ARRIVAL IN EGYPT – Wed 13 Jan 1915

Private E. H. Ely, of Harcourt, a member of the First. Australian Contingent has forwarded a number of post cards to his relatives as Harcourt, from which we have extracted the following:—

Just a card or two to let you know 1 am in splendid health. We left Suez to come through the Canal at half past eight o’clock, and arrived at Port Said about 12 o’clock. It took 15 hours to come through. It is worth all we have gone through to see what we have seen. Coming from Suez we entered the Canal, sailing almost north. Coming along, we passed several stretches of trees like wild cherry trees, on the left-hand- side. At intervals there were troops entrenched along the banks. We passed Ismalia at 4 o’clock. This is a pretty large place.

We could see an encampment in the distance that looked as large as we had at broadmeadows. We expect to land in the morning. We are on guard tonight. Port Said itself looks a fair size place, looking from the harbor. There was soon a crowd of Egyptians around the boat selling different things. Oranges, 1d each, and good ones at that. I was quite relieved to get letters at Port Said (eight in all). They were the first we had received since leaving Australia. We are all of a bustle to-night, getting ready to get off the boat. We drew out of Port Said at 1 o’clock, and dropped anchor about a mile. We started off again this evening at a good pace, and should arrive at Alexandra in a few hours. Coming along the Canal we saw several green patches (oasis). I have not much more news at present, but will write in a day or two. We saw hundreds of Egyptians coming along the Canal, and camels, donkeys, turkeys, sheep, fowls, goats, dogs, etc. You will see by this that we have landed here safely. We arrived at Alexandra on Friday, and left the boat on Sunday (yesterday). The train was on the wharf by the boat. We left there at a quarter to three o’clock, and arrived at Cairo at eight. We were there two hours before we got away, we had a cup of cocoa and a bun while waiting. We then got on the electric tram, and came out to camp about. 8 miles out of Cairo. When we got off we had about a mile to walk. We arrived at camp at half-past eleven o’clock. We have no tents to sleep in. It’s warm through the day, and cold at night. This morning, when we woke, our blankets were wet with dew. The place we are camped in is a big hollow, no trees for shade. I’ll bet it would be hot here in the summer time. Coming from Alexandra we came through several fine stations. The country was very flat, and wet. I suppose it had been recently flooded, a lot of country was cultivated with lucerne, maize, and a lot of plants like raspberry canes. The cows look strange animals, they are all mousie

colored, and their horns grow back along their necks. They do their ploughing with them here too. The houses of the natives are built of mud, with flat, thatched roofs. Their sheep are larger than ours, and are nearly all brown colored, some with light colored noses. We also saw some fine date groves. Cairo itself is a fine big place, it looks almost as big as Melbourne, although not lit up nearly so well. Coming out of the tram, we crossed over the Nile, a fine, big river. We are keeping in good health, and having a fair time.