﻿Lieut. 
  H. 
  E. 
  Barnes 
  on 
  the 
  Birds 
  of 
  Aden. 
  59 
  

  

  have 
  the 
  usual 
  characteristics 
  of 
  their 
  race 
  fully 
  developed. 
  

   There 
  are 
  but 
  few 
  non-official 
  Europeans^ 
  and 
  these 
  are 
  mostly- 
  

   engaged 
  in 
  commerce. 
  

  

  The 
  water-supply 
  of 
  Aden 
  is 
  obtained 
  from 
  several 
  sources^ 
  

   the 
  chief 
  being 
  the 
  condensers^ 
  of 
  which 
  there 
  are 
  several, 
  

   belonging 
  both 
  to 
  Government 
  and 
  to 
  private 
  individuals. 
  

   The 
  supply 
  next 
  in 
  importance 
  is 
  the 
  aqueduct 
  from 
  Shaik 
  

   Othman, 
  completed 
  in 
  1867, 
  the 
  water 
  of 
  which 
  becomes 
  

   slightly 
  brackish 
  en 
  route 
  and 
  among 
  Europeans 
  is 
  used 
  

   only 
  for 
  ablution. 
  The 
  remaining 
  sources 
  are 
  the 
  wells 
  and 
  

   tanks 
  dependent 
  upon 
  the 
  rainfall 
  ; 
  but 
  the 
  water 
  in 
  most 
  of 
  

   the 
  former 
  is 
  brackish 
  and 
  unfit 
  for 
  drinking 
  and 
  cooking 
  

   purposes. 
  

  

  Cattle 
  and 
  sheep 
  of 
  good 
  quality 
  are 
  imported 
  from 
  Ber- 
  

   bera 
  and 
  other 
  adjacent 
  African 
  ports 
  ; 
  the 
  few 
  coming 
  from 
  

   the 
  interior 
  of 
  Arabia 
  are 
  not 
  so 
  good. 
  The 
  sheep 
  are 
  noted 
  

   for 
  the 
  amount 
  of 
  fat 
  in 
  their 
  tails, 
  and 
  a 
  belief 
  is 
  prevalent 
  

   amongst 
  the 
  soldiers 
  of 
  the 
  garrison 
  that 
  this 
  is 
  due 
  to 
  the 
  

   sheep 
  always 
  grazing 
  uphill, 
  which 
  causes 
  the 
  fat 
  to 
  accumu- 
  

   late 
  in 
  that 
  portion 
  of 
  their 
  bodies 
  (this 
  may 
  be 
  taken 
  cum 
  

   grano 
  salts). 
  A 
  good 
  tail 
  will 
  weigh 
  three 
  or 
  four 
  pounds, 
  

   and 
  is 
  pure, 
  but 
  somewhat 
  oily, 
  fat, 
  never 
  becoming 
  solid 
  or 
  

   suet-like. 
  

  

  There 
  is 
  a 
  considerable 
  sea-trade 
  carried 
  on 
  by 
  small 
  

   steamers 
  and 
  buggalows, 
  the 
  chief 
  articles 
  being 
  coffee, 
  hides, 
  

   gum, 
  shells, 
  and 
  feathers. 
  

  

  The 
  salt-works 
  at 
  the 
  head 
  of 
  the 
  harbour, 
  near 
  Shaik 
  

   Othman, 
  are 
  extensive, 
  and 
  the 
  huge 
  glittering 
  heaps 
  of 
  salt 
  

   and 
  tall 
  windmills 
  are 
  conspicuous 
  objects 
  to 
  any 
  one 
  

   driving 
  along 
  the 
  Malla 
  Road. 
  These 
  works 
  were 
  established 
  

   in 
  1875, 
  and 
  in 
  the 
  hands 
  of 
  an 
  Italian 
  company 
  have 
  proved 
  

   a 
  great 
  success. 
  

  

  The 
  climate 
  is 
  not 
  so 
  bad 
  as 
  represented; 
  from 
  October 
  to 
  

   April 
  it 
  is 
  fairly 
  cool, 
  the 
  thermometer 
  ranging 
  from 
  75° 
  to 
  

   85°. 
  The 
  most 
  trying 
  and 
  dangerous 
  periods 
  are 
  May 
  and 
  

   September, 
  as 
  during 
  these 
  two 
  months 
  there 
  is 
  no 
  breeze, 
  

   and 
  the 
  temperature 
  is 
  very 
  high, 
  ranging 
  from 
  90° 
  at 
  night 
  

   to 
  over 
  100° 
  in 
  the 
  daytime. 
  

  

  