28 
PHYSICAL ASPECTS OF ADEN. 
surface of the soil when the latter has fairly taken its incline aftey 
leaving the cost. 1 
Not far from the village of Shaik Othman and on the northern side 
of the harbour, the bed of a mountain torrent, the Wadi Kabir, meets 
the sea. After very heavy rains on the neighbouring hills, the flood 
occasionally empties itself into the harbour by this outlet. 
3. Topography. — In order to help future visitors at Aden to find the 
localities in which the different species of plants described below have 
been observed, and to enable collectors to append correct localities to 
their specimens, we give in the following the topography of the area 
under consideration. 2 
The town of Aden and part of the military cantonment are at the 
eastern end of the peninsula, situated within the crater, — and surround- 
ed on all sides by hills, except on the eastern face, where a gap exists. 
The town consists of white-washed houses built of stone and mud, divi- 
ded regularly into streets and lanes. 
The dry bed of a water-course runs down to the sea from the valley 
in which the tanks are situated and divides the town into two nearly 
equal parts. It*serves to carry off the surplus of water when the reser- 
voirs have been 5lled to overflowing. 
There are three outlets from the crater. To the south, a gate protect- 
ed by a drawbridge leads into Hokkat Bay, where the English Ceme- 
tery (opened in 1866) is situated. Further south lies the promontory of 
Marshag, on which is placed a lighthouse 244 feet above sea. The 
second outlet is by a tunnel which leads from the crater into the Isthmus 
position. 
To the northward lies the Main Pass through which the harbour is 
reached. A steep hill forms the approach to this entrance on the town 
side, whilst on the harbour side a considerable decline has to be traversed 
by tortuous windings before the sea-level is reached ; the road finally 
turns off in a westerly direction. A road leading into the interior, and 
which is connected with one of the gates of the Isthmus position, 
branches off from the main road. At the limit of the fortifications there 
is a pier of obstruction and Barrier Gate. 
About half a mile from the foot of the Main Pass the road coming 
from the town reaches the village of Maala. This consists partly of houses 
built of stone, but chiefly of mat-huts, occupied by Somalis. A pier runs 
out from the foreshore, alongside which native craft can lie and discharge 
cargo. 
1 From a report on the physical geography of the neighbourhood of Aden by Major 
Walter Ducat, R.E., in Hunter, 1. c., p. 17. 
2 We follow closely Hunter’s “ Account of Aden/’ cited above. 
