TCD MS 3416 page 8
[April 1916]
the Armenian element. After a 2 ½ mile march we arrived at a Cavalry barrack surrounded by water, on the north eastern outskirt of the town, and were placed in the upstair rooms, these being less damp than the ground floor, but none the less free from members of the insect world – Washing & sanitary arrangements practically do not exist anywhere in Turkey, and were conspicuous by their absence in this case. This barrack turned out to be a very fair example of the type of barrack usually met with in Turkey. Our kit and servants arrived intact later on, I may say to our surprise, as European boots, clothes, collapsable beds, & chairs, etc have been known to have lost themselves even when practically under their owners pillows.
We were at once promised food in ½ hours time, but “He who ever puts faith in a Turkish promise is a fool”, and it only arrived after 8 hours & then the prices ought well have brought a blush to the cheek of a Ritz or Savoy Manager. The first course was rice, meat & oil, the 2nd course oil, meat & rice & so on, breakfast & dinner each day, during our sojourn in Baghdad. We were allowed to go into the town to buy some necessaries for our journey to Mosul. Turkey appeared to be entirely dependent on the imports from European