INSPRISSION OF A FRENCH CAMP.

Dozerdust, Volume 1, Issue 22, 13 November 1943, Page 4

INSPRISSION OF A FRENCH CAMP.

Ux.

C.F.)

1Y first visit to the camp was at night, but there was light enough for me to dicer that the barracks were of the long, narrow, adobe typo, fas sing by, om could seo by the dim light within that ths si cep?-ng accomodation was the familiar with the inevitable mosquito net. There appeared to be twelve beds on each aide of the barracks. Goar is not placed on the beds during the day but ia neatly and uniformly arranged on shelves above the bods. : : : THE barracks and administration buildings era aligned around the brow of a slo slope with cook house, ration store and garage on the flat below. : : j RATIONS arc supplemented by vege - tables grown in two large gardens in the camp. Lettuce, cabbage, onions# tomatoes and other vegetables ajajb appear to do ell. § ;• REVEILIB io at 0500 hours, fifteen minutes only being allowed in which to have a tumbler of coffee and a slice of 'bremd before going on parade. Shaving at this time, however, is not compulsory. The first meal of the day ia not until 1030 hours and is followed by.a siesta period until 1400 hours. Work ceases for the day at hours. Coffee and a slice of broad only fdx breakfast is not the rule in civilian life, but the Frenchmen say they have become used to tho army way*

“ OEUF'S MIMOSA ” .

THIS is the name given to a dish which was being prepared by one of my French friends when I arrived on another occasion for Hard boiled Oggs had boon bh.Jj.e and cut in half, tho yolks carefully extracted and, after being whipped up with tinned salmon were being replaced in the whites. These wore placed on top of sliced tomatoes, below which were lettuce leaves. : : i THIS was the first course and was followed by fresh fried mackerel with the juice of lemon to taste. J • ? THE third course was friod beef atV h , potato chips and lottuce leaves, the latter being soaked in oil. j • BREAD and dry wine wore taken wl th the meal which was followed by New Caledonian coffee. Milkloss but mild and very sweet; unlike the coffee wc sometimes have here. To finish off the meal a bottle of Nev/ Caledonian imitation

” Curacao ” was opened and Md a like the meal was n Tres Bon • ? s ? A variation in the rxal is that the eggs are hard boiled, but in

a white thick sauce and was ally good. This was followed by 7 largo crabs which taste very much like crayfish, but arc sweeter. Frosh fried mullet 'with the juice of lemon proceeded a jell fried be of steak? with very good potato chips and salad. The evening ucnl was ” Fish Sausage I 5 This was fish cooked in a very rich gravoy and had an elusive sausage flavor. Ox. tongues were also on the table and were followed by bread, cheese and ma rmala do. v

.. mituniiah ti n>t it it» it WHAT YOU DO NOT SHE IN NEW ZEALAND. . . . .

SEA snakes at tho beaches that vary in length from two inches to two feet. The body white with blacl rings like thick bands round the body,

SPIDER webs that stretch between trees from ten to twenty feet apart HxW tho slider recited from one tre to another kept all hands guessing until it was discovered that z the spider hangs on tho branch of one tree and releases several.strands of web. . Caught by tho breeze the strands of web are carried to a nearby tree to which they stick. Some webs diamond shaped and stand four feet high; usually attached to the ground.

TREBS that go on fire to get rid Of old bark. > .

HILLS vd th enough mineral wealth in them to make you a millionaire several times over if you owned the.

A winter .which AA the dry season.

INSECTS of all shades and sizes fluttering round your candle at night. Little wo codgers.with back as hards a a rails and long thin wings.; small moths that creep in your cars and down your neck; mosquitoes that stand on their hind legs and hiss at you through the no to < . . :

WILD pigs that look like maori

dogs

MEN and women who have never know) what it is to wear boots - onon whsi working in quarries. /