August Ist, 1873. Fine.

At half past six we reached the port of Aden, in Arabia, and dropped anchor. We ventured ashore to look around. After visiting the fort, we went into the town to see the reservoirs, then returned to the ship. We spent the night on board.

The town of Aden lies in a valley on the other side of the hills. The people are copper-skinned, at times almost black, and resemble Europeans in physical appearance. They speak Arabic, and some understand English. Their high-pitched speech grates on the ear. For the most part they go about naked to the waist, with a long piece of white cotton cloth wrapped around their lower body like a petticoat. Over this is worn a narrow-sleeved garment fastened with buttons. Such people belong to the upper classes; the poor wear no more than the length of white cloth around the waist. Their hair is frequently unkempt; some colour it with yellow earth or dye it. The usual head-covering is a white cloth tied around the head. Some wear amber necklaces on their chests. The women dress in similar fashion. Their bodily decorations are their only attractive feature; many wear a gold ring inserted in a hole pierced in the right nostril. When we saw native women at work, carrying heavy loads along the roads, they, too, were wearing nose-rings. This, we were told, is the custom in India as well.