Points of interest were the half-buried and utterly filthy village of
Khargeh, the Persian Temple near Railhead in a very fair state of
preservation, and the Roman Fort near Meherique. This was still
remarkably intact--a large square with bastions at the four corners,
and built of mammoth bricks--about 60 feet high, with walls 12 feet
broad even at the top.
The only notable natural feature was Gebel-el-Ghenneiem, which was
just a portion of the original limestone plateau left standing. Its
slopes were full of various sorts of fossils--sea-urchins and the
like--so that evidently the sea had been there at one time. From its
flat top one had a wonderful panorama of the desert.
War, with a No-Man's-Land of eighty miles and a very doubtful enemy at
the far end, is war at its very best--even though we did have only
marmalade and nothing but marmalade. But no war is without its
horrors--these came about once a month in the shape of inspecting
generals, who ordered us to raze our defences and build fresh and
proper ones--not a bad game in sand, where you do anyhow see some
result for your labours.
[Illustration: IN THE VILLAGE OF KHARGEH.
_To face page 34_]
[Illustration: CAPTAIN TUKE ON "JOSEPH."
_To face page 34_]
Every other week a squadron would go off to either Kilo 145, at the
top of the Scarp, Meherique, the only place the engines could water,
or Kharga (Railhead), and latterly to Water Dump A, to take over the
outpost there with the I.
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