large/6798/withturkspalestine_1301_librivox_64kb_mp3/withtheturksinpalestine_02_aaronsohn_64kb_21
large/6798/withturkspalestine_1301_librivox_64kb_mp3/withtheturksinpalestine_02_aaronsohn_64kb
English
6798
In the course of that same morning we were allotted our uniforms. The Turkish uniform, under indirect German influence, has been greatly modified during the past five years. It is of khaki  a greener khaki than that of the British army, and of conventional European cut. IN THE COURSE OF THAT SAME MORNING WE WERE ALLOTTED OUR UNIFORMS THE TURKISH UNIFORM UNDER INDIRECT GERMAN INFLUENCE WAS GREATLY MORTIFIED DURING THE PAST FIVE YEARS IT IS OF KHAKI A GREENER KHAKI THAN THAT OF THE BRITISH ARMY AND OF THE CONVENTIONAL EUROPEAN CUT
tired to react to filth and vermin, we spent our first night as soldiers of the Sultan, while the milky moonlight streamed in through every chink and aperture, and bats flitted round the vaulting above the snoring carcasses of the recruits. Next morning we were routed out at five. The black depths of the well in the center of the mosque courtyard provided doubtful water for washing, bathing, and drinking; then came breakfast,--our first government meal,--consisting, simply enough, of boiled rice, which was ladled out into tin wash-basins holding rations for ten men. In true Eastern fashion we squatted down round the basin and dug into the rice with our fingers. At first I was rather upset by this sort of table manners, and for some time I ate with my eyes fixed on my own portion, to avoid seeing the Arabs, who fill the palms of their hands with rice, pat it into a ball and cram it into their mouths just so, the bolus making a great lump in their lean throats as it reluctantly descends.  PACKED PROMISCUITY TOO TIRED TO REACT TO FILTH AND WERMIN WE SPENT OUR FIRST NIGHT AS SOLDIERS OF THE SULTAN WHILE THE MILKY MOONLIGHT STREAMED IN THROUGH EVERY CHINK AND APERTURE AND BATS FLITTED AROUND THE VAULTING ABOVE THE SNORING CARCASSES OF THE RECRUITS NEXT MORNING WE WERE ROUTED OUT AT FIVE THE BLACK DEPTHS OF THE WELL IN THE CENTER OF THE MOSQUE COURTYARD PROVIDED DOUBTFUL WATER FOR WASHING BATHING AND DRINKING THEN CAME BREAKFAST OUR FIRST GOVERNMENT MEAL CONSISTING SIMPLY ENOUGH OF BOILED RICE WHICH WAS LADLED OUT INTO TIN WASH BASINS HOLDING RATIONS FOR TEN MEN IN TRUE EASTERN FASHION WE SQUATTED DOWN ROUND THE BASIN AND DUG INTO THE RICE WITH OUR FINGERS AT FIRST I WAS RATHER UPSET BY THIS SORT OF TABLE MANNERS AND FOR SOME TIME I ATE WITH MY EYES FIXED ON MY PORTION TO AVOID SEEING THE ARABS WHO FILLED THE PALMS OF THEIR HANDS WITH RICE PAT IT INTO A BALL AND CRAM IT INTO THEIR MOUTHS JUST SO THE BOLUS MAKING A GREAT LUMP IN THEIR LEAN THROATS AS IT RELUCTANTLY DESCENDS
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