Page 379 - The Tigris Expedition

From Asia to Africa; from Meluhha to Punt
visits that there was neither gold nor other valuable products to pick
up. But most of the others began to regret deeply the adventures we
had missed by not sailing into Hadibu Bay and getting the answers
to the still unsolved mysteries of Socotra. They gazed at the passing
valleys and in our minds we all climbed the highlands and explored
the mountain valleys up there between the wild peaks.
Carlo and Gherman dug up some bottles of red wine reserved for
special occasions, and as the sun set in some fantastic cloud forma­
tions that we all for a while thought were more islands, we kept our
bow to the right of the cape that was outlined against the golden
sunset. The wild cliffs of Socotra were there at our side all the time,
but the last cape was still very far ahead. We noticed a few primitive
stone-house settlements on some level ground above the cliffs, but
soon we saw nothing except our own bearded faces around the
kerosene lamp. The grasshoppers were still singing in the reeds and
little crabs crawled around our bare feet. After all, the eleven of us
were still having a great time together on this Sumerian ma-gur. I
began to forgive the men for their lack of support at the morning
pow-wow. After all, the purpose of our voyage was to test our
vessel, and they could not have given it a better certificate. This kind
of prehistoric watercraft, deemed insecure outside Mesopotamia’s
river system, had carried us through the gulf from Bahrain to
Oman, from Oman to Pakistan, from Pakistan to this African
island, and it was still so seaworthy that the crew preferred to go on
non-stop when they knew we next had to force ourselves another
thousand miles and run the gauntlet of two long forbidden gulf
coasts before we had a chance of another landing.

59. Into the African war zone; military aeroplanes, helicopters and
battleships off the coast of Djibouti.
60. Into the final port, Djibouti. With all flags up and the captain at
the helm, Asbjorn rushes to help lower the sails as we are welcomed
by French warships.

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