LIFE IN EGYPT

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXVII, Issue 20385, 23 October 1940, Page 3

LIFE IN EGYPT

OFFICER’S DESTRIPTION LINKS WITH THE PAST ROMAN OCCUPATION A graphic description uf the place in Egypt where lie is.now with the New Zealand troops, is given by Lieut.-ColoneJ F. S. Varnham, who is in command of a rifle battalion which was in camp in Trentham. Writing to his wife, Mrs. Varnham, New Plymouth, on September 16, he says: “At present it is full moon, so the Italians come over every night in relays scattering bombs about the countryside. It adds a bit of excitement to life. Just a little while ago, about 9.30 p.m., a big bombing plane crashed down about two miles away, burnt and blew up. I am not sure whether it was an Italian or one of ours —the former, I hope. I am writing this by the aid of a lantern which is not very bright—we have to be mighty careful about showing any lights at night. “The area where vve are bivouacked at present is stony and rocky in large patches with hard earthy dry clay in places and lumpy—up ancl down. There are scorpions, lizards and snakes. The snakes are small, but some are very poisonous. On Saturday David T. and I were out measuring off some work to be done on the ground (a trench) when we came upon a puff adder —all reared up and puffed up about the hood round its head and neck. “I threw a stone at it and it jumped about a foot in the air. It was actually in a long ditch about 3ft. deep and 6ft. i wide. Then it commenced to travel away at a good speed. David jumped in the trench with a bayonet to kill it, and, like lightning, it turned on him. He made a couple of quick swipes at it with the bayonet and it turned about again and commenced to wriggle away, when he chopped it in two. It was a nasty, vicious-looking affair and kept darting its tongue out. Another Night Visitor “Another Italian plane just came over ancl all our machine-guns opened fire on him. but he appeared to be fairly high up. To-day I saw an asp--in fact, I killed it with a stone. It looks something of a cross between a lizard ancl a snake, with four small logs. Do you remember Cleopatra clasped one to her bosom and died? By the way. the lady in question used to come to this part of Egypt; not very Car away was a fashionable seaside resort in ancient days—Mark Antony used to come, too. “There are still numerous remains of the Roman occupation, aqueducts and water cisterns. Where we are now are scattered about hundreds of fragments of pottery, ancl occasionally you may come across a weather-corroded Roman coin. Not 50yds from my tent is a small, rocky hill. Cut into this, out of the solid rock, is a chamber about 18ft. by 18ft.. about 30ft. down. Hewn stone steps lead down to it and a doorway. Inside are oblong cavities hewn out of the walls (kind of crypts), evidently to take coffins; no doubt an ancient Roman burial chamber. There are no signs of any bones or treasures —taken years ago, I suppose. “It is great to remember this Middle East is the cradle of the human race —very ancient —very antique; as far as I am concerned they can keep it. Give me New Zealand every time.

“Tuesday, September 17: To-day has been a dreadful day, with a strongish wind off the inland desert. It was like a. scorching, searing blast out of a furnace, and mixed with dust, too. You feel as though you could hardly breathe. It dropped this evening and outside it is nice and cool, though it is fairly warm inside the tent.”