Got up at 4.15 a.m. and went to market. I bought one sheep, some beef,
five ducks, six kilos of sausages, 200 eggs, some carrots and peas.
The sheep I gave 20 dinas for, and as 35 dinas go to the L1 it is not
much. Ducks vary from 1-1/2 to 3 dinas. Eggs were 9 dinas a hundred and
very good.
Wild strawberries and cherries are plentiful, but too expensive to buy
at present. Market is over at 12. I got back by 9 o'clock. I have a
man that looks after all the live stock we buy in the market, and he
kills them as they are required for table.
There are three different markets--one for oxen, hay and wood; another
for sheep, goats and pigs; and another for eggs, vegetables, cheese
and fruits.
The pigs are all different colours, yellow, black, white, elephant
colour. They are very tame, as they are made into pets and many of the
little ones live in the houses.
On the way to the sheep market we saw a lot of guns, officers and
transport going to Bosnia. The officers' horses had wreaths of roses
round their necks; it is the usual custom, and the officers are
presented with a bouquet.
There has been a scarcity of sugar in Kragujevatz for about two weeks;
the other day they managed to get about 20,000 kilos, and at the shop
it was being sold there was quite a raid. It was sold for 1_s._ 6_d._
per lb. There is no butter to be got; it cannot be made with the milk
on account of typhus; the milk has to be boiled directly it comes in;
it never tastes or smells nice. It costs 5_d._ per litre.
Mrs. Stobart has had a lovely bell given her by the Serbian
Government. It has Mrs. Stobart's Hospital on it in English, and the
Serbian crest. We only had a little goat's bell to ring to bring
people to meals.
To-day I had one of the Army Medical Corps Field Trenches dug, and it
was most successful. We do not require it for cooking, but Mrs.
Stobart wanted one made as they may be required at the Dispensaries. I
have already four lovely stoves with fine ovens and two large stewpans
with wood fire under them. The pans are of copper. We have portable
boilers for the hot water, which are most excellent; and Serbians have
been to take the measurements of the boilers and stoves so that they
can have some made like them.
Just been to help one of the doctors by holding a patient's arm while
it was lanced for an abscess. I constantly regret that I was not
trained to be a doctor. I am most interested in seeing operations, as
one always has the satisfaction in knowing that the patients will soon
be relieved from their sufferings.