Page 91 - The Tigris Expedition

The Tigris Expedition
ahead of us in green grassy banks that attracted the current like a
magnet. No matter how much we turned the rudder oars and
adjusted sail and guara, we were pulled sideways fast and forcibly
towards the turf. We turned with the river and followed the bend,
■ but ever closer to the banks, where another gathering of men and
boys awaited us and ran enthusiastically along in our company until
they started to scream and yell as they saw the reed-ship skidding
I too close to the shore.
The current ran at its fastest at this outer edge of the curve and we
swept along so close to the shore that the broad blade of port side
rudder oar began to dig up mud. All hands not fighting the land
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with our long punting poles joined Y uri and Carlo in trying to pull
up the colossal port side rudder oar before it broke under almost
forty tons of pressure from ship and cargo. But the oar was too
heavy to lift and jammed in the double rope loops. At any moment
we could expect a deafening crash from the shaft, which was as
thick as a telephone pole.
I We were now rushing along so close to land that the Arabs
running with us ashore tried to push us away with bare hands while
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the oar blade began cutting up solid dirt along the edge of the turf.
But we sailed faster than anyone could push while running, and
neither they nor we on board with punting poles could do much to
prevent what looked like disaster. For hundreds of yards we
followed the curve of the river like a fast and highly effective
plough, turning up the fat earth that would have been the envy of
any farmer. At every second we expected the oar to break, but
Norman and his master carpenter had done an amazing job. The oar
held; instead the whole steering bridge to which it was fastened
began to yield. With a horrible creaking and squeaking from rope
and wood it began to lose shape. Carlo and I were ready to jump the
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moment the rope lashings burst and the bridge, perhaps the whole
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stern, was torn apart. Our pilots in the motor balam were on their
way back, and some jumped ashore to help their running com-
patriots to push. But before they had gained a good grip, Norman
got a new angle on the twisted sail and we rushed away from the
I port-side river bank like a bird taking off from a freshly-ridged
! potato field.
There was barely time to draw a deep breath of relief on the
wobbly steering platform before wc looked to the other bank and
saw a solid forest of grey palm trunks coming rushing towards us.
We had the green fringes of the leaves almost above our heads when
quick manoeuvres with sail and oars helped us shoot back towards
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