73 
FLORA OF ADEN . 
descendant la marchandise et la chargent sus chameus et vont par terre 
bien 30 journees. Et pais treuvent le flan d' Alixandre ; si quepar ce 
flun vont en Alixandre. Si que par cette voie M'Aden out, les 
Sarazins d'Alixandre, toute Tespicerie et le poivre que il ont. Car par 
autre voie si bonne, ne si cointe (agreable) no la pevent il avoir en 
Alixandre/' 1 2 
Considering these extensive relations with various countries over 
a long period, it is surprising that the number of geographically ano- 
malous species in the flora of Aden is not greater. 
( e ) Mechanical Propulsion. 
This agent of dissemination operates through insignificant distances, 
but is, nevertheless important owing to its cumulative action from year 
to year. All plants belonging to this group are provided with modifica- 
tions, by which a tension in the fruit is established. At maturity this 
tension suddenly overcomes the resistance of the fruit and the enclosed 
seeds are thrown to some distance from the parent plant. 
Very few plants of the flora of Aden are possessed of such contri- 
vances : — 
Fagonia , Zygophylhm simplex , Boerhaavia , Euphorbia , nearly 
all the species of Indig of era and several of Tephrosia / 
10. Gardening and Cultivation. 
“ So early as 1840 the attention of Government was directed to the 
necessity of devising some means of providing the garrison, if not the 
civil population, with vegetables, not only for their comfort but as a 
prevention against scurvy. Up to that time vegetables had been 
purchased from the interior and from the neighbouring parts of Mokha, 
Makalla and Shehr, with but moderate success. In 1841 Government 
sanctioned a small plot being cultivated as an experiment for six 
months, and in 1842 the 100 square feet which had been prepared and 
sown in one of the northern valleys produced nearly 2,000 lbs. of 
vegetables during three months when the supplies from the interior were 
entirely cut off. 
“In 1846 two native gardeners were employed, but they could not 
be induced to remain in Aden. The success hitherto obtained induced 
Government in 1847 to direct that this garden should be kept up and 
extended, and a small amount towards its support was sanctioned. Celery 
\_Apium graveolens , Linn.], lettuce \_Lacluca saliva ], and nohl-kohl were 
1 Le livre de Marco Polo par M. G. PautLier, Paris, 1865, page 703 — 704. 
Cf. etiam : Marino Sanudo. Gesta Dei per Francos. De Bongars, Volume II, page 22. 
2 For further details on dessemination and illustrations we refer to Krause, 1. c. p. 60—72. 
