'Transactions of the Bombay Geographical Society, from January 1847 to May 1849. Edited by the Secretary. Volume VIII.' [‎205] (314/496)

™d overtime pli
Ity, but not used or
[m an a milkisles
aasses of limestone,
y rendering walking
At one point ht ' v
ited itself to us, 1
some convulsion of
stood alone, a migli-
reak or irregularity
3 s, and the grass of
^ning fifty feet fori-
went in farbeneatli
e thrown down
i passed from#
205 '
Scrambling down the rock we passed many beautiful aloe trees of twen
ty feet in height, having several branches, and bearing a beautiful scarlet
bell-flower, of the size and shape of the fox-glove. The aloe plant—the
Socotra species—observed on the summit, bore a yellow flower, and of a
different shape altogether. The camels that had been sent round as be
fore, joined us with the melancholy tale of two of our sheep having been
wounded by a leopard on their way down, and their having been oblig
ed to cut their throats in consequence. Time unfortunately was too
valuable to be lost, and we were compelled, though very unwillingly, to
leave the culprit unpunished.
We halted at the water, under the shade of some gigantic fig-trees,
laced together by an enormous creeper of some hundred feet in length,
and probably caoutchouc trees. Eock partridges were here found, but
no animals save Salt’s white antelope, and hungry hyenas, who during
the night made a meal off one of our water-skins. The frankincense
found on the rocks over this spring was of the large leaf kind, known
by the name of meyeti, and not much prized; but independently of gum
arabic and frankincense, there were many other gum trees for which we
could find no name. Of these, one, a specimen of which I brought to
Aden, is, I feel sure, gum elemi; and another variety was shewn to us,
the gum from which was used by the Somalis to cleanse the hair. To
a botanist, these mountains would afford an inexhaustible field for re
search, and it is much to be hoped that the flora of the Somali coast
may ere long be described in the manner that its beautiful varieties
deserve.
On our return to Ras Kori, the chief town of the Ahl Oor Sungeli,
we found that our unaccountable proceedings in the mountain range had
excited much alarm. Amongst other wonderful stories, our having
found tiie gold tree was confidently asserted; and it was significantly
remarked that the English, by carrying away stones and trees from
Aden when tney surveyed the harbour, were enabled to capture the
place afterwards with ease. Fearful, however, apparently of giving of
fence, the chief refrained from questioning us, and allowed us to re-
paii on boaid without the slightest demur at the prices or presents that
we thought sufficient recompense for his trouble.
The country of the Oor Sungeli may be described as a lofty plateau
of limestone mountains, precipitous to the north, and gradually sloping
o t le south, forming in fact a gunner’s quoin. Between the mountains