Page 208 - Arabian Studies (II)

200 Arabian Studies II

Appendix
The town of Aden was described by Lieutenant Wellsted of the survey sliip
Palinurus in 1835, four years before Leigh’s visit. His description is paraphrased
below.
There were only about 600 males now living in this decaying town which had
become scarcely more than a fishing village. Half of these were Arabs, the rest
Jews, Somalies and a few Banians (Hindus). The greater part of these people
lived in mat huts Mow crazy cabins of matting or yellow reeds ... so slenderly
covered in with the leaves of the palm as to form but a scanty shelter against the
intolerable heat and dust....’ Most of the good houses were occupied by the
Banians who controlled nearly all the trade, and who were consequently
wealthier than the others. There were few Arab traders, and the rest gained, ‘a
miserable existence either by supplying the Hajj boats with wood and water, or
by fishing’.
The position of the camps and many of the other places mentioned by Leigh
are shown on a plan probably drawn by Lieutenant Western of the Engineers and
signed by Commander Haines, dated 20 February 1840.
The ravine is the wadi which carried the seasonal flood water from the water
catchment area of Tawllah (where were the large tanks) and the Khusaf valley to
the bay. The house where Commander Haines was living was near the Sultan’s
palace at the end and on the south side of the wadi. The jetty, battery and forge
(p. 189) were near the Customs House and Leigh’s description is confirmed and
amplified by Haines and Wellsted. In their report three brass guns are mentioned;
one 18& feet long, probably an 80-pounder, another 17 feet long and a third 15
feet 7 inches, with traces of an inscription with the name of Sulaiman ibn Salim
901 (A.D. 1523). One of these guns, length 17 feet 3 inches and calibre 8.75
inches is in the Tower of London. It has two inscriptions; one near the muzzle
There ordered the manufacture of this mukhulah in the way of God the exalted,
the Sultan of the Arabs and the non-Arabs, Sultan Sulaiman b. Salim Khan,
glorious be his victory, to vanquish the foes of the State and the Faith, the
infidels entering into the land of India, Portugal (Burtukal) the accursed, in
Cairo the preserved, year 937 H. (A.D. 1530-1).’ The other, on the reinforce,
reads, The work of Muhammad b. Hamzah.’
The account of the interior of Hydoor’s mosque (p. 190), the ‘Aidarus
Mosque, describes the original lay-out, presumably as it was built in the early
sixteenth century. It was rebuilt in 1859. The Jami‘ is mentioned by Wellsted as
being in ruins: it too was rebuilt with the return of population and prosperity in
the nineteenth century. Leigh was a great climber of minarets; of the four
mentioned by Wellsted he ascended three, the Jami‘ minaret and the minarets
belonging to the two mosques in the centre of the town, one of which, the
Salamah, has survived. Wellsted described the two which were in good repair as
‘handsome buildings, of octagonal figure, and about sixty feet in height, their
summit adorned with a cupola, and their sides ornamented with various devices
in relief.
The account of the Hindu shrine (p. 195) is extremely interesting as it is
probably a description of the original state of the Hindu temple at Khusaf.