The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1844-08-05
Description OF Alden, la Arabia, by Hon. Caleb
Gushing, American Ministsr to China.

Description or Alden, la Arabia, by Hon. Caleb
Gushing, American Munster to China.
Adm, November 3, l8i3
DEAR SIR;-It is generally understood that, in
taking possession OF Alden, the English Government
has recently acquired very important military post
the southern shores OF Arabia, near to the tra'r
OF Babel Mandeb, which commands the Red Sen
and the Sea OF Arabia, as Gibraltar does the Medl
terrdnean and portion OF the Atlantic But there
are few persons, presume, IN the United States
who have any very distinct idea OF The eAraordin-
try natural features OF this new strong hold Of the
island Queen
Natures own construction. Al Gibraltar, England
mas exc waited 'or herself citadel IN tSe heart o
lime stone mountain; al Alden she has planted her
self In ancient craer, and SITS secure within the
prlmeval fortress formed by the lofty sides Of anex
tinct volcano.
AT some remote period, anterior probably to the
creation OF the human race, certainly anterior TO
all history, the souhery parts OF Arabia, the Red
Sea and the Indian Ocean, appear TO have been the
theatre of stupen1ous volcanic revolutions on the
surface OF the earth. The whole coast abounds
with enormous mountains Of naked rocks over
which, hire having once passed, their biackened
surface frequently looks now as II proof against the
action alike OF sea and air, and IN that arid climate
| they remain rever comparatively destitute OF We
yetdlon Their hlsh peakS rise over the SEA, SEEM
ing, IN their rugged outline and their dark sides
and tops, 10 frown defiance against man and against
time.
| Certainly there never entered into my mind the
aspect as this Whole coast Of Yemen, which, II we
did not know that the ancients acted IN good faith
| IN the matter, and from Ignorance we might sup.
pose to have been called Arabia Felix in irony and
derlslon. The Arabs struck nearer to the mark
| themselves when they gave Its name OF tears and
! sorrow TO the Strait OF Bah el-Mandeb. Wherever
you look you see nothing but volcanic mountains,
| as if the whole substance Of the earth had been
on fire, and had dubbed up into every capriclous
| form, covered always with the same blackened
cinders and scorg. From Cape Bab-el-Mandeb
unun hU n yRNac - hasa nnN ant
volcanoes, separated from one another only by
| wastes OF paked land, until you come to what Is
probably the most remark able OF all, namely, the
confused mass of mountains marked In the old
maps Cape Alden.
To obtain clear perception of ,he general con-
hgurat!on Of Alden, II Is necessary to view It from
| several points
voyager rounds kas Suhel, which il the extremity
OF mountain promontory extending tar out from
| the main land, and called Jebel Hassan; and he
and another cape called Ras Tershen, and thus
enters spacious bay eight miles in length BY four
| In width, called by the English Black Bay. Here
is ample and convenient anchorage tor ships Of war
| and other vessels. The bay Is formed by Jebel
Hassan and the low sandy shore OF Arabia on the
one side, and on the other by the prOmontory OF
Alden, which is now discovered TO be COM
posed OF long ridges of dark rocks, covered with
volcanic scorim, from the main body Of which
several short spurs OF extend toward the waters Of
the bay, leaving between them small plains OF
naked sand. On one OF these small sand plains are
| seen the buildings OF public house kept tor the
| accommodation of the 'steamboat passengers; and
on others few scattered temporary buildings OF
| mating and cane, while group Of buildings OF
the same description, occupied by English officers,
crowns prominent height called by the Arabs Ras
Marbat, and by the English, more significantly,
Steamer Point.
Leaving Steamer Point, you proceed by newly
constructed road, four five miles along the beach,
with the bay on your left hand and the mountains
on your right rounding several Of the spurs which
come down to the waters edge, and crossing
several intervening sand plains, and In one Case the
mountain ITSELF and thus come 10 the Pass, as II Is
called. During the last mile or two you hnd that
| the mountains have become lofier, and rise up
| scarped and stratfed in a high preopit0us wall,
which you approach obLquely in ascending to the
Pass where branch Of the road passes Oh al right
angles along the base OF another series Vi rocky
heights al the head OF the bay in which appear also
d number OF large insular rocks. AT the Pass you
enter by an unfinished gate of masonry, guarded
by sipohis, into narrows way, partly natural and
| partly excavated in the rock, on emerging from
which you are usheIed OF a sadden into the scene
| OF q most extraordinary spectacle. Before you,
occupying the level bottom OF what seems TO be u
| vast crater, Is an Anglo-lndan camp, composed OF
low buildings Of mating and cane, arranged In
regular streets, with tew buildings Of brick or
stone discernlble in the distance, and the whole
apparently surrounded by towering mountains
which form Its sides, and along the summit OF
which, from distance to distance, you see watch
| lowers and detached walls OF masonry.
L
over the site OF the old Arabic town OF Alden, which
now lost to the eye in the midst OF the numerous
bwngale,cs, as they are called, or buildings OF cane
| covered with mating, which have sprung up under
| the auspices of the English.
Descending from the Pass then into the Camp,
and proceeding on you come to the former port Of
Alden. Here, on the southeast side Of the promon-
tory, the natural walls OF the crater seem to be
broken down, 30 as to admit OF immediate access
to the sea in this quarter,,a part OF whose mountain
wall, however, still remaining IN the form OF lofty
nsuar rock called Sirah. This set affords protec-
ton to the anchorage ground OF the old port, which,
however, is Of small capacity. and at the time
It commands The approaches frsm the sea on this
side OF Alden.
| You pass from Alden to Srah on the sands at low
tide or in boats al high tide. and Chamber up the
rough SIDES OF the islst rock to natural patf rm,
on which Is a small battery and corps de giIarde;
and, continuing TO ascend, you arrive ut triangu
Var citadel on the very summit OF the mountain
Here you are enabled 10 add to and correct the i'm.
perfect knowledge Of the localities which you have
acquired previously. You discern great number
OF mountains, which are all connected together,
but branch out in various directions, in the most
fantastic manner, sometimes in long ridges, some
times in short spurs.
Thus are formed q succession of exterior valleys
None of these are wholly enclosed, and some are
quite open. Some are very small aud others large.
In some cases the connesion between the noun
tains is under water or covered with beach sand.
And you begin now to doubt whether Alden be in
fact situated at the bottom OF crater not rather
in one OF the irregular plains left by the singular
formation Of the mountain ridges and spurs. To
the northeast you perceive the long hne Of beach
which is the continuation of the main coast of
Arabia, to which Alden is attached. Looking over
the town and camp towards the west, you find the
view in thar direction wholly cut off by a line Of
| lofty mountains, called Sham-shan, which consti-
nte the highest SUBMITS Of the promontory Of
Alden.
From the camp a military road leads up to the
heights If Ras kutum, which stands opposite to
Srah towards the main land, and forms the recon-
nencement of the natural mountain wall on this
side This road proceeds along the heights, some
times on the inner sides towards the camp and
sometimes on the outer side towards the sea, and
continues around to the man pass. From a bat
highest part OF the ridge, you see beneath your feet
line Of field works the outside, running
the sandy isthmns which untes Alden to the main