Letters from John Joseph Bourke to his Parents, 1914-1917 - Part 1

Cairo
Egypt
Dec 9^th 14
Dear Mother,
We are off the boat at last after
six weeks on the water, and camped forteen
miles from Cairo on the banks of the Nile
and within half a mile of the Pyramids.
After leaving Aden we sailed through the
Red Sea and our Battalion landed in
Arabia to meet the Turks, but the Indian
troops meanwhile had take the fort from them
along the coast, so we embarked the next day
and continued our journey through the Suez
Canal to Port Said, where A Coy left the
boat and came as an advance party to
prepare the camp. The rest of the troops went
on to Alexandria and up the Nile River
and landed here three days after us
We had fifty German prisoners on the Orvieto
including Prince Franz-Josef Hohenzollern, the
Kaisers nephew. We were sent here as there was
likely to be trouble with the Arabs and
[[?]] and also after training I [[could?]]
[[?]] will be here for five [[weeks?]] at least
 

before we leave for England. Cairo is a very
big city about twice the size of Melbourne
there are scarcely any white peope, though
there is every other breed, it is frightful dirty
and the streets about eight feet wide. Everything
is very cheap especially fruit we can get
forty five oranges for a piastre which equals
2½d. it took some time to learn the value
of the Eqyptian money. The natives here work
for less than a penny a day and men
and women dress exactly alike.
I have not got a letter since we left
Melbourne but expect they will follow us up.
the pyramids are a wonderful sight, one
covers fifteen acres and is 571 ft high, some
of the stones near the top are as big as a house
I have been through one and seen the mummies
of kings who are supposed to be dead 4,000 years
you would not credit some of the sights to
to be seen here. I suppose you think we were
foolish to enlist, but what would be the result
if Germany took England, Australia would soon
be under German rule. Dear Mother give my
sincere love to Father and all at home and
I  hope all are well. Dont worry about me. I
get plenty tucker very little work & am happy
Your affectionate son
Jack
 

Mena Camp
Cairo Egypt
Feb [[?]]^th [[?]]
Dear Mother,
I have just received your
letter of Jan 9^th and also one from
[[?]]. We have just come back from
Ishmailia where we were camped for a
week, we thought we were going to Cairo
a go at the Turks but they were stopped
at the Canal by the Indian [[?]] we
were all disappointed as we were looking
forward to having one cut at them
The second company of us arrived, they
are camped at Heliopies about thirty miles
from Mena. Herb Hipkin is not being
sent back I think as he has passed
medical examination. We got plenty of leave
here and Cairo is a very interesting place
there is much to be seen so we have
a good time. I am just beginning to
learn the native lingo.