In November 1937 Freya Stark returned to the Hadhramaut during the fragile British peace. With some colourful companions and 81 packages, she travelled through the arid beauty of the desert until her company was marooned in a busy town in the interior. She met Sultans and slaves, bedouin and bandits, and spent her time exploring dusty forts and the ritual of the harem. She returned to the coast, learning the art of the caravan the hard way, but grateful for the Arabian version of solitude. This is her account of those experiences. Born in Paris in 1893, Dame Freya Stark is one of the 20th century's great travellers, and is the author of Dust in the Lion's Paw, Coast of Incense and Alexander's Path.