Perim island
This article has been extracted from THE IMPERIAL GAZETTEER OF INDIA , 1908. OXFORD, AT THE CLARENDON PRESS. |
Note: National, provincial and district boundaries have changed considerably since 1908. Typically, old states, ‘divisions’ and districts have been broken into smaller units, and many tahsils upgraded to districts. Some units have since been renamed. Therefore, this article is being posted mainly for its historical value.
Perim
Island in the narrowest part of the Straits of Bab-el- Mandeb, situated in 12 40' N. and 43 23' E., distant from the Arabian coast nearly 1 1/2 miles, and from the African coast 11 miles; greatest length, 3 1/2 miles; average width, about 1 1/4 miles; circumference (following the sinuosities of the coast-line), probably more than 30 miles ; area, 5 square miles. The island is administered along with Aden ; and the following account of it is taken from Captain F. M. Hunter's Statistical Account of Aden (1877), pp. 171-2:
Perim is called by the author of the Periplus the island of Diodorus, and is known among the Arabs as Mayoon. The formation is purely volcanic, and consists of long, low, and gradually sloping ranges of hills, surrounding a capacious harbour, about a mile and a half in length, half a mile in breadth, and with a varying depth of from 4 to 6 fathoms in the best anchorages. The hills were formerly intersected by bays and indentations, which in the course of time have been filled up with coral and sand, and are now low plains, scantily covered with salsola, sea-lavender, wild mignonette, and other plants which delight in a soft sandy soil. These plains occupy about one-fourth of the island, and occur principally on the north side. The rocks, which are all igneous, are nowhere exposed, save where they dip perpendicularly into the sea ; they are covered with a layer of volcanic mud of from two to six feet in depth, above which is another layer of loose boulders, or masses of black vesicular lava, in some places so thickly set as to resemble a rude pavement. The highest point of the island is 245 feet above the level of the sea. All endeavours to find water have failed, and but a scanty supply is procurable from the adjacent coasts. Water- tanks were constructed, which used to be chiefly supplied from Aden, and it was proposed to erect reservoirs to collect the rain ; but, as at Aden, a condensing apparatus was found more suitable.
Perim has never been permanently occupied by any nation save the British. Albuquerque landed upon it in 1513 on his return from the Red Sea, and, having erected a high cross on an eminence, called the island Vera Cruz. It was again occupied for a short time by the pirates who frequented the mouth of the Red Sea, and who amassed considerable booty by plundering the native vessels engaged in the Indian trade. They formed a project of settling here and erecting strong fortifications; but having with much labour dug through the solid rock to a depth of fifteen fathoms in a fruitless search for water, they abandoned their design, and removed to Mary's Island, on the east side of Madagascar.
In 1799 Perim was taken possession of by the East India Company; and a force under Lieutenant-Colonel Murray was sent from Bombay to garrison it, with the view of preventing the French troops, then engaged in the occupation of Egypt, from proceeding to India to effect a junction with Tipu Sultan. But it was deemed untenable as a military position, and the Straits were too broad to be commanded by any batteries on the shore ; the troops were accordingly withdrawn.
In consequence of increasing steam navigation in the Red Sea, the attention of the Indian Government was directed to the necessity of a lighthouse to facilitate the navigation of the Straits. Perim was consequently reoccupied in the beginning of 1857. The lighthouse was completed in 1861, and quarters were also built for a detachment of native infantry, 50 strong, who garrison the island. The detachment is relieved every two months when practicable.'
The garrison is still maintained on the island, which has a population (1901) of 1,236, and is provided with a police force of 10 men. The island contains a coal depot, a condenser producing annually 170,000 gallons of water, and two lighthouses. An Assistant Resident with first-class magisterial powers is stationed here.
[J. S. King, Description and History of the British Outpost of Perim (1887).]
