An ambition of T. E. Lawrence. Legends of King 'Ad. The 'lostcity'. A journey into the Rub-al-Khali. Hamid the poet. We find a deserted town. Nimairiyah

INDecember,1944,anR.A.F.pilot,flyingaLodestaraircraft betweenSalala,inDhufar,andMuscat,wentalongwayoff hiscourseandmadeaforcedlandingatSharjah.Itwasrumoured thathehadcrossedtheeasternsectionoftheRub-al-Khalidesert andhadnoticedseveralinterestingthingsontheground,including thewreckageofseveralaircraft,oneofthemostensiblyItalian. FormanyyearsIhadbeeninterestedintheGreatSouthDesert, asMajorCheesemancalleditinhisbookInUnknownArabia,and hadreadofitslonelinessandvastextentinSt.JohnPhilby'sThe EmptyQuarter,andMr.BertramThomas'sAlarmsandExcursions. Thesefinebooks,togetherwithBurton'stranslationoftheArabian Nights,Doughty'sArabiaDeserta,andLawrence'sSevenPillars ofWisdom,transportedmeinfancyfromtheeasychairofmy Londonflattotheburningsandsofthedesert,butneverinmy wildestdreamsdidIimaginethatIshouldeverstandonthethresholdoftheunexploredRub-al-Khali.