But the most fascinating sight of all is Ashar Creek, the main thoroughfare, as crowded with boats as Henley at a regatta.  The creek runs between brick embankments, on which stand a series of Arabian cafes, thronged with conversational slow moving men who sit there smoking and drinking coffee by the thousand.

It is a wonderful picture from the wooden bridge with the minaret of a mosque and the tops of the tallest date palms for a background.

So much for Ashar:  I’ve not seen Basra city yet.  We’re here till Sunday probably, awaiting our river boats.  There were not enough available to take us all up on Wednesday, so those who are for the front line went first.  They have gone to a spot beyond Amara, two-thirds of the way to Kut-al-Amara, which is where the Shatt-al-Hai joins the Tigris.  The Shatt-al-Hai is a stream running from the Tigris at K-al-A to the Euphrates at Nasria, and that line is our objective.  There is likely to be a stiff fight for the K-al-A, they say, rather to my surprise.  But the 4th Hants has been moved to Amara and put on line of communication for the present; so our thirst for bloodshed is not likely to be gratified.

We have moved across to this ship while awaiting our river boat.  They use ships here as barracks and hotels, very sensibly seeing that there are none fit for habitation on land; while being about 400 yards from either bank we are practically free from mosquitoes.  But this particular ship is decidedly less desirable for residential purposes than the Varsova.  It was originally a German boat and was sold to the Turks to be used for a pilgrim ship to Mecca; and I can only conclude either that the Turkish ideas of comfort are very different to ours or that the pilgrimage has a marked element of asceticism.

But I am quite ready to put up with the amenities of a Turkish pilgrim ship.  What does try me is the murderous folly of military authorities.  They wouldn’t let us take our spine-pads from Agra, because we should be issued with them here.  They have none here and have no idea when they will get any.  Incidentally, no one was expecting our arrival here, least of all the 4th Hants.  Everyone says a spine-pad is a necessary precaution here, so I am having fifty made and shall try and make the Colonel pay for them.  Every sensible Colonel made his draft stick to theirs; but our’s wouldn’t let us take them, because Noah never wore one.

To continue the chapter of incredible muddles; the 780 who went off on Wednesday were embarked on their river-boat—­packed like herrings—­at 9 a.m. and never got started till 4 p.m.  A bright performance, but nothing to our little move.  This boat is 600 yards from the Varsova, and they had every hour in the twenty-four to choose from for the move.  First they selected 2 p.m.  Wednesday as an appropriate hour!  It was 100 deg. in the shade by 1 p.m., so the prospect was not alluring.  At 1.30 the order was washed out and for the rest of the day no further orders could be got for love or money.