'ANNUAL REPORT OF THE ADEN SETTLEMENT FOR THE YEAR ENDING 31st March 1913' [‎249r] (9/46)

The number of vessels including country craft and exclusive of Government
vessels, that entered the harbour was 2,900 with an aggregate tonnage of
0 725,180 as compared with 2 492, with a tonnage of 3,625,195 during the last
trpar 49 pilgrim ships entered the harbour on their way to and from the Hai
against 65 in 1911-1912.
The Channel and basin were surveyed at the beginning of the year and no
Iteration in the general depths was perceptible.
Four hundred and eighty-seven steamers entered the port of Perim, of
which 262 called for coal and 125 for various other purposes. Of the steamers
that called for coal, 11 were Men-of-war (British 8 , Italian 1 and Chinese 2 ).
CHAPTER V.
Production and Distribution.
X. There is a third class Meteorological Observatory in Aden under the
superintendence of the First Assistant Resident.
Weather and Crops. Ttie max imum temperature recorded was 98*6 on the
14 th June 1912 and the minimum was 68 on the 24th November 1912, the
average being 82 , 6. The climate during the year was as usual, viz.t hot, damp
and oppressive from April to October and fairly cool from November to March.
There was no rain to speak of, the total being one inch and 54 cents. Hot sandy
winds prevailed as usual during the South West monsoon. There are no crops
in Aden, which depends for its supplies mainly on foreign ports. A rail road
into the interior would remedy this dependence on outside.
2. The plans and estimates for the supply of water and for a drainage
scheme in connection therewith have been submitted
Water-supply. Government, as also the report on preliminary
investigations by the Engineers.
3. There is no dearth of labour in Aden. There is a resident labouring class
of Arabs, Indians, Jews and Somalis and considerable
Wages and Labour. numbers come periodically from the interior of Arabia
and the Somali Coast in search of work. The Somalis are averse to any sort
of sustained physical labour; they are chiefly employed as boatmen, carriage
drivers, etc,, while the majority of them loaf about the town. The Arabs are
hard-working and are generally employed as labourers on the wharves, as coal-
coolies A term used to describe labourers from a number of Asian countries, now considered derogatory. , and on road-making, etc. The cost of living in Aden is high and the
question of housing very acute.
4. There is as a rule not much variation in the wages of labour in Aden.
Wages were as follows during the year under report:—
Carpenters
Masons
Coal- coolies A term used to describe labourers from a number of Asian countries, now considered derogatory.
Day labourers
Rs. a. p.
18 0
14 0
0 12 0
0 5 0
and
to
to
Its. a. p.
1 14 0
1 12 0
0 6 0
per day.
It may be observed that skilled Indian labourers generally earn bettet
wages than others in Aden.
5. Aden depends on imports (mostly Indian) for its food supply.
Prices of principal food- The prices of principal food-grams are given m
grains. Appendix XVIII.
6. There is no forest in the Settlement. An effort in afforesting was
For™! an-, made in 1883 h J P lantin S some 7 aC f 8 ,. ° f mhkffort
orestand Wulture. seedlings from ^ eds procured from In3ia -. V®^ ‘
has not proved altogether unsuccessful and the place has gra ua y .i_
garden for the cultivation of vegetables, etc. Some well-to-uo na ive g