H.—l9b

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passing, I may say that this gentleman also placed his residence and houseboat at Aboukir at the disposal of the authorities as a convalescent home for Army nurses. On my visit to the latter institution 1 found about twenty New Zealand nurses there, including live or six who had been in the " Marquette " disaster. The winter weather in Alexandria proving wet and damp, and this being detrimental to the recovery of patients, Lady Godley deemed it advisable to remove her home to Helouan, situated about fourteen miles from Cairo. The climate being dry, and hot sulphur baths being available there, Helouan was recommended as a most suitable winter place for convalescents, particularly for those suffering from rheumatism and kindred ailments. Lady Godley had also a small home for convalescent soldiers at Zeitouu, which I visited on several occasions, and heard no complaints. In Miss Nicholls, a trained nurse with wide experience in Egyptian hospitals, Lady Godley had a most capable Matron of her institutions. "Aotea" Convalescent Home, at Heliopolis, situated close to the Zeitoun Camp, was also excellently equiped and managed, the Matron being Sister M. A. Earley, late of the Wellington Hospital, who had a capable and enthusiastic staff. This institution was generously provided by Wanganui, Rangitikei, and Wairarapa residents. The idea was, I understand, conceived by three Wanganui ladies, Misses M. MacDonell, M. Maedonald, and M. Duncan. After doing duty at. " Aotea " for some time Miss MacDonell accepted the position of Matron of the Empire Nurses' Convalescent Home at Zeitoun, which had been established largely through the efforts of Mrs. A. de Castro, of Wellington, for the comfort and convenience of Army nursing sisters. In opening the Home on the 25th February last General Sir John Maxwell, G.O.C. (Egypt), paid a personal tribute to the committee and especially to Mrs. de Castro, who, I may say, had charge of the Empire Soldiers Cafe in the Esbekieh Gardens, which was a great boon to all soldiers. (3.) " The comfort of the sick and the wounded." I have already mentioned the kitchen established by ladies of the Red Cross Society and the Order of St. John in our No. 2 General Hospital at Pout de Koubbeh. I found similar kitchens in other hospitals in Egypt. To Lady Carnarvon and Lady Godley is due the credit of initiating this scheme and bringing ladies out from England to give practical effect to it. In October last the Canterbury Branch of the St. John Ambulance Association cabled me £1,000 to provide extra delicacies for our sick and wounded. I held the matter in abeyance until I had completed my visits to the hospitals, and then allocated the amount as follows: £500 to the New Zealand No. 2 General Hospital; £100 to the Reel Cross kitchen at that hospital; and £200 each to Lady Godley's and the " Aotea " Convalescent. Homes. From each of the institutions 1 received an acknowledgment expressing appreciation oi" the thoughtful and generous action of the association. I found that our sick and wounded were regularly visited by ladies from New Zealand and elsewhere. Other ladies also visited our hospital regularly for the purpose of mending soldiers' garments and doing other useful work. There was also a ladies' organization to take convalescents to places of interest in and around Cairo. The devotion of these ladies to the care of our sick and wounded and their unceasing efforts to render help were beyond all praise, and I was pleased to note that their good work was much appreciated by the men. In the early stages of the war the small British community in Egypt, which included Australians and New-Zealanders temporarily resident there, were most kind in visiting and distributing gifts in the hospitals in which our sick and wounded were accommodated. From the first we had a very efficient organization for dealing with our own people, which was held up as an example to others. Chaplain Greene made a practice of boarding every hospital ship on its arrival at Alexandria. Red Cross ladies also met the hospital ships, giving those patients that were going to Cairo comforts for use on the train journey. Chaplains Angus McDonald and Greene visited the sick and the wounded immediately on their arrival in hospital to find out and supply what they required in the matter of necessary articles. This scheme for supplying free articles was the outcome of the insistence of yourself and General Godley that everything possible should be done for the comfort of the men. At Cairo similar duties were being performed by Chaplain McDonald, who, until his health gave way, worked most devotedly amongst wounded and sick .New-Zealanders wherever located in or near Cairo. Chaplain McDonald also undertook the duty of visiting our patients in the hospital for venereal cases, where his good advice had most beneficial effects. Just before leaving Egypt for Gallipoli, Colonel Esson, by direction of General Godley, arranged with Colonel A. 11. Russell, Colonel Batchelor, and Chaplain McDonald to make any disbursements they might consider necessary to provide additional comforts for our sick in Cairo or wounded that might arrive later. Colonel Charters and Chaplain Greene were empowered to act similarly at the advanced base in Alexandria. When it was found that large numbers of wounded were being diverted to Malta, Chaplain Tobin was sent there to watch their interests, a duty he performed with great success. These arrangements were communicated to New Zealand, and the Government not only confirmed what had been done, but cabled large sums of money to assist, and intimated that more cash was available whenever it was needed. These moneys, and others remitted later from New Zealand from time to time, were administered by the committees at Cairo and Alexandria, for whom they were held in trust by the Staff Paymaster, Major Hutchen, who acted as honorary treasurer. This was the beginning of a good working system. New Zealand was easily first in the field, and set an example which was followed later by others.