﻿60 
  Lieut. 
  H. 
  E. 
  Barnes 
  on 
  the 
  Birds 
  of 
  Aden. 
  

  

  The 
  south-west 
  monsoon 
  commences 
  early 
  in 
  June 
  and 
  

   continues 
  until 
  the 
  end 
  o£ 
  August^ 
  and 
  during 
  this 
  time 
  dust- 
  

   storms 
  are 
  prevalent 
  and 
  disagreeable. 
  

  

  In 
  approaching 
  Aden 
  the 
  first 
  object 
  that 
  catches 
  the 
  eye 
  

   is 
  the 
  peak 
  of 
  Shum-shum, 
  which 
  is 
  used 
  as 
  a 
  signal- 
  station 
  

   for 
  the 
  shipping. 
  As 
  you 
  come 
  from 
  the 
  Indian 
  Ocean, 
  

   Marshag 
  Lighthouse, 
  Elephant 
  Point, 
  Goldmore 
  Valley, 
  and 
  

   Capes 
  Boradli 
  and 
  Tarshine 
  are 
  passed 
  in 
  succession 
  before 
  

   the 
  entrance 
  to 
  the 
  harbour 
  is 
  reached. 
  As 
  you 
  enter 
  from 
  

   the 
  Red 
  Sea, 
  Little 
  Aden 
  is 
  passed. 
  

  

  The 
  harbour 
  is 
  eight 
  miles 
  long 
  from 
  east 
  to 
  west 
  and 
  

   four 
  miles 
  from 
  north 
  to 
  south, 
  the 
  entrance 
  between 
  Ras 
  

   Tarshine 
  and 
  Little 
  Aden 
  being 
  about 
  three 
  and 
  a 
  half 
  

   miles 
  across 
  ; 
  it 
  consists 
  of 
  two 
  portions, 
  the 
  outer 
  and 
  the 
  

   inner 
  harbour. 
  The 
  inner 
  harbour, 
  which 
  is 
  nearly 
  land- 
  

   locked, 
  is 
  bounded 
  on 
  the 
  east 
  by 
  the 
  Isthmus. 
  The 
  depth 
  

   of 
  water 
  at 
  low 
  tide 
  in 
  the 
  outer 
  harbour 
  varies 
  from 
  five 
  

   fathoms 
  at 
  the 
  entrance 
  to 
  about 
  three 
  in 
  the 
  western 
  part 
  ; 
  

   outside 
  to 
  a 
  distance 
  of 
  two 
  miles 
  it 
  is 
  about 
  ten 
  or 
  twelve 
  

   fathoms. 
  

  

  There 
  are 
  several 
  islands 
  in 
  the 
  harbour, 
  the 
  two 
  principal 
  

   being 
  Slave 
  Island, 
  near 
  the 
  Isthmus, 
  and 
  Quarantine 
  Island, 
  

   near 
  the 
  landing-pier. 
  

  

  The 
  principal 
  sight 
  in 
  Aden 
  is 
  the 
  system 
  of 
  water-tanks, 
  

   thirteen 
  in 
  number, 
  which 
  contain, 
  when 
  full, 
  about 
  8,000,000 
  

   gallons 
  of 
  water. 
  There 
  is 
  no 
  trustworthy 
  record 
  of 
  their 
  

   origin, 
  but 
  they 
  are 
  supposed 
  to 
  have 
  been 
  commenced 
  about 
  

   600 
  A.D., 
  at 
  the 
  time 
  of 
  the 
  second 
  Persian 
  invasion. 
  It 
  is 
  

   impossible 
  to 
  give 
  such 
  a 
  description 
  of 
  these 
  tanks 
  as 
  would 
  

   enable 
  one 
  who 
  had 
  not 
  seen 
  them 
  to 
  form 
  a 
  correct 
  idea 
  as 
  

   to 
  what 
  they 
  are 
  like. 
  The 
  Shum-shum 
  Hills 
  are 
  nearly 
  

   circular, 
  and 
  on 
  one 
  side 
  the 
  rain-water 
  rushes 
  into 
  the 
  sea 
  

   down 
  narrow 
  valleys 
  and 
  gorges 
  ; 
  on 
  the 
  eastern 
  side 
  the 
  

   hills 
  are 
  precipitous, 
  but 
  are 
  broken 
  about 
  halfway 
  down 
  by 
  

   a 
  tableland, 
  Avhich 
  is 
  crossed 
  by 
  numerous 
  ravines 
  converging 
  

   into 
  the 
  valley, 
  so 
  that 
  a 
  moderate 
  fall 
  of 
  rain 
  is 
  sufficient 
  to 
  

   send 
  a 
  torrent 
  of 
  water 
  down 
  the 
  valley 
  into 
  the 
  sea. 
  

  

  To 
  collect 
  and 
  store 
  as 
  much 
  of 
  this 
  water 
  as 
  possible 
  

  

  