Here we are in Egypt and
settled here for a few months anyway. It was all
very sudden. We did not know definitely that we
were getting off until we reached Suez , although we
had been told to prepare for a possible disembarkation
two days before. We went on from Suez to Port Said
& thence to Alexandria where we disembarked &
entrained for Palais Zubba which is a mile from
here & altogether 7 miles from Cairo on the right
hand side of the Nile facing down stream.

We disembarked here, (the Australians as well as
us) because there is a possibility of trouble with
the Turks Arabs. You will have seen in the
newspapers that the Khedive has got the sack, &
there is a rumour to the effect that we are going
to annex the country but I do not think that
will be done if the people agree to the new Khedive
we propose to put up. If there is any serious
trouble of course then we shall take over the

whole show. The danger at present is of a
Turkish advance across the Sinai peninsula on
the canal. They have a railway which runs
from the Dardanelles right down through Damascus
to within 70 miles of the lines Egyptian frontier.
Their main difficulty will be the question of
transport across about 200 miles of desert, but that
should not deter them if they have any enterprising
leaders. The Suez canal is at once the most
valuable & one of the most vital spots of the Empire
today and is worth sacrifices to attack. The
canal is well guarded principally by Gurkhas &
Palhaus & a camel corps. We saw them all as
we passed through it was a grand sight. They
have already had a few skirmishes with some
Arabs but nothing very serious as yet.

There is no doubt that most of the people
i.e. Egyptians & Arabs dislike us very much & if they
thought they had any show they would rise at
once. We are concentrating about 100,000 troops here
in the hope that the display of force will prevent
any trouble, but I am convinced that when
Turkey moves that will be the signal for a rising,
and I have gone so far as to make a small

bet (gambling again) that we shall have some
fighting here, before we leave for Europe in the
spring.

Our camp is situated on the site of the
ancient city of Heliopolis on the edge of the desert.
In fact we are camped on the desert in the sand.
The new city of Heliopolis which is a fashionable
suburb of Cairo and has only just been built &
is run by a Belgian company is just beside us &
really I cannot describe it. The houses, shops &
hotels are simply magnificent. The architecture
defies description.

I do so wish I could do some descriptive
writing and explain to you all I have seen &
my impressions of it, but it is beyond me. If
only you were here you would be able to write
volumes and you would enjoy yourself.

Major Wain , Hammond & myself went into
Cairo yesterday had dinner & then prowled. I
have never spent an evening like it. We visited
Shepheards Hotel that comes into all Egyptian
novels & had a drink on the famous balcony. We
had our dinner in an Egyptian cafe surrounded
by Arabs, Egyptians, Assyrians, Turks, Greeks, all

nationalities. Afterwards we visited old Cairo and
the Bazaars. Different parts are given over to different
nationalities: thus one finds Italians in one part,
Turks in another, Soudanese, Egyptians, Arabs etc in
other parts. There it is one sees them in all their
vices playing their parts in the narrow, bad smelling
unpaved streets. The houses & shops tumbling down
& the balconies overhead almost meeting across the
streets. Musicians with reed instruments, tom toms
etc, girls dancing the hideous dans a ventre or Arabian
stomach dance, men & women lying around smoking
opium. The women & for the most part the men
dressed in Oriental costume. Every nationality, drinking,
singing, dancing, all talking at once Arabic, French,
& mixtures of languages. Women in open doorways
Soudanese, Nubians, etc etc, displaying their forms
& inviting the passers by passersby , others loaded with jewellery
earrings, nose rings, anklets clashing sitting sphinx
like in their doorways with open beds behind them,
the Ouled Nails that Hitchens Hichens writes about in the
Garden of Allah. The scene defies description. One
minute's walk from this is the main Boulevard of
Cairo , a splendid street, with beautiful shops,
brilliantly lighted, wide pavements, electric trams, etc a typical Parisian boulevard. In the brilliant well
dressed throng one hears all languages again.
East meets west, but they don't mix. They do not
understand us, we do not understand them, &
never will. Occasionally one sees the gleam of
hatred flash from Oriental eyes, especially in the
Bazaars where there have already been one or two
English throats cut & there will probably be some
more.

I had to leave this letter & since
then up to now there has been no time to write
any more. We have been tramping the desert
every day leading the horses about to give them
exercise after their long voyage, and it is very
tiring walking in the sand & stones until one
gets used to it.

Yesterday afternoon I had free & 4 of us went
into Cairo & spent the evening there.

I sent you a cable announcing I was well,
I shortened the address but I think you will get
it alright. I also sent you yesterday a dress
length in blue and one in pink for Helen . I hope
they will reach you safely. I am sorry I could
not pay the duty this end but it will not

amount to very much. I hope you will
like the stuff, it is an Egyptian fabric &wears
& washes very well. I got it at an Oriental
shop containing a most gorgeous collection of
things. The sort of shop one could spend hours
in and many pounds. I thought the dress
was probably the most useful thing to send you,
although I nearly sent you a big shawl that
would go through a ring.

This is the easiest place to spend money
in I ever saw, there is so much to see & do,
& some things are very dear.

Last night when we had done our
shopping etc, had afternoon tea at Shepheards
etc we had dinner at the Jump Club, a
rather exclusive place (our party consisted of
Hawkins late 11th Hussars & now Brigade staff, who
took us there, Mayne , Blackett of Nelson reg t &
myself). After dinner (one dines at eight here)
we sallied forth in search of adventures, we
hired a guide from Shepheards & it is quite
impossible for me to tell you the places he took
us to and what we saw there. It was
certainly experience, but I never wish to see

so much vice again. It was revolting. Someday
I may give you a few horrible details.

Next moon the four of us are going to
arrange a little excursion to see the minx by
spotlight, I mean the Spinhx by moonlight. I
will try & record my impressions afterwards.

You would enjoy yourself here, it is really
gorgeous. When we meet I do not expect to stop
talking for months. The weather is lovely, warm
days all sunlight & cold nights all starlight. I
am already getting horribly fat. There is much
more French spoken here than English & I find
mine very useful.

Your uncle we have not seen yet. Pinkie
seems to be shy about looking him up, but if he
does not do it soon I am going to. I want to
find out about the Egyptian army. I hear that
he is a big bug here & he will probably be able
to give me all sorts of information.

The native villages here are weird places,
built of mud and bolstered up with bits of wood,
filthy dirty, smelling abominably. Their cemeteries are
just outside the walls. Mostly square mud heaps, but
some are plastered & they look just like large cream

cakes.

New Zealand 's young ideas are getting some
horrid shocks here, and more than one high &
mighty virtuous birdling has come an awful flop.
It is all very funny & I am enjoying myself
hugely.

I do hope there will be some letters from you
before Xmas, I expect there will be a big batch
when they do arrive. It is difficult to realize I have
not heard from you since I left New Zealand .

We will be commencing training in earnest
shortly I expect, as soon as the horses are fit, &
I have no doubt we will be kept busy. The horses
are wonderful, we only lost 71 out of roughly 2500
& those that are here are splendid.

Goodbye dear for the present, I do wish
you were here with me. Look after yourselves,
give Helen and big hug & a kiss, & here is all
my love for you dear girl .
Roy .