"الممتلكات الفرنسية في خليج عدن. إعداد النقيب إ. ج. إ. سواين، كتيبة المشاة البنغالية السادسة عشر." [ظ‎‎١‎٠] (٧٦/٢٥)

4
Temperature. —At Obok the average temperature in the^cold season is 79
Fahrenheit; it rises in the hot season to between 104° and 107 , and in beptember
and October remains fairly stationary at 86°. 1 he extremes of temperature are,
hot season, 116 0 and ii8J°(fora few days only between 2 and 4 P.M.);
cold season, 63° and 64° (once or twice only in the early morning). p ener '
ally speaking the heat increases every month from the end of January to the end
of July, and decreases from the middle of August till the end of December.
Rain. —The sky is unclouded except in October and November,, when it
occasionally, but rarely, happens that a violent sandstorm is followed by rain.
In 1882 there had been no rain at Obok. for four years pin 1885, however, a very
heavy rainstorm dismantled some of the European buildings. The Obok \ alley
was on this, and a few other occasions flooded. The water, however, soon flows
off, and the sandy bed is presently dry again.
Winds. —Winds shift about considerably throughout the year, but there are
two which are fairly constant, and are identical with the usual north-east and
south-w'est monsoons.
The S. W. wind—This wind, known to the natives at Obok as Khamsin, at
Berbera as Kareef, blows with great violence in the hot season, whirling clouds
of burning dust and sand over the land.
It commences about the end of April, and continues to blow' until the end
of August, and is in full force in the months of June, July, and August.
The wind rises generally at midnight, and blows fiercely and steadily till the
afternoon, when it gradually dies away and is replaced by light N* W. winds,
followed by a period of dead and sultry calm.
These calms do not occur regularly, however, as the wind will sometimes
continue in full force for several days on end, without stopping for a single
hour. Whilst it blows, Europeans remain indoors, and fasten doors and windows,
and try to keep out the dust by stopping up all crevices, and the temperature
suddenly rises io°.
W. £. wind. —The N. E. wind, the usual trade wind of the Northern Hemis
phere, commences to blow in the cold season, about the end of October, and
goes on till the end of February.
It rises about 10 A.M. and blow's till 10 P.M., being then followed by a calm
which lasts until 2 A.M. A light S. W. wfind then rises.
The N. E. wind, although not so hot as the S. W. wind, is said to be much
more fatiguing, and to produce a peculiarly suffocating and prostrating effect up
on Europeans, so much so, that very few can move out of doors whilst it is
blowing.
After the end of the north-east monsoon, in the months of March and
April, the winds become less constant than in the preceding four months, and are
followed by light and shifty breezes from the west and south-west, and there
are frequent calms.
Diseases. —Amongst the natives, skin-diseases and ulcers are the most pre
valent.
Fever is rare, and dysentery exceptional. Europeans should guard against
heat-apoplexy, sunstroke, and abscess of the liver.
Sanitariums. —The temperature on the high range of mountains behind the
coast is many degrees cooler than that at the coast, and vegetation is fairly
abundant.
Jebel Gudeh with its extensive flat top w'ould furnish a good site for a sani
tarium, being only a few miles distant from the coast. Water and good pasturage
are said to be abundant, flhe suspicious Danakil are, however, averse to allow
ing Europeans to visit the spot.
Fauna % Wild —Leopard (rare), wild cat, spotted hyaena (knowm as
Fauna and Flora. “ wuraba”), jackal, gazella naza, segaro, two varieties
of the adder, the scorpion. Domestic —The camel,
the ass, the goat, the dumba sheep (black faced), cattle.