A few days afterwards they were chased to
their lair by the R.A.F. and--_finished off_!
FOOTNOTES:
[35] _After the massacre of 1860, Lebanon was made an independent
province, governed by a Christian Pasha, nominated by the Sultan of
Turkey and approved by the European Powers._
[36] _Rayak is the junction of the railway from Beirut to Damascus and
Aleppo to Damascus._
[37] _Zahle is the largest town in Lebanon, and has a population of
about 16,000, nearly all of whom are Christians. During the massacre of
1860, it suffered terribly, being captured and burnt to the ground._
THE JOURNEY TO HOMS.
The 14th Brigade, following the 13th Brigade one day's march behind, moved
up to Baalbek on October 13th. Here we ascertained that the leading brigade
had had a similar reception to ours from the natives at Rayak. Passing
through the town and the ruins of the celebrated Roman Temple of the
Sun[38] on the left, we camped east of the Turkish barracks.
North of Baalbek our maps were found to be very inaccurate and unreliable,
the actual position of places often proving to be many miles away from
where shown; frequently roads followed quite a different route! In one
place a railway line was omitted altogether from the map, while in another,
a river marked thereon did not exist!
Rations, now being brought up by motor lorries nearly every day, were
issued to units as soon as they had camped for the night; mutton was the
principal meat ration, sheep being requisitioned locally, all along the
route, as also was forage.
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