The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1922-11-07
PERSIAN GULF TOWN
HOTTEST IN WORLD
REGION FAMOUS IN BIBLICAL
HISTORY NOT ESPECIALLY
HOT AT IFS IN SHADE.

BOSRA, Mesopotamia. - (Specia
correspondence OF the Chicago Daily
News Foreign Service 1.-The Their.
mometer registered 1858 in the shade
TODAY. This is not considered especial
w warm for Basra, but is for me. II
was somewhere around $40 in the sun
but few persons here die OF sunstrOke
They keep out OF the sun. lempera-
ture being such a strong point in the
local real estate prospectus, 1t IS reg
istered with especial care. Some per
sons must consult a thermometer be
fore deciding whether they feel warm
or cold just as others look at their
watches to learn whether they are
hungry.
In Basra three thermometers are
necessary for the heat experts. One
tells the maximum and minimum for
each twenty-four hours, the Others
are wet" and dry" bulb, giving the
wet and dry mean temperatures tor
the day. The closer the latter register
together the greater the humidity.
which advises the local resident
whether or not it is good form to
complain of the heat.
when the south winds blow the
dates ripen and the old folks die IS
the cherries philosophy Of the ma
tives. Much of the worlds supply OF
dates comes from Mcsopotamia, from
the delta OF the Tigris and Euphra-
ties. between Basra and the Persian
gull. In August the hot winds start
blowing from the gulf. They sweep
over Basra as out Of the mouth OF a
funnel, ripening the dates and bringing
death to the aged Few persons who
buy a handful of dates at the corner
fruit stores in America realize the toll
and danger involved in growing them.
Basra Something Like Venice.
Alden is one day this side OF hell
and Basra is eight days sailing be-
vond Alden" was the favorlte express
sion of the British Tommies when
they were making the world safe for
democracy on the barren plains OF
Mesopotamia. The residents do not &C
cept this description and call their city
the Venice of the near east" 1t IS
interfaced with little canals, overhung
by palms and mysterious balconies.
Along the canals boatmen pole their
bellums piled high with melons dur
ing the day and loaded to the water
line with families seeking a breath OF
cool air in the evening.
Sinbad, the sailor, started his hrst
voyage from Basra After that the
town did not figure much in history,
fictitious or true, until the world war.
Then it became one great port for the
British expedition in "Mespot," Basra
is seventy-hve miles up the shaft Ell
Arab (river of Arabs) from the Per
sian gull. Those seventy-tive miles are
an almost continuous grove OF date
palms with only two tOwns-both III
Persia, for the river is the boundary
there-Mahommerah, twenty miles
below Basra, and Abadan at the
mouth OF the river.
Queer Party Is This Sheik.
Mahommerah is the home OF the
sheik of Mahommerah, his imposing
square palace standing alone on the
plains north OF the town. Normally
the sheik is under the shah OF Persia,
but he does as he pleases. Once the
Persian secretary of navy stationed
one of the three little boats in the
countrv's fleet at Mahommerah. The
sheik promptly sold the boat, doing
the obvious with the proceeds. Later
the man paid him visit. The willy
sheik rented the gunboat back during
the stay OF his distinguished visitor
and no questions were asked.
The sheik has a yacht and two river
fat boats which the British govern
Trent gave him. Every Britsh-lndia
steam navigation company ship which
passes his capital fires salute OF two