We went to see the French Hospital. An English nun took us over. We
also went to see the soup kitchens, and at 12 o'clock one hundred of
the refugees came with tickets for soup. We helped to serve it out to
them; it was most interesting. All of them wanted more than their
share. After we met the remainder of our unit, which had just arrived
by the _Lotos_; they came overland to Marseilles, then by steamer.
They had all had the most delightful time, stopping at most of the
ports. We envied them after our ghastly journey. Dr. Dearmer and
several others of the party and I went into the town, then to St.
Nicholas, a church full of refugees--a sight I shall never forget;
each family had been allotted a corner, and they just sit on a mat.
One family was busy at lunch; they had one large bowl of soup in the
centre of the mat, and they all sat round; father, mother and three
children each had a spoon, and they all ate out of the same bowl. This
seems to be the custom in the poorer quarters in Greece and Serbia.
There were several little babies only a day or two old done up like
brown-paper parcels.
In the afternoon we went to see where Abdul Hamid was imprisoned. He
was allowed eighteen wives. He abdicated. The Germans threatened to
rescue him, so high walls were built all round so that aircraft could
not get near. After eighteen months he was told he might leave the
country, otherwise be shot, so he went to Asia Minor, and now the
house is used for military purposes.