Alexandria could be seen except the sea front
and the southern and eastern portions which the railway skirted in its
way out between the large shallow lakes, Mariut and Abukir, into the
Libyan Desert. The route lay across the Rosetta and Damietta branches of
the Nile and through the railway junctions of Tanta, Benha, and Zagazig,
to Tel-el-Kebir, a station on the Sweet Water Canal some 16 miles west
of Zagazig. Here there was a large military siding and signs of an
extensive camp.

Leaving the train the Battalion proceeded to its camp site eastwards for
some distance along a new military road. There, standing conspicuously
on a little knoll, the first object to catch the eye was a bulky figure
which had last been seen at Blackboy Hill and was now recognised, with
ironical cheers, as belonging to the Camp Provost Corporal--the terror
of all newly-joined recruits.

Near the camp site was parked the Regimental Transport which, under
Lieut. T. D. Graham, had for over four months been impatiently awaiting
orders to rejoin its parent unit. Men, horses, and vehicles were in fine
condition and showed the benefit of the hard training that had been
undertaken in anticipation of an advance after the enemy had been
dislodged. In the care of the Transport were Australian mails, which had
been accumulating for four weeks. These were very welcome.

Judging by the appearance of the lines of the neighbouring units, tents
were not plentiful. Thanks, however, to a thoughtful Quartermaster and
an unsuspecting Ordnance Officer at Alexandria, the Battalion had
brought with it on the train a supply sufficient to house all ranks and
allow a few over for the rest of the brigade. Beyond tents and a limited
water supply, drawn from a neighbouring main, none of the ordinary
conveniences, such as were found at Abbasia, were available. All these
had to be provided by the Battalion's own efforts.

[Illustration:
MAP OF THE COUNTRY ADJACENT TO
TEL EL-KEBIR.
SHEWING ENTRENCHMENTS (ARABI PASHA REVOLT 1882)
AND AUSTRALIAN CAMPS
1916]

The greatest difficulty was encountered in connection with the kitchens,
which could not be satisfactorily constructed in mere sand and gravel
without other aids. To some extent relief was obtained by secretly
requisitioning some of the loose railway material. When, however,
some newly wrought points, which were required for an additional siding,
disappeared, the railway engineers and divisional staff descended in