THE TROOPS IN EGYPT.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LII, Issue 15821, 19 January 1915, Page 8

THE TROOPS IN EGYPT.

FIRST IMPRESSIONS.

NEWS FROM AN AUCKLANDER.

Some interesting details regarding the New Zealanders in Egypt have been received from Mr. J. Ironside, son of Mr. A. W. Ironside, governor of the Mount Eden prison. Auckland. The writer is a member of the New Zealand expeditionary force.

Writing from the Zeiton camp, under date December 10, Mr. Ironside says :— "We arrived in Alexandria last Thursday in the morning, and in the evening had general leave to see the place. We could not s ee much of the surroundings that night, bnt the town is very large. Fruit is. practically thrown at you. "' Oranges are two piastres, about sd, per dozen. Money is all piastres here. For a sovereign you .sin get 22s in British silver, lhey rush the gold, but for the paper money they nVduct something whether you buy anything or not.

"We left the ship las:. Saturday night at five o'clock, and caught a tram at six i> clock for Zeiton. We got there at 3.30 a.m. on. Sunday, and slept on the bare desert ground, after having a twist ci Uread. a piece of Dutch cheese, and a cup 0 COCoa made by Egyptians. v\ aen we arose next morning we "got the •••/une for breakfast, having no cooking apparatus unpacked. I hud dinner in Zeiton, for I was working on the station with Captain Short all the morning. The camp is all desert- Sand gets in vour blankets, hair, and everywhere. All" the Imperial troops are still in camp. We went to Cairo, which is a wonderful place. Everything is pretty cheap there. Theatres were open to soldiers five that, night, and we called at a couple. There is also a soldiers' club. On Saturday we will visit the Pyramids. It is the general opinion here that the war will be over in six months, and we will return home. It is very hot in the daytime on account of the sand, but at night it is as cold as ice. The contrast is verv marked."