Page 233 - The Tigris Expedition

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7 he Tigris Expedition
us to squat unseen by others, but for our heads, which were offered
a perfect view in all directions. Theirs were like wooden barrels,
painted m vivid colours like the rest of their wooden hulls right up
to the ornamental scrolls of the lofty bows. Ours were only round
. screens of golden reed matting, to match the rest of the ship. But we
a two. One on either side of the stern, to avoid queueing in
emergency. It was a splendid retreat with maximum privacy at sea,
ut in arbour it took some time to get accustomed to spectators in
surrounding barrels, gazing at our faces and shamelessly studying
our roppmgs while imperturbably letting their own splash into
1 the calm water from a considerable height.
Some dhows had entered after us and we were completely shut
in, ut Said s was far away. Still, the fascination of the surroundings
* \\ as not primarily the exotic Afro-Asiatic watercraft at our sides,
1! ut t ic majestic scenery enclosing all and forming the harbour with
its amazing blend of old and new. Big ships were seen behind the
ows in this large new harbour, named Port Qaboos after the
U a** ^ew Ports can be more picturesque. From the
mo cm reakwaters, docks and warehouses dark lava rocks run up
° Wa S . a medicval Portuguese fort perched on naked cliffs
and dominating the whole harbour. Above the multitude of masts,
skv/tVp0 v? Ses soared naked and black against an unpolluted blue
f Clr S- a^fS croded *nto draperies and spires. A sweet fragrance
I! WnT miXr “Se and tropical spices wafted into the harbour
:! cliffs r°W ° ^ ’ w^tc~Painted Arab buildings at the foot of the

u°rk ak°ve us had barely begun to turn mustard-
: bctwpf*n th 1au lrSt ra^-S °^t^e sun whcn motor-boats came racing
reoresonn ° u°^S *e to at our s*de- First came a helpful Swede,
now approved our hndi8^ Wh° told US that aI1 concerned had
sien d , landing; it was now up to the Sultan in person to
launch whirhn0t CF ®x*Femejy pohte police officer arrived in a
of our thirkoT^ ^uided to our bundles with half a dozen
our thickest bamboo poles. He left after some sort of brief
courtesy visit. Some hours later we were boarded by a most cordial
Scottish rnctv\ cr
customs officer, who sat down at our table for a long

i groupvUteAf Hamra.311’ 3 d°Scd t0 tourists' the exPcdition

eight men^ * recd“shlp out of Muscat harbour was a heavy job for

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