THE PERSIAN GULF I7I 



to go astern to avoid hitting coral heads just below the surface of 

 the water. At last the shore was reached and the unloading of the 

 equipment began. A mile to the westward lay the township, 

 barely distinguishable at this range from the brown desert itself. 

 As the party worked at erecting the tents a group of boys were 

 seen coming along the shore ; arrived at the centre of the camp 

 they sat upon their haunches, where they appeared to remain for 

 the following six weeks. 



Bill Ashton was again in charge of the camp, which this year 

 was of a greater size. Four officers and 2^ men were housed in 

 three double-canvas marquees and five ridge tents. Two motor- 

 boats lay at moorings of^ the site, and both jeeps had arrived from 

 the south bringing with them a water distilling plant borrowed 

 from the oil company. Fuel to operate these craft and vehicles 

 had been landed in large quantities in chartered dhows. 



North of Khor the road becomes less used and is harder to 

 follow; no more villages are encountered. The area is populated 

 thinly by beduins who move with their flocks and live in tents. 

 They are not always on the move, however, and they spend much 

 of the year camped in the vicinity of their wells, which are few 

 but good, and by employing donkeys for about six hours in every 

 day to haul up the water in goatskins from the bottom of the 

 wells, these small communities, under the guidance of their head- 

 men, are able to cultivate a small garden where green vegetables 

 and a few dates can be grown and sometimes even a small grove 

 of trees to give shelter. The water, once hauled from the well, 

 is precious and is guided by small runnels to every comer of the 

 garden as each plant requires. 



The first day's work in this area entailed the erection of a large 

 number of flags upon hop poles which were guyed in position. 

 These were placed on the knolls which had been chosen as 

 triangulation stations, each about three miles distant from the 

 next. At the end of the day the party were pleased with their 

 progress for they were ready to start observing the main angles 

 the next day at sunrise so that the main part of the work would 

 be completed before the daytime shimmer of the desert made 

 observing impossible. 



As the teams motored across the sands in the cold morning air 

 they were surprised to find no trace of the marks which they had 



13 



