1835.] Report on the Island of Socotra. 141 



be considered as a pile of mountains of nearly equal height, which are almost 

 surrounded by a low plain, extending from their base to the margin of the 

 sea : this is of an irregular width, varying from 4 to 2 miles, excepting that 

 between Ras Kattany and Ras Shab, where the mountains rise up perpen- 

 dicularly from the sea, and it there disappears altogether. Throughout the 

 whole extent of this belt, with the exception of those parts which are watered 

 by the mountain streams in their progress towards the sea, and some 

 spaces hereafter specified, the soil is hard, and of a bad quality, and does not, 

 in its present state, appear susceptible of cultivation. The southern side, 

 though considerably less fertile than the northern, affords, nevertheless, in 

 the vicinity of Ras Mamse many of its productions ; but to the westward, it 

 is as arid and barren as the worst parts of Arabia. There the force of the S. 

 W. wind has blown the sand up from the sea shore, where it is so fine as to 

 be nearly impalpable, and formed it into a continuous range of sand hills, 

 which extend parallel to the beach for several miles : from hence it spreads 

 over the plain, and is even in some places deposited in vast quantities, at a 

 distance of three miles from the sea, at the base of the mountains, which 

 thtre form a barrier that alone could prevent it from overwhelming the 

 natural soil of the whole island on the noi'thern side. This belt is stony, and 

 is covered with a dwarfish bush about six feet in height, the foliage of which 

 is retained throughout the year, and gives to the space, when it is grown, an 

 appearance of being clothed with verdure. Such is the appearance of the 

 sea coast ; but the high lands exhibit a great variety of soil and surface. As 

 a general remark, it may however be observed, that nothing in the N. E. 

 monsoon presents a stronger contrast than the western and eastern parts 

 of the island ; while the former is destitute of verdure, has but scanty pas- 

 turage, and has (with the exception of a few places near the sea) no other 

 watertfian that which is retained in natural reservoirs ; the latter or eastern 

 portion is fed by numerous streams; its valleys nourish luxuriant grass; herds 

 of cattle are numerous, and the scenery in some places little inferior to that 

 of our own country. 



But we must now, as the most central and lofty, examine the granite 

 range of mountains in the vicinity of Tamarida ; steep valleys intersect 

 this chain, dividing it into narrow ridges, which extend in a north-easterly 

 and south-westerly direction. Of these the lower part is composed of a 

 red aluminous porphyry, and the upper of a coarse-grained grey granite 

 which protrudes several of its spires to the height, as was ascertained 

 by a trigonometrical admeasurement, of five thousand feet ; the summit 

 of these is consequently seldom free from clouds ; but when the weather 

 is clear, their appearance is broken and picturesque. The lower part of 

 this chain is covered with the same dwarfish tree which is found on the 

 plains : higher up there is a great variety of trees and aromatic plants ; but 

 the granite spires merely nourish»a light-colored moss, and are destitute of 

 verdure. Connected with the granite range, and extending from it to the 

 S. W. there is a lower ridge, averaging in height about 1500 feet, com- 

 posed of a compact cream-colored limestone. From this the hills diverge 



