New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-04-24
ALONG THE GULF OF ADEN.
THE GRIM MOUNTAINS AND HEAT SUGGEST
VIVID COMPARISONS.

Cairo April ..
The country about the Gulf of Adcn is desc
lation itself The gaunt. gray heights that rise
formi;ably from the sea treeess, CRASHES,
with nothing 10 indicate the possibility of sus-
tanning life for forty-eight hours. The basat sur
face of these table-auds and barren mountains
has been dried and baked during centuries OF eX-
posure TO the mercilcss rays OF the sun Inc
sparse. priclSly brush that grows on the walls
Of This internal Alden is as red and grimy as the
mountains on which it grows. The whole conn
try is afflicted with an incurable malady. In re-
markable contrast to the sOmbre, silent country
is the life and enterprise of the town, or rather
the towns. built upon these rocky heights ohc
lands early in the day at the English village
Steamer Point whose port is less accessible thah
that either Of Obock or Jibouti. In spite OF
brcc7c that is warm and springllEe, the prospects
are far from exhlarating One sees only the
sombrc threatening walls stretching away Oh the
heights beyond which the buildings of Messageries
and of the Peninsula indistinctly outlined
ocoinst the horizon. the counter forts, white ana
commodious the halfOricntal structure, the walls
and roofs that form the dwellings OF the citlzchs
and the general
The town proper shows evidence OF wealth ana
ovon oov,tv Carts are tO be had, and az they
are convenient and light, one takes them III pre-
ference 70 walking The drivers, not 80 ul-
scrupulous as those in European cities are ior
tbc most mart darl-sitinned SomaliS In summer
they protect their heads from the sun "S W.
umbrclla.shapcd device Here the sun Is one
worst enemy. an enemy persistent ana uhreieh'-
;,, 1hr whole city is astir, camclS, car'-'
coolies. Even the IIindoo policeman le" anu
far hctween. but grave and respectable keep up
n brisk gait on their faithful beat one mas Il
feeling OF security which, in some dcercc' e''N''
IN Commensurate for the general phNslc"I "''""''
fort in the solitary excursions to nciIh'o'i"s
minis The crowds of people from all parts OF
tbi, dreary land that one constantly mee'S "'c
unusually cercmonous in the presence oi EURO
noons They hive exalted ideas of the superiority
Of foreigners. The English have kept them under
subsection ever since the fort was acq"ireu j.
,sas and have no idea of comforting electoral
privileges upon them.
T. this rnclish village Of Steamer Point. Eng
lish is not the alternate language. lhe i'"H
,hc;rsolIes are inclined 10 experiment with 'he
French Alden is undergoing cois'a"' no.
Tho fortiGcations which were originally onlI' no
doco,,oo ao,inst fine natives present Formidable
onreirance The forts are built on the European
,iar ard an well supplied with guns ana '"'
rors Tho ENGLISH have managed TO make h"c"
,bo Gibraltar of the Indian seas MIiIiohs nav
oIreod, bccn spent on this accurSed SOIL Ia ''''
inc road. through the rocks wide enough 10 F'
mi, ,hc MASSAGE of unwiclly carriages lhe,e j.
M. q rock in this section Of the country WIN
!; NOT crowned with rcdoubis. Between H,'"'",
point and Alden. the former camp Whlch "''
came an important city, a MOUNTAIN 'N
,hronch rerpcndiculary distance u NV,
cicbtv feet, The opening. twenty-five 'c' 81 So,
and completely in shadow l. coVcfeu =, ." 60.
rnofinc having the suggestive OF INV ''' -,
.r,,a ro,, tnvcn Of Alden situated d nuihuc' y,
rods away. in valley, Savascy gun" 80
so,,hrc * full of local color ana ohe'S mn
-niI;,ics to the artist in spite OF the lAc' WA,
rs street, are unpicture'qnrly lald ou' u" '" -.
offer the STRANGER no possinlc "pP'''""''
oan,ir,, io.t Here and there are groups oil r's'-
css Arabs Parsccs. Banians. So'''l', 80,
ya,,nor;,os and Jews. The Jews IN tins hngH''
land look like gypsics, ana lave '''c ,''''I g.,
-, ,hc lows Of the Orient. The whole pop"i''.'"
W Wv A. s,ro,,e croy,Ainc about IN front OF The
mil dark shors ovcrlowins with ware. INV
,tior cofes are noisy The walters are '"h-
t,,,or,. cll,ov.ing about taking mp go"d pir'
oe tho nnhlic roads, lcguling customers "i'H ''c'
. cr,oy Tcrra..c" Donkcys, camr,~, carts loHu'
aooinat one another. the poor beasts always N''N
I'M, ir,nos.ibc pasture. Horrible LOOKING h"r"'
look nj vou erinning rhclr conn'ehahocS e'ii''"'
ina, bidcousncs, SIX DAYS J. sufficient III WIN"
g. ~ do Alden 4 visit T. The reservoirs Is o'"-
ootorv Imagine place where the t'"'c'', '''"
.,.,dily whcr, Il sud len construction hiA'iH,' -
dccn internal valley with numerous winIh4'' ""'"
aud ,uvsrriou, crossing ard rccf">'Ih-' Ic' '''
thc nto,rcss OF modern Industries A''h s'oi'' D"
loco natural reservoirs sufficient wafer ''"I'n-
| al the ares 20 Iucnch The thirst 81 u' ""''
| couutry These reservoirs az cOnstruct"" TOW NJ
magnificent pieces Of work. cohsls'lhs "l SIN u"
cis,c,ns su,c,imposed. opening their cavities illei
with yellow and impure water AZ '"' ""'' """
pol,shcd bo.c Of the heights Steps Of heavy store
| hermit acces, from one reservoir TO ah"'"''' l."
inc descending and ntcrcrossing, LEADING from
,le walks around the borders of these cons'rnc-
lions. Here and there are charming miniature
GASES. Offering smiling visions to the sun 'he
only variation in the dreary eXpanse OF TINS duh-
colorcd land There are always large and lcluti'
| frI ,vlitc and yellow flowers in bloom, which You
are not allowed 10 pick; but your lindoO gal'c
| doruply trc,pnsses any law when allurcd 10y the
houcs Of an extra bac,shish. The spectacle IL one
! Of tremendous grandeur when d storm sweeps
down the cavernous valley one might experience
| here the mystic tcrrors of Sinai. The SOUND oil
the water, yellow and foaming, carrying OIL layers
Of the soil a. it washes down the sides oil the
mountains resembles the roar OF cataracts. Inc
thunderbolts shake the very bases OF the noun
tains Woe 70 any surprised IN these
,re,chcroiIs Tavnes There is at present con
siderable discussion about dstiins the water oil
the sea Nearly ten years have passed at Alden
without a rain sufficiently plentiful 10 renew
supply. The sale of the state water Is matter
of adjudication. and an important social revenue
| for the colony The water IL carried TO the
market place in huge hogshcads from which the
Door people take away their supplies in bags OF
SKIN. Az present only the highest Of these rcscr-
yoirs has any water. 1t is Shiny and brackish and
, the surface is half covered with the feathers OF
birds. who come here for their morning bath.
Another interesting excursion is that To Chcikh-
Osman II is the city most purely native, for
tie English permit no one to live there who has
any visible means Of support Chcikh-OSnan is
a city of gardens They have beautiful tropical
vegetation aud are well waiercd. although by