modern. Personally I
found the Pyramids  & Sphinx disappointing just huge
piles of roughly hewn rock. Perhaps to an engineering
man they would prove of engrossing interest but to my
mean intellect, they are monuments to the accursed vanity
of man who made thousands of slaves toil and die to
appease their ego. These structures are huge, the Great
Pyramid of Cheops being 400 feet high and when they
were encased in the alabaster later taken for the
mosques would then be a marvellous spectacle. The
photos I shall send will interest you but this so-called
wonder of the world to me was very much a flop.
It took us half a day to look over Memphis
& Sakhara, ancient capitals of Egypt out in the desert
whereat the archaeologists have excavated and uncovered
certain statues. First a huge alabaster Sphinx then
two huge statues of Ramses II who flourished way back
in the Bc's.  Both are in the prone position and for that
period, you can see the sculptural art was quite
remarkable in its advancement. At Sakhara, are found
Sundry tombs of ancient Egyptian Kings and

4/
deities and it is quite a tour through the caverns. One
vast series is the tomb of the Sacred Bull with 24 Sarcophagi
in a long granite gallery. Still in a perfect state of preservation
are the inscriptions and hieroglyphics generously carved on the
walls. All kinds of inscriptions appear representing the
numerous gods of the ancient Egyptians. The interiors are
mostly lined with red and black granite quarried at
[[Assouan]] & Luxor. Stupendous, colossal jobs. Some postcards
I am sending later will give you a fair idea of these
ancient memorials. At Sakhara which stands out clearly
in the desert is the stepped Pyramd, a contrast to its
vis - a - vis at Giza.
Our final jaunt covers the bazaars and
museums. The former are situated handy to the city and
a vast range of Oriental arts and crafts are on exhibition
both in process of making and the finished article. At one
place f a marvellous show was evident, particularly furniture
made of ebony, Sandal wood, with intricate mother-of-pearl
and ivory inlay. You will,  I fondly hope, receive a casket of
assorted perfumes. The flowers forming the basic material
are grown by the maket in upper Egypt and the formula for
mixing and blending the flowers with the oils has remained in
this family for generations. All these tiny phials were
 

5/
measured and mixed while I looked on and I only hope
they are as one quarter as lasting, fragrant and smooth as
the dusky wizard of the bottles claimed. I'll be interested to
have your expert feminine opinion about them. The other
articles all are derived from the bazaars and so have a squint
at them before passing them on. In particular, the wallet for
the male parent will well repay your interest. The prices
charged are very low compared to Austn. standards, even so,
have risen steeply since H M. Forces came along to buy.
Owing to the war, the museums are all shut except the
Hygiene Museum and the least said of that chamber of horrors
the better. Lifelike Wax casts of the multitude of the
bits and pieces making up the human body in stages of
decay ranging from early to ultra - chronic just about caused
me to forsake my lunch so I'll leave further description
to your lively imagination. 
So sweetheart, that completes this weeks
tour of the land of the Pharaohs and I lay down the pen
if not satisfied with my illustration then damn near
exhausted by my labours in the effort to achieve a little merit. 
Cheerio, little one and all my love to you.
Mick 

AIR. MAIL

Part 2

47
22 11 41

Miss. K. Clarke
548 Barkers Road
East Hawthorn
Victoria. Australia