73 Food supplies These are normally brought by air from Karachi by aircraft passing through. There is generally sufficient tinned food available for about a week’s supply for ten men. In emergency, fish, rice and flour could probably be obtained locally. Large stocks of minerals are always held. Personnel in Fort The number of permanent British officers of Imperial Airways residing in the Fort is five, but there are often additional personnel stopping for short periods on special duties . Several Indian clerks and bearers are also employed. The British personnel change round very rapidly and are hardly ever kept at Sharjah for more than six months at a time. Lighting The Fort has its own electricity supply and this is available for searchlights which are mounted on the towers, there is an aircraft beacon which is kept alight at night. Normal Protection of Fort The Shaikh of Sharjah provides 37 guards for the protection of the Fort and three for the Residency Agency in Sharjah town. These are paid for by the British Government and armed with British Service rifles. The Shaikh has also been issued With a store Of ammunition.” 9 As for Sharjah, by the end of 1939, the situation was not very good; the people were lamenting the state their town creek was in, as it had filled with sand, while it had once been accommodating the largest of ships. The depth that had previously been 6-7 lengths was then under 1 length. Sheikh Sultan bin Saqr al-Qasimi, Ruler of Sharjah, was quite concerned and willing to spend the revenues generated from oil on restoring the creek to its glory days. He believed that this was a worthwhile investment. His idea was that the dredging would continue to reach bahr Majaz where the English wanted to establish a station for amphibious aviation. With this in mind, he approached the English, who had the dredging equipment in Dubai creek. He promised them to pay the necessary expenses. The English responded that that the sand problem is a permanent one and that it needed removing 9 Ibid., L.P.&S/12/3935, pp.9−16. LETTER OF ASSURANCE
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