ADEN.

Hawke's Bay Times, Volume I, Issue 20, 14 November 1861, Page 6 (Supplement)

ADEN.

The Bombay papers publish an interesting letter from Captain Playfair the Assistant Resident at Aden (dated the 27th May), which gives an account of a volcanic eruption near Edd. The letter is addressed to the Bombay Government, and says :

“ A very remarkable phenomenon has occurred in this vicinity the eruption of a volcano near Edd on the African shore of the Red Sea, about half-way between Massowab and the straits, as follows : —‘ On the night of the seventh, or morning of the Bth instant the people of Edd were awakened by the shock of an earthquake followed by others which continued with little intermission for about an hour. At sunrise a quantity of fine white dust fell over the village like rain; about noon the character of the dust appeared to change, and then resembled red earth. Shortly nfter-

wards, it increased to such an extent the air was perfectly darkened and we had to light lamps in our houses. It was dai-ker than the darkest night and the whole place w'as covered with dust nearly knee deep. On the Dili tho dust somewhat abated, and wo were able to see a little in our houses without lights. At night we saw fire and dense smoke issuing from a mountain named Jebel Dubbesh situate about a day’s journey inland ; and this continued all tho time I remained at Edd. The ashes only fell for two days. Sounds like the firing of guns issued from the mountain. This mountain is inhabited but no one had reached Edd thence when I left. Nothing of the kind had ever been heard of before and the people are exceedingly frightened. This account has been amply confirmed from other sources and the most remarkable feature of the case is the immense extent affected by the disturbance. The officer commanding the detachment at Perim heard the sounds emitted by the volcano distinctly, and attributed them to a bobardment and reported —“ The firing commenced about two a.m. on the Bth instant, and continued with long intervals up to the 10th or 11th. The general idea at Perim was that the sound proceeded from tho African coast. The firing on the Bth was very heavy and continued for nine or ten hours.” Both the steamers Candia and Ottawa reported having hud two very hot days in the lower part of the Bed Sea, and on the 10th instant they encountered what appeared a London fog, which continued for several hours. The captain of the latter vessel described this fog as consisting of very fine dust so thick that he could not see the length of the ship, and during its continuance the weather was perfectly cahn. On the Sth inst., several shocks of an earthquake were felt at Mokha and Iloddeidy, and there, as well as long the entire coast of Yemen, and inland as far as the mountain range the dust decribed as white fell several days. The noises were also heard and as usual were attributed to artillery. Tho Nacoda of a boat which brought a letter from Mr. Barrow, was detained ten days in the Dhalac Archipelago unable to continue his voyage owing to dense dust clouds which darkened the air. Many other Nacodas reported the same thing and one brought me a specimen of this dust, which I forward in a separate parcel. He said it fell in such quantities that ho could not keep his proof clear by continual succession. The dust appears like very fine powdered pumice containing minute particles of mica. Although thegreater part of the shores of the Red Sea arc undoubtedly of igneous origin no active volcano has been known in modern times save in tho Zebair Island one of which was observed in a state of activity in August, ISfiO.”