The Apparently Reckless
Expenditure Of The British Residents, And The Princely Pay Given To
The Soldiers Of The Garrison, Have
Offered so dazzling a prospect
of gain, that they (the native chiefs) will have some difficulty in
abandoning the hope
Of making themselves masters, at a single blow, of
all the treasure brought to their shores. It is said that some Turks,
deserters from Mehemet Ali, who took refuge in Aden, upon being made
acquainted with the amount of pay given to the British troops, and the
regularity with which it was issued, exclaimed, "God is great, and the
English are immortal!"
During the proper seasons, Aden is well supplied with fruit; its trade
in honey and wax might become very important, the adjacent countries
yielding abundance of both, and of so fine a quality, as to compete
with the produce of the hives of the Mediterranean. Drugs are
procurable in equal abundance, together with perfumes and spices. The
European inhabitants are, of course, compelled to send to Bombay
for those luxuries which habit has rendered necessary; the constant
communication with the presidency renders them easily procurable,
while the intercourse with India and England, by means of the
steamers, relieves the monotony which would otherwise be severely
felt.
I could have spent two or three days with great pleasure at Aden,
inquiring into its early history, present condition, and future
prospects, and regretted much when a summons reached me to depart. We
entertained a hope that the steamer would come round and take us off
at the northern point; however, we were obliged to return the way we
came. There are, and have been since its occupation, several English
ladies living at Aden, but whether they have not shown themselves
sufficiently often to render their appearance familiar, or the
curiosity of the people is not easily satisfied, I cannot say; but I
found myself an object of great attention to the women and children.
The sun having declined, the whole of the population of Aden seemed to
be abroad, and many well-dressed and good-looking women were seated on
the rude steps and broken walls of the stone houses before-mentioned.
As they saw me smiling upon them, they drew nearer, salaamed, and
laughed in return, and appeared to examine my dress as closely as
the open doors of the palanquin would permit. Some of the very little
children turned away in horror from a white face, but the greater
number seemed much pleased with the notice taken of them. While
waiting a few minutes for my party, my bearers wanted to drive them
away, but this I would not permit, and we carried on a very amicable
intercourse by signs, both being apparently mutually delighted
with each other. Their vivacity and good-humour made a favourable
impression upon my mind, and I should like to have an opportunity
of becoming better acquainted with them, feeling strongly tempted to
proceed to Aden on my return to England in a sailing vessel, and await
there the arrival of a steamer to convey me up the Red Sea to Cosseir
or to Suez.
I was offered a present of a milch-goat at Aden, but not being able to
consult with the captain of the Berenice concerning its introduction
on board, I did not like to allow the poor creature to run any risk
of neglect. Its productiveness would soon have diminished on board a
steamer, and it was so useful in a place like Aden, that I could not
feel justified in taking it away for my own gratification. I obtained,
however, a bottle of milk, and when I got on board, having dined
early, and being moreover exhausted with my journey, as I was only
recovering from an attack of fever, I wished to have some tea. This
was too great an indulgence to be granted by the petty authorities
who ruled over the passengers. Unfortunately, upon leaving Suez, I
had given away all my tea to my servant, Mohammed, who was fond of it,
nothing doubting that I should be able to procure as much as I pleased
on board the steamer. The refusal was the more provoking, as there was
plenty of boiling water ready, and I had humbly limited my request to
a spoonful of tea. Under the circumstances, I was obliged to content
myself with milk and water: had the captain or the surgeon of the
vessel been at hand, I should doubtless have been supplied with every
thing I wanted, but in their absence, it was impossible to procure a
single article. Upon one occasion, while tea was serving, a passenger
in the saloon asked for a cup, and was told to go upon deck for it.
I also procured a supply of soda water at Aden. I had suffered much
from the want of this refreshing beverage during my fever, the supply
taken on board having been exhausted on the voyage up. The passengers
down the Red Sea have the disadvantage of sailing with exhausted
stores. It seems hardly fair to them, especially in cases of illness,
that the whole of any particular article should be given to the people
who embark at Bombay, they having a right to expect that, as they pay
the same price, a portion should be reserved for their use.
On the second day after our departure from Aden - that is, the 22nd
of October - we arrived at Makallah. It was mid-day before the vessel
ceased to ply her engines, and though invited to go on shore, as
we could not penetrate beyond the walls of the town, we thought it
useless to exchange our cabins for a hot room in the mansion of its
ruler. The town of Makallah, which forms the principal commercial
depot of the south-west of Arabia, is built upon a rocky platform of
some length, but of very inconsiderable width, backed by a perfect
wall of cliffs, and bounded in front by the sea.
Enter page number
PreviousNext
Page 50 of 79
Words from 50165 to 51167
of 80716
