“Ultimately, I came over here with a unit which did not use horses and was not required to do much, if any, walking. At least, that is what they said, though I should have thought at the time how the unit was to move itself. Maybe, the authorities, when I left, were contemplating providing privates with motor-cars. I’ve found out, since I’ve been here, how the unit moves itself. Don’t do any walking? Well, look here, if there is a piece of accessible ground in Palestine, and not forgetting Syria, that I haven’t trampled on trudging behind heavily-laden G.S. wagons and limbers in the course of many and frequent camp shiftings, I’d like to find it and have it photographed.” With a “Cheeryo,” Algy was gone. “BILLZAC.” [Illustration] Palestine [Illustration: Via Dolorosa] A league-long line of mountains: Some fertile plains: Bright, rippling, purling fountains, After the rains. Vast valleys, lorn and lonely; Smiling and green: Dead cities, telling only What might have been. [Illustration: “Tower of the Forty”] A weary, stricken people, So long enslaved; A spire and broken steeple, By lanes ill-paved: A thousand superstitions; A hundred creeds; The beggars’ vain petitions That no one heeds. [Illustration: MOSQUE OF OMAR ] A field of poppies blazing: Orchids new-born: A wealth of flowers amazing Fringing the corn: A line of camels stringing Across the brae: The skylark sweetly singing, To welcome day. A home of races, mingled Gentile and Jew: Women with veilèd faces: Rogues, not a few. A Sacred Land, and Holy: Beersheba to Dan; Where once a King so lowly Lived as a man. A land of milk and honey, In Moses’ day: A place of paper money Since Abdul’s sway: A prophets’ land and sages’, By right divine: The heir of all the Ages, Poor Palestine!! “TROOPER BLUEGUM.” [Illustration] [Illustration: SOME SOUVENIR (AN AUSTRALIAN TROOPER WITH GERMAN HELMET) _By James McBey. British Official Artist_ ]