Page 203 - Arabian Studies (II)

The First Days of British Aden 195

place under a bush we perceived drops of blood, probably
left by one of the wounded in the attack.
In reaching the plain by the same road by which we
ascended we were struck with the peculiar verdure in the
vicinity of a well painted white, and proceeding towards it
found that it belonged to a Hindoo place of worship, formed
under the projecting rock by the Banyans. The Hindoo
representations of the deity were two patches of red paint
with a few spots to denote the eyes, nose and mouth, laid on
the rock itself but defended from profanation by those not
initiated in their religion, by a gallery, accessible by a
trapdoor which was secured with a padlock. Being tempted
however to pry into the secrets of the place, I clambered over
the gallery which was situated at the extremity of a cleft
about twenty feet from the ground, but found nothing
beyond the aforesaid patches of red paint, an earthenware
saucer or two and a pigeon’s nest. The cave itself swarmed
with pigeons who have hitherto enjoyed undisturbed pos­
session of the spot.
Proceeding homewards we visited several wells and in­
numerable tanks, mostly at the foot of a ravine and
sometimes doubled to catch the water overflowing from each
other. These must also have occupied much time and labor in
the construction. The tanks were all ‘chunamised’2 8 inside
and generally in a good state of preservation.
Passed through the Jewish burying-ground, the inscrip­
tions on the tombs in which were all in Hebrew character.
The Jews at present in Aden are mostly very poor and
employed as laborers to gain a livelihood. Some have donkeys
which they either let out or use to carry goods etc from one
bay to the other. Some of them however are weavers and
make a coarse kind of cotton cloth.
Dined with the mess. Played chess in E’s tent till 11, when
Evans, Stack, myself and two servants started again for the
tombs, carrying with us four bamboos, lashed together, two
and two to carry the spoil. We reached the burying ground
without any interruption and marched forthwith to the spot
where I had marked out a very good tomb, covered on each
side, with very perfect inscriptions. This we managed to sling
to the bamboos and four of us carried it with the ends of the
bamboos on our shoulders, but it was so very heavy that we
were frequently obliged to rest. We proceeded in this manner
only interrupted now and then by the dogs which barked
defiance at us, towards the camp, where we arrived without
any accident and deposited the monument in E’s tent.
En passant the whole of the golanders in the battery turned
out to see what we were conveying along in such silence at