Page 191 - Arabian Studies (II)

The First Days of British Aden 183
which is itself naturally very strong. They can muster
together about 3000 fighting men, so that the 1200 to 1500
men expected here from Bombay will have some difficulty in
taking Aden.
2 Fine. Onboard till the afternoon when I sailed towards the
West side of the entrance to the bay intending to stretch my
legs a little onshore there; it being unsafe on the other side,
but there was such a heavy swell that I was obliged to return
without landing. On reaching the vessel I found that a
message had been sent from the Coo/e to say that if any
more boats attempted to land on the other side the Kite
would be Fired into; Captain N.6 landed on the E. side
yesterday and a boat was sent to bring him back.
I received an invitation to dine onboard the Coote at one
oclock just after I had dined, which of course I refused.
3 Cloudy with drizzling rain till 9 and blowing strong from
E.N.E., afternoon fine.
Remained onboard till 2 when I repaired to the Coote to
dinner having received an invitation at 10 from the officers of
the ward room mess. Every thing was confortable and in
good style, Mr Harrison, the purser president. After dinner
walked on the poop till Vi past 6 when tea was announced
and then a whist party was formed and I played chess with
Mr H. Returned onboard at 9.
The steamer from Suez anxiously expected.
4 Fine but blowing hard and some sea.
At 10 observing the boats leaving the Coote and Wit Ami
Crichton filled with troops, I repaired to the former vessel to
ascertain the reason. They were merely going onshore to
protect a working party sent to fill the Chokee with sand to
make a bomb boat of her. I considered this a good
opportunity for stretching my legs as the officers had also
gone onshore for the first time for five weeks. An excellent
path had been cut, where I landed, by the troops onboard I
before hostilities commenced, and a wall four feet in width
had been constructed by them at the summit of the hill as a
defence for the tents formerly pitched there. This hill was
apparently an island ages gone by and is formed of volcanic
tufa and pumice stone; it forms the extremity of Cape Aden.
None of the Bedouins appearing, we amused ourselves in :
firing at a mark.
In the evening I went onboard the Coote to play chess
with Mr Harrison.
5 Fine. Remained onboard till the evening, reading “Wright’s
Memoirs of William the 4th » >*7 which relates principally to
the naval and political career of the monarch and the naval
commanders, his contemporaries. The author enters into a