SOME PALESTINE FIGURES

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 181, 26 April 1919, Page 6

SOME PALESTINE FIGURES

IIOW OUR MEN AND HORSES STUCK I - IT. At the soldiers' entertainment in the Town Hall last evening, Lieutenant-Col- i onel Guy Powles, C.JI.G., D.5.0,, said that, before leaving the platform lie. would like to give some figures, which he thought should be known. In 1916 the I New Zealand Brigade in Palestine had j three weeks' rest and no leave; in 1917, tho brigade had three weeks off after tho second battle of Gaza, and a little leave, was allowed (that was, a few of men went down to the' rest canin at Port Said). In 1918 they had two twelve-day periods - of rest in Bethlehem to get cool.af,ter coming out of the Valley of the. Jordan (where in summer the temperature ranged from 115 to 120 degrees in the shade). So that they had only ten weeks away from hard work in three years. . So much for the men. Now, what of the horses? On the march from Gaza to Jaffa, tho horses of the 2nd Light Horse went for 60 hours -without water;, those of the New Zealand Mounted Brigade went for 72 hours without, water (travelling .20 .miles'a day), .and' the. horses of'one cable wagon, were known, to go for 81 hours without water. Those iigures were extremely interesting, as ! he did not think it was known in Nc«n Zealand that horses could go without water for so long.