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14. 

however, are good.

After several mornings of industrious labor, the work of the ship carpenter was deemed finished, and the deck was greatly improved, comparatively speaking. 

Living on the boat for a week in dry dock was an experience, since all my actions were noticed by passers by on the waterfront street. At first I was a little annoyed and self-conscious, but after awhile I became so accepted by passers by and visitors that life became almost humdrum. 

Nearly all the Arabs I met showed one paramount virtue, that of accepting other people as they are and not being inquisitive or amused in a taunting or hostile way. In slang, they do not get in your hair. One or two exceptions stand out only because they were so few. An American living in dry dock on an Arab dhow and writing voluminous notes and pickling good fish in an evil smelling fluid would be a lot to take for anyone. Nevertheless, Arabs came and went and talked with me with no evidence of alarm. The basis of this calm attitude is their faith in God. "In sha Allah" as God wills, is on the lips of a moslem many times a day, and so the coming of myself or even the oil company to Arabia is no surprise to an Arab. Allah willed that it should be so, and it is so. Incidentally ulcers, cancer, heart disease, and insane asylums are unknown in Arabia; so don't feel too secure about your ^[[own]] life ^[[for]] yourself dear reader. 

[[underlined]]A fresh water survey[[/underlined]]: 

The great oasis of Al Hasa is 50 miles inland from the Persian Gulf. The largest town is Hofuf with about 10,000 inhabitants. Here beneath the shade of over [[strikethrough]]a[[/strikethrough]]^[[2]] million date palms are clear cool springs that well up out of the ground and flow for a mile or two as small rivers to disappear again as mysteriously as they first appeared. 

The water is crystal clear and sweet tasting, even during the hot days of August. Though the air temperature was usually well over 100°F. in the middle of