apparently just bare desert. Vines and date palms were also grown, and I
presume these, with fishing, constitute the main source of life to the
inhabitants. The natives, incidentally, had a most pleasing appearance,
and their older men reminded one forcibly of the patriarchs. They had a
strikingly manly and independent carriage, quite different from the lack
of respectability of the lower class Egyptian. There is probably a good
deal of Arab blood in them, which may account for the fearless manner
with which they look the foreigner straight in the face.

We were not surprised when definite orders arrived to prepare ourselves
for a return to the canal. The transport started first for they were to
trek the distance, while the personnel were to have the pleasure of
riding on a train. The men accepted this statement rather warily for
such a thing had seldom been known during their experience with the
battalion. On January 30th all the animals in the Division assembled
near our camp preparatory to commencing the trek when the aircraft alarm
was sounded. This was immediately followed by eight bombs in quick
succession. One of these unfortunately dropped amidst our transport
column killing two favourite riders, "Bighead" and "Jester" and
destroying two or three mules. Fortunately only one man was injured, and
more luckily still, no bombs dropped in the camp, although they were
near enough to be unpleasant. The day's excitement was later heightened
by a camel going "macknoon" in the middle of the camp. Attacking his
native keeper he broke loose and our men had to "run for it." By an
ingenious manipulation of ropes round his legs, and a well-aimed blow
behind his ear from a tent mallet flung by one of the men, he was
subdued and brought to earth, but not before he had destroyed a "bivvy"
and some tents. Even this did not complete the incidents of the day, for
evening found us clinging with might and main to tent poles, tent
curtains, "bivvy" shelters, etc., while a furious sand storm did its