484 REPORT — 1881. 



places on the S. and S.W. sides of the island, are most substantial ruins. 

 Besides that their influence is possibly seen in such names of jjlaces as 

 Derafonta and Feraigey, the name of one of the ruined forts, which may 

 be Feringee. And indeed the dialect of Socotra may, it is thought by 

 some, owe part of its peculiaritj^ to a Portuguese basis. Moreover, at 

 the present time, a large section of the inhabitants of the hill-region of 

 the island claim direct descent from the Portuguese. About this date the 

 character of the Christianity had somewhat changed, and they professed 

 the doctrines of the Jacobite sect. 



The evacuation by the Portuguese allowed a return of the Sultan of 

 Keshin, and in his hands it has ever since remained, with the exception of 

 a short occupancy on three several occasions by a foreign race — in 1538 

 by the Turks, in 1800 bv the Wahabbees, and by the British from 1834 

 to 1839. 



Although the ships of the East Indian Company frequently called at 

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

 reception, others finding the reverse, and carried on a small trade in aloes 

 and dragon's-blood (the stormy weather seems always to have been a 

 source of dread), it was not until the year 1800 that affairs in the East 

 directed the attention of the British Government to Socotra as a desirable 

 possession, and the Commander of the naval station in that region 

 was directed to seize it. This was not done, and it was not until 1834 

 that the necessity for a coaling station induced the Indian Government 

 to survey the island. This was accomplished by Captain Haines and 

 Lieutenant Wellsted, and the result of the survey being satisfactory, the 

 Government attempted to buy the island, but failing to do so it was 

 seized in 1835 by Indian troops. Aden having been taken in 1839, and 

 being more suitable as a coaling depot, Socotra was abandoned. 



The exploration of the island by Wellsted supplied us with the first, 

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

 productions.' The only available chart at present is the one made during 

 this exploration, and it is most imperfect. 



After the abandonment by the British in 1839, there is no record of 

 Europeans visiting regularly the island. An occasional shipwreck brought 

 it into notice, but it was not until 1876 that a prospect of the island being 

 occupied by another power caused the British Government to turn atten- 

 tion to Socotra, with the result that in that year a treaty was concluded 

 with the Sultan, by which he binds himself, and his heirs and successors, 

 ' amongst other things, to protect any vessel, foreign or British, with the 

 crew, passengers, and cargo, that may be wrecked on the island of Socotra 

 or its dependencies, and he receives an annual stipend of 360 dollars for this.' 

 The other things, it is understood, include a promise never to cede Socotra 

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

 British Government. Thus the Sultan becomes a feudatory of Britain. 



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

 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 encouraging 

 accounts. Dr. Sclater in 1878 bi'onght the matter prominently before this 

 Association. A certain amount of money was obtained, mainly through 

 his exertions, and a committee appointed to take steps for the exploration 



' See Journ. Rnj. Geogr. Soc, vol. v. 



