Skip to item: of 308
Information about this record Back to top
Open in Universal viewer
Open in Mirador IIIF viewer

'File 379/1906 Railways: Aden; railway construction in Aden hinterland; Aden-Lahej Railway' [‎73r] (150/308)

The record is made up of 1 volume (150 folios). It was created in 20 Aug 1904-3 Apr 1922. It was written in English. The original is part of the British Library: India Office The department of the British Government to which the Government of India reported between 1858 and 1947. The successor to the Court of Directors. Records and Private Papers Documents collected in a private capacity. .

Transcription

This transcription is created automatically. It may contain errors.

Apply page layout

>1
t
13
than two nullahs have to be passed which would require bridges of any magni
tude. For some distance to the westward, i.e., on the right bank of the
Iiban, crops are to he seen ; on the left bank canals are being sparsely made
and cultivation U commencing. This alone shows that much is to be done in
the future in this direction, and the Arabs are beginning to appreciate it.
9. The proposition at present is for the railway to run to Nobat Dakim
but there is little doubt that the Tiban Valley, right up to and beyond
Musemir, is as fertile as it can be. From Musemir anyone proceeding through
Ad Dareja towards Mavia is struck with the fertility of the district. Just
beyond our border there are good springs in many places, where water is
collected in canals and used extensively for irrigation. I have not been to
this country myself, but Captain Sanders, my Deputy Assistant Adjutant
General, who is a Royal Engineer officer, has lately visited these parts and
given me the above report, and further states that in September the Warezan
River was running 2 feet deep in flood and all the water evidently remaining
entirely unused. °
10. I intend before I leave to have a report made on the track running
North-West-East from Lahej on the east of Jebal Manif, and up the Wadi A seasonal or intermittent watercourse, or the valley in which it flows.
Ad Dthabab towards Suleik. A railway running in that direction will probably
be found to tap the Kotaibi country and draw the trade from the Yaffai
country in this direction ; this latter is reported as very fertile, especially in
coffee.
17. Trom this it will be seen that it is only necessary to extend a railway
system to these outlying portions of the Hinterland to develop various sources
of trade previously unknown or non-existent. Government have already
expressed their opinion that railways must be run by private enterprise and there
are three firms at present ready to take up the project, and no doubt more
will be forthcoming from England. There is no doubt that if railways are
made the trade of Turkish Yemen must find its way to Aden and develop Aden
as a port whence the whole trade of Southern Arabia shall find its way to
Europe and India.
19. I will now pass on to Aden itself with regard to its future develop
ment. The Maala plain is the only existing piece of available land in the
Aden Peninsula, and it is here that I recommend that the railway terminus
should be. I would run it down to Hedjuff were it not that the Defence
Scheme forbids the approach of buildings so near that hill; but there is no
difficulty in running a double line from the proposed site of the Maala junction
by the sea-side to the Maala side of Hedjuff. I pointed this out to Major-
General Parsons, who is on the Defence Committee at Simla, when he was in
Aden, and he saw no military objection to a pier being run out near the Aden
Coal Company’s buildings. This rail would cost little or nothing, and trucks,
loaded with material from the interior, would be run straight down from the
Maala junction to the Hedjuff pier, thus obviating the enormous expense of
dredging between Hedjuff and Maala. The formation and depth of the
harbour is such that little or no dredging would be necessary to enable lighters
to pass to and from the anchorage of ocean-going steamers to the pier I speak
of, where lighters are loaded and unloaded from trucks. A plan of the dred
ging required and the pier I propose is being prepared.
20. There are already applicants for ground on which to build warehouses
on the sea-front of the Maala plain. A sea wall will have to be erected, but
as far as I can hear the merchants are prepared to meet any expense incurred
thereby. The curing of skins, which is now carried on at the Crater, should
be conducted on the Maala plain, which would save the merchants the great
expense of transporting skins to and from the Crater before export. This can
be done without encroaching on the 1,200 yards zone considered requisite by
the Military Defence Committee. I know there are some who advocate the
3963 F. D.

About this item

Content

The volume comprises telegrams, despatches, correspondence, and notes, relating to proposals for the construction of a steam railway between Aden and its hinterland from 1904.

The volume includes a divider which gives the subject number, year the subject file was opened, subject heading, and list of correspondence references contained in that volume by year. This is placed at the back of the correspondence.

The correspondence is followed by further discussion on extending into Aden a railway to be built from Dar-al-Amir to Nobat Dakim [Nawbatal-Dakim, Yemen; identified on map four miles north of Al'Anad but not corresponding to any actual place], on its further extension to D'thala [Aḑ Ḑāli‘, Yemen], on the permission and financial contribution sought from the Government of India, and on negotiations with local rulers and tribes. A projected line from Hodeida [Al Hudaydah, Yemen] to Sana'a is also briefly discussed in the volume.

The main correspondents are the Aden Residency An office of the East India Company and, later, of the British Raj, established in the provinces and regions considered part of, or under the influence of, British India. , the India Office The department of the British Government to which the Government of India reported between 1858 and 1947. The successor to the Court of Directors. in London, and the Government of India.

The volume also includes cuttings from Parliamentary debates on 'The Aden Hinterland', and a 'Map of the Proposed Railway from Aden to Nobat Dakim' on folio 114.

Extent and format
1 volume (150 folios)
Arrangement

The subject 379 (Railways) consists of one volume. The papers are arranged in approximate chronological order from the rear to the front of the volume.

Physical characteristics

Foliation: the foliation sequence commences at the inside front cover with 1, and terminates at the inside back cover with 152; these numbers are written in pencil, are circled, and are located in the top right corner of the recto The front of a sheet of paper or leaf, often abbreviated to 'r'. side of each folio. A large folded map is enclosed in a polyester sleeve, on folio 114.

Written in
English in Latin script
View the complete information for this record

Use and share this item

Share this item
Cite this item in your research

'File 379/1906 Railways: Aden; railway construction in Aden hinterland; Aden-Lahej Railway' [‎73r] (150/308), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, IOR/L/PS/10/89, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100026199056.0x000097> [accessed 28 March 2024]

Link to this item
Embed this item

Copy and paste the code below into your web page where you would like to embed the image.

<meta charset="utf-8"><a href="https://www.qdl.qa/en/archive/81055/vdc_100026199056.0x000097">'File 379/1906 Railways: Aden; railway construction in Aden hinterland; Aden-Lahej Railway' [&lrm;73r] (150/308)</a>
<a href="https://www.qdl.qa/en/archive/81055/vdc_100026199056.0x000097">
	<img src="https://iiif.qdl.qa/iiif/images/81055/vdc_100000000365.0x0003ae/IOR_L_PS_10_89_0150.jp2/full/!280,240/0/default.jpg" alt="" />
</a>
IIIF details

This record has a IIIF manifest available as follows. If you have a compatible viewer you can drag the icon to load it.https://www.qdl.qa/en/iiif/81055/vdc_100000000365.0x0003ae/manifestOpen in Universal viewerOpen in Mirador viewerMore options for embedding images

Use and reuse
Download this image