The situation in Egypt at this time was not without cause for anxiety. Some months earlier the Khedive Abbas Hilmi, an intriguer against Great Britain, had been replaced by Prince Kamil Hussein, who was proclaimed Sultan under a British protectorate. Sir Arthur Henry McMahon was High Commissioner, but the country was virtually under martial law administered by the G.O.C. in Egypt--Lieut.-General Sir John Maxwell. There was more than a little unrest amongst the civil population caused by the efforts of the Turkish and German propagandists. On the eastern frontier precautions had to be taken to meet a repetition of the raid of February made by Djemal Pasha on the Suez Canal. Towards the west the attitude of the Senussi, a great religious sheik, indicated pretentions to temporal power which must inevitably bring about a conflict. To meet this situation there were a few brigades of the Indian Army on the Canal,[E] whilst for the remainder dependence seemed to be placed on the units and reinforcements passing through to the Dardanelles. Maxwell made the most of these, and greatly impressed the populace by displays of force. These displays consisted of marching brigades of Yeomanry and Australians through the city and thickly populated suburbs. The 28th Battalion frequently took part--the marches mostly being carried out at night and forming part of the training in march discipline. The natives looked on sullenly, but there was little in the way of openly hostile display. The organisation of the forces in Egypt brought the Australians under the supreme command of Sir John Maxwell, but they, and the New Zealanders, were grouped under the immediate command of Major-General J. Spens and known as the Australian and New Zealand Training Depot. For self-contained organised units this arrangement was fairly satisfactory, but with regard to reinforcement drafts their management was the subject of much adverse criticism. Discipline was very weak and actual training not, apparently, a primary consideration. These defects continued for many months. They were not due to the men themselves, but to the absence of a policy in regard to the command and administration of training battalions generally. In later years the Australians managed these things for themselves, and with such good results that the British Service found it profitable to copy some of their methods. [Illustration: ABBASIA CAMP. "D" Company marching in. Jebel Ahmar in the background. _Photo. by Sergt. Arundel._] [Illustration: THE ADJUTANT AND "TIM."] General Spens visited the Battalion's camp early in the morning following its arrival. He questioned the Commanding Officer as to the unit, and after being assured that the material was excellent, though far from being perfectly trained, contented himself by saying "Ah well, give 'em plenty of shootin'."