April — june 1857.] Memoir on the Aden Beservoirs. 31 



hills, several large ones were to be traced round the town, but since 

 the occupation of Aden by the British, no steps having, until late- 

 ly, been taken to repair or to preserve them from further destruc- 

 tion, they became entirely filled up with stones and soil washed down 

 by the rains, the people of the town were permitted to carry away 

 the stones for building purposes, and with the exception of the hang- 

 ing tanks above mentioned, which could not easily be destroyed or 

 concealed, all trace of them was lost, save where here and there a 

 fragment of chunam projecting above the ground, indicated the sup- 

 posed situation of a reservoir, believed to be ruined beyond the pos- 

 sibility of repair. 



About three years ago, Government sanctioned the repair of three 

 of the tanks which appeared in the best state of preservation, and 

 the result was so satisfactory that the Political Resident applied for, 

 and obtained permission to restore the remainder. The task of su- 

 perintending the work was entrusted to me, and I at first employ- 

 ed the convicts, and such free labor as the limited surplus of the 

 Municipal funds, aided by the sale of the rain water collected, en- 

 abled me to command, permission was subsequently obtained for 

 appropriating the quit rent on building grants, amounting to about 

 eight hundred Rupees per annum, for this purpose. 



At this time no idea was entertained that the tanks were so nu- 

 merous and so vast as they subsequently proved to be, and it was 

 believed that they could all be restored in the manner above de- 

 scribed, without entailing any expense on the state : as the work pro- 

 gressed, and as day by day new discoveries were made, the impossi- 

 bility of this became manifest, and Government was pleased to 

 sanction the employment of the public funds to ensure the work 

 being completed expeditiously and well. 



At present much has been done and at a comparatively trifling 

 expense, which will be more than repaid by the first heavy fall of 

 rain, but much more remains to be done, and it will yet be years 

 ere all the reservoirs are put in a serviceable condition. 



I despair of being able, without a plan, to give such a descrip- 

 tion as will enable any one who has not seen, thoroughly to under- 

 stand them. 



