ADEN 
^59 
subsided into a chair, where he remained until next morn- 
ing. The mate informed me that this disgusting state of 
affairs had been going on on board this cockleshell, which 
carried Her Majesty’s mails, for weeks, during which time 
he (the mate) had had the whole charge of the ship, and 
was nearly worn out in consequence. 
During the whole voyage, a little fox-terrier dog, half 
the size of my lion cubs, amused itself by squeezing 
through the sticks of their cage, and playing with the 
•inmates, who snarled and clawed at the black-and-white 
intruder with a will, much to the delight, apparently, of all 
parties. 
Just as we reached Aden Harbour the rotten old river- 
tub gave a lurch that shipped an enormous quantity of 
water, and we finally dropped anchor opposite the rocks of 
this by no means heavenly hole. A more odious place than 
Aden can hardly be imagined. Here I was obliged to 
remain three weeks, as I just missed a boat, and the next 
was taken off. I had not been here a week before I got 
fever, and felt generally very ill. People affirm that there 
is only a bit of tissue paper between this spot and the 
nether regions. Although several people have no doubt 
fallen through the paper, we have as yet no record that 
they ever came back again to verify this assertion. 
At Aden I designed a more substantial cage of wood, 
with iron bars in front, for the lions, which was very well 
carried out by an old Arab carpenter. At length the 
steamer arrived to take me home to England. That was 
indeed a long-looked-for and a glad day. The cubs had 
now grown enormously. In Aden I had bought for them 
two dog-collars and chains, and allowed them their liberty 
on the lower deck as far as the chains would permit. 
Nobody would pick them up but me, which I found a 
great nuisance, as owing to their frequent escapes, especially 
at night, I was continually being disturbed in my bunk. 
The butcher who fed them would constantly walk into my 
cabin at dead of night with : 
