THE PERSIAN GULF I73 



were established in a naval tent on the perimeter. Their guard 

 duties did not lie heavily upon them and consisted of huddling 

 round a fire inside their tent over which they were attempting 

 to make Arabian coffee from the tinned variety provided by naval 

 stores. Two or three times during each night they would cast 

 back the flap of their tent sufficiently to poke a rifle out and fire 

 a shot into the night sky. This caused alarm in the camp on the 

 first night and much running hither and thither by the party to 

 ascertain whence they were being attacked, but it soon became 

 a matter of routine which did not even wake the sleeping 

 surveyors. 



The Sheikh of Khor often came to visit Bill Ashton in the camp 

 and they became very friendly over cups of coffee which Bill made 

 over his small primus stove, which he had brought into camp for 

 this very purpose. In turn he was invited to take roast mutton 

 with the Sheikh, Two whole roast sheep were laid upon a great 

 dish of yellow saffron rice four feet in diameter, and around this 

 the party were seated upon the carpeted floor. With the right 

 hand pieces of meat were torn from the carcasses and eaten with 

 small balls of rice, which were moulded with the fingers. The 

 stomachs of the beasts were stuffed with eggs which the Sheikh 

 pulled out with his hand and tossed to the party ; often he and his 

 fellows would tear delicious morsels from the backbone and, 

 sampling them themselves and finding them excellent, would 

 pass them to their guests. 



As the mutton cooled it became greasier, and the merit of the 

 coffee which followed was apparent in the cleansing effect it had 

 upon the palate ; the wreckage of the feast was then carried to 

 the next room where the so-called slaves and the boys picked it 

 over before it passed to the women's quarters. 



Shortly before the camp party packed up to leave, the Sheikh 

 came one night to present a carpet to Ashton, He brought with 

 him two of these, and as it was after dark they were inspected 

 both by lamplight within the tent and by moonlight, so that Bill 

 might choose between the two. When he had made his choice 

 the chosen carpet was slung upon a pole before the tent. In the 

 morning, as Ashton looked out to the eastward he saw the light 

 of the rising sun showing clearly through the several holes that 

 were in his gift carpet. He packed the carpet on the jeep and 



