ommander told his passengers before
they landed, and proceeded to give points in the history of the
peninsula, which he had studied up, as he always did when approaching a
new locality; and though he was a walking encyclopaedia, he had not
obtained this reputation without much study and labor in addition to his
extensive voyages and travels "all over the world."

"A learned biblical scholar of the last century, who studied Oriental
history in connection with the sacred record, identifies Aden as the
Eden mentioned by Ezekiel in describing the wealth of Tyrus," continued
the commander.

"But who was Tyrus, Captain?" asked Mrs. Blossom, who was wide awake
when any scriptural name was used.

"He wasn't anybody, Mrs. Blossom; and when Ezekiel and some other of the
prophets used the word Tyrus, they meant Tyre; and doubtless you have
read about Tyre and Sidon."

"I never heard it called by that name before," added the worthy lady
with a blush.

"Read Ezekiel xxvii. and you will find it. This place was known before
the time of Christ, and was the centre of an extensive commerce with
India, though it was also carried on by the Indus and the Oxus, the
latter formerly flowing into the Caspian Sea. In the fourth century
after Christ, the son of the Emperor Constantine established a Christian
church here. In more modern history Aden has been a part of Yemen,
along whose shores we sailed for more than a day on the Red Sea. The
lines from Milton's 'Paradise Lost,' partly quoted before,

"'As when to them who sail
Beyond the Cape of Hope, and now are past
Mozambic, off at sea north-east winds blow
Sabaean odors from the spicy shore
Of Arabie the blest,'

alludes to this country. The Sabaeans were the ancient people of Yemen,
called Sheba in the Book of Genesis. They were a wealthy and powerful
people, and it was probably the queen of this region who made a
celebrated visit to King Solomon. But we cannot follow them now.

"Yemen changed hands several times, belonging to Abyssinia, Persia, and
the caliphs of Arabia, and has been fought for by Portuguese, Turks, and
Egyptians; but now it is a Turkish province. England had reason to
demand satisfaction from the Arab authorities for injuries done to her
Indian subjects. The negotiations failed, and there was evident
treachery. England does her work thoroughly in such cases; and Aden was
promptly bombarded, and then seized by a naval and militar