soda with a white
chalky base. There are everywhere deep holes full of salt water with
salt-loving plants about them, practically the only vegetation to be
seen; between these there is a mass of hummocks, and pinnacles, with
occasional sheep that look like goats, feeding on I do not know what,
unless it be a tuft-headed small grass which is found sparsely on the
higher grounds. In front of our tents are larger mounds on which four
camels are nibbling at this grass, these being kept by some Bedouins
for giving milk. Seeing some dark-skinned rascals having a ride on
them I went up to them and was offered a mount for a penny; then the
urchin, who had an early training in fleecing, thought he might double
his charge and held up two fingers to designate the amount and marched
off his camel till I consented. The brute nearly broke first my neck
and then my back, but I greatly enjoyed my short ride.

Immediately after this an Inniskilling Fusilier raced Thomson and
myself over these terrible salt pits to the sea edge where an
unconscious man was lying, having been dragged out of the water after
disappearing like a stone, although said to be a strong swimmer.

_April 2nd._--A day of great heat, were it not for an occasional air
from the Mediterranean. The whole of our camp is covered with ordinary
soft sea-sand, and it gets very hot and very glaring. Immediately
behind the more or less level ground on which the 29th Field Ambulance
is encamped the pure white, chalky higher ground commences, peopled by
camels, goats, and sheep. The last two are so much alike it is
difficult to say which of the families they belong to.

About 6 p.m. I set out for Alexandria with four of our officers. After
a little shopping and haircutting we had an excellent dinner at the
Grand Restaurant du Nil, all considering some fried mullet to be the
finest fish we had ever tasted. With a fairly liberal supply of wine
the dinner for the five of us cost only about 17s. Then to the Moulin
Rouge, which I should say is the counterpart of its better-known
namesake in Paris. The newness of the whole show made it amusing.

_April 3rd._--Apparently it never rains here after summer has
commenced. I have been studying the ornithology of these bare chalk
mounds, and find the birds are practically the same as our commonest
ones at home--swallows, stonechats--which have been very busy
to-day--our two water wagtails, and the wretched little sparrow. I
thought th