Home ° 2017

World Seaports

Yemen

Yemen dates back to the Minaean (1200-650 B.C.) and Sabaean (750-115 B.C.) kingdoms. Ancient Yemen centered around the port of Aden and was part of the lucrative myrrh (used to flavor wine, as a perfume, and in medicine) and frankincense trade, along with Mocha coffee (which originated in Yemen). Camel Herder.As early as A.D. 40-70, merchants reported trading in frankincense that was brought in by camel, as well as by rafts and boats.

Through the centuries, it was invaded by Romans, Ethiopians and Persians. In A.D. 628, the country converted to Islam and in the 10th century, came under the control of the Rassite dynasty of the Zaidi sect.

Around 950 B.C., the Queen of Sheba (Bible: Book of Kings) is said to have traveled from Yemen to Jerusalem with an enormous caravan . . . 120 talents of gold ($4,000,000), precious gems and many exotic and rare spices (such as frankincense). Because of the huge caravan of produce, it is suggested that she made the journey for reasons of trade rather than to entice King Solomon.

During its more than 3,000 year history, Aden has been a major regional centre; visionaries have always been impressed by the port and trade opportunities it offers. Marco Polo and Ibn Battuta both noted the prosperity of Aden as a ship-owning center.

Aden from the Sea.

The Ottoman Turks occupied the area from 1538 to their decline in 1918.

The British set up a protectorate area around the southern port of Aden in the 19th century with the arrival of Captain Haines. Aden was a village of 600 when Haines arrived and stated that it could become a major trading centre. The latter part of the British period proved him correct, Aden grew to become one of the busiest ports in the world and the British stayed for 128 years. Aden is on the main around-the-world and the Far East to Europe/America trade routes.

Aden was declared a Free Port in 1850 when it took control of the coffee exporting trade. In 1869, the Suez Canal shortened the sea distance between London and Bombay from over 10,700 miles to 6,270 miles. Aden was connected to the London/Bombay telegraph cable, giving it great advantages in east/west communications.

April 13, 1859, Allens Indian Mail, London, Middlesex, United Kingdom

BOMBAY.

THE TRADE OF ADEN.

Captain R. L. Playfair, first assistant political resident at Aden, has prepared a statement of the state of trade at the British settlement of Aden for the year 1857-58. The substance of the memorandum is as follows:

The province of Yemen, of which Aden is now the chief seaport, has been famous from all antiquity for the richness and fertility of its soil, the salubrity of its climate, and the number and wealth of its inhabitants. Commercial intercourse between this country and Syria existed at a period long anterior to the oldest profane historical records. The inspired writer in enumerating the glories of Tyre, says:

"Arabia, and all the Princes of Kedar, they occupied with thee in lambs, and rams, and goats; in these were thy merchants. The merchants of Sheba and Raama, they were thy merchants; they occupied in thy fairs with chief of all spices, and with all precious stones, and gold. Harran and Cannen and Eden - (Aden), the merchants of Sheba, Asshur, and Chilmod were thy merchants." Ezek. xxvii. 21 to 23.

But in addition to its aromatic gums and other rich natural productions, which supplied the markets of Egypt and Phoenicia, a vast amount of wealth flowed into the country from exterior sources. From the earliest ages up to the sixteenth century, when the Portuguese doubled the Cape of Good Hope, and were the means of directing the Indian trade to that route, its harbours, and particularly that of Aden, were the emporia of an extensive trade between the countries bordering the Mediterranean, and India, Persia, and the countries of the further east.

Aden and the Indian Ocean Trade.

In ancient times the three great outlets for the produce of Yemen were Mooza, Okelis, and Aden, At the time of the Author of the Periplus of the Erythraean sea, Mooza was a mart of great trade, but since then it has been carried inland by the gradual accretion of the coast. Shortly after this era Okelis also was abandoned, and the trade of Arabia Felix, which had sunk to a very low ebb, was transferred to Aden, which became almost the sole commercial port in the country.

The discovery of the use of coffee, about the fifteenth century, gave a fresh stimulus to the town of Yemen, and to this event Mokha owes its existence. It rapidly increased in size and importance, and speedily became the great depot of the trade of Yemen, and about the beginning of the seventeenth century, the English and Dutch East India Companies established factories there, and carried on a lucrative commerce with the Indian ports. Ships from all parts of the East frequented its harbours, and Kafilas from Egypt, Syria, and even the eastern nations of Europe, flocked to its markets.

Steamer's Point. Aden, Yemen.

In the beginning of the eighteenth century the French established a factory at Mokha, which was then at its highest state of prosperity, and almost the only outlet for the produce of the country. The English, Dutch, and French, carried on a regular trade with it, and by means of the navigation round the Cape of Good Hope, the freight of coffee was considerably reduced, and the consumption of it in Europe began proportionally to increase.

