ve taken a cargo of slaves on
board if he had had the opportunity. Should he have attempted to obtain
slaves on some parts of the coast, it was very likely that he would have
been cut off, as the natives in many places are strongly opposed to the
slave-trade, having discovered how greatly it is to their disadvantage.
For the sake of it wars are fostered, and a horrible system of
kidnapping is practised; while commerce, the cultivation of the land,
and the general resources of the country are neglected, the only people
who benefit being the chiefs and the foreigners who assist in carrying
away the unhappy slaves. Every piece of information I gained raised my
hopes, although often it might have appeared to be of a very
discouraging nature. I felt that it added another link to the chain by
which I hoped to find my way to where Alfred was concealed.

What may properly be called the British settlement of Aden is embraced
in a peninsula of about fifteen miles in circumference. It is in
reality a huge crater joined to the mainland by a narrow neck of sand.
The town and cantonments are within the crater, and thus entirely
surrounded by hills, except on the east, where it has a gap opening on
East Bay. The town is neat and well built, and the fortifications
entirely new. It is very strong by nature, and as large sums and the
best engineering skill have been employed in re-fortifying it, it may
now be considered impregnable, and is deservedly looked on as the
Gibraltar of the Indian Ocean. It used to be supplied with water from
tanks formed on the sides of the mountains, and these the governor has
much improved. Wells also have been sunk, and the sea-water has been
distilled to supply that most necessary fluid.

Instead of at once going north, we stood up the Straits of
Bab-el-Mandeb, to the island of Perim, when we came to anchor in a
remarkably fine harbour, capable of accommodating a numerous fleet. It
had lately been occupied by the British, who were then building a
lighthouse on it. The only safe passage by it is that on the north, or
Arabian shore, barely half a mile in width. That on the southern side,
between it and Africa--though eleven miles wide--is exceedingly
difficult, so that it might easily be rendered impassable. Thus strong
fortifications on the north side might prevent any fleet from forcing
the passage of the Red Sea. As about a quarter of the island consists
of a low plain of sand and coral, cov