HOME-GROWN TOBACCO
MULBERRIES
mouth. The fine modern airport forms a link
in the British Overseas Airways chain of sta
tions and, of course, both land and seaplanes
are served here. The port of Basrah is well-
equipped to handle seaborne trade, and dredg
ing operations have provided a navigable chan
nel to this end.
Mention was made earlier that Basrah was
the ultimate destination, but events were such
that a further move was necessary, and after
only a week's stay the Q.C.W.'s headquarters
were transferred (to coincide with that of the
Royal Navy) to Bahrein, some three hundred
miles to the south-cast down the Gulf.
Bahrein Islands consist, of a number of small
islands about twenty miles distant from the
Arabian coast and the largest, Bahrein Two
Seas itself is about twenty-seven miles long
and ten miles wide, and almost entirely fiat.
Bahrein also serves as an alighting station for
the B.O.A.C. seaplanes en route from Basrah
to Karachi. An R.A.F. station occupies a site
on the adjacent island of Muharraq, which is
separated by a causeway from Bahrein itself,
Oil was discovered on the island in 1932, and
the Bahrein Petroleum Company has, in these
last sixteen years, transformed beyond all recog
nition the status and terms of employment of a
good proportion of the native population. Bah
rein is the centre of the pearl fishing industry of
the Persian Gulf. Boat-building (dhows) and
the growing and export of a particularly fine
variety of dates form other means of livelihood.
There is virtually no rainfall, but this is com
pensated for by numerous artesian wells. The
climate is temperate for seven months of the
year, but the remaining five have to be borne
to be believed, and it is not inappropriate to
recall the title of a visiting R..A.F. concert party
which put the matter in a nutshell, and ran:
"It's not the 'eat, it's the 'umid!"
H. B. B.
Continued
from each end, so as to enable the tobacco to
be pulled out without the trouble I experienced
in the first instance. I stored under the 10 !b.
pressure in a warm cupboard with an occasional
look see for some four months before 1 de
cided it was ripe to smoke. By this time it had
lost its cigar-like smell and was drier. 1 cut
the cake of tobacco with an old razor blade
and tried my first pipeful, which, much to my
surprise, was quite a pleasant smoke, though a
little mild and rather hot for my own personal
taste. I now mix about 50% of my home
grown with 50%, of a stronger tobacco.
One other grower of my acquaintance used a
vice for pressing his tobacco, but the result was
not very successful. He found it was too hard
and dry, and next year he proposes to follow
my example and use a lighter load when
pressing.
Some cut their leaf with a pair of scissors
instead of a razor blade, and 1 intend trying
that method myself in the future.
A little time ago 1 was presented with a
cigar which was made from homegrown leaf,
home-cured and home-made. It was a delight
ful smoke, and 1 intend to learn more about
how this is done at the first opportunity.
Kim.
(iContinued
In the early post-war years, it was a com
mon suggestion by some critics that certain
urgent peace-time problems should be tackled
as Military operations. Housing was one in
particular. It is a healthy sign of returning
sanity that such suggestions are now seldom
made. Imagine a new housing estate in which
three roofs out of four leak so badly that the
houses cannot be lived in.
[The gist of the concluding remarks above
were stated publicly at the Institution of Civil
Engineers in 1946 at a Conference held there
under the title of The Civil Engineer in War."
in the subsequent written contribution to the
conference, the point was conceded by engineers
who were in a position to judge, but in some
quarters it might still be looked upon as akin
to blasphemy, and the editors arc advised to
"disclaim any responsibility for the opinions
expressed."D. H. L.]
old hoys' corner"
The Editors would be glad to receive news
of any former members of the Department
and. in particular, the names of those who may
wish to become regular subscribers to the
magazine (Cost, including postage. Is. 8d.}.