ADEN. 11 



Aden we reached on the followine: mornmir, a 

 strant^e rocky place with its fortifications, cantonments 

 and churches, terraced water reservoirs of enormous 

 size excavated in a sort of gorge, sombre looking hills 

 rising on either side, and, skirting the tanks, a plea- 

 sant bit of garden producing ]awn, shrubs and flowers, 

 ■quite a rarity at Aden, whilst granite steps make the 

 ascent tolerably easy. Here I met an old Italian 

 friend on his way to Bombay, and eventually bound 

 for the Punjab, where he possessed a silk factory. He 

 persuaded me to leave the " Mooltan," which was 

 bound for Madras, and to exchange my ticket for one 

 by the " Ellora," he was travelling by, which suited me 

 just as well, as I had made no plans whatever, and I 

 was glad to have so pleasant a companion. The P. 

 and O. Agent made no difficulty, and my traps were 

 soon transferred to the smaller but equally comfortable 

 .steamer. When her coaling had been completed, a 

 number of naked black Somali boys (Plate I.) suddenly 

 appeared in the water, looking like little demons with 

 their curly heads besmeared with henna, diving for 

 coppei's which the passengers threw into the sea. At 

 last we started afresh, this time taking a north-easterly 

 course and gradually escajjing the extreme heat of the 

 Red Sea. My friend's fund of conversation was in- 

 exhaustible, and it recalled many a pleasant remini- 



