Almost the whole of my stay had been a succession of deliciously clear days with bitterly cold nights and mornings, the minimum thermometer usually showing temperatures from 6 to 90 F. below zero. It was striking evidence of the remarkable clearness of the air that early on the morning of the 11th of February the Sub-Surveyor's sharp eyes distinctly sighted the snowy mountains south of Niya, some 120 miles away. Yet I knew that such favourable conditions for desert work could not be expected to serve us much longer. I thought of the number of sites that still remained to be explored before the season of sand-storms would put an end to my explorations, and consequently realised the necessity of setting out for those fresh fields of work as early as possible.
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