FLORA OF ADEN . 
55 
plants in the beds of the dry water-courses ; but none were in flower. 
All were Arabian-looking Antichorus , Tcphrosm , Polygala, Amaran- 
th ace w, Acacias, Etutacece, and CapparidacerB always prevailing, with 
a frutescent lycium . The shrubs were in woeful and dead-like plight, 
having very stout distorted spiny stems, short woody branches, feiv 
leaves, and no flowers. A leafless, pale, yellow-white, dichotomous 
Euphorbia was perhaps the most common. 
“ The road to the top of the ridge was remarkable, where perfect, but 
much of it is broken away ; the workmanship is so good that no one 
suspects the Turks of having constructed it, but people assert that it 
was formed, as well as the crowning forts, by captive Jews, under 
Solyman the magnificent. 
“ Towards the top I met with two specimens of a plant which I 
recognised to be the same as a shrub shown to me by Dr. Lindley some 
two years ago, at the Gardens of the Horticultural Society. It has a 
curious stem eight or ten feet high, expanding like a trumpet at the base* 
a few short branches and rounded lobed leaves. I saw no young plants, 
nor fruit, nor flower, and could only reach a twig from the road. The 
Horticultural Society plants were, if I remember rightly, covered with 
JDufourea fiammea, and were probably from another part of the island. 
At this elevation, 1,500 feet, I met with Lichens, on the rocks, 
crustaceous species, and on Acacia stems, Boccella and Bamalina ; but 
no other Crypto gamia. The road met the ridge at a curious cut, as it 
were, in the wall and on reaching the latter, a general view opened out 
of the west side of the peninsula, the bay, and steamers at anchor off 
the f Point/ where Captain Haine's house is situated. 
“ At the top there is a signal station, and a soldier on duty, who, 
besides signalizing the shipping, takes meteorological observations. 
This rocky crest is, of course, very barren of everything but Lichens 
of which there is a fair sprinkling ; but I had no time to stay to collect 
them. My descent was less fatiguing ; though the causeway is formed 
of such slippery stones that it tired me as much as the ascent. Exclu- 
sive of the few plants, some forty species, there is little to be gained by 
the hot and dusty ascent of f Shumsun/ always excepting the remark- 
able views, and the curious works of the Turks. - ” 
(c On the Monday morning I went out at day-break to gather what 
plants I could find in the cooler valleys facing the west : they were more 
luxuriant than on the eastern side, the soil being more gravelly ; but 
still sterility was the order of the day. I added about twenty kinds to 
my former collection, but nothing remarkable on a casual inspection, or 
attractive at this flowerless season. Along the beach I did not procure 
