6 PERSONAL NARBATWJi. 



thought superfluous. Yet, like many places frequently 

 visited, it is very rarely, if ever, carefully examined, and 

 its fauna especially might be much more completely 

 ascertained with advantage. Except Neophrons, kites, 

 and a few crows {?Corvus umbrinus), the only other 

 common birds about the hill in December were Saxicola 

 (Cercomela) melanura and another Saxicola, doubtless 

 S. isahelUna. I also saw a crag martin {Cotyle rupestris). 

 We left Aden on the evening of the 16th December, 

 and early the next morning ran with a fair wind through 

 the "Gate of Weeping" into the Eed Sea. In the 

 evening of the 18th we were off AmphUa, but light 

 winds setting in, we only reached the flat coral islands of 

 Ajusd, forty miles further, on the 20th. Here we found 

 two or three other vessels waiting to be towed to the 

 anchorage at Annesley Bay, while H.M.S. Star was 

 lying in apparently most unpleasant proximity to the 

 breakers, though really in deep water ; the oflScers and 

 crew being busily engaged in completing a temporary-- 

 lighthouse. Another had already been finished nearer 

 to the entrance into Annesley Bay. A singular circum- 

 stance had taken place a day or two before we arrived. 

 A small boat from the ship had attempted to anchor 

 close to the island, when the anchor was seized and the 

 boat dragged violently along by an enormous fish ; evi- 

 dently, from the men's description, a huge ray. Whether 

 the anchor had caught in the fish, or whether the latter 

 had swallowed the anchor, could not be told. To save 

 the boat the men on board were obliged to cut the rope 

 attached. 



