midnight
The black sharpshooters from the center of Africa showed their smiling teeth of marble to the bronze giants with huge white turbans who had come from India . The hunters from the glacial plains of Canada were fraternizing with the volunteers from Australia and New Zealand . The cataclysm of the world war had dragged mankind from the antipodes to this drowsy little corner of Greece where were again repeated the invasions of remote centuries which had made ancient Thessalonica bow to the conquest of Bulgarians , Byzantians , Saracens , and Turks . The crews of the battleships in the roadstead had just added to this medley of uniforms the monotonous note of their midnight blue , almost like that of all the navies of the world ... . And to the military amalgamation was also added the picturesque variety of civil dress , -- the hybrid character of the neighborhood of Salonica , composed of various races and religions that were mingled together without confusing their individuality . Files of black tunics and hats with brimless crowns passed through the streets , near the Catholic priests or the rabbis with their long , loose gowns . In the outskirts might be seen men almost naked , with no other clothing than a sheep-skin tunic , guiding flocks of pigs , just like the shepherds in the Odyssey .