of irony, painted on the outside of the receptacle was a
representation of an Australian kicking a Turk off the Peninsula.
Beneath was inscribed a line from "Dryblower's" well known song, "This
bit of the world belongs to us." The contents of the "billies" covered a
fairly wide range of articles, and an inventory made of one gave the
following result:--

1 tin shortbread.
1 tin cheese.
1 tin tobacco.
1 pack playing cards.
1 corkscrew.
1 mouth organ.
Safety pins.
1 piece soap.
1 tube toothpaste.
1 toothbrush.
1 packet prunes.
1 packet boracic acid.
1 writing pad with envelopes.
1 pipe.
6 cigars.

Although each State of the Commonwealth sent its proportion of gifts,
the whole lot were pooled and distributed _pro rata_. The 28th thus
received mostly Victorian gifts, but they were none the less welcome,
and many men answered by letter the greetings of the senders.

The receipt of these gifts excited considerable interest and gave
infinite pleasure. The scene when the cans were being opened was
absorbing. Men were behaving like children, exhibiting the articles to
one another, exchanging when not quite to taste, rendering impromptus on
the mouth organs, and laughing over their own interpretations of the
messages. In these last, as might be expected, little incongruities were
discovered, and the commanding officer of a neighbouring battalion, who
admitted an age of 40 and a weight of some 200 lbs., felt flattered when
he read the enclosed inscription, "To my dear little soldier boy."

That night went pleasantly enough--the men singing and talking until a
late hour. Next morning, in beautiful weather, the Battalion paraded for
divine service, which was conducted by the Rev. S. McBain, a chaplain of
the 6th Brigade, in a manner that interested and pleased all. The dinner
was a feast as compared with the meals of the previous months, and
afterwards the Western Australians played their first, and a victorious,
game of football in the A.I.F.--on this occasion against the 24th
Battalion. A visit was also received from Colonel Burston, who was now
located on the island in command of a large reinforcement camp. That
evening in his own Mess he very pleasantly entertained some of the
officers. Boxing Day was also observed as a holiday and passed without
incident except for a visit from a hostile aeroplane which passed over
the camp travelling eastw