'Transactions of the Bombay Geographical Society, from September 1850 to June 1852. Edited by the Secretary. Volume X.' [‎157] (290/458)

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157
Xhe band, if band it be, now trends away southerly, from lat. 22®
to lafc. 12°, and the next group we meet in with, after <a break of
above 1000 miles, is that at the mouth and at the lower part of the
Red Sea, commencing with Cape Aden, and concluding with Gibbel
Teir, extending across from the former of these to the Salt Lake
Assal, inland from Tadjoura, and so on towards Shoa,*
Aden is spoken of by Arab writers as having been in a state of
activity within the historic period, and though there scarcely seems
evidence sufficient of this to be relied on, and a very strong presump
tion to the contrary, it has all the appearance of great recency.
The volcano forms the terminal point of Southern Arabia, where the
shore, after having inclined gently southward from Ras-el-Hudd, 21° N.
Lat., at the entrance of the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. to 12°, stretches almost due
west, till it turns up the Red Sea. At no great distance of time it
has obviously been an island, and is now connected with the mainland
by alow sandy spit four miles long and half a mile across, only a few
feet above high water mark : the whole shore indeed, consists of sandy
downs or salt swamps, only a little above the level, of the sea, and wear
ing the aspect of recent emergence. The peninsula itself is an irregular
oval, five miles in its greater, and three in its lesser diameter. There
are numerous little head-lands with sandy bays between, all around
it. There is at the head of each little bay, and on several points of
the shore besides, a le'el expanse of rolled gravel and sea shells,
evidently an old sea margin, brought to light by the same up-heaval that
converted the island into a peninsula, and raised the isthmus above
the level of the sea. The rocks themselves are all lavas of various
descriptions, more or less vesicular, and the volcano affords a vast
diversity of igneous minerals. There seem to have been from time
to time a number of craters in the mountain, one of very considerable
magnitude beyond the coal depot betwixt Has M or but and Has Tar
Shagan, having been blown outwards, and now remaining as a valley
ascending from the sea. The edge of the principal crater is near the
centre of the Peninsula. The crater itself occupies the eastern half.
It is exceedingly well defined indeed, and at once indicates its origin
to the spectator. It is about one and half a mile in diameter, and
* See Dr. Bird’s Notes to Capt. Foster’s Account of Cape Aden. Bombay Geographical
r»ns, 184<\ Referred to in Report of the Society for 18&Q. 70 !. ix.