CHRISTMAS AT CAIRO

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2376, 4 February 1915, Page 6

CHRISTMAS AT CAIRO

A SOLDIER'S LETTER CITY OF RESTAURANTS Cairo, December 27. —From the shadows thrown by the lines of tents a Christmas carol burst as the notes of "First Post" died. Tho little group of singers wandered through tho sand iirom tent to tent, with half a dozen regimental bands throwing a distant acoompaniment against the rocky rampart oVer whicn tho Pyramids looked down upon the Australians' strange Christmas Eve, as they may have watched Napoleon's a hundred years ago. Wo realised, perhaps, for the first' time when we heard the strains of "Hark, the herald angels sing," the significance of the combination of time, place, and season. In this season of peace of goodwill, we, who twelve months before had been driving, pens, or ploughs, motor-cars, or at most drilling -for an hour or two under a atreetlamp, wore camped on the edge of. tho Libyan desert, training ourselves daily to exhaustion, that we might the sooner leap at the throat of a nation which had dono more than any other to sanctify iule-tide. Bourke and Swanston Streets on Christmas Eve were UUOO miles away, and we had had no news iroin, home later than the first week in November. It was not the Christmas wo ■ had been used to, but we would inako the best of it. Wherever Christmas is celebrated there must bo two things—turkey and plum pudding. Egypt's plenty has surprised us already, and out of it it seemed to have no difficulty in producing turkeys for Australians, New Zealandcrs. and Territorials. In some cases the men bought them, in others tlio officers' mess fund came to the rescue, but in one way or the other nearly all the exiled celebrants were to set their teeth in a good tough drum-stick, or wing, as they squatted about their tents in the sand. A military cook would not keep his job if ho had not tho nerve to tackle plum pudding over a camp fire. Though their achievements wbro not like mother's, they tasted something like, even if you did have to eat some of them with a spoon. The quarter-masters' stores, or mess, or company musters, provided salad, tinned fruit, cake, orangesoranges here are as tho sands of the desert—and tho necessary liquid refreshment. At Mena mess sheds are being built for the artillery and the infantry battalions. Some of these woro finished in time to he christened on Friday. It was there that the real Christmas dinners were held.

