Nothing much doing in the morning except stables and letter censoring. I had a topping bathe at midday. Mails came in after lunch; great excitement, I heard from everyone at home. I am awfully pleased about Egret’s premium and the foals. Also heard I’ve been asked by General Powell to be his A.D.C. in France – very nice if it comes off alright, but it might be awkward to arrange now I’ve got here.
I went for a ride later in the afternon with Alan Franklin. We came upon a caravan of between two and three hundred camels on the side of the canal. We saw lots more of those big carrion birds; they tell me they are kites. We also saw a good many kingfishers, a pair of hoopoes, and a lot of herons and kestrels.
A battleship came down the canal from Suez way this evening, she looked enormous in the canal. Felt a bit better tonight – I think I’ve got a bit touched up by the sun. I have been to my medicine chest and taken 3 squares (7.5 gms) of aspirin and shall go to bed.