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[[start page]] *"Kim"="sim" see June 11, p. 83 hill of reddish tan rocks of clayey substance. There was a long cave in one side which was 77°F inside and the outside air temperature was 117°F. We slept for awhile in the cave for a couple of hours. It was almost too cold for me. There were small silver wing bats flitting around tho the cave was not very dark. The sky light hole was about 110 feet above us ,and let in a little sunlight. In the sand outside the temperature was 50°c. I lost both my thermometers today, one in the morning and one in the afternoon!!! Before lunch we visited the sheiks house for a game of Kairam a pool like game with checkers. We also had some of the kings fresh dates, and they were good. They are put up in 2 qut. boxes made of palm branch wood. In Mohammets family garden there were peach trees ,figs, citrons, red dates ,and yellow dates, and a nut like tree that produces the "Sim*" berry used for fish poison. The trees had a 3 inch trunk like a walnut the leaves were pinnately compound. The berries were like small green grapes. When we got back to the house at 7 P.M. we were bushed. But Dick and Joe were heroic and when back with me at 10 P.M. to El Khadood ,and we saw another brown and white turtle ,and saw and heard plenty of frogs roaking they sounded most like leopard frogs. I caught one male grey one with black spots. We saw less mullet than in the day time ,and they were not near shore; so we did not seine. There were a few clouds in the sky before sunset. The weather was clear. The boys beat on tin drums a good part of the night and sang in sort of a whine ,then there is the prayer caller who sounds like he is straining his voice. And then there was the gun that went off ,and it was also hot. [[strikethrough]] Went [[/strikethrough]] [[end page]] [[start page]] 7/31 letter to Lucile 133 re: plane leaving Aug. 8 July 31- Today was fairly clear ,and the three of us left for Dhahran about 7:30 A.M. . We got there about 11:30 ,and had stopped for a second breakfast at Abgaig. Mr Johnson approved my getting a pickup to collect in Hofhif. I saw Ed Gurley and he had two letters one from Hussein and one from Nat from Bermuda. I had a most miserable rough and hot trip to Ras Tanura from 12 to 1. There was no mail for me in Ras Tanura; they haven't sorted any mail for two days, thats' the pay off. I got the poison from the boat and a dip net ,and found out my plane the gazelle, leaves Aug. 8th, which ^[[insertion]] was [[/insertion]] sooner than I thought but I am inwardly glad. I got back to Dhahran at 4:40, and Mr. Bier did not have my ration book but had it for me in the morning. Below the mess hall I saw a black and [[underline]] white woodpecker [[/underline]] about the same size and color as the red bellied woodpecker. It head was black and tail black. The tail was shortish and the bill long and it flew the jerky flight of woodpeckers. We visited the Rentze's then Daggy before supper. Jim Stewart wants me to take a watch to his wife in New York. We went to the movies tonight and saw "desert fury" with good color but little else. Aug 1- Joe and I did not get away till about 9:45 A.M. tho I had to get my pick up at 5:45. He had a long talk with Mr. Johnson. It was 64 Km. to Abqaiq and 72 Km. to Hofhūf. It was a rough trip for my yesterdays sore back. We ate lunch at Abqaig at 11:30 and reached Hofhūf about 2:30 P.M. I was bushed it was about 110°F in the house. I wrote several letters. At 5:30 P.M., Abdullah the house boy and I went to El Khadood. I used about 3 Quts. of rotenone. The flow was fast and carried the cloud away quickly [[end page]]
