HOTEL AT ADEN. 37 



her way to Suez, and her coaling occupied 

 great part of the following day, so that the 

 Meer determined on landing, as did, indeed, 

 most of the passengers, greatly to the advan- 

 tage of the hotel-keeper, a Parsee. The hotel at 

 Aden consists of a long range of buildings di- 

 vided into separate rooms, with an open veranda 

 in front, and bathing-rooms, &c., in rear. The 

 floors are plastered, without even a date mat to 

 conceal their nakedness. Everything about 

 this hotel is in the most pristine state of sim- 

 plicity, but the place is tolerably cool, and af- 

 forded us shelter during the unpleasant opera- 

 tion of coaling. The hotel is flanked by a 

 shop, kept, I believe, by the same Parsee pro- 

 prietor, whose supplies in both establishments 

 were quite unequal to the demand, as the al- 

 most simultaneous arrival of three steamers, 

 crowded with passengers, had a very locust-like 

 effect on the provisions of the place, and every- 

 thing was charged for at famine prices. 



Aden, supposed to be an extinct volcano, is 

 without exception the most barren-looking spot 

 I ever beheld, albeit situated in Arabia Felix ! 

 and in looking at the mountain of cinders be- 

 fore me, I said to myself, what can Arabia 



