IOR/V/10/553/14

Annual administration report of the Aden Settlement, providing a summary record of the main events and developments in each department of the Administration of Aden during the financial year 1884-85. The report is addressed, in a covering memorandum, by Brigadier-General James Blair, Political Resident, Aden, to the Secretary to the Government, Bombay, dated 12 May 1885. The report was printed at the Government Central Press, Bombay [Mumbai].

The main body of the report is headed ‘PART II’. The first part of the report is not present. Part II of the report is divided into the following sections, some of which are further divided into sub-headings:

• ‘I. – PHYSICAL AND POLITICAL GEOGRAPHY’ (f 258), consisting of: Physical Features of the Country, Area, and Climate
• ‘II. – POLITICAL’ (ff 258-259), consisting of: (a) Historical Summary; (b) Form of Administration; (c) Character of Land Tenures; (d) Civil Divisions of British Territory; (e) Details of the Last Census &c. (f) Changes in the Administration; (g) Relations with Tributary States and Foreign Affairs
• ‘III. – PROTECTION’ (ff 259-265), consisting of: (c) Police; (d) Criminal Justice; (e) Prisons; (f) Civil Justice; (g) Registration; (h) Municipal Administration; (i) Military; (j) Marine
• ‘IV. – PRODUCTION AND DISTRIBUTION’ (ff 265-267), consisting of: (b) Weather; (c) Horticulture; (d) Forests; (f) Manufactures; (g) Trade; (h) Public Works
• ‘V. – REVENUE AND FINANCE’ (ff 267-268), consisting of: (a) Imperial Revenue and Finance; (b) Revenue and Finance Other than Imperial
• ‘VI. – VITAL STATISTICS AND MEDICAL SERVICES’ (ff 269-270), consisting of: (b) Births and Deaths; (d) Medical Relief; (f) Vaccination
• ‘VII. – INSTRUCTION’ (f 270), consisting of: (b) Education; (c) Literature and the Press
• ‘IX. – MISCELLANEOUS’ (f 270), consisting of: Ecclesiastical.

The report includes four appendices relating to political relations (with the ‘native states’ and ‘native chiefs’), civil divisions of British Territory in Aden, population statistics and meteorological and weather statistics.

On folios 272-273 is a report entitled ‘British Troops. Sanitary Report for the Year Ending March 31, 1885’, authored by C J Weir, Surgeon-Major, Senior Medical Officer, Aden. It includes rainfall and temperature statistics and sickness returns of the Station Hospital, Aden and the Isthmus Section Hospital. On folios 273-274 is a ‘Sanitary Report of Her Majesty’s 4th Bombay Rifles for the year ending 31st March 1885’ authored by I M Crimmin, Surgeon, 4th Bombay Rifles, including statistics of sickness and mortality. This is followed by a sanitary report on the island of Perim by F Viegas, First Class Assistant Apothecary, In Medical Charge Outpost Perim, and an annual sanitary report of the Aden Troop Hospital for the year ending 31 March 1885 authored by S Ramjee, First Class Hospital Assistant, in Medical Charge Aden Troop Hospital, Khor Maksar (folios 275-276).

A table of contents of Part II listing the Chapter numbers and headings is on folio 256 (‘chapter’ is not used in the main body of the report). A table entitled indicating the number of square miles of the peninsula of Aden under the control of the Government of Bombay is on folio 257. An index of persons, places and subjects is on folio 277.