THE PROMISED LAND

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 86, Issue 110, 13 May 1942, Page 4

THE PROMISED LAND

AS SEEN Bf WANGANUI CORPORAL FINEST ( OUNTRY VISITED. "I mu. t state that Palestine is the i nr.e country 1 have visited where •Aoul i be content to live. You would love it. and the name The Promised I Land’ is more than apt," writes Uoi -' poral A. N. (Max; Campoel! to friends i in Wanganui. Describing the journey from Egypt.! Corp Campbell writes:—"l left Eg., pl at the crack of dawn, sitting in tne ou.k of an open truck, nicely tucked I up with rugs and very cosy 100. Th- i day dawneu cold and grey and the sun aiOji shortly alter seven its v.e crosses ( the canal by a pontoon bridge. We i w* then cn the fringe of tne Sinai| Desert and all day we drove along a per.’ect road. On either s.j.p were cu.i-i HU sand dunes just as you them in i the coloured pictures.• Th»* sand eonugated and lay still as death. A i it required was the traditional came.: an 1 the Arao praying towards Mecca i to complete the picture. Norman anal I had our lunch beside the rowi-cle and not a sound was heard e?. ept cut I munching and a probable parsing <•?:. Her*’ was wilderness compic't. inwas wilderness complete, Here it v. c. thousands ot years ago that Mo>es icd| the children of Isia io ? yea after he brought them from out o. | bondage in Egypt. 1L was where v.e; were ramped near the Suez Canal that the sea divided and allowc. them through. Crossing into Pale. Line. dry river bed passed the customs. \V <■ \ were ijo.v in Palestine. We had a| meal and siept under the star.-. All) was so calm and peaceful that 1 won- j dem; how such atrocities were be.ng committed all over the world and nations were warring with one an-1 other. Up beiore dawn and off w< 1 went again amt alter a while v.ej noticed a difference. From desultory scrub and a lew Bedouin tents .. t. came upon patches of cultivation ' mostly wheat and maize, anti old ruin.reared their ghostlike forms from tin sides of mountain passes. Palest I police posts were ziore frequent, i ht i of an old aqueduct skir.cd th- i road for miles anu arched bridge, were evidence of the engineering of a bygone age. We passed through a few villages and scared He'd ou. <». wandering chickens, goats, sheep camels and donkeys, in one liltie pla< • a little donkey refused io move and we had to stay there until he was dragged away " r *r» all sides now were hills and huge, plains of green crops waving <uwly in the breeze. Here was tlu Promised Land and even more beautiful than I ever imagined. The natives. Arabs. Jews and Bedouins were far morvgjleasant than tht?-* Egyptians. A ' the villages were scrupulously clea t and the sand huts were well mi. ‘Gained. Thene was not that deca* rd smell of age-old refuse that perru ate., the Egyptian counterpart, and the natives were cleaner and more ri?( turesque. The women wore color rec gowns ami lots of bangles and jev. • .s and red and greens and yellows and blues were gaily flaunted. The Arab dresser and looked like a Sh< in and his patriarchal beard and hv.!-: nose showed that he was no slave. Ancient and Modern Ploughs. "On the hill slopes were tractors I drawing ploughs, side by side with the I primitive ploughs of the ancients I drawn by two oxen, a camel, or two donkeys, and in one case a donkey and * a small ox were yoked. The Jews typically European in dress and -

•Jw.. w..-.- I ca we passed. Mort L.p,.ss ire.-.-, mickiy wuocted olive uim vmeyaias anu orange I „rovcs by tac tnousanu now lined tat ■ ' *xeai hale bungalows housec Lie -ews a.id were grouped in selfiein ... > as outlined in me senemes ailei ui" last war. At our luncheon nail ca urea came up wita caskets o; •ladi oranges. To our amazement iney reiuseu to sell them but were I more man willing io give lu for a tin Ox o'jliy oeel, six lor a packet oi I < igi.i cites or biscuits, so trade was j .•< ce.. Tney were Arao children anc I whi ;i 1 commenced to barter lor a Im;ol oranges lor a loaf of bread i o.i ■ oi our party said ‘Look at Camppeh trying to barter with them. They {were nit people wno sold peacocks It I >o\ mon. it was so aptly put that v.c I "Roiling country as far as the eye jCouid see. green Helus and plougneo he:c.-. 1). auiiful villages with modern »;.a.lined blocks ot Hals, happy (Jewish < hildren oil io school by car, Dili ana bicycle and horses ana gig. Lien Arabs and tiny lots of two I u,-.-ar.ls who gave us the 'thumbs up is;ji and V for victory. These weiv , <a • s.ghis seen in Palestine, the mo.-l i ivautiiul country I have ever seen. I CwsltT' ui oranges hung like golden gloots on ti:»- orange trees, and lemons j and de;; ious grape fruit were paler .);• comparaon but no less majestic, j Villages w' e. cry here and w nen it is uzn. < d that Palestine is one of line most thickly populated countries iin ir.c world it t s not to be wondered jat. Side by side were these settlements. the Arabs brought into prominence by the spires and minarets |and flat-topped roofs and their herds of sheep, goats and camels, and the l Je wish by the lovely modern buildings and numerous trees. Even on distant i hillsides w ere dozens of settlements . and not a square y ard was left uncultivated. We ate oranges all day and they were huge, thick-skinned i and most delicious. Again the stars