This trade continued unabated until 1839, when Aden became a British possession, and the superior qualifications of that port, under an enlightened Government, gradually withdrew the commerce of Mokha, since when it has rapidly and steadily declined. Its ruin has been, and must continue to be, in inverse ratio to the prosperity of Aeten; under the most favourable zcfeemm- Dtetnces two trading ports could hardly flourish in such close proximity to each other, but this becomes an impossibility; whereas, in the present case, the one has an indifferent anchorage, rapidly filling up, and when the worst features of Turkish misrule are prominent, while the other has a more favourable position, a capacious and secure harbour, and where the subject enjoys perfect civil and religious liberty. Thus the once flourishing port of Mokha has become a ruin; in the town there are not twenty houses in good repair, while two-thirds are crumbling to pieces, and deserted, and the great majority of its inhabitants have gone to Aden to seek a livelihood, which they can no longer find in their native place.

From the occupation by the British in 1839 until 1850, customs' dues were levied in Aden as in India, but it was found that the trade of the new settlement did not increase as rapidly as had been anticipated, and fell far short of the proportions which its geographical position had promised; and notwithstanding the increased protection to the persons and property of merchants frequenting the port, the inland cultivators and traders could not be induced to abandon the ancient channel by which their produce had been conveyed to the sea coast, even with the certainty of a better market in Aden.

The remedy for this evil lay in making the port free, which was done by Act X. of 1850. The result is striking. During the seven years which preceded the opening of the port, the total value of trade, including imports and exports, aggregated Rs. 1,30,95,578, that of the last year exceeding the first by Rs. 10,17,268. During the seven years' immediately after the port had been opened, the value of trade amounted to Rs. 4,21,97,937, the last year exceeding the first by Rs. 59,07,448. Thus it has been proved beyond doubt that, in a commercial point of view, Act X. of 1850 was a measure of sound policy.

In 1844-45 the value of trade was Rs. 14,90,972, in 1857-58 it amounted to Rs. 1,14,55,523, in other words, during the comparatively short space of thirteen years, it has increased eightfold, the value of this increase being almost a million sterling per annum.

The following is a summary of the trade for the official year ending 31st May, 1858.

IMPORTS:

Goods . . . . Es. 47,78,677
Treasure . . . . 22,41,798

70,20,475

EXPORTS:

Goods . . . . RS 28,36,374
Treasure . . . 15,98,674

Total . . . . Rs 1,14,55,523

Alkali, an impure carbonate of potash, is manufactured in large quantities in the immediate vicinity of Aden, from the salsolacious plants which everywhere abound; it is principally used in Aden, but a small quantity is exported. This item shows a decrease of Es. 8,434 over the previous year.

Coals form by far the largest item in the column of imports, amounting to nearly one-third of the whole, excluding treasure. In this, owing to the increased steam communication with Aden, there is an advance of rupees 23,351. It is a question whether or no this item should be exhibited in the trade returns, as it is entirely used by the steamers which ply between Suez and India, Mauritius and Australia, but upon this steam communication the prospect of Aden is in a great measure dependent, and many persons obtain then-livelihood in the various depots.

Indian Merchants.

Coffee is an important article of trade, and it is satisfactory to observe that there has been a very large increase both in the imports and exports of this commodity, amounting to nearly six lacs of rupees. The coffee imported into Aden is principally brought from the Red Sea for exportation to Bombay, France, and America. The difference between the imports and exports, amounting to about four and a-half lacs of rupees, indicates the quantity which has reached Aden overland, direct from the coffee country. The total value of the transactions in coffee (Rs. 16,81,854) represents an amount of nearly 60,000 cwt. The best coffee comes from the neighbourhood of Andiam. The trees are cultivated in terraces on the sides of the mountains; for the most part they are wartered only by the rain, but some are irrigated cisterns built to contain rain water; the latter yield crops twice a year, but the second is seldom thoroughly ripe, and is always inferior to the first. There is no great consumption of coffee in Yemen; the natives of the country prefer a decotion of the husks, called Kishr.

Cotton is imported from India chiefly for consumption in the country a very small portion is exported. It is cultivated to a certain extent, but not in sufficient quantities to meet the demand for it. The increase in this article during the past year is Rs. 93,305.

Ghee. There has been a large decrease in ghee; it is difficult to account for this satisfactorily, but the actual is not so great as the apparent decrease. During the entire season of 1855-56 a great part of the Somali coast, including the part of Berawr be hence most of the ghee is obtained, was blockaded in consequence of an outrage committed upon a British expedition sent there by the Government of Bombay. The Somali traders were unable during that year to command a market for their ghee, and in the following season brought the produce of two years to Aden. Thus the exports and imports in 1857-58 must, in this instance, be considered as compared with produce of the two previous years.

A large increase is apparent in two other articles of African produce, gums and ivory, in the latter article alone amounting to Rs. 4,88,665. Munjeet or madder, in which there is an increase of Rs. 11,381, is entirely the produce of Arabia. There is a decided decrease in the value of piece goods. It is probable that this does not occur in British manufactures, but is owing to American vessels paying in money for the goods they receive here, instead of importing, as heretofore, cotton cloth.

The imports from Bombay, and the subordinate ports of that presidency, exhibit a decrease of Rs. 1,08,924; on the other hand, the exports to these ports have increased by Rs. 3,31,678.

The imports from, and exports to, Africa constitute a very large item in the trade of Aden, aggregating for the past year Rs. 963,496; a few remarks on this subject appear necessary.

The great outlet for the commerce of Africa is Berbera, situated due south of Aden. It is rather an encampment than a town, the inhabitants during the annual fair, or from October to April, living in huts of reeds, mats, and sticks; at other times it is deserted. Nevertheless, it has been a mart of great trade from the earliest ages; in the time of the Author of the Periplus, or shortly before the Christian era, it was styled Mosayllon, and was then much frequented by Greek and Egyptian merchants, who purchased their commodities cheaper there than in the Sabean markets.

The annual fair is one of the most interesting sights on the coast. Tribes the most remote and diverse meet here for a short time, to be again scattered in all directions; bungalows from Muscat, Soor, Bussora, Baberain, Porebunder, Mandavie, and Bombay, meet those from Aden and the ports in the Red Sea. A perfect babel of confusion reigns, and disputes, which are settled by the spear and dagger, are of daily occurrence; but amidst all this turmoil, the traders are unmolested; each under the protection of his chosen. "Abban" barters the produce of his country for the gums and valuable merchandise of Africa; none are more successful than the fat and wealthy Banians, who by their superior capital, cunning, and influence, rapidly distance all competitors.

Aden.

The chief articles of trade which reach Aden from Berbera are sheep and cattle in great abundance. Indeed, this settlement is entirely supplied with meat from the African coast, ghee and coffee from the neighbourhood of Hurrur, various descriptions of grains and resins, ostrich-feathers, and ivory.

By 1901, Aden's inner harbor had been dredged to 30 feet to handle the largest ships of those days.


1899. World's Fleet. Boston Daily Globe

Lloyds Register of Shipping gives the entire fleet of the world as 28,180 steamers and sailing vessels, with a total tonnage of 27,673,628, of which 39 perent are British.

Great Britain10,990 vessels, total tonnage of 10,792,714
United States 3,010 vessels, total tonnage of 2,405,887
Norway 2,528 vessels, tonnage of 1,604,230
Germany 1,676 vessels, with a tonnage of 2,453,334, in which are included her particularly large ships.
Sweden 1,408 vessels with a tonnage of 643, 527
Italy1,150 vessels
France 1,182 vessels
   

For Historical Comparison
Top 10 Maritime Nations Ranked by Value (2017)

  Country # of Vessels

Gross

Tonnage

(m)

Total

Value

(USDbn)

1 Greece 4,453 206.47 $88.0
2 Japan 4,317 150.26 $79.8
3 China 4,938 159.71 $71.7
4 USA 2,399 55.92 $46.5
5 Singapore 2,662 64.03 $41.7
6 Norway 1,668 39.68 $41.1
7 Germany 2,923 81.17 $30.3
8 UK 883 28.78 $24.3
9 Denmark 1,040 36.17 $23.4
10 South Korea 1,484 49.88 $20.1
Total 26,767 87.21 $466.9

The Project

Maritime Nations, Ships, Sea Captains, Merchants, Merchandise, Ship Passengers and VIPs sailing into San Francisco during the 1800s.

SITE SEARCH

HOME PORT

Merchant Shipping

Merchant Shipping.Merchant Shipping and Ancient Commerce.  
History of Merchant Shipping and Ancient CommerceMerchant Shipping and Ancient Commerce.
W. S. Lindsay
Cambridge

Kindly Kindly Donate.

Inquiries

DALevy @
MaritimeHeritage.org



MaritimeHeritage.org
MaritimeHeritageProject.com
MaritimeHeritage.co
MaritimeNations.com
MaritimeHeritage.us
MaritimeHeritage.education
MaritimeHeritage.world

Sources: As noted on entries and through research centers including National Archives, San Bruno, California; CDNC: California Digital Newspaper Collection; San Francisco Main Library History Collection; and Maritime Museums and Collections in Australia, China, Denmark, England, Finland, Germany, Ireland, Wales, Norway, Scotland, Spain, Sweden, etc.

Please inform us if you link from your site. Please do NOT link from your site unless your site specifically relates to immigration in the 1800s, family history, maritime history, international seaports, and/or California history.