“OUT JERUSALEM WAY."

Hokitika Guardian, 25 May 1918, Page 3

“OUT JERUSALEM WAY."

WITH THE NEW ZEALAND TROOPERS.

A Wellington trooper writing from Ayunkara. (Palestine), states that for three weeks they had been away on a stunt “out Jerusalem way.” “Our brigade,” says tho letter, “left on and travelled to a place called Latroun, where we experienced a terrific rainstorm, and things were very wet and miserable. Latroun is the half-way place to Jerusalem. We stayed there the night, and the Holy City was reached at 5 o’clock the next afternoon. We were all rather disappointed in Jerusalem. Our camp site is between the Holy City and Bethlehem. In fact, we havo « good view of Bethlehem from the camp, which is on a high hill between Jerusalem and the Dead Sea. At the present camp there is a large monastery and some of the rooms in it are heinp used by the troops. There is, an oid monk living there, who told us that the place was 1500 years old, and tho spot was hallowod by the three wise men of the East having passed that way on their way to Bethlehem. From this camp we get a good view of the Mount of Olives, Bethlehem and the Dead Sea. The country round about is very mountainous, but we have come upon large flocks of sheeps and goats. There are • a few Turks out here, but they aro hard to get nt owing to the nature of the country which is very bad for mounter ment to work, and very hard for trapsport. After staying for three days wo set out for Jericho. After spending half a day cleaning the Turks up (in which we had one man killed and two wounded) we found ourselves without rations, and we had to do without for two days, while the horses had no hard feed fo>twenty four hours, but on arrival at I Jericho our transport caught us up with plenty of ‘mungarie’ for man and beast. Jericho is only a very small place. It loQks like a little garrison town. Not far away is the River Jordan, flowing into the Dead Sea, only eight miles wide at this end and said to be only two or three fathoms deep. Hero tjje Turks greeted us with shell fire, but being out of range they did no damage; also five enemy aeroplanes paid us a visit, but. did not. stop long ns we gave them plenty of machine-gun and rifle fire. After being at Jericho a couple of days we trekked back to Jerusalem the Golden and on the way the “Tommies” along the road greeted us with cheers. Somehow or other they had got it into their heads that we i had done great work. On the second : day after our arrival back the authori- ' tics allowed us to look around the city, and it was very iteresting. I visited the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. It is a splendid Church and we saw mnn> beautiful and rare things there. We also had a look at the market place where they have tiny shops and not much for sale. The town is very dirty. The poorer population look starved, hut tE# monks look well-fed and healMhy.”