WITH THE FORCES IN MESOPOTAMIA.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 1624, 14 October 1916, Page 4

WITH THE FORCES IN MESOPOTAMIA.

INTERESTING LETTER FROM A PONTON BOY. By last mail we received a very interesting letter from a wellknown local boy. Corp. F. C. Robinson of the First N.Z. Wireless Troop, son of Mr and Mrs F. Robinson, Thynne Street. The letter is written from somewhere in Mesopo r tamin, under date August 20th. Corp. Robinson writes as follows; “Our troop had a splendid sea voyage, and was well fed the whole way over. There was plenty of room for exercising and all sorts of sports, etc., were indulged in to keep the men lit and bright. Our troop managed to-get away with most of the first prizes, notwithstanding the variety of events on the programme. At the first meeting; they scored a first in every event. Our tug-o’-war team was far too -solid' for anything aboard our ship, although they were beaten by a team (which included a number of T., 0.. and W. reps.) from our sister ship upon our arrival at our first port of call. We had a very merry time when King Neptune celebrations were indulged in, and apparently enjoyed by all concerned when we crossed the ‘line.’ Parsons, first lieutenants, captains, and such men, all had to undergo their compulsory shave and bath —a very laughable turnout to an onlooker —whether they ‘preferred’ it or otherwise. Any ‘conscientious objectors' were immedialely accosted by a young but very staunch body of Neplline’s police force, and needless to say, all attempts at resisting the police proved useless. But on the whole the ‘conscientious objectors' were small in number, and most of those ‘sorted out’ enjoyed the joke ( ?) as much as the onlookers. We left (he A - which proceeded with the Tenth, at Colombo, where we stayed four days sight-seeing most of the time. Ac travelled per rail to Talaimanar in Northern Ceylon. Some portions of the Ceylon country appears to be very rich and interesting. Onr treatment on the railways of the above country was tip-top. A’e felt proper tourists. There is a terry steamer service, a journey of about three hours, from Talaimanar to Dhamaskhodi in Southern India. At the latter place we boarded a train for Madras. The railways in Southern India are fair, but their third class cars did not compare at all favom’ftbly with the first class ones allotted us on the Ceylon railways. Naturally, our men got their backs up a bit at having to travel in the same class car as an Indian plantation labourer, and ventilated their feelings accordingly. But it is a recognised thing, 1 believe, that soldiers, especially mere regular soldiers posted in India, always have to travel third. The first and second on the same railways are reallv grand, but the third nut said. Twenty-four hours’ run in the train landed us at Madras. Here we spent one day, which v as occupied in seeing as much of the city as we could. Quite a number of regulars there were very hospitable to the men of the troop, and showed us round. Among the many places of interest I saw was the locality where the ‘Emden’ dropped her shells, and a very large and ancient sacred watering place of the Buddhists. Several of ns put m a couple of hours at the gymkhana polo chih watching some very hue polo. A thirty-six hours’ ride overland brought ns to Bombay. Here we got our light uniforms, which W’erc very welcome indeed, for I can assure you we’d nil lost a fair amount of extra weight through wearing the outfit given ns in New Zealand, Owing to certain reasons, it was necessary fur us 1o fill in ten days at the galewny of India. Filling in time was no iwjrd mailer, for there’s plenty of things of interest to a new chum to be seen m Bombay. The Victoria Terminus Bailway Station is r- very large building indeed, and worth going a long way to see. This railway station is said to be one of the largest, jf not the largest, in the world. It 5s really a magnificent hnildmg. Space won’t permit me to go into full details of all I saw, hut 1 can assure yon that one cannot possibly realise certain things existing or taking place in India unless seui with one’s own eyes. The Parsee ■Towers were also of great interest. Most of the men managed to get out and see-them. At the Towers there are several caretakers, and these men. who speak English well, explain very clearly their religion. To one who knows nothing of the Parsee religion—except for the tact that the vultures winch live about the Towers devour the dead bodies —it seems at first a horrible pi<" 1 dure, of course; but when the whole belief, etc., is explained, one cannot help but think that thmr form of religion is indeed ‘fair enough • “ic vultures never frequent any grounds except those on which the Towers are constructed. On April 10th we left Bombay for Basra. . Dundee .safely on the 17th, and were soon settled down in camp not much more than 3,000 (?) miles from Ashar, which is the port of Basra-or-Ba-s----ra. So far we’d not got either our Parses or sets, but before very jon«- after our arrival we got a pack set, and with it managed to get in some proper practical work. After about a month’s stay at oui iist camp, wc were divided into sections, and number one was sent off; northwards. I was included m number one section, a on B wi j « dozen others. A'e got our pack sets, horses, etc., in fact, everything x - ouired, at Amaru, where we vs ere attached to a mobile column, and set out on u day’s march northwards. finally halted at, a strategica

point, and with the column have remained there ever since, keeping our ears and eyes open. The remainder of the troop’s sections were awaiting marching orders when we left, hut I can’t say where (hey are now. We had the misfortune to lose our o.c. a few weeks ago, as a result of jaundice trouble. I expect Signal Headquarters will he at our helm now for a while. Percy Jenks (another Foxton hoy) is well. He. was to have come up here to join vis not long' hack, but he was held over for a while. We’re living in hopes, however, of his joining us later. I cannot speak about the doings of the other sections, hut I’m pleased to relate that so far we in 1 his seelion have given very little cause for complaint. Most of the operators are a. 1., and as rough riders the English regulars can’t show them much. Unfortunately the heat has had its effect on a lot ol; the men, and during the last couple of months they’ve not been the physically (!l men they were aboard the troopship. The thermometer has registered as much as 127 to 1.50 deg. in the shade, so you can guess that a Blull'-ite would take a wee hit of acclimatising before he’d feel at home* in this climate. At presold, though, (he days are getting short eland the nights much cooler. Needless to say, this is very welcome. Mesopotamia may have certainly been an attractive country in the olden days, but compare it with New Zealand, “God's Own Country” of the present day, and it falls a long way short. In the words of the local poet, it may he, described thus: Mesopotamia, the land of smell,

Is vry near as hot, as hell, Where fleas, and Hies, and every pest Annoy yon when yon try to rest; Where Aral) snipers love to roam, And the British soldier dreams of home. Alien the war is o’er, for home we’ll steer And try and forget it all in—soda water! Even Col. Gorringe is alleged to have said that if Hell was any hotter than this country he'd not he afraid to go there. He’d chance the unlikely, lie reckoned. With the exception of a day or so ‘off colour’ occasionally, the men of this section are at present keeping in good fettle, and I trust that the same continues. We're well treated for respectable touts at present. This is a great blessing, for the shade of the sheltering palm up this far is about a minus quantity.

“P.S. —1 forgot to mention that we saw Ezra’s tomb on onr way up. With its huge palms and trees growing all round it, the building and surroundings afford a very fine scene indeed. At Kunua —or Quriiah —we saw the garden of Eden. Both Adam and Eve apparently left no provision for the upkeep ot. (he garden, which at present is in a slate of sad neglect. Fig, apple, and date palms seem to he the chief varieties of fruit trees abounding in Adam’s orchard. Hero are a few particulars of places mentioned: Busi-a : 07 miles from' sea, Persian Gulf; population about 0,000, mostly sedentary arahs, few Europeans about 3,000 Persians and 1,000 .lews. Quran h: 45 miles fm’ther up at the junction of the Tigris and Euphrates; population a limit 5,000. Amara : 10,000 ; 31 miles north of Kut and Persian passes. Bagdad: (Hope to get there yet) 14,000, ahout half Jews ; 500 miles from Basra, on Tigris, Kut-el-Amara ; Only about 4,000; centre grain traffic-; 285 miles north-west of Basra, on Tigris. Nasiriyah: Comparatively modern town, I believe; about 10,000; situated on Euphrates, about 115 miles from Basra; have not been that direction yet; know little of place. The above are the chief towns of Mesopotamia; hundreds of small villages everywhere.”