SNAPSHOTS FROM FRANCE

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2801, 20 June 1916, Page 6

SNAPSHOTS FROM FRANCE

ANZACS' impressions. Tko hearts cf parenU', sweethearts, and wives in New Zealand, have been gladdened during the last week by tlie receipt of tlio first big mail since the Now Zealand troops-have been in France. What a change it is from the rabbitwarrens of Uallipoli, and the torrid monotony of '.'Egypt's burning sands," is interestingly retlected in many of the letters. The following are a few "Had one of the most wonderful trips you could have—Alexandria, to Marseilles, and then right aoross France, three days and two nights in the train. The weather has been terrible—raining, snowing, and blowing hard all the time. The country wo are in is half under water—the rest is mud. Wo are billeted in a hay-loft on a farm, and jolly' glad of the shelter, too. Tents would have been unspeakably awful here. We are a few miles behind the firing lino, and can hear the boom of the big guns every now and then. The south of France is a wonderful country, and every yard of land is cultivated. The trouble at present is that there are no men left to work the farms, a_ud the women have to do everything. You see them at the plough, working in the engine sheds, cleaning at the rail, way crossings, portal's on the stations— in fact they are keeping the country going. Those of us who were on the Peninsula can, instead of doing work in capip, go out and help the farmers with their work. A good many of our chaps are farmers, and are giving their services whilst we are in this village. . . . We have had' no pay for some time, and now, to cap everything, the Field Cashier has gone and got lost, so that we are all 'stony broke,' and likely to be for some time. Things are very cheap here, and sixpence goes a long way. The- trouble is to get die sixpence! "Darin® our trip across Franco we passed through Lyons (but had no time to see 'The Lady of Lyons'); the outskirts of Paris, Amiens, Boulogne, and Calais. When we reached Boulogne we were on. the coast of the English. Channel, and one could not believe that we were within a few hours of London; The weather was very bad when we -went through Calais, otherwise we might, have had a glimpse of the white cliffs of the country so few of us have seen, but all of us call 'Home.' The weather is bitterly cold, and we have only one blanket eaoh. I have not had my clothes off fora week, or had a bath for three weeks. In Egypt,' where it was blazing , hot, we had three or four blankets, • and here, Where it is snowing, we. only have one, and no change of clothing. We do not know where our kit bags are or when we will get them.' ' . "They are inoculating us for something or other about every three weeks. As this puts one down and out for about 18-hours, you can guess we are having tlio'time of our lives. . '. . The French people are good sorts. Three of lis spent the evening at a Frenchman's house a few.days ago. They could speak a little English, and we could speak a little French, so we got on famously. We vers coming home, when they invited us inside and gave us coffee.-. They want us to come along again when their son oomes home on leave from Verdun. Tires bion!"