Sun Nov. 22]
are armed, so we can protect ourselves a bit. The Deciada has 2 4.7 in. The Royal George has 8 & the Alaumia " I think. The Deicade did some practice last Friday & did jolly well - better than the Minerva in fact.
We heard in the aft that the Minerva caught the tub. She turned out to be an Italian merchant-???, but had no contraband on board.
Spent the morning printing photos the aft. writing home, the evening printing again.
Four bottles of port were ordered at dinner tonight & we drank farewell to the Breaknecks after they had done so to us. Lord Glanwell??? spoke for them & our C.O. replied.
Mon. Nov. 23.
When we went on deck after breakfast Aden was in sight. We gradually drew nearer. I was rather agreeably surprised in the place. True it looks desolate enough but it was not as I had imagined it, (flat with barely a hill in site fro miles rather like Port Said.) It is actually more like Gib. The rocks are not so high as Gib but in many respects it is very similar. The actual town is 4 miles away from Steamer Pt - the military port - on the other side of the bay.
There are of course no ??? galleries as at Gib. Just before one the ??? to went. The Breaknecks fell in on both promenade decks: we got on the Boat Deck & Poop Deck to be out of the way. "A" was