ADEN PENINSULA. 13 



It appears that in all the wells there is infiltratiou of both fresh 

 and salt water,"^ the quality depending of course (excluding- the influence 

 of the rocks) on the relative proportions of the two. After lono- 

 droughts when the infiltration of fresh, water is diminished, the wells 

 become more brackish, the infiltration from the sea remaining the same, 

 or increasing from the lowering of the water-level in the wells and 

 consequent increased pressure from the sea. 



A certain amount of water could undoubtedly be obtained from the 

 Gold-mohur and adjacent valleys on the south- west flanks of the volcano 

 which, if good, might be made available, as far as it went, for the supply 

 of Steamer Point, although the digging of fresh wells in the peninsula 

 could not be recommended when there is a prospect of any scheme beino- 

 carried out for the complete supply of the station with water. It 

 appears, however, from Captain Foster-'s paper that wells have already 

 been sunk in this locality, and that the water was of an unpalatable kind. 

 He says, — " Vestiges of former wells still exist in western bay, and from 

 the similarity of position and character of the bays to the west and 

 south-west, I have no doubt that water may be found in them also j in 

 one or two wells lately opened the water was found bitter, the flavor 

 was attributed by the Natives to the roots of some bush, but might not 

 that be owing to the presence of certain minerals, with great varieties 

 of which the whole peninsula abounds.^'' The bitterness of the water 

 is very possibly to be attributed to saline minerals in the rock, but I 

 cannot endorse Captain Foster's statement that the peninsula ' abounds 

 in great varieties' of sucb. 



* I was inforuQed by Captain Mander that the Somaulis dig shallow wells near the 

 shore in certain places which are dry at low tide, but yield a little fresh water at hio-h tide 

 the explanation he aives being that the fresh water which trickles away at low tide is 

 bunded back at high tide by the salt water. 



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