Volcanoes in the Bay of Bengal. 35 



from Aden, another fragment of a cone of smaller size, but 

 considerable beauty, rises up to the altitude of 700 feet, and 

 projects about 3 miles into the sea ; while half-way betwixt 

 this and the strait, Gibbel Kurruz, or St Anthony, apparently 

 a volcano, reaches an elevation of 2772 feet ; Barren Peak 

 and the high range of Gibbel Arrar, or the Chimney Peaks, 

 just opposite the strait, being all set down by the surveyors 

 as hills of volcanic origin.* The range bends northward, 

 and follows the line of the Red Sea shore. 



From Aden to Bab-el-mandeb, indeed, the rocks along the 

 Arabian shore seem to be wholly volcanic for a distance of 

 above 100 miles. On the African shore a singular cove at 

 the upper end of the Bay of Tadjoura, called Joobul Khareb, 

 seems the crater of an old volcano. It is connected with 

 the bay by two narrow channels, the whole width across, from 

 coast to coast, being about three quarters of a mile, with a 

 small island near the middle. One of the channels is 40 yards 

 wide, with 16 fathoms water ; the other 350, with 3 fathoms. 

 The cove inside is about 13 miles in diameter, by six. The 

 western portion is volcanic. At its extremity is a basin, or 

 crater, 300 yards in diameter, surrounded by precipitous 

 volcanic cliffs ; though the sea makes its way to the water 

 inside, the entrance is dry at low water. Lava and scoriae 

 abound everywhere around. \ The waters of the cove are 

 said occasionally to be violently agitated and disturbed with- 

 out apparent cause, probably by the emission of gas from 

 below,| the volcano being scarcely yet asleep. Off the outer 

 bay the hills are of limestone, and rise to the height of 2000 

 feet. 



The rocks around the salt lake Assal, whose waters are 

 now nearly dried up and encrusted with salt, and are 590 



* The whole of this information is taken from the Charts and Survey Notices 

 of 1836-40. Aden is the only volcano here I have myself examined, the others 

 I have merely seen from sea. They have all the appearance of heing correctly 

 described, and, considering the ability of the surveyors, I have no doubt that 

 they are so. 



t Captain Burke's paper. London Roy. Geog. Trans., 1848. 



\ Harris' Highlands of Ethiopia, vol. i., p. 17. 



C 2 



