Western Mail, Thursday 16 February 1933, page 2

Inspired by Camels.

Familiarity with the camel on active service in Palestine did not always breed contempt. Neither did it, as a rule, inspire love. Life to a camelier was simply "froth and bubble," and his mount aas generally a "bladderskite." Extract of camel-breath was the Turks' gas reprisal for the indignities which Allenby's troops were heaping on them.

The camel, however, had his good points. With his three stomachs he could digest such things as orange peel, bully beef, chocolate, bacon, and insults such as frequent reflections on his parentage. He has been known to turn his upper lip towards a seventh heaven of delight because of a stray whiff of his rider's ''Ruby Queen." Only once was he known to show any decided tendency towards alcoholism. That was when he swallowed a canteen sergeant's chit for a case of whisky. The sergeant thought it was a case for a post-mortem, and a number of troops agreed with him.

The name "barrak" was often applied to camels. It was derived, so the digger was told, from Barrak, an ancient Palestinian warrior, whom to meet in battle was to go "down" before; hence, "barracking" in test matches in Australia, which means "down with the blighters." In camelingo the "boosta," "oont,” etc., is approached with a persuader camouflaged in boot or waddy form, and the camel is ack-ack acked until he complies with the order to "fold-up," or "get down." To be "confined to barracks" for the duration implied that someone in the orderly room had a "down" on you.