L883.] on the Island of Socotra and its Becent Bevelations. 299 



ilaim direct descent from the Portuguese. About this date the 

 character of the Christianity had somewhat changed, and the doctrines 

 )f the Jacobite sect were professed. 



The evacuation of the island by the Portuguese allowed a return 

 )f the Sultan of Keshin, and in his hands it has ever since remained, 

 vith the exception of a short occupancy on three several occasions by 

 I, foreign race — in 1538 by the Turks, in 1800 by the Wahabbees, 

 md by the British from 1834 to 1839. 



Although the ships of the East Indian Company frequently called 

 it the island during the seventeenth century, some meeting with a 

 riendly reception, others finding the reverse, and carried on a small 

 ■rade in aloes and dragon's-blood (the stormy weather seems always 



have been a source of di-ead), it was not until the year 1800 that 

 iffairs in the East directed the attention of the British Government to 

 5ocotra as a desirable possession, and the commander of the naval 

 station in that region was directed to seize it. This was not done, 

 ,nd it was not until 1834 that the necessity for a coaling station 

 nduced the Indian Government to survey the island. This was 

 iccomplished by Captain Haines and Lieutenant Wellsted, and the 

 ■esult of the survey being satisfactory, the Government attempted to 

 Duy the island, but failing to do so it was seized in 1835 by Indian 

 ;roops. Aden having been taken in 1839, and being more suitable 

 is a coaling depot, Socotra was abandoned. 



The exploration of the island by Wellsted supplied us with the 

 irst, and indeed until now only detailed account of the island, its 

 )eople5 and productions. The only available chart at present is the 

 )ne made during this exploration, and it is most imperfect. 



After the abandonment by the British in 1839 there is but scant 

 record of Europeans visiting the island. In 1847 the French ex- 

 oloring brig, Duconadic, under Captain Guillain, and with the cele- 

 3rated French collector Boivin on board, touched at the island for a 

 :ew days ; but except for an occasional shipwreck bringing it into 

 lotice one reads nothing about the island until 1876, when a prospect 

 )f its being occupied by another power caused the British Govern- 

 cuent to turn attention to Socotra, with the result that in that year a 

 treaty was concluded with the Sultan, by which he binds himself, and 

 bis heirs and successors, " amongst other things, to protect any vessel, 

 foreign or British, with the crew, passengers, and cargo, that may be 

 R^recked on the island of Socotra or its dependencies, and he receives 

 in annual stipend of 360 dollars for this." The " other things," it is 

 mderstood, include a promise never to cede Socotra to a foreign 

 power, or to allow a settlement on it without consent of the British 

 Grovernment. Thus the Sultan becomes a feudatory of Britain. 

 i The attention of naturalists had long been directed to Socotra as 



1 field for investigation whence rich results might be obtained, and 

 Captain Hunter, who had visited the island in connection with the 

 concluding of the treaty just mentioned, having brought back most 



