'Military report on the Aden Protectorate' [97r] (198/332)
The record is made up of 1 volume (164 folios). It was created in 1915. It was written in English. The original is part of the British Library: India Office The department of the British Government to which the Government of India reported between 1858 and 1947. The successor to the Court of Directors. Records and Private Papers Documents collected in a private capacity. .
Transcription
This transcription is created automatically. It may contain errors.
179
camels observed grazing freely were she-camels with young
and camels out of work. There is no doubt the camel would
graze freely, if allowed to, and would be all the better for it.
With regards to numbers, it is difficult to make any esti-
mate. Large numbers are engaged in the carrying trade,
and judging by the loads, they were also the best specimens:
800 was the utmost, the camel-contractor at Dhala estimated
he could get from the Amiri country, and this number included
some from Turkish Yemen. In fact, throughout, camels were
brough% in for hire from the Turkish districts, a large black
animal being a noticeable variety. It would be fairly safe
to say that 1,500 to 2,000 workable animals would be the outside
that one could expect to collect with a month's notice for
any given expedition.
The riding camel is very active and capable of great en
durance, The best are obtained from Lahej and the Subaihi
country. The Subaihi begin riding them very young, but
they take good care of them and they grow into strong animals.
They are good trotters and capable of hard work. Their feet
l^st surprisingly well on stony ground.
Some baggage camels purchased by the Commission, and
carefully looked after, turned into fine strong animals and
easily carried their 400 lbs. day after day. The nomad clans
of the 'Aulaki own riding camels, but no details are available
as to numbers.
Horses. —Horses in the Protectorate are a negligible quanti
ty. With the exception of the nomad tribes on the northern
border, only the chief men are in possession of them. Small
numbers are brought for sale from Jauf, but they are as
a rule coarse bred animals.
Donkeys.- —Are fairly numerous and of a strong but small
breed. They carry loads up to about 120 lbs.
Cattle. —Are of a good stamp, both plough and slaughter
oxen and milch-cows. The milch-cows occasionally are parti
cularly good. No difficulty was experienced in obtaining
enough oxen to supply the British troops in Dhala (1,000 men)
during the year they were> there.
Sheey and goats. —Are plentiful throughout. The sheep
make good mutton, but they are small, and it was found more
economical to feud the troops on Somali sheep marched from
2a2
About this item
- Content
Military report on Aden Protectorate by the General Staff India, dated 1915, and printed at the Government Monotype Press, Simla. The report's chapters cover:
History, including a general summary of the history the region from 529 A.D. to 1915; histories of the individual tribes ('Abdalī, 'Akrabī, 'Alawī, Amīr , 'Audalī, Upper Aulakī, Lower Aulakī, Fadhlī, Haushabi, Ka'atī, Kathīrī, Mahrī, Subaihī, Wahīdī, Upper Yafaī, Lower Yafaī); and the history of the Soqotra.
Geography, including a general description of the area, its mountains and rivers, and descriptions of Aden, Perim and Soqotra; and descriptions of the individual tribal areas, giving their boundaries, distances from towns and villages, and locations of fresh water; Climate and Health, including general information on the climate of the region and specific illnesses such as Malaria, information on the tribal area of Amīrī; tables showing average temperatures, sickness and death rates for European Soldiers in 1903, and observations on veterinary health.
Population, including a general description, the census for the Aden Protectorate taken in 1911, the population of Soqotra island, the populations of the various tribes, and statements showing the Subaīhī tribes in proximity to the Turkish border.
Resouces, including agriculture, supplies, commerce, industries, camels, horses, donkeys, cattle, sheep and goats, chickens and eggs, woods and trees; the resources of the Aden garrison; resources on the island of Perim; resources on the island of Soqotra; the resources of the various tribes, and a statement of the purchases made at Dhāla in summer 1903.
Military, including a general summary, armaments, fighting qualities and method of fighting; arrangements on the island of Perim and of the Soqotra people; approximate fighting strength of the principal tribes in the Aden protectorate; information concerning the town and Turkish frontier post at Ka'taba, including diagrams of the fort, a landscape sketch, and a sketch showing the position of Ka'taba with reference to Aden and British Territory.
Maritime, including the harbours and ancorages at Perim; Ras-ul-Ara; Bandar 'Imran; Bandar Fuqum; Khor Bīr Ahmad; Aden Harbour; Shuqra; Māqatīn-us-Saghīr; 'Irka' Ghubbat-ul-'Ain; Bālahāf; Bir 'Alī (Bandar Husn Ghurāb Shallow vessel with a projecting bow. ); Bandar Burūm; Mukalla; Shehr; Sharma Bay; Saihut; Qishn; Soqotra all with latitude and longitude co-ordinates given.
Administration, including a general summary of the various systems in use throughout the territory, the administration of the Aden Settlement, including Perim; and summaries of the administrative set-up of each of the Arab tribes
Communications, including details of the routes leading North and Northwest to the Turkish Frontier; Routes leading to the North; Routes in the Eastern portion of the protectorate; Amir of Dhāla's territory; Soqotra; Telegraphs and Signalling; Submarine cables; Wireless; Perim submarine cables
Appendix A is a list of the tribes, their rulers, stipends and salutes, Appendix B is a glossary of Arabic Terms, Appendix C is a list of tribal areas, their population and fighting force, and Appendix D is a bibliography.
At the rear of the volume is a pocket containing one map: Hunter's map of Arabia, which appears to have been added to the volume at a later date.
- Extent and format
- 1 volume (164 folios)
- Arrangement
There is a detailed table of contents on folios 5-7, a comprehensive index to the report on folios 139-159, and a pocket containing the maps at the rear of the volume.
- Physical characteristics
Foliation: The foliation sequence consists of pencil numbers, enclosed in a circle, located in the top right hand corner of the recto The front of a sheet of paper or leaf, often abbreviated to 'r'. of each folio. The sequence commences on the front cover, with number 1, and ends on the last of the two maps which are inserted at the back of the volume, with number 164.
The volume also contains an original printed pagination sequence which uses roman numerals i-vii for the table of contents; commences at 1 on the first page of the report and concludes with 298 on the last page of the index.
- Written in
- English in Latin script View the complete information for this record
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- Reference
- IOR/L/MIL/17/16/6
- Title
- 'Military report on the Aden Protectorate'
- Pages
- front, back, spine, edge, head, tail, back-i, 2r:115v, 117r:161v, back-i
- Author
- East India Company, the Board of Control, the India Office, or other British Government Department
- Usage terms
- Open Government Licence