officers, on whom they attend, each officer having 1 orderly; 10 imaums
(priests); 20 civilians, who were captured by the Sherif of Mecca and at
once handed over to the English.

The commandant of the camp is Lieut.-Colonel Coates.

The American chargé d'affaires in Egypt has twice visited the camp.


_Accommodation._--The equipment of the camp at Sidi Bishr not having
been entirely completed before our visit we found some of the buildings
still in course of erection. But the officers' quarters were ready, and
lacked nothing except some furniture, which was daily expected. The
barracks, 25 metres (81 feet) long and 8 metres (20 feet) wide,
consisted of a solid wooden framework, with partitions either of timber
or cement, constructed in the camp by native workmen. A corridor about 1
metre 75 (6 feet) wide runs all along the front of the building, and
gives access to the chambers. These measure about 3 metres 50 (14 feet)
by 4 metres (17 feet), and 4 metres (17 feet) from the wooden floor to
the ceiling. All the interior walls are lime-washed. Each room has two
windows, glazed and also covered with wire gauze to exclude insects, and
a latched door. Chimneys rise above the roof, which is of timber covered
with tarred felt.

According to regulation, the number of occupants of each chamber depends
upon their grade. Officers up to the rank of captain are quartered four
in each dormitory; captains three, and colonels two. (Some superior
officers have each a separate chamber.) The orderlies are housed
elsewhere. All the buildings are lighted by electricity, generated by a
local plant.