With a Highland Regiment in Mesopotamia | Page 4

the shores on our left are
visible, then we steam, up along the Persian shore and get a good view
of the barren, rocky mountain range running parallel with the coast.
Those who have good glasses make out villages on the shore. The
Captain is pestered with questions about the date and time of arrival at
Basrah. Excitement is being felt again; one wonders what the news will
be, and what has happened to General Townshend; and so at last anchor
is dropped at the mouth of the Shatt-el-Arab at the head of the Persian
Gulf. The two rivers Tigris and Euphrates join at a place called Kurnah,
and from there to the sea the river is called 'Shatt-el-Arab.' Everyone is
disappointed that there are no signs of land anywhere, and one wonders
in which direction land lies. But what a relief it will be to get off the
ship, how delightful to stretch one's legs ashore, as in spite of the good
food, the sports and the usual joys of a trooper, it is impossible not to
feel cramped and so once again everyone was rejoicing that the sea
voyage was at an end. The shore is so low-lying that nothing could be
seen of it as the transport had to anchor some miles off the mouth of the
river. We had to transship to smaller boats to proceed to Basrah, about
eighty miles inland. Transshipping is a long and tedious business but at
last it is completed and we say farewell with a cheer to our transport,
and the smaller boat steams towards the shore. In about half an hour we
make out some palm trees and everyone is on the lookout for their first

view of Mesopotamia. Slowly we approach the wide mouth of the river,
successfully pass over the bar, and the new campaign for us has begun,
and it is the last day of the year--31st December 1915.
CHAPTER II.
It takes about seven hours from the mouth of the river to Basrah. The
journey up is of interest as none have been here before, and everything
is new. Both sides of the river the banks are covered with palm trees,
stretching inland for distances varying from 500 yards to three miles,
and after that all is desert. We pass Abadan on our right where the pipes
of the oil fields belonging to the Anglo-Persian Oil Coy. reach the river
from Ahwaz. It has been said that the Mesopotamian Campaign was
started in the first place to protect these oil-fields. One wonders now if
it would have been advisable to protect them and hold Basrah only, and
not push forward further inland. But it is easy to be wise after the event,
and high politics, tactics and strategy do not form part of an account of
the doings of the 2nd Battalion--so I must not be led astray. The river is
very broad and is navigable for hundreds of miles. Mohammerah, the
Persian town at the junction of the Shatt-el-Arab and Karun rivers,
looked an interesting place. It is; as many months later I was fortunate
enough to be able to spend some time there. The Sheikh of
Mohammerah has proved a good friend to the British, and almost
opposite his palace one can see the remains of the three steamers in the
river which the Turks sunk in a vain endeavour to block the passage as
they retreated; as good fortune or Providence would have it, one boat in
sinking swung round and left the passage open. At Mohammerah is a
big Convalescent Hospital for white as well as Indian troops. We
noticed some large barrack looking houses on our left, one in particular,
'Beit Naama', attracting attention; but more about that later on as this
establishment has now been turned into an hospital for officers. And so
at last anchor is dropped off Basrah, as 'Ashar' is usually referred to as
'Basrah' by everyone out of the actual place. Was this the romantic spot
from which Sinbad the Sailor started on his wonderful voyages?--was
this the spot that so many have imagined must be one of the wonderful
places of the East?--when they are thousands of miles away from it. A
famous traveller has said, "that its European inhabitants only remain

alive during the day through a perception of the humour of their
situation, and by night through the agency of the prayers of their
despairing relatives." For Basrah has the most malarial air, the most
choleraic water, and the most infernal climate of any spot in the world
outside 'Tophet.'
[Illustration: The Padre.]
[Illustration: The Quarter-master.]
[Illustration: Everyday Scenes In Ashar.]
[Illustration: Ashar Barracks.]
[Illustration: Street Scenes In Ashar.]
One Company of the Regiment had travelled out on a different
transport--with another Highland unit