EXPLORATION OF AD&N*. 
9 
lees familiar, and of a few it may be presumed that they know scarcely 
anything. With regard to science and especially medicine, it is much to 
be regretted that some eminent Botanist does not turn his attention to 
this part of the world, where nature has been so lavish in her precious 
gifts, and where a wide field of research is open to him, from which he 
might make many important and original additions to the present stock 
of medical knowledge, and thereby establish a high claim to the esteem 
and gratitude, of his profession in particular, and of the scientific part of 
the community generally. Scarcely anything is known at present of 
Eastern Africa beyond the sea-board, and the same remark applies to 
Southern Arabia. With regard to the latter country in particular, 
famous even in the early ages of the world for its valuable vegetable 
produce, it appears almost unaccountable that this country should be 
well-nigh as little known to us as it was to the learned in the days of 
the ancient Greeks and Romans/* 1 
R. L. Playfair, 1853 — 1863.— Robert Lambert Playfair was connect- 
ed with Aden from 1852 to 1862. Born at St. Andrews in 1828, he 
entered the Madras Artillery on the 12th January 1846. He was 
transferred to the Madras Staff corps in February 1861 and retired from 
the Army as Lieutenant-Colonel on the 1st November, 1867. After 
having been associated with Sir James Outram in a <p<m-political mis- 
sion to Syria, he served as Assistant Executive Engineer at Aden from 
March 1852 till September 1853* When Outram became first Political 
Resident, he chose Playfair as his assistant. In this capacity Playfair 
remained at Aden from J uly 1 854 till 17th December 1862, during 
which time he acted twice as temporary Political Resident. 2 
Playfair found time to make extensive researches into the history 
of Yemen. The results were published in Bombay in 1859 as No. 49 
of the new series of “ Selections from the Records of the Bombay 
Government** under the title : “ History of Arabia Eelix or Yemen from 
the Commencement of the Christian Era to the Present Time/* It in- 
cluded also an account of the British settlement at Aden. 
In spite of his numerous avocations as Assistant Political Resident 
and his serious pursuits in historical research, he found time to take a 
lively interest in botany. He sent a number of plants to Kew, and 
1 Hooker: Journ. Bot., Yol. V, p. 124. 
2 After this Playfair was appointed in succession Political Agent at Zanzibar (1862), 
consul in the same place (1863), Consul-General in Algeria (1867), Consul-General for Algeria 
and Tunis (1885), Consul-General for the territory of Algeria and the northern coast of Africa 
(1889). 0 e retired from the diplomatic service in December 1896 and died at St. Andrews 
on the 18th February 1899. He published “Reminiscences” of Aden and Algeria in 
Chamber’s Journal. 