Haggling Over Turkeys. Preparations for all this feeding sorely tried the Christmas' spirit. It is bad enough to haggle with an Egyptian or a Greek over gaudy scarves and cheap walking-sticks, but to discuss Christmas turkey in piastres, especially 60 to 100 piastres (12s. to 205.), was galling. However, they came down with a rush ,on the last day, but the dealers, who drove cartloads alive out to camp, wanted 50 piastres just to cut their heads off. Those who wanted to do the thing thoroughly stayed up until the small hours of Christmas Day stuffing turkeys and cutting up salad. That may have been why the eve was quiet in camp. But a stronger reason would have beiui found in Cairo streets and restaurants. In the words of the local newspapers, tho city lias been filled every night with Australian and New Zealand troops, ready to pay double value for everything. Tho Christmas sun rose through a heavy jnist, that hui.g a red veil in front of the pyramids. Before reveille bands had turned (jut, and sleeping ears were greeted with the notes of "Christians, Awake, Salute the Happy Morn." While some hurriedly dressed for early communion services, wags went round and tipped empty bottles and sand out of sock and trousers, which they had hung out for Father Christmas. Church parade on the eandbills might by p, wido stretch of imagination have carried one back to holiday services on bay beaches, but they were far removed from flowerdecked pulpits and altars, and surpliced choirs. To dispel the last gleam of glamour, everyone was lined up immediately afterwards for a medical inspection. Dinner was a more'etately and lingering affair, that usual quick-lunch rush, or, worse still, the bread and jam and sardines of tho trenches. If anyone missed Christmas fare in camp, his opportunity came in the evening. As soon as dinner was finished, everyone rushed for Cairo. Nominally, only the usual 20 per cent, leave was granted, but tattoo roll-calls, which reported "all present and correct," that night lied seasonably and well. The t*am service was swamped. More than a hundred two-horso barouches carry the leave men home every night, besides a fleet of -motor* cars. Few of these got in sight of the train terminus. The trams became khaki blotches. One triple car-train after another left the footboard filled. A solid column of raon marched up the road, waving frantically to every motorcar carrying visitors to the camp. They commandeered all forms of transports, down to native oarts and donkeys. Sometimeß the owner had to run alongside to make room for a soldier driver, sometimes half a dozen Australians shared the ramshackle vehicle with a native family. The trams made a slow, triumphal progress. The 200 odd passengers on each cheered everything in sight, generally got cheers back, or at least smiles and waves of the hand. City of Restaurants. "Feed" is the first object of 95 per cent, of those who go on leave or take it. There was surely never such a city for restaurants, cafes, brasseries, and bars, and all of thorn do a roaring trade. You cannot walk half a block without seeing signs, such as "English Bar," "Australian Cafe," ''Fusiliers' Bar," "Elephant and Castle," for the benefit of the Londoner; "Steak and Eggs," "Eggs and Bacon," "Special for tho Soldiers," "Welcome to the Army of Occupation."- They brazenly announce "English Spoken," but the English usually ends with "Good night sergeant; come iu, sergeant; you want good dinner, sergeant?" The speciality seems to consist in a specially high price for a specially small meal. Most take several "special" menus for an appetisant, and begin to feol satisfied by the time they have to start for home. If there ia any difficulty in finding room for more a donkey race through the city streets helps considerably. On Christmas Night there were extra special dinners at extra special prices. Nevertheless every popular cafe was filled, and had a long waiting list from early in tho afternoon. The streets seethed with soldiers, with a good sprinkling of Egyptians and Indians. But for tho matter of prices it would have been worse, or better, according to the point of view. In Egypt the Australians are drawing only 'As. a day, and that- does not go very far in Cairo, with a couple of days' leave a week. But there seemed to be no shortage on Friday. Sliophcard's, the Grand Continental, tns best scuts at the Kursaal, tho tunics and breeches of the Australians were to be seen everywhere where money could be quickly spent. No splendour abashes tho Australian private. A Territorial would as soon think of orderin" ginger-boor in the throneroom at Hiickingliam Palace as of paying Is.' for a whisky and soda in the bar at- Shephenrd's. But the Australian etrolls liflht into the middle of the generals, colonels, and Staff officers, and the ctlclest stare ol an Kngiish eyeglass never disturbs hi.s perusal of tho winelist as ho orrjors dinner, " Lator a "scrafi"- .with, the Now. i&»y

ladiders distributed a few black eyes, but did not develop beyond the-stage when furniture is thrown out of upstair windows. Considering the circumstances, the number of absentees at reveille on Boxing Day was small. Leave-breakers are being severely dealt with. For every hour after 11 o'clock a night ten days' leavo has been stopped. Still there are plenty who play the game discreetly. Three who appeared at orderly room last week were not among them. Tho first was called in, and in a niimvte or two came out smiling. The second was equally happy, and tho. two walked away up tho lines. The third went into -the colonel's tent. Suddenly tho regimental sergeant-major and the sergeant of the guard shot out of the door and dashed after No.'s 1 and 2. They were brought back, and after a longer interval all three came out cursing everything in general aud No. 3 in particular. No. 1 nad explained that when his name had been called he was in another part of the lines. No. 2 described a visit to the Pyramids, which are within bounds at certain times. "Where were you?" the colonel asked No. 3. "With the others, sir," he answered. "Where was that?" "In Cairo, at tho races, sir." [t was then that tho sergeant-major made his rush. The effect of little troubles like that soon wears off. Every man who was punished for Christmas offences felt that ho had had his money's worth, particularly the man who found on Boxing Day that he was the richer by a table and a chair. It had not been an Australian Christmas, but it was a good substitute